diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Soulseek/SoulseekUsers.tsx b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Soulseek/SoulseekUsers.tsx
index 31664158..77b4cffc 100644
--- a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Soulseek/SoulseekUsers.tsx
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Soulseek/SoulseekUsers.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
-import { useClient } from 'hooks/useClient';
 import { usePanelChannel } from 'hooks/usePanelChannel';
 import { toast } from 'sonner';
 import { Users, Search, CircleCheck, CircleSlash, Clock, Loader2, Star, X, Download } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useSoulseekFavorites } from './useSoulseekFavorites';
+import { useSoulseekUser } from './useSoulseekUser';
 import { useSoulseekBrowseSnapshots } from './useSoulseekBrowse';
 import { SharesBrowser, BrowseStateChip } from './SharesBrowser';
-import { SOULSEEK_USER_CHANNEL, type SlskdUserInfo, type SlskdUserStatus, type SoulseekUserRequest } from './shared';
+import { SOULSEEK_USER_CHANNEL, type SoulseekUserRequest } from './shared';
 
 // Users panel — look up a peer: their presence (online/away/offline) and profile info (description,
 // upload slots, queue), both cheap live calls (GET /users/{u}/status + /info). Their shared folders come
@@ -17,12 +17,6 @@ import { SOULSEEK_USER_CHANNEL, type SlskdUserInfo, type SlskdUserStatus, type S
 // Favourites — Officer's own data, since slskd has no such concept — get their own section at the top,
 // which also serves as this panel's landing content before any lookup.
 
-type Loaded = {
-  username: string;
-  status: SlskdUserStatus | null;
-  info: SlskdUserInfo | null;
-};
-
 const presenceStyle = (p?: string): { label: string; dot: string; icon: typeof CircleCheck } => {
   switch ((p ?? '').toLowerCase()) {
     case 'online':
@@ -35,34 +29,21 @@ const presenceStyle = (p?: string): { label: string; dot: string; icon: typeof C
 };
 
 export const SoulseekUsers = () => {
-  const client = useClient();
   const [query, setQuery] = useState('');
-  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
-  const [peer, setPeer] = useState<Loaded | null>(null);
+  const [selected, setSelected] = useState('');
   const [request, setRequest] = usePanelChannel<SoulseekUserRequest | null>(SOULSEEK_USER_CHANNEL, null);
   const { favorites, isFavorite, toggle } = useSoulseekFavorites();
   const { snapshotOf, fetchShares } = useSoulseekBrowseSnapshots();
 
-  const lookup = async (name: string) => {
+  // Selecting a peer is now just naming one — the query owns the fetching, and its cache owns the answer.
+  const user = useSoulseekUser(selected);
+  const peer = user.data ?? null;
+
+  const select = (name: string) => {
     const username = name.trim();
-    if (!username || loading) return;
+    if (!username) return;
     setQuery(username);
-    setLoading(true);
-    setPeer(null);
-    const [status, info] = await Promise.allSettled([
-      client.get<SlskdUserStatus>(`/slskd/api/v0/users/${encodeURIComponent(username)}/status`),
-      client.get<SlskdUserInfo>(`/slskd/api/v0/users/${encodeURIComponent(username)}/info`),
-    ]);
-    setLoading(false);
-    if (status.status === 'rejected' && info.status === 'rejected') {
-      toast.error(`Couldn't reach ${username} — they may be offline.`);
-      return;
-    }
-    setPeer({
-      username,
-      status: status.status === 'fulfilled' ? status.value : null,
-      info: info.status === 'fulfilled' ? info.value : null,
-    });
+    setSelected(username);
   };
 
   // Consume a peer request from the username dropdown. Cleared as it's handled, so switching away and
@@ -71,13 +52,19 @@ export const SoulseekUsers = () => {
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!request) return;
     setRequest(null);
-    lookup(request.username);
-    // lookup is recreated each render; the effect deliberately runs only when a request arrives.
+    select(request.username);
+    // select is recreated each render; the effect deliberately runs only when a request arrives.
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [request]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (user.error) toast.error(user.error.message);
+  }, [user.error]);
+
   const pres = presenceStyle(peer?.status?.presence);
   const PresIcon = pres.icon;
+  // Only a peer we have nothing cached for is worth showing a pending state for.
+  const pending = !!selected && user.isPending;
 
   return (
     <div className="flex h-full flex-col overflow-hidden">
@@ -86,7 +73,7 @@ export const SoulseekUsers = () => {
         <form
           onSubmit={(ev) => {
             ev.preventDefault();
-            lookup(query);
+            select(query);
           }}
           className="flex flex-1 items-center gap-2"
         >
@@ -98,10 +85,10 @@ export const SoulseekUsers = () => {
           />
           <button
             type="submit"
-            disabled={!query.trim() || loading}
+            disabled={!query.trim() || user.isFetching}
             className="flex h-9 items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg bg-primary px-3 text-sm text-primary-foreground transition hover:bg-primary/90 disabled:opacity-40"
           >
-            {loading ? <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" /> : <Search className="h-4 w-4" />}
+            {user.isFetching ? <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" /> : <Search className="h-4 w-4" />}
             Look up
           </button>
         </form>
@@ -125,7 +112,7 @@ export const SoulseekUsers = () => {
             ) : (
               <div className="max-h-64 divide-y divide-white/5 overflow-y-auto">
                 {favorites.map((u) => {
-                  const current = peer?.username === u;
+                  const current = selected === u;
                   return (
                     <div
                       key={u}
@@ -135,7 +122,7 @@ export const SoulseekUsers = () => {
                     >
                       <button
                         type="button"
-                        onClick={() => lookup(u)}
+                        onClick={() => select(u)}
                         title={`Look up ${u}`}
                         className={`min-w-0 flex-1 truncate text-left transition ${
                           current ? 'font-medium text-primary' : 'text-zinc-200 hover:text-zinc-100'
@@ -169,38 +156,46 @@ export const SoulseekUsers = () => {
             )}
           </div>
 
-          {!peer ? (
+          {!selected ? (
             <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-2 py-10 text-center text-muted-foreground">
               <Users className="h-8 w-8" />
               <p className="text-sm">Enter a Soulseek username to see their profile and shares.</p>
             </div>
           ) : (
             <>
-              {/* Profile */}
+              {/* Profile. Keyed off the selected name, not the loaded peer, so a lookup already in cache
+                  paints instantly and a fresh one fills in around a card that's already on screen. */}
               <div className="rounded-xl border border-white/10 bg-zinc-950 p-4">
                 <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
                   <div className="flex h-11 w-11 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-white/5 text-lg font-semibold text-zinc-300">
-                    {peer.username.charAt(0).toUpperCase()}
+                    {selected.charAt(0).toUpperCase()}
                   </div>
                   <div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
-                    <div className="truncate text-sm font-semibold text-zinc-100">{peer.username}</div>
-                    <div className={`flex items-center gap-1.5 text-xs ${pres.dot}`}>
-                      <PresIcon className="h-3.5 w-3.5" />
-                      {pres.label}
-                      {peer.status?.isPrivileged && <span className="text-amber-400">· privileged</span>}
-                    </div>
+                    <div className="truncate text-sm font-semibold text-zinc-100">{selected}</div>
+                    {pending ? (
+                      <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5 text-xs text-zinc-500">
+                        <Loader2 className="h-3.5 w-3.5 animate-spin" />
+                        Checking…
+                      </div>
+                    ) : (
+                      <div className={`flex items-center gap-1.5 text-xs ${pres.dot}`}>
+                        <PresIcon className="h-3.5 w-3.5" />
+                        {pres.label}
+                        {peer?.status?.isPrivileged && <span className="text-amber-400">· privileged</span>}
+                      </div>
+                    )}
                   </div>
                   <button
                     type="button"
-                    onClick={() => toggle(peer.username)}
-                    title={isFavorite(peer.username) ? 'Remove from favorites' : 'Add to favorites'}
+                    onClick={() => toggle(selected)}
+                    title={isFavorite(selected) ? 'Remove from favorites' : 'Add to favorites'}
                     className="flex h-8 w-8 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-lg text-zinc-500 transition hover:bg-white/5 hover:text-zinc-200"
                   >
-                    <Star className={`h-4 w-4 ${isFavorite(peer.username) ? 'fill-amber-400 text-amber-400' : ''}`} />
+                    <Star className={`h-4 w-4 ${isFavorite(selected) ? 'fill-amber-400 text-amber-400' : ''}`} />
                   </button>
                 </div>
 
-                {peer.info && (
+                {peer?.info && (
                   <>
                     <div className="mt-4 grid grid-cols-3 gap-2">
                       <Stat label="Upload slots" value={peer.info.uploadSlots ?? 0} />
@@ -220,7 +215,7 @@ export const SoulseekUsers = () => {
                 )}
               </div>
 
-              <SharesBrowser username={peer.username} />
+              <SharesBrowser username={selected} />
             </>
           )}
         </div>
diff --git a/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Soulseek/useSoulseekUser.ts b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Soulseek/useSoulseekUser.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..116dc71d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/workspaces/officerdev/src/apps/Soulseek/useSoulseekUser.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { useClient } from 'hooks/useClient';
+import type { SlskdUserInfo, SlskdUserStatus } from './shared';
+
+/** A peer's presence and profile, as far as either could be reached. */
+export type SoulseekUser = {
+  username: string;
+  status: SlskdUserStatus | null;
+  info: SlskdUserInfo | null;
+};
+
+/**
+ * One peer's presence and profile, cached per username. Selecting a peer you've already looked at paints
+ * from cache instead of blanking the panel back to its empty state and re-asking the network for an
+ * answer it just had — which is what local state did, once per click.
+ */
+export function useSoulseekUser(username: string) {
+  const { get } = useClient();
+
+  return useQuery({
+    queryKey: ['soulseek', 'user', username],
+    queryFn: async (): Promise<SoulseekUser> => {
+      const u = encodeURIComponent(username);
+      const [status, info] = await Promise.allSettled([
+        get<SlskdUserStatus>(`/slskd/api/v0/users/${u}/status`),
+        get<SlskdUserInfo>(`/slskd/api/v0/users/${u}/info`),
+      ]);
+      // Half an answer is still worth showing — a reachable peer with a private profile answers only one
+      // of the two. Both failing is what actually means "couldn't reach them".
+      if (status.status === 'rejected' && info.status === 'rejected') {
+        throw new Error(`Couldn't reach ${username} — they may be offline.`);
+      }
+      return {
+        username,
+        status: status.status === 'fulfilled' ? status.value : null,
+        info: info.status === 'fulfilled' ? info.value : null,
+      };
+    },
+    enabled: !!username,
+    // Presence drifts, but not fast enough to be worth a round trip every time the panel remounts.
+    staleTime: 60_000,
+    // An unreachable peer IS the answer, not a fault to retry: retrying only delays saying so.
+    retry: false,
+  });
+}