diff --git a/lib/components/keyserver-connection-handler.js b/lib/components/keyserver-connection-handler.js
--- a/lib/components/keyserver-connection-handler.js
+++ b/lib/components/keyserver-connection-handler.js
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@
   invariant(identityContext, 'Identity context should be set');
   const { identityClient, getAuthMetadata } = identityContext;
 
-  const preRequestUserInfo = useSelector(state => state.currentUserInfo);
+  const currentUserInfo = useSelector(state => state.currentUserInfo);
   const innerPerformAuth = React.useCallback(
     (
       authActionSource: AuthActionSource,
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@
                 initialNotificationsEncryptedMessage: notifsSession,
               },
             },
-            preRequestUserInfo,
+            preRequestUserInfo: currentUserInfo,
           });
 
           await dispatchActionPromise(keyserverAuthActionTypes, authPromise);
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@
       identityClient,
       keyserverID,
       olmAPI,
-      preRequestUserInfo,
+      currentUserInfo,
     ],
   );
 
@@ -362,14 +362,21 @@
 
   const cancelPendingAuth = React.useRef<?() => void>(null);
   const prevPerformAuth = React.useRef(performAuth);
-  const isUserAuthenticated = useSelector(isLoggedInToKeyserver(keyserverID));
   const hasAccessToken = useSelector(state => !!state.commServicesAccessToken);
 
+  const isUserLoggedInToKeyserver = useSelector(
+    isLoggedInToKeyserver(keyserverID),
+  );
+  const canInitiateRecovery =
+    !!currentUserInfo &&
+    !currentUserInfo.anonymous &&
+    isUserLoggedInToKeyserver;
+
   const cancelPendingRecovery = React.useRef<?() => void>(null);
   const prevPerformRecovery = React.useRef(performRecovery);
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    if (activeSessionRecovery && isUserAuthenticated) {
+    if (activeSessionRecovery && canInitiateRecovery) {
       cancelPendingAuth.current?.();
       cancelPendingAuth.current = null;
 
@@ -397,7 +404,7 @@
 
     if (
       !usingCommServicesAccessToken ||
-      isUserAuthenticated ||
+      isUserLoggedInToKeyserver ||
       !hasAccessToken
     ) {
       return;
@@ -420,7 +427,8 @@
     authInProgress,
     performRecovery,
     hasAccessToken,
-    isUserAuthenticated,
+    isUserLoggedInToKeyserver,
+    canInitiateRecovery,
     performAuth,
   ]);