diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/timeline/TimelineView.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/timeline/TimelineView.svelte
index 4bd55de8a..bb7628a10 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/timeline/TimelineView.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/timeline/TimelineView.svelte
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 	import type * as OrgTangledFeedGetTimeline from "#lib/api/lexicons/types/org/tangled/feed/getTimeline.ts";
 
 	let {
-		feed = [],
+		feed,
 		trending = [],
 		notifications,
 		recents,
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@
 				{/if}
 			</div>
 
-			{#if feed instanceof Promise}
+			{#if feed === undefined}
+				<Bones capture={timelineTimelineSkeletonFixture} />
+			{:else if feed instanceof Promise}
 				<Pending>
 					{#snippet skeleton()}
 						<Bones capture={timelineTimelineSkeletonFixture} />
diff --git a/web/src/routes/timeline/+page.server.ts b/web/src/routes/timeline/+page.server.ts
index 6ab54ebd4..ace66d17f 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/timeline/+page.server.ts
+++ b/web/src/routes/timeline/+page.server.ts
@@ -10,14 +10,13 @@ export const load: PageServerLoad = async (event) => {
 		fetch: event.fetch
 	});
 
-	const followingOnly = event.url.searchParams.get("following") === "true";
+	const viewer = parent.auth?.did;
+	const followingOnly = event.url.searchParams.get("following") === "true" && Boolean(viewer);
 
 	return settle(
 		{
 			// following loads in the browser, it needs the viewer's agent
-			feed: followingOnly
-				? undefined
-				: loadFeed({ ctx, followingOnly, viewer: parent.auth?.did }),
+			feed: followingOnly ? undefined : loadFeed({ ctx, followingOnly, viewer }),
 			trending: loadTrendingRepos(ctx)
 		},
 		event