diff --git a/src/components/EditProfileForm.test.tsx b/src/components/EditProfileForm.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..51f8e322
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/EditProfileForm.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import type { NostrMetadata } from '@nostrify/nostrify';
+import { EditProfileForm } from './EditProfileForm';
+
+const mockPublish = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({});
+
+const mockToast = vi.fn();
+const mockRefetch = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+vi.mock('@/hooks/useToast', () => ({
+  useToast: () => ({ toast: mockToast }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('@/hooks/useUploadFile', () => ({
+  useUploadFile: () => ({
+    mutateAsync: vi.fn(),
+    isPending: false,
+  }),
+}));
+
+const ctx = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  pubkey: 'a'.repeat(64),
+  author: {
+    isSuccess: false,
+    isPending: true,
+    isError: false,
+    data: undefined as { metadata?: NostrMetadata } | undefined,
+  },
+  metadata: undefined as NostrMetadata | undefined,
+}));
+
+vi.mock('@/hooks/useCurrentUser', () => ({
+  useCurrentUser: () => ({
+    user: { pubkey: ctx.pubkey },
+    metadata: ctx.metadata,
+  }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('@/hooks/useAuthor', () => ({
+  useAuthor: () => ({
+    isSuccess: ctx.author.isSuccess,
+    isPending: ctx.author.isPending,
+    isError: ctx.author.isError,
+    data: ctx.author.data,
+    refetch: mockRefetch,
+  }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('@/hooks/useNostrPublish', () => ({
+  useNostrPublish: () => ({
+    mutateAsync: mockPublish,
+    isPending: false,
+  }),
+}));
+
+function renderForm() {
+  const queryClient = new QueryClient({
+    defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } },
+  });
+  return render(
+    <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
+      <EditProfileForm />
+    </QueryClientProvider>,
+  );
+}
+
+describe('EditProfileForm', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    ctx.author = {
+      isSuccess: false,
+      isPending: true,
+      isError: false,
+      data: undefined,
+    };
+    ctx.metadata = undefined;
+  });
+
+  it('shows retry UI when loading existing profile fails', async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+
+    ctx.author = {
+      isSuccess: false,
+      isPending: false,
+      isError: true,
+      data: undefined,
+    };
+
+    renderForm();
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('editProfileForm.loadingErrorDescription')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    const retryBtn = screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'editProfileForm.retryLoadingProfile' });
+    expect(retryBtn).not.toBeDisabled();
+
+    await user.click(retryBtn);
+    expect(mockRefetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('disables save until author profile query succeeds', () => {
+    renderForm();
+    const saveBtn = screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'editProfileForm.saveButton' });
+    expect(saveBtn).toBeDisabled();
+    expect(mockPublish).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('enables save after success when there is no prior kind 0', () => {
+    ctx.author = {
+      isSuccess: true,
+      isPending: false,
+      isError: false,
+      data: {},
+    };
+    ctx.metadata = undefined;
+
+    renderForm();
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'editProfileForm.saveButton' })).not.toBeDisabled();
+  });
+
+  it('keeps lud16 from loaded metadata when saving', async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    const lud16 =
+      'lnurl1dp68gurn8ghj7mr0vdskc6r0wd6z7mrww4exctthd96xserjv9mnzumfwv9kkZ4MP5K';
+
+    ctx.author = {
+      isSuccess: true,
+      isPending: false,
+      isError: false,
+      data: {
+        metadata: {
+          name: 'Alice',
+          lud16,
+        },
+      },
+    };
+    ctx.metadata = ctx.author.data!.metadata;
+
+    renderForm();
+
+    const saveBtn = screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'editProfileForm.saveButton' });
+    expect(saveBtn).not.toBeDisabled();
+
+    await user.click(saveBtn);
+
+    expect(mockPublish).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    const arg = mockPublish.mock.calls[0][0] as { kind: number; content: string };
+    expect(arg.kind).toBe(0);
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(arg.content) as NostrMetadata;
+    expect(parsed.lud16).toBe(lud16);
+    expect(parsed.client).toBe('divine.video');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/components/EditProfileForm.tsx b/src/components/EditProfileForm.tsx
index 04650f6a..5a5a7934 100644
--- a/src/components/EditProfileForm.tsx
+++ b/src/components/EditProfileForm.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form';
 import { zodResolver } from '@hookform/resolvers/zod';
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import { useCurrentUser } from '@/hooks/useCurrentUser';
+import { useAuthor } from '@/hooks/useAuthor';
 import { useNostrPublish } from '@/hooks/useNostrPublish';
 import { useToast } from '@/hooks/useToast';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ export const EditProfileForm: React.FC<EditProfileFormProps> = ({ onSuccess }) =
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
 
   const { user, metadata } = useCurrentUser();
+  const authorQuery = useAuthor(user?.pubkey);
   const { mutateAsync: publishEvent, isPending } = useNostrPublish();
   const { mutateAsync: uploadFile, isPending: isUploading } = useUploadFile();
   const { toast } = useToast();
@@ -98,6 +100,15 @@ export const EditProfileForm: React.FC<EditProfileFormProps> = ({ onSuccess }) =
       return;
     }
 
+    if (!authorQuery.isSuccess) {
+      toast({
+        title: t('editProfileForm.loadingErrorTitle'),
+        description: t('editProfileForm.loadingErrorDescription'),
+        variant: 'destructive',
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+
     try {
       // Combine existing metadata with new values
       const data = { ...metadata, ...values };
@@ -250,13 +261,29 @@ export const EditProfileForm: React.FC<EditProfileFormProps> = ({ onSuccess }) =
           type="submit"
           variant="sticker"
           className="w-full md:w-auto"
-          disabled={isPending || isUploading}
+          disabled={isPending || isUploading || !authorQuery.isSuccess}
         >
-          {(isPending || isUploading) && (
+          {(isPending || isUploading || authorQuery.isPending) && (
             <Loader2 className="mr-2 h-4 w-4 animate-spin" />
           )}
           {t('editProfileForm.saveButton')}
         </Button>
+        {authorQuery.isError && (
+          <div className="flex flex-col gap-2">
+            <p className="text-sm text-destructive">
+              {t('editProfileForm.loadingErrorDescription')}
+            </p>
+            <Button
+              type="button"
+              variant="outline"
+              className="w-full md:w-auto"
+              onClick={() => void authorQuery.refetch()}
+              disabled={authorQuery.isPending || isPending || isUploading}
+            >
+              {t('editProfileForm.retryLoadingProfile')}
+            </Button>
+          </div>
+        )}
       </form>
     </Form>
   );
diff --git a/src/lib/i18n/locales/en/common.json b/src/lib/i18n/locales/en/common.json
index 127fc010..0934c37c 100644
--- a/src/lib/i18n/locales/en/common.json
+++ b/src/lib/i18n/locales/en/common.json
@@ -761,6 +761,9 @@
     "uploadErrorBannerDescription": "Couldn't send your banner. Try again?",
     "loginRequiredTitle": "Log in first.",
     "loginRequiredDescription": "You need to be signed in to update your profile.",
+    "loadingErrorTitle": "Hang tight.",
+    "loadingErrorDescription": "Still loading your profile. Try again in a sec.",
+    "retryLoadingProfile": "Retry loading profile",
     "saveSuccessTitle": "Profile saved.",
     "saveSuccessDescription": "New look, locked in.",
     "saveErrorTitle": "Save snagged.",