diff --git a/lib/hooks/ens-cache.js b/lib/hooks/ens-cache.js
index b17a742b6..1340502ad 100644
--- a/lib/hooks/ens-cache.js
+++ b/lib/hooks/ens-cache.js
@@ -1,55 +1,67 @@
 // @flow
 
 import * as React from 'react';
 
 import { ENSCacheContext } from '../components/ens-cache-provider.react';
 import { userIdentifiedByETHAddress } from '../shared/account-utils';
 import { stringForUser } from '../shared/user-utils';
 import type { RelativeMemberInfo } from '../types/thread-types';
 import type { RelativeUserInfo } from '../types/user-types';
 
 function useStringForUser(
   user: ?(RelativeUserInfo | RelativeMemberInfo),
 ): ?string {
-  const rawStringForUser = user ? stringForUser(user) : null;
-  const [ensName, setENSName] = React.useState<?string>(null);
-
   const ethAddress = React.useMemo(() => {
     if (
       !user ||
       user.isViewer ||
       !user.username ||
       !userIdentifiedByETHAddress(user)
     ) {
       return null;
     }
     return user.username;
   }, [user]);
 
+  const cacheContext = React.useContext(ENSCacheContext);
+  const { ensCache } = cacheContext;
+  const cachedResult =
+    ethAddress && ensCache
+      ? ensCache.getCachedNameForAddress(ethAddress)
+      : null;
+
+  const [ensName, setENSName] = React.useState<?string>(null);
+
   React.useEffect(() => {
     // Whenever the ETH address changes, clear out ENS name before requery below
     setENSName(null);
   }, [ethAddress]);
 
-  const cacheContext = React.useContext(ENSCacheContext);
-  const { ensCache } = cacheContext;
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    if (!ethAddress || !ensCache) {
+    if (cachedResult || !ethAddress || !ensCache) {
       return;
     }
     let cancelled = false;
     (async () => {
       const result = await ensCache.getNameForAddress(ethAddress);
       if (result && !cancelled) {
         setENSName(result);
       }
     })();
     return () => {
       cancelled = true;
     };
-  }, [ethAddress, ensCache]);
+  }, [cachedResult, ethAddress, ensCache]);
 
-  return ensName ?? rawStringForUser;
+  if (ensName) {
+    return ensName;
+  } else if (cachedResult) {
+    return cachedResult;
+  } else if (user) {
+    return stringForUser(user);
+  } else {
+    return null;
+  }
 }
 
 export { useStringForUser };