diff --git a/keyserver/src/user/login.js b/keyserver/src/user/login.js
--- a/keyserver/src/user/login.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/user/login.js
@@ -22,30 +22,54 @@
   account.mark_keys_as_published();
 }
 
+async function getUserCredentials(): Promise<UserCredentials> {
+  const userInfo = await getCommConfig<UserCredentials>({
+    folder: 'secrets',
+    name: 'user_credentials',
+  });
+
+  if (!userInfo) {
+    throw new ServerError('missing_user_credentials');
+  }
+
+  if (
+    userInfo.usingIdentityCredentials === undefined &&
+    process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development'
+  ) {
+    console.warn(
+      'Keyserver is not set up to use identity credentials' +
+        '\nUsing identity credentials is optional for now' +
+        '\nYou can restart nix to set up a new keyserver ' +
+        'with identity credentials' +
+        '\nFor keyservers running in Docker, refer to ' +
+        'https://www.notion.so/commapp/Running-two-keyservers-4295f98e7b0547d4ba027ba52c2d2e80?pvs=4#1f4178200d2b442bb7fa05dca447f406',
+    );
+  }
+
+  return userInfo;
+}
+
 async function verifyUserLoggedIn(): Promise<IdentityInfo> {
+  const userInfoPromise = getUserCredentials();
+
   const result = await fetchIdentityInfo();
 
   if (result) {
     return result;
   }
 
-  const identityInfo = await registerOrLogIn();
+  const userInfo = await userInfoPromise;
+
+  const identityInfo = await registerOrLogIn(userInfo);
   await saveIdentityInfo(identityInfo);
   return identityInfo;
 }
 
-async function registerOrLogIn(): Promise<IdentityInfo> {
+async function registerOrLogIn(
+  userInfo: UserCredentials,
+): Promise<IdentityInfo> {
   const rustAPIPromise = getRustAPI();
 
-  const userInfo = await getCommConfig<UserCredentials>({
-    folder: 'secrets',
-    name: 'user_credentials',
-  });
-
-  if (!userInfo) {
-    throw new ServerError('missing_user_credentials');
-  }
-
   const {
     identityKeys: notificationsIdentityKeys,
     prekey: notificationsPrekey,