diff --git a/native/account/registration/username-selection.react.js b/native/account/registration/username-selection.react.js
index cdbefeef4..7840937c9 100644
--- a/native/account/registration/username-selection.react.js
+++ b/native/account/registration/username-selection.react.js
@@ -1,240 +1,240 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import * as React from 'react';
 import { View, Text } from 'react-native';
 
 import {
   exactSearchUser,
   exactSearchUserActionTypes,
 } from 'lib/actions/user-actions.js';
 import { useLegacyAshoatKeyserverCall } from 'lib/keyserver-conn/legacy-keyserver-call.js';
-import { createLoadingStatusSelector } from 'lib/selectors/loading-selectors.js';
 import { validUsernameRegex } from 'lib/shared/account-utils.js';
 import { useDispatchActionPromise } from 'lib/utils/redux-promise-utils.js';
 import { usingCommServicesAccessToken } from 'lib/utils/services-utils.js';
 import { isValidEthereumAddress } from 'lib/utils/siwe-utils.js';
 
 import RegistrationButtonContainer from './registration-button-container.react.js';
 import RegistrationContainer from './registration-container.react.js';
 import RegistrationContentContainer from './registration-content-container.react.js';
 import { RegistrationContext } from './registration-context.js';
 import type { RegistrationNavigationProp } from './registration-navigator.react.js';
 import RegistrationTextInput from './registration-text-input.react.js';
 import type { CoolOrNerdMode } from './registration-types.js';
 import PrimaryButton from '../../components/primary-button.react.js';
 import { commRustModule } from '../../native-modules.js';
 import {
   type NavigationRoute,
   PasswordSelectionRouteName,
 } from '../../navigation/route-names.js';
-import { useSelector } from '../../redux/redux-utils.js';
 import { useStyles } from '../../themes/colors.js';
 
-const exactSearchUserLoadingStatusSelector = createLoadingStatusSelector(
-  exactSearchUserActionTypes,
-);
-
 export type UsernameSelectionParams = {
   +userSelections: {
     +coolOrNerdMode?: ?CoolOrNerdMode,
     +keyserverURL?: ?string,
     +farcasterID: ?string,
   },
 };
 
 type UsernameError = 'username_invalid' | 'username_taken';
 
 type Props = {
   +navigation: RegistrationNavigationProp<'UsernameSelection'>,
   +route: NavigationRoute<'UsernameSelection'>,
 };
 function UsernameSelection(props: Props): React.Node {
   const registrationContext = React.useContext(RegistrationContext);
   invariant(registrationContext, 'registrationContext should be set');
   const { cachedSelections, setCachedSelections } = registrationContext;
 
   const [username, setUsername] = React.useState(
     cachedSelections.username ?? '',
   );
   const validUsername =
     username.search(validUsernameRegex) > -1 &&
     !isValidEthereumAddress(username.toLowerCase());
 
   const [usernameError, setUsernameError] = React.useState<?UsernameError>();
   const checkUsernameValidity = React.useCallback(() => {
     if (!validUsername) {
       setUsernameError('username_invalid');
       return false;
     }
     setUsernameError(null);
     return true;
   }, [validUsername]);
 
   const { userSelections } = props.route.params;
   const { keyserverURL } = userSelections;
   const serverCallParamOverride = React.useMemo(() => {
     if (keyserverURL) {
       return { urlPrefix: keyserverURL };
     }
     return undefined;
   }, [keyserverURL]);
 
+  const [usernameSearchLoading, setUsernameSearchLoading] =
+    React.useState(false);
+
   const exactSearchUserCall = useLegacyAshoatKeyserverCall(
     exactSearchUser,
     serverCallParamOverride,
   );
   const dispatchActionPromise = useDispatchActionPromise();
   const { navigate } = props.navigation;
   const onProceed = React.useCallback(async () => {
     if (!checkUsernameValidity()) {
       return;
     }
 
+    setUsernameSearchLoading(true);
+
     let userAlreadyExists;
-    if (usingCommServicesAccessToken) {
-      const findUserIDResponseString =
-        await commRustModule.findUserIDForUsername(username);
-      const findUserIDResponse = JSON.parse(findUserIDResponseString);
-      userAlreadyExists =
-        !!findUserIDResponse.userID || findUserIDResponse.isReserved;
-    } else {
-      const searchPromise = exactSearchUserCall(username);
-      void dispatchActionPromise(exactSearchUserActionTypes, searchPromise);
-      const { userInfo } = await searchPromise;
-      userAlreadyExists = !!userInfo;
+    try {
+      if (usingCommServicesAccessToken) {
+        const findUserIDResponseString =
+          await commRustModule.findUserIDForUsername(username);
+        const findUserIDResponse = JSON.parse(findUserIDResponseString);
+        userAlreadyExists =
+          !!findUserIDResponse.userID || findUserIDResponse.isReserved;
+      } else {
+        const searchPromise = exactSearchUserCall(username);
+        void dispatchActionPromise(exactSearchUserActionTypes, searchPromise);
+        const { userInfo } = await searchPromise;
+        userAlreadyExists = !!userInfo;
+      }
+    } finally {
+      setUsernameSearchLoading(false);
     }
 
     if (userAlreadyExists) {
       setUsernameError('username_taken');
       return;
     }
 
     setUsernameError(undefined);
     setCachedSelections(oldUserSelections => ({
       ...oldUserSelections,
       username,
     }));
     navigate<'PasswordSelection'>({
       name: PasswordSelectionRouteName,
       params: {
         userSelections: {
           ...userSelections,
           username,
         },
       },
     });
   }, [
     checkUsernameValidity,
     username,
     exactSearchUserCall,
     dispatchActionPromise,
     setCachedSelections,
     navigate,
     userSelections,
   ]);
 
-  const exactSearchUserCallLoading = useSelector(
-    state => exactSearchUserLoadingStatusSelector(state) === 'loading',
-  );
   let buttonVariant = 'disabled';
-  if (exactSearchUserCallLoading) {
+  if (usernameSearchLoading) {
     buttonVariant = 'loading';
   } else if (validUsername) {
     buttonVariant = 'enabled';
   }
 
   const styles = useStyles(unboundStyles);
   let errorText;
   if (usernameError === 'username_invalid') {
     errorText = (
       <>
         <Text style={styles.errorText}>Usernames must:</Text>
         <View style={styles.listItem}>
           <Text style={[styles.errorText, styles.listItemNumber]}>{'1. '}</Text>
           <Text style={[styles.errorText, styles.listItemContent]}>
             Be at least one character long.
           </Text>
         </View>
         <View style={styles.listItem}>
           <Text style={[styles.errorText, styles.listItemNumber]}>{'2. '}</Text>
           <Text style={[styles.errorText, styles.listItemContent]}>
             Start with either a letter or a number.
           </Text>
         </View>
         <View style={styles.listItem}>
           <Text style={[styles.errorText, styles.listItemNumber]}>{'3. '}</Text>
           <Text style={[styles.errorText, styles.listItemContent]}>
             Contain only letters, numbers, or the characters “-” and “_”.
           </Text>
         </View>
       </>
     );
   } else if (usernameError === 'username_taken') {
     errorText = (
       <Text style={styles.errorText}>
         Username taken. Please try another one
       </Text>
     );
   }
 
   const shouldAutoFocus = React.useRef(!cachedSelections.username);
   return (
     <RegistrationContainer>
       <RegistrationContentContainer>
         <Text style={styles.header}>Pick a username</Text>
         <RegistrationTextInput
           value={username}
           onChangeText={setUsername}
           placeholder="Username"
           autoFocus={shouldAutoFocus.current}
           autoCorrect={false}
           autoCapitalize="none"
           keyboardType="ascii-capable"
           textContentType="username"
           autoComplete="username-new"
           returnKeyType="go"
           onSubmitEditing={onProceed}
-          editable={!exactSearchUserCallLoading}
+          editable={!usernameSearchLoading}
           onBlur={checkUsernameValidity}
         />
         <View style={styles.error}>{errorText}</View>
       </RegistrationContentContainer>
       <RegistrationButtonContainer>
         <PrimaryButton
           onPress={onProceed}
           label="Next"
           variant={buttonVariant}
         />
       </RegistrationButtonContainer>
     </RegistrationContainer>
   );
 }
 
 const unboundStyles = {
   header: {
     fontSize: 24,
     color: 'panelForegroundLabel',
     paddingBottom: 16,
   },
   error: {
     marginTop: 16,
   },
   errorText: {
     fontFamily: 'Arial',
     fontSize: 15,
     lineHeight: 20,
     color: 'redText',
   },
   listItem: {
     flexDirection: 'row',
   },
   listItemNumber: {
     fontWeight: 'bold',
   },
   listItemContent: {
     flexShrink: 1,
   },
 };
 
 export default UsernameSelection;