diff --git a/keyserver/src/updaters/thread-updaters.js b/keyserver/src/updaters/thread-updaters.js
--- a/keyserver/src/updaters/thread-updaters.js
+++ b/keyserver/src/updaters/thread-updaters.js
@@ -942,13 +942,12 @@
     return null;
   }
 
-  const ledChannels =
-    await neynarClient?.fetchLedFarcasterChannels(farcasterID);
+  const userLeadsChannel = await neynarClient?.userLeadsChannel(
+    farcasterID,
+    communityFarcasterChannelTag,
+  );
 
-  if (
-    !ledChannels ||
-    !ledChannels.some(channel => channel.id === communityFarcasterChannelTag)
-  ) {
+  if (!userLeadsChannel) {
     return null;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/utils/neynar-client.js b/lib/utils/neynar-client.js
--- a/lib/utils/neynar-client.js
+++ b/lib/utils/neynar-client.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 import { getMessageForException } from './errors.js';
 import type { NeynarChannel, NeynarUser } from '../types/farcaster-types.js';
+import sleep from '../utils/sleep.js';
 
 type FetchRelevantFollowersResponse = {
   +all_relevant_followers_dehydrated: $ReadOnlyArray<{
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@
   >;
   cacheTTL: number;
 
-  constructor(apiKey: string, cacheTTL: number = 60000) {
+  constructor(apiKey: string, cacheTTL: number = 600000) {
     this.apiKey = apiKey;
     this.ledChannelsCache = new Map();
     this.cacheTTL = cacheTTL; // Default TTL of 60 seconds
@@ -225,6 +226,30 @@
     }
   }
 
+  async userLeadsChannel(
+    fid: string,
+    farcasterChannelID: string,
+  ): Promise<boolean> {
+    const userChannelsPromise = (async () => {
+      const ledChannels = await this.fetchLedFarcasterChannels(fid);
+      return ledChannels.some(channel => channel.id === farcasterChannelID);
+    })();
+
+    const channelSearchPromise = (async () => {
+      try {
+        const channel =
+          await this.fetchFarcasterChannelByName(farcasterChannelID);
+        return channel?.lead.fid === parseInt(fid);
+      } catch (e) {
+        // Wait 5 seconds to give the other promise a chance to settle
+        await sleep(5000);
+        throw e;
+      }
+    })();
+
+    return Promise.race([userChannelsPromise, channelSearchPromise]);
+  }
+
   async getFarcasterUsers(
     fids: $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
   ): Promise<Array<?FarcasterUser>> {