diff --git a/lib/shared/web-database.js b/lib/shared/web-database.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d653d80f
--- /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
index 5c67629e2..57528e30b 100644
--- a/web/redux/persist.js
+++ b/web/redux/persist.js
@@ -1,320 +1,318 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import {
   getStoredState,
   purgeStoredState,
   createTransform,
 } from 'redux-persist';
 import storage from 'redux-persist/es/storage/index.js';
 import type { Transform } from 'redux-persist/es/types.js';
 import type { PersistConfig } from 'redux-persist/src/types.js';
 
 import {
   createAsyncMigrate,
   type StorageMigrationFunction,
 } from 'lib/shared/create-async-migrate.js';
 import type {
   KeyserverInfo,
   KeyserverStore,
 } from 'lib/types/keyserver-types.js';
 import { cookieTypes } from 'lib/types/session-types.js';
 import {
   defaultConnectionInfo,
   type ConnectionInfo,
 } from 'lib/types/socket-types.js';
 import { defaultGlobalThemeInfo } from 'lib/types/theme-types.js';
 import { parseCookies } from 'lib/utils/cookie-utils.js';
 import { isDev } from 'lib/utils/dev-utils.js';
 import {
   generateIDSchemaMigrationOpsForDrafts,
   convertDraftStoreToNewIDSchema,
 } from 'lib/utils/migration-utils.js';
 import { ashoatKeyserverID } from 'lib/utils/validation-utils.js';
 
 import commReduxStorageEngine from './comm-redux-storage-engine.js';
 import type { AppState } from './redux-setup.js';
 import { getDatabaseModule } from '../database/database-module-provider.js';
 import { isSQLiteSupported } from '../database/utils/db-utils.js';
 import { workerRequestMessageTypes } from '../types/worker-types.js';
 
 declare var keyserverURL: string;
 
 const migrations = {
   [1]: async state => {
     const {
       primaryIdentityPublicKey,
       ...stateWithoutPrimaryIdentityPublicKey
     } = state;
     return {
       ...stateWithoutPrimaryIdentityPublicKey,
       cryptoStore: {
         primaryAccount: null,
         primaryIdentityKeys: null,
         notificationAccount: null,
         notificationIdentityKeys: null,
       },
     };
   },
   [2]: async state => {
     return state;
   },
   [3]: async (state: AppState) => {
     let newState = state;
     if (state.draftStore) {
       newState = {
         ...newState,
         draftStore: convertDraftStoreToNewIDSchema(state.draftStore),
       };
     }
 
     const databaseModule = await getDatabaseModule();
     const isDatabaseSupported = await databaseModule.isDatabaseSupported();
 
     if (!isDatabaseSupported) {
       return newState;
     }
 
     const stores = await databaseModule.schedule({
       type: workerRequestMessageTypes.GET_CLIENT_STORE,
     });
     invariant(stores?.store, 'Stores should exist');
     await databaseModule.schedule({
       type: workerRequestMessageTypes.PROCESS_STORE_OPERATIONS,
       storeOperations: {
         draftStoreOperations: generateIDSchemaMigrationOpsForDrafts(
           stores.store.drafts,
         ),
       },
     });
 
     return newState;
   },
   [4]: async state => {
     const { lastCommunicatedPlatformDetails, keyserverStore, ...rest } = state;
 
     return {
       ...rest,
       keyserverStore: {
         ...keyserverStore,
         keyserverInfos: {
           ...keyserverStore.keyserverInfos,
           [ashoatKeyserverID]: {
             ...keyserverStore.keyserverInfos[ashoatKeyserverID],
             lastCommunicatedPlatformDetails,
           },
         },
       },
     };
   },
   [5]: async state => {
     const databaseModule = await getDatabaseModule();
     const isDatabaseSupported = await databaseModule.isDatabaseSupported();
     if (!isDatabaseSupported) {
       return state;
     }
 
     if (!state.draftStore) {
       return state;
     }
 
     const { drafts } = state.draftStore;
     const draftStoreOperations = [];
     for (const key in drafts) {
       const text = drafts[key];
       draftStoreOperations.push({
         type: 'update',
         payload: { key, text },
       });
     }
 
     await databaseModule.schedule({
       type: workerRequestMessageTypes.PROCESS_STORE_OPERATIONS,
       storeOperations: { draftStoreOperations },
     });
 
     return state;
   },
   [6]: async state => ({
     ...state,
     integrityStore: { threadHashes: {}, threadHashingStatus: 'starting' },
   }),
   [7]: async (state: AppState): Promise<AppState> => {
     if (!document.cookie) {
       return state;
     }
 
     const params = parseCookies(document.cookie);
     let cookie = null;
     if (params[cookieTypes.USER]) {
       cookie = `${cookieTypes.USER}=${params[cookieTypes.USER]}`;
     } else if (params[cookieTypes.ANONYMOUS]) {
       cookie = `${cookieTypes.ANONYMOUS}=${params[cookieTypes.ANONYMOUS]}`;
     }
 
     return {
       ...state,
       keyserverStore: {
         ...state.keyserverStore,
         keyserverInfos: {
           ...state.keyserverStore.keyserverInfos,
           [ashoatKeyserverID]: {
             ...state.keyserverStore.keyserverInfos[ashoatKeyserverID],
             cookie,
           },
         },
       },
     };
   },
   [8]: async state => ({
     ...state,
     globalThemeInfo: defaultGlobalThemeInfo,
   }),
   [9]: async state => ({
     ...state,
     keyserverStore: {
       ...state.keyserverStore,
       keyserverInfos: {
         ...state.keyserverStore.keyserverInfos,
         [ashoatKeyserverID]: {
           ...state.keyserverStore.keyserverInfos[ashoatKeyserverID],
           urlPrefix: keyserverURL,
         },
       },
     },
   }),
   [10]: async state => {
     const { keyserverInfos } = state.keyserverStore;
     const newKeyserverInfos = {};
     for (const key in keyserverInfos) {
       newKeyserverInfos[key] = {
         ...keyserverInfos[key],
         connection: { ...defaultConnectionInfo },
         updatesCurrentAsOf: 0,
         sessionID: null,
       };
     }
     return {
       ...state,
       keyserverStore: {
         ...state.keyserverStore,
         keyserverInfos: newKeyserverInfos,
       },
     };
   },
 };
 
 const persistWhitelist = [
   'enabledApps',
   'cryptoStore',
   'notifPermissionAlertInfo',
   'commServicesAccessToken',
   'keyserverStore',
   'globalThemeInfo',
 ];
 
 const rootKey = 'root';
 
 const migrateStorageToSQLite: StorageMigrationFunction = async debug => {
   const databaseModule = await getDatabaseModule();
   const isSupported = await databaseModule.isDatabaseSupported();
   if (!isSupported) {
     return undefined;
   }
 
   const oldStorage = await getStoredState({ storage, key: rootKey });
   if (!oldStorage) {
     return undefined;
   }
 
   purgeStoredState({ storage, key: rootKey });
   if (debug) {
     console.log('redux-persist: migrating state to SQLite storage');
   }
 
   // We need to simulate the keyserverStoreTransform for data stored in the
   // old local storage (because redux persist will only run it for the
   // sqlite storage which is empty in this case).
   // We don't just use keyserverStoreTransform.out(oldStorage) because
   // the transform might change in the future, but we need to treat
   // this code like migration code (it shouldn't change).
   if (oldStorage?._persist?.version === 4) {
     const defaultConnection = defaultConnectionInfo;
     return {
       ...oldStorage,
       keyserverStore: {
         ...oldStorage.keyserverStore,
         keyserverInfos: {
           ...oldStorage.keyserverStore.keyserverInfos,
           [ashoatKeyserverID]: {
             ...oldStorage.keyserverStore.keyserverInfos[ashoatKeyserverID],
             connection: { ...defaultConnection },
             updatesCurrentAsOf: 0,
             sessionID: null,
           },
         },
       },
     };
   }
 
   return oldStorage;
 };
 
 type PersistedKeyserverInfo = $Diff<
   KeyserverInfo,
   {
     +connection: ConnectionInfo,
     +updatesCurrentAsOf: number,
     +sessionID?: ?string,
   },
 >;
 type PersistedKeyserverStore = {
   +keyserverInfos: { +[key: string]: PersistedKeyserverInfo },
 };
 const keyserverStoreTransform: Transform = createTransform(
   (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 {
       ...state,
       keyserverInfos,
     };
   },
   (state: PersistedKeyserverStore): KeyserverStore => {
     const keyserverInfos = {};
     for (const key in state.keyserverInfos) {
       keyserverInfos[key] = {
         ...state.keyserverInfos[key],
         connection: { ...defaultConnectionInfo },
-        updatesCurrentAsOf: 0,
         sessionID: null,
       };
     }
     return {
       ...state,
       keyserverInfos,
     };
   },
   { whitelist: ['keyserverStore'] },
 );
 
 const persistConfig: PersistConfig = {
   key: rootKey,
   storage: commReduxStorageEngine,
   whitelist: isSQLiteSupported()
     ? persistWhitelist
     : [...persistWhitelist, 'draftStore'],
   migrate: (createAsyncMigrate(
     migrations,
     { debug: isDev },
     migrateStorageToSQLite,
   ): any),
   version: 10,
   transforms: [keyserverStoreTransform],
 };
 
 export { persistConfig };
diff --git a/web/redux/redux-setup.js b/web/redux/redux-setup.js
index efd470f12..1f35ee8b1 100644
--- a/web/redux/redux-setup.js
+++ b/web/redux/redux-setup.js
@@ -1,325 +1,330 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import type { PersistState } from 'redux-persist/es/types.js';
 
 import {
   logOutActionTypes,
   deleteAccountActionTypes,
 } from 'lib/actions/user-actions.js';
 import { reportStoreOpsHandlers } from 'lib/ops/report-store-ops.js';
 import baseReducer from 'lib/reducers/master-reducer.js';
 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 } from 'lib/types/crypto-types.js';
 import type { DraftStore } from 'lib/types/draft-types.js';
 import type { EnabledApps } from 'lib/types/enabled-apps.js';
 import type { EntryStore, CalendarQuery } from 'lib/types/entry-types.js';
 import { type CalendarFilter } from 'lib/types/filter-types.js';
 import type { IntegrityStore } from 'lib/types/integrity-types.js';
 import type { KeyserverStore } from 'lib/types/keyserver-types.js';
 import type { LifecycleState } from 'lib/types/lifecycle-state-types.js';
 import type { InviteLinksStore } from 'lib/types/link-types.js';
 import type { LoadingStatus } from 'lib/types/loading-types.js';
 import type { MessageStore } from 'lib/types/message-types.js';
 import type { UserPolicies } from 'lib/types/policy-types.js';
 import type { BaseAction } from 'lib/types/redux-types.js';
 import type { ReportStore } from 'lib/types/report-types.js';
 import type { GlobalThemeInfo } from 'lib/types/theme-types.js';
 import type { ThreadActivityStore } from 'lib/types/thread-activity-types';
 import type { ThreadStore } from 'lib/types/thread-types.js';
 import type { CurrentUserInfo, UserStore } from 'lib/types/user-types.js';
 import { setNewSessionActionType } from 'lib/utils/action-utils.js';
 import type { NotifPermissionAlertInfo } from 'lib/utils/push-alerts.js';
 import { ashoatKeyserverID } from 'lib/utils/validation-utils.js';
 
 import {
   updateWindowActiveActionType,
   updateNavInfoActionType,
   updateWindowDimensionsActionType,
   setInitialReduxState,
 } from './action-types.js';
 import { reduceCommunityPickerStore } from './community-picker-reducer.js';
 import { reduceCryptoStore, setCryptoStore } from './crypto-store-reducer.js';
 import reduceNavInfo from './nav-reducer.js';
 import { onStateDifference } from './redux-debug-utils.js';
 import { getVisibility } from './visibility.js';
 import { getDatabaseModule } from '../database/database-module-provider.js';
 import { activeThreadSelector } from '../selectors/nav-selectors.js';
 import { type NavInfo } from '../types/nav-types.js';
 import type { InitialReduxState } from '../types/redux-types.js';
 import { workerRequestMessageTypes } from '../types/worker-types.js';
 
 export type WindowDimensions = { width: number, height: number };
 
 export type CommunityPickerStore = {
   +chat: ?string,
   +calendar: ?string,
 };
 
 export type AppState = {
   +navInfo: NavInfo,
   +currentUserInfo: ?CurrentUserInfo,
   +draftStore: DraftStore,
   +entryStore: EntryStore,
   +threadStore: ThreadStore,
   +userStore: UserStore,
   +messageStore: MessageStore,
   +loadingStatuses: { [key: string]: { [idx: number]: LoadingStatus } },
   +calendarFilters: $ReadOnlyArray<CalendarFilter>,
   +communityPickerStore: CommunityPickerStore,
   +windowDimensions: WindowDimensions,
   +notifPermissionAlertInfo: NotifPermissionAlertInfo,
   +actualizedCalendarQuery: CalendarQuery,
   +watchedThreadIDs: $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
   +lifecycleState: LifecycleState,
   +enabledApps: EnabledApps,
   +reportStore: ReportStore,
   +nextLocalID: number,
   +dataLoaded: boolean,
   +windowActive: boolean,
   +userPolicies: UserPolicies,
   +cryptoStore: ?CryptoStore,
   +pushApiPublicKey: ?string,
   +_persist: ?PersistState,
   +commServicesAccessToken: ?string,
   +inviteLinksStore: InviteLinksStore,
   +keyserverStore: KeyserverStore,
   +threadActivityStore: ThreadActivityStore,
   +initialStateLoaded: boolean,
   +integrityStore: IntegrityStore,
   +globalThemeInfo: GlobalThemeInfo,
 };
 
 export type Action =
   | BaseAction
   | { type: 'UPDATE_NAV_INFO', payload: Shape<NavInfo> }
   | {
       type: 'UPDATE_WINDOW_DIMENSIONS',
       payload: WindowDimensions,
     }
   | {
       type: 'UPDATE_WINDOW_ACTIVE',
       payload: boolean,
     }
   | { +type: 'SET_CRYPTO_STORE', payload: CryptoStore }
   | { +type: 'SET_INITIAL_REDUX_STATE', payload: InitialReduxState };
 
 export function reducer(oldState: AppState | void, action: Action): AppState {
   invariant(oldState, 'should be set');
   let state = oldState;
 
   if (action.type === setInitialReduxState) {
     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, {
       ...state,
       ...rest,
       userStore: { userInfos },
       keyserverStore: {
         ...state.keyserverStore,
         keyserverInfos: newKeyserverInfos,
       },
       initialStateLoaded: true,
     });
   } else if (action.type === updateWindowDimensionsActionType) {
     return validateState(oldState, {
       ...state,
       windowDimensions: action.payload,
     });
   } else if (action.type === updateWindowActiveActionType) {
     return validateState(oldState, {
       ...state,
       windowActive: action.payload,
     });
   } else if (action.type === setNewSessionActionType) {
     if (
       invalidSessionDowngrade(
         oldState,
         action.payload.sessionChange.currentUserInfo,
         action.payload.preRequestUserState,
       )
     ) {
       return oldState;
     }
 
     state = {
       ...state,
       keyserverStore: {
         ...state.keyserverStore,
         keyserverInfos: {
           ...state.keyserverStore.keyserverInfos,
           [ashoatKeyserverID]: {
             ...state.keyserverStore.keyserverInfos[ashoatKeyserverID],
             sessionID: action.payload.sessionChange.sessionID,
           },
         },
       },
     };
   } else if (
     (action.type === logOutActionTypes.success &&
       invalidSessionDowngrade(
         oldState,
         action.payload.currentUserInfo,
         action.payload.preRequestUserState,
       )) ||
     (action.type === deleteAccountActionTypes.success &&
       invalidSessionDowngrade(
         oldState,
         action.payload.currentUserInfo,
         action.payload.preRequestUserState,
       ))
   ) {
     return oldState;
   }
 
   if (
     action.type !== updateNavInfoActionType &&
     action.type !== setCryptoStore
   ) {
     const baseReducerResult = baseReducer(state, action, onStateDifference);
     state = baseReducerResult.state;
 
     const {
       storeOperations: { draftStoreOperations, reportStoreOperations },
     } = baseReducerResult;
     if (draftStoreOperations.length > 0 || reportStoreOperations.length > 0) {
       (async () => {
         const databaseModule = await getDatabaseModule();
         const isSupported = await databaseModule.isDatabaseSupported();
         if (!isSupported) {
           return;
         }
         const convertedReportStoreOperations =
           reportStoreOpsHandlers.convertOpsToClientDBOps(reportStoreOperations);
         await databaseModule.schedule({
           type: workerRequestMessageTypes.PROCESS_STORE_OPERATIONS,
           storeOperations: {
             draftStoreOperations,
             reportStoreOperations: convertedReportStoreOperations,
           },
         });
       })();
     }
   }
 
   const communityPickerStore = reduceCommunityPickerStore(
     state.communityPickerStore,
     action,
   );
 
   state = {
     ...state,
     navInfo: reduceNavInfo(
       state.navInfo,
       action,
       state.threadStore.threadInfos,
     ),
     cryptoStore: reduceCryptoStore(state.cryptoStore, action),
     communityPickerStore,
   };
 
   return validateState(oldState, state);
 }
 
 function validateState(oldState: AppState, state: AppState): AppState {
   if (
     (state.navInfo.activeChatThreadID &&
       !state.navInfo.pendingThread &&
       !state.threadStore.threadInfos[state.navInfo.activeChatThreadID]) ||
     (!state.navInfo.activeChatThreadID && isLoggedIn(state))
   ) {
     // Makes sure the active thread always exists
     state = {
       ...state,
       navInfo: {
         ...state.navInfo,
         activeChatThreadID: mostRecentlyReadThreadSelector(state),
       },
     };
   }
 
   const activeThread = activeThreadSelector(state);
   if (
     activeThread &&
     !state.navInfo.pendingThread &&
     state.threadStore.threadInfos[activeThread].currentUser.unread &&
     getVisibility().hidden()
   ) {
     console.warn(
       `thread ${activeThread} is active and unread, ` +
         'but visibilityjs reports the window is not visible',
     );
   }
   if (
     activeThread &&
     !state.navInfo.pendingThread &&
     state.threadStore.threadInfos[activeThread].currentUser.unread &&
     typeof document !== 'undefined' &&
     document &&
     'hasFocus' in document &&
     !document.hasFocus()
   ) {
     console.warn(
       `thread ${activeThread} is active and unread, ` +
         'but document.hasFocus() is false',
     );
   }
   if (
     activeThread &&
     !getVisibility().hidden() &&
     typeof document !== 'undefined' &&
     document &&
     'hasFocus' in document &&
     document.hasFocus() &&
     !state.navInfo.pendingThread &&
     state.threadStore.threadInfos[activeThread].currentUser.unread
   ) {
     // Makes sure a currently focused thread is never unread
     state = {
       ...state,
       threadStore: {
         ...state.threadStore,
         threadInfos: {
           ...state.threadStore.threadInfos,
           [activeThread]: {
             ...state.threadStore.threadInfos[activeThread],
             currentUser: {
               ...state.threadStore.threadInfos[activeThread].currentUser,
               unread: false,
             },
           },
         },
       },
     };
   }
 
   const oldActiveThread = activeThreadSelector(oldState);
   if (
     activeThread &&
     oldActiveThread !== activeThread &&
     state.messageStore.threads[activeThread]
   ) {
     const now = Date.now();
     state = {
       ...state,
       threadActivityStore: {
         ...state.threadActivityStore,
         [activeThread]: {
           ...state.threadActivityStore[activeThread],
           lastNavigatedTo: now,
         },
       },
     };
   }
 
   return state;
 }