diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/CachedTimelineViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/CachedTimelineViewModel.kt
index a3fd4ec08..bec96234a 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/CachedTimelineViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/CachedTimelineViewModel.kt
@@ -267,8 +267,11 @@ class CachedTimelineViewModel @Inject constructor(
         }
     }
 
-    override fun invalidate() {
-        currentPagingSource?.invalidate()
+    override suspend fun invalidate() {
+        // invalidating when we don't have statuses yet can cause empty timelines because it cancels the network load
+        if (db.timelineDao().getStatusCount(accountManager.activeAccount!!.id) > 0) {
+            currentPagingSource?.invalidate()
+        }
     }
 
     companion object {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/NetworkTimelineViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/NetworkTimelineViewModel.kt
index 5c2b4acda..9b9ee5b9f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/NetworkTimelineViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/NetworkTimelineViewModel.kt
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ class NetworkTimelineViewModel @Inject constructor(
         currentSource?.invalidate()
     }
 
-    override fun invalidate() {
+    override suspend fun invalidate() {
         currentSource?.invalidate()
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/TimelineViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/TimelineViewModel.kt
index 79fe885ac..32c430f6e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/TimelineViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/components/timeline/viewmodel/TimelineViewModel.kt
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ abstract class TimelineViewModel(
     abstract fun fullReload()
 
     /** Triggered when currently displayed data must be reloaded. */
-    protected abstract fun invalidate()
+    protected abstract suspend fun invalidate()
 
     protected fun shouldFilterStatus(statusViewData: StatusViewData): Boolean {
         val status = statusViewData.asStatusOrNull()?.status ?: return false
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/db/TimelineDao.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/db/TimelineDao.kt
index 123ebe211..210bfca3f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/db/TimelineDao.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/db/TimelineDao.kt
@@ -197,4 +197,7 @@ AND timelineUserId = :accountId
      */
     @Query("SELECT serverId FROM TimelineStatusEntity WHERE timelineUserId = :accountId AND authorServerId IS NULL AND (LENGTH(:serverId) > LENGTH(serverId) OR (LENGTH(:serverId) = LENGTH(serverId) AND :serverId > serverId)) ORDER BY LENGTH(serverId) DESC, serverId DESC LIMIT 1")
     abstract suspend fun getNextPlaceholderIdAfter(accountId: Long, serverId: String): String?
+
+    @Query("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM TimelineStatusEntity WHERE timelineUserId = :accountId")
+    abstract suspend fun getStatusCount(accountId: Long): Int
 }