diff --git a/lib/shared/web-database.js b/lib/shared/web-database.js
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/shared/web-database.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// @flow
+
+import { isStaff } from './staff-utils.js';
+import { isDev } from '../utils/dev-utils.js';
+
+function canUseDatabaseOnWeb(userID: ?string): boolean {
+  if (!userID) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return isDev || isStaff(userID);
+}
+
+export { canUseDatabaseOnWeb };
diff --git a/web/redux/persist.js b/web/redux/persist.js
--- a/web/redux/persist.js
+++ b/web/redux/persist.js
@@ -275,8 +275,7 @@
   (state: KeyserverStore): PersistedKeyserverStore => {
     const keyserverInfos = {};
     for (const key in state.keyserverInfos) {
-      const { connection, updatesCurrentAsOf, sessionID, ...rest } =
-        state.keyserverInfos[key];
+      const { connection, sessionID, ...rest } = state.keyserverInfos[key];
       keyserverInfos[key] = rest;
     }
     return {
@@ -290,7 +289,6 @@
       keyserverInfos[key] = {
         ...state.keyserverInfos[key],
         connection: { ...defaultConnectionInfo },
-        updatesCurrentAsOf: 0,
         sessionID: null,
       };
     }
diff --git a/web/redux/redux-setup.js b/web/redux/redux-setup.js
--- a/web/redux/redux-setup.js
+++ b/web/redux/redux-setup.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import { mostRecentlyReadThreadSelector } from 'lib/selectors/thread-selectors.js';
 import { isLoggedIn } from 'lib/selectors/user-selectors.js';
 import { invalidSessionDowngrade } from 'lib/shared/session-utils.js';
+import { canUseDatabaseOnWeb } from 'lib/shared/web-database.js';
 import type { Shape } from 'lib/types/core.js';
 import type {
   CryptoStore,
@@ -128,9 +129,13 @@
     const { userInfos, keyserverInfos, ...rest } = action.payload;
     const newKeyserverInfos = { ...state.keyserverStore.keyserverInfos };
     for (const keyserverID in keyserverInfos) {
+      const newUpdatesCurrentAsOf = canUseDatabaseOnWeb(rest.currentUserInfo.id)
+        ? newKeyserverInfos[keyserverID].updatesCurrentAsOf
+        : keyserverInfos[keyserverID].updatesCurrentAsOf;
       newKeyserverInfos[keyserverID] = {
         ...newKeyserverInfos[keyserverID],
         ...keyserverInfos[keyserverID],
+        updatesCurrentAsOf: newUpdatesCurrentAsOf,
       };
     }
     return validateState(oldState, {