diff --git a/src/components/NoteList/index.tsx b/src/components/NoteList/index.tsx
index d25bce2c..475ec745 100644
--- a/src/components/NoteList/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/NoteList/index.tsx
@@ -219,7 +219,10 @@ const NoteList = forwardRef(
       
       if (!subRequests.length) {
         logger.warn('[NoteList] subRequests is empty, not initializing')
-        return
+        setLoading(false)
+        setEvents([])
+        // Return a no-op closer function to satisfy the cleanup function
+        return () => {}
       }
 
       async function init() {
@@ -236,26 +239,61 @@ const NoteList = forwardRef(
         setHasMore(true)
         consecutiveEmptyRef.current = 0 // Reset counter on refresh
 
-        const mappedSubRequests = subRequests.map(({ urls, filter }) => ({
-          urls,
-          filter: useFilterAsIs
-            ? { ...filter, limit: filter.limit ?? (areAlgoRelays ? ALGO_LIMIT : LIMIT) }
+        const mappedSubRequests = subRequests.map(({ urls, filter }) => {
+          // CRITICAL: Always ensure filter has kinds - relays require this to return events
+          const defaultKinds = showKinds.length > 0 ? showKinds : [kinds.ShortTextNote]
+          const finalFilter = useFilterAsIs
+            ? {
+                ...filter,
+                // If filter doesn't have kinds, add them (required for relay queries)
+                kinds: filter.kinds && filter.kinds.length > 0 ? filter.kinds : defaultKinds,
+                limit: filter.limit ?? (areAlgoRelays ? ALGO_LIMIT : LIMIT)
+              }
             : {
                 ...filter,
                 // If showKinds is empty, default to kind 1 (ShortTextNote) only
-                kinds: showKinds.length > 0 ? showKinds : [kinds.ShortTextNote],
+                kinds: defaultKinds,
                 limit: areAlgoRelays ? ALGO_LIMIT : LIMIT
               }
-        }))
+          
+          // CRITICAL: Validate filter has kinds before subscribing
+          if (!finalFilter.kinds || finalFilter.kinds.length === 0) {
+            logger.error('[NoteList] Filter missing kinds! Using default', {
+              originalFilter: filter,
+              showKinds,
+              useFilterAsIs
+            })
+            finalFilter.kinds = [kinds.ShortTextNote]
+          }
+          
+          return { urls, filter: finalFilter }
+        })
         
         logger.debug('[NoteList] Subscribing with filters', {
           subRequestCount: mappedSubRequests.length,
           filters: mappedSubRequests.map(({ urls, filter }) => ({
             urls: urls.slice(0, 2), // Log first 2 URLs
             kinds: filter.kinds,
-            limit: filter.limit
+            limit: filter.limit,
+            hasKinds: !!(filter.kinds && filter.kinds.length > 0)
           }))
         })
+        
+        // CRITICAL: Validate all filters have kinds before subscribing
+        const invalidFilters = mappedSubRequests.filter(({ filter }) => !filter.kinds || filter.kinds.length === 0)
+        if (invalidFilters.length > 0) {
+          logger.error('[NoteList] CRITICAL: Some filters are missing kinds!', {
+            invalidCount: invalidFilters.length,
+            totalCount: mappedSubRequests.length,
+            showKinds,
+            useFilterAsIs
+          })
+          // Don't subscribe with invalid filters - this would return no events
+          setLoading(false)
+          setEvents([])
+          // Return a no-op closer function to satisfy the cleanup function
+          return () => {}
+        }
 
         logger.info('[NoteList] About to call subscribeTimeline', {
           mappedSubRequestsCount: mappedSubRequests.length
@@ -265,7 +303,15 @@ const NoteList = forwardRef(
         let timelineKey: string | undefined
         
         try {
-          const result = await client.subscribeTimeline(
+          // Add timeout wrapper to prevent subscribeTimeline from hanging indefinitely
+          const timeoutPromise = new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
+            setTimeout(() => {
+              reject(new Error('subscribeTimeline timeout after 5 seconds'))
+            }, 5000) // 5 second timeout
+          })
+          
+          const result = await Promise.race([
+            client.subscribeTimeline(
             mappedSubRequests,
             {
               onEvents: (events: Event[], eosed: boolean) => {
@@ -394,9 +440,11 @@ const NoteList = forwardRef(
             needSort: !areAlgoRelays,
             useCache: false // Main feeds should always fetch fresh from relays, not use cache
           }
-        )
-        closer = result.closer
-        timelineKey = result.timelineKey
+            ),
+            timeoutPromise
+          ])
+          closer = result.closer
+          timelineKey = result.timelineKey
         logger.info('[NoteList] subscribeTimeline completed', {
           hasTimelineKey: !!timelineKey,
           hasCloser: !!closer
@@ -409,13 +457,15 @@ const NoteList = forwardRef(
           stack: error instanceof Error ? error.stack : undefined
         })
         setLoading(false)
-        throw error
+        // Return a no-op closer function instead of throwing - allows cleanup to work
+        // The error is already logged, no need to crash the component
+        return () => {}
       }
       }
 
       const promise = init()
       return () => {
-        promise.then((closer) => closer())
+        promise.then((closer) => closer?.())
       }
     }, [subRequestsKey, refreshCount, showKinds, showKind1OPs, showKind1Replies, showKind1111, useFilterAsIs])
 
diff --git a/src/pages/primary/NoteListPage/RelaysFeed.tsx b/src/pages/primary/NoteListPage/RelaysFeed.tsx
index 316e4019..6d073a34 100644
--- a/src/pages/primary/NoteListPage/RelaysFeed.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/primary/NoteListPage/RelaysFeed.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@ import NormalFeed from '@/components/NormalFeed'
 import { checkAlgoRelay } from '@/lib/relay'
 import logger from '@/lib/logger'
 import { useFeed } from '@/providers/FeedProvider'
+import { useKindFilter } from '@/providers/KindFilterProvider'
 import relayInfoService from '@/services/relay-info.service'
-import React, { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
+import { kinds } from 'nostr-tools'
+import React, { useEffect, useMemo, useState, useRef } from 'react'
 
 export default function RelaysFeed({
   setSubHeader
@@ -12,30 +14,32 @@ export default function RelaysFeed({
 }) {
   logger.debug('RelaysFeed component rendering')
   const { feedInfo, relayUrls } = useFeed()
-  const [isReady, setIsReady] = useState(false)
+  const { showKinds } = useKindFilter()
   const [areAlgoRelays, setAreAlgoRelays] = useState(false)
+  const relayInfoFetchedRef = useRef(false)
 
   // Debug logging
   logger.debug('RelaysFeed debug:', {
     feedInfo,
-    relayUrls,
-    isReady
+    relayUrls: relayUrls.length,
+    showKinds: showKinds.length
   })
 
+  // Fetch relay info in background (non-blocking) - don't wait for it to render
   useEffect(() => {
+    // Only fetch once per relayUrls change
+    if (relayInfoFetchedRef.current || relayUrls.length === 0) {
+      return
+    }
+
     const init = async () => {
-      // If relayUrls is empty, we can't initialize the feed
-      if (relayUrls.length === 0) {
-        logger.debug('RelaysFeed: relayUrls is empty, not initializing')
-        setIsReady(false)
-        return
-      }
+      relayInfoFetchedRef.current = true
       
-      // Add timeout to prevent hanging if getRelayInfos is slow
+      // Add aggressive timeout to prevent hanging (reduced from 5s to 2s)
       const timeoutPromise = new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
         setTimeout(() => {
-          reject(new Error('getRelayInfos timeout after 5 seconds'))
-        }, 5000)
+          reject(new Error('getRelayInfos timeout after 2 seconds'))
+        }, 2000)
       })
       
       try {
@@ -43,39 +47,64 @@ export default function RelaysFeed({
           relayInfoService.getRelayInfos(relayUrls),
           timeoutPromise
         ])
-        setAreAlgoRelays(relayInfos.every((relayInfo) => checkAlgoRelay(relayInfo)))
-        setIsReady(true)
-        logger.debug('RelaysFeed: Initialized successfully', {
+        const areAlgo = relayInfos.every((relayInfo) => checkAlgoRelay(relayInfo))
+        setAreAlgoRelays(areAlgo)
+        logger.debug('RelaysFeed: Relay info fetched successfully', {
           relayCount: relayUrls.length,
-          areAlgoRelays: relayInfos.every((relayInfo) => checkAlgoRelay(relayInfo))
+          areAlgoRelays: areAlgo
         })
       } catch (error) {
-        logger.warn('RelaysFeed: Failed to get relay infos, proceeding anyway', {
+        logger.debug('RelaysFeed: Failed to get relay infos (non-blocking)', {
           error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error),
-          relayUrls
+          relayUrls: relayUrls.length
         })
-        // Proceed anyway - we can still show the feed even without relay info
+        // Default to false - feed will work without this info
         setAreAlgoRelays(false)
-        setIsReady(true)
       }
     }
-    init()
+    
+    // Don't await - let it run in background
+    init().catch((err) => {
+      logger.debug('RelaysFeed: Unhandled error in init', { error: err })
+      setAreAlgoRelays(false)
+    })
   }, [relayUrls])
 
-  // Memoize subRequests before any early returns to avoid Rules of Hooks violation
-  const subRequests = useMemo(() => [{ urls: relayUrls, filter: {} }], [relayUrls])
+  // Reset fetch flag when relayUrls change
+  useEffect(() => {
+    relayInfoFetchedRef.current = false
+  }, [relayUrls])
 
-  if (!isReady) {
+  // Early returns for invalid feed types
+  if (feedInfo.feedType !== 'relay' && feedInfo.feedType !== 'relays' && feedInfo.feedType !== 'all-favorites') {
     return null
   }
 
-  if (feedInfo.feedType !== 'relay' && feedInfo.feedType !== 'relays' && feedInfo.feedType !== 'all-favorites') {
+  // CRITICAL: Don't render feed if relayUrls is empty - this would cause subscription to fail
+  if (relayUrls.length === 0) {
+    logger.debug('RelaysFeed: relayUrls is empty, not rendering feed')
     return null
   }
+
+  // CRITICAL: Provide proper filter with default kinds - NoteList requires kinds in filter
+  // Use showKinds from KindFilterProvider if available, otherwise default to kind 1
+  const defaultKinds = showKinds.length > 0 ? showKinds : [kinds.ShortTextNote]
+  
+  // Memoize subRequests with proper filter - this ensures NoteList gets valid filter
+  const subRequests = useMemo(() => {
+    return [{
+      urls: relayUrls,
+      filter: {
+        kinds: defaultKinds
+      }
+    }]
+  }, [relayUrls, defaultKinds])
+
   logger.component('RelaysFeed', 'Rendering NormalFeed', { 
     subRequests: subRequests.length, 
     relayUrls: relayUrls.length, 
-    areAlgoRelays 
+    areAlgoRelays,
+    filterKinds: subRequests[0]?.filter?.kinds?.length || 0
   })
 
   return (