diff --git a/src/components/NoteCard/RepostNoteCard.tsx b/src/components/NoteCard/RepostNoteCard.tsx
index 1a392454..6dca60b7 100644
--- a/src/components/NoteCard/RepostNoteCard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/NoteCard/RepostNoteCard.tsx
@@ -15,13 +15,15 @@ export default function RepostNoteCard({
   className,
   filterMutedNotes = true,
   pinned = false,
-  bottomNoteLabel
+  bottomNoteLabel,
+  deferAuthorAvatar = true
 }: {
   event: Event
   className?: string
   filterMutedNotes?: boolean
   pinned?: boolean
   bottomNoteLabel?: string
+  deferAuthorAvatar?: boolean
 }) {
   const { mutePubkeySet } = useMuteList()
   const { hideContentMentioningMutedUsers } = useContentPolicy()
@@ -99,6 +101,7 @@ export default function RepostNoteCard({
       event={targetEvent}
       pinned={pinned}
       bottomNoteLabel={bottomNoteLabel}
+      deferAuthorAvatar={deferAuthorAvatar}
     />
   )
 }
diff --git a/src/components/NoteCard/index.tsx b/src/components/NoteCard/index.tsx
index f5edb315..5ff3de4c 100644
--- a/src/components/NoteCard/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/NoteCard/index.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const NoteCard = memo(function NoteCard({
   zapPollVoteHighlightOption,
   bottomNoteLabel,
   fetchNoteStatsIfMissing = true,
-  deferAuthorAvatar = false,
+  deferAuthorAvatar = true,
   searchListPreview = false
 }: {
   event: Event
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ const NoteCard = memo(function NoteCard({
         filterMutedNotes={filterMutedNotes}
         pinned={pinned}
         bottomNoteLabel={bottomNoteLabel}
+        deferAuthorAvatar={deferAuthorAvatar}
       />
     )
   }
diff --git a/src/components/NoteList/index.tsx b/src/components/NoteList/index.tsx
index 72ad72fe..e81acde2 100644
--- a/src/components/NoteList/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/NoteList/index.tsx
@@ -4336,6 +4336,7 @@ const NoteList = forwardRef(
               event={event}
               filterMutedNotes={filterMutedNotes}
               bottomNoteLabel={eventReasonLabelMap.get(event.id)}
+              deferAuthorAvatar
             />
           ))
         )}
diff --git a/src/components/NoteStats/index.tsx b/src/components/NoteStats/index.tsx
index 3c7ab743..dd27ff9c 100644
--- a/src/components/NoteStats/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/NoteStats/index.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { useNostr } from '@/providers/NostrProvider'
 import { useScreenSize } from '@/providers/ScreenSizeProvider'
+import { useNearViewport } from '@/hooks/useNearViewport'
 import { useNoteStatsRelayHints } from '@/hooks/useNoteStatsRelayHints'
 import { useNoteStatsById } from '@/hooks/useNoteStatsById'
 import { useRssUrlThreadQueryRelays } from '@/hooks/useRssUrlThreadQueryRelays'
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ export default function NoteStats({
   classNames,
   fetchIfNotExisting = false,
   foregroundStats = false,
+  deferFetchUntilNearViewport,
   useIconOnlyLikeTrigger = false
 }: {
   event: Event
@@ -34,6 +36,11 @@ export default function NoteStats({
   fetchIfNotExisting?: boolean
   /** Jump ahead of spell-feed backlog so counts resolve on the open note / article. */
   foregroundStats?: boolean
+  /**
+   * When true, {@link fetchNoteStats} waits until the stats row is near the viewport.
+   * Defaults to on for feed cards (`fetchIfNotExisting` && !`foregroundStats`).
+   */
+  deferFetchUntilNearViewport?: boolean
   /**
    * Thread rows for kind-7 reactions: like control shows icon + total only (body already shows the reaction glyph).
    */
@@ -63,8 +70,14 @@ export default function NoteStats({
   statsRelaysRef.current = statsRelays
   const isZapPoll = event.kind === ExtendedKind.ZAP_POLL
 
+  const shouldDeferStatsFetch =
+    deferFetchUntilNearViewport ?? (fetchIfNotExisting && !foregroundStats)
+  const containerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
+  const isNearViewport = useNearViewport(containerRef, { enabled: shouldDeferStatsFetch })
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!fetchIfNotExisting) return
+    if (shouldDeferStatsFetch && !isNearViewport) return
     setLoading(true)
     noteStatsService
       .fetchNoteStats(event, pubkey, statsRelaysRef.current, { foreground: foregroundStats })
@@ -79,6 +92,8 @@ export default function NoteStats({
     event.sig,
     fetchIfNotExisting,
     foregroundStats,
+    shouldDeferStatsFetch,
+    isNearViewport,
     pubkey,
     statsRelayFetchTier,
     currentRelaysKey
@@ -86,7 +101,12 @@ export default function NoteStats({
 
   if (isSmallScreen) {
     return (
-      <div className={cn('select-none', className)} data-note-stats onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+      <div
+        ref={containerRef}
+        className={cn('select-none', className)}
+        data-note-stats
+        onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+      >
         <div
           className={cn(
             'flex justify-between items-center h-5 [&_svg]:size-5',
@@ -117,7 +137,12 @@ export default function NoteStats({
   }
 
   return (
-    <div className={cn('select-none', className)} data-note-stats onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>
+    <div
+      ref={containerRef}
+      className={cn('select-none', className)}
+      data-note-stats
+      onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+    >
       <div className="flex justify-between h-5 [&_svg]:size-4">
         <div
           className={cn('flex items-center', loading ? 'animate-pulse' : '')}
diff --git a/src/hooks/index.tsx b/src/hooks/index.tsx
index 351e5bfd..b4fe9094 100644
--- a/src/hooks/index.tsx
+++ b/src/hooks/index.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+export * from './useNearViewport'
 export * from './useFetchCalendarRsvps'
 export * from './useFetchEvent'
 export * from './useFetchFollowings'
diff --git a/src/hooks/useNearViewport.test.ts b/src/hooks/useNearViewport.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8443ce33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useNearViewport.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import { elementIsNearViewport } from '@/hooks/useNearViewport'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+describe('elementIsNearViewport', () => {
+  it('returns true when element rect overlaps expanded viewport', () => {
+    const el = {
+      getBoundingClientRect: () => ({
+        top: 10,
+        bottom: 50,
+        left: 0,
+        right: 100
+      })
+    } as HTMLElement
+    Object.defineProperty(window, 'innerHeight', { value: 800, configurable: true })
+    Object.defineProperty(window, 'innerWidth', { value: 1200, configurable: true })
+    expect(elementIsNearViewport(el, 100)).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('returns false when element is far below the fold', () => {
+    const el = {
+      getBoundingClientRect: () => ({
+        top: 2000,
+        bottom: 2100,
+        left: 0,
+        right: 100
+      })
+    } as HTMLElement
+    Object.defineProperty(window, 'innerHeight', { value: 800, configurable: true })
+    Object.defineProperty(window, 'innerWidth', { value: 1200, configurable: true })
+    expect(elementIsNearViewport(el, 50)).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/hooks/useNearViewport.ts b/src/hooks/useNearViewport.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7e7b8ab6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useNearViewport.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import { useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useState, type RefObject } from 'react'
+
+/** Pixels beyond the viewport edge to treat as visible (prefetch before scroll lands). */
+export const NEAR_VIEWPORT_MARGIN_PX = 320
+
+export function elementIsNearViewport(el: HTMLElement, marginPx: number): boolean {
+  const rect = el.getBoundingClientRect()
+  const vh = window.innerHeight
+  const vw = window.innerWidth
+  return (
+    rect.bottom >= -marginPx &&
+    rect.top <= vh + marginPx &&
+    rect.right >= -marginPx &&
+    rect.left <= vw + marginPx
+  )
+}
+
+/**
+ * True when `ref` points at an element intersecting the viewport (with margin).
+ * When `enabled` is false, returns true immediately (no deferral).
+ */
+export function useNearViewport(
+  ref: RefObject<HTMLElement | null>,
+  options?: { enabled?: boolean; marginPx?: number }
+): boolean {
+  const enabled = options?.enabled !== false
+  const marginPx = options?.marginPx ?? NEAR_VIEWPORT_MARGIN_PX
+  const [isNear, setIsNear] = useState(() => !enabled)
+
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    if (!enabled) {
+      setIsNear(true)
+      return
+    }
+    const el = ref.current
+    if (!el) {
+      setIsNear(false)
+      return
+    }
+    if (elementIsNearViewport(el, marginPx)) {
+      setIsNear(true)
+      return
+    }
+    setIsNear(false)
+  }, [enabled, marginPx, ref])
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!enabled || isNear) return
+    if (typeof IntersectionObserver === 'undefined') {
+      setIsNear(true)
+      return
+    }
+    let io: IntersectionObserver | null = null
+    let raf = 0
+    const attach = () => {
+      const el = ref.current
+      if (!el || io) return
+      io = new IntersectionObserver(
+        (entries) => {
+          if (entries.some((e) => e.isIntersecting)) {
+            setIsNear(true)
+          }
+        },
+        { root: null, rootMargin: `${marginPx}px`, threshold: 0.01 }
+      )
+      io.observe(el)
+    }
+    raf = requestAnimationFrame(attach)
+    return () => {
+      cancelAnimationFrame(raf)
+      io?.disconnect()
+    }
+  }, [enabled, isNear, marginPx, ref])
+
+  return isNear
+}