diff --git a/damus/Models/Contacts.swift b/damus/Models/Contacts.swift
index e411ef0d..6abda61b 100644
--- a/damus/Models/Contacts.swift
+++ b/damus/Models/Contacts.swift
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 
 import Foundation
 
-
 class Contacts {
     private var friends: Set<Pubkey> = Set()
     private var friend_of_friends: Set<Pubkey> = Set()
@@ -15,7 +14,13 @@ class Contacts {
     private var pubkey_to_our_friends = [Pubkey : Set<Pubkey>]()
 
     let our_pubkey: Pubkey
-    var event: NostrEvent?
+    var delegate: ContactsDelegate? = nil
+    var event: NostrEvent? {
+        didSet {
+            guard let event else { return }
+            self.delegate?.latest_contact_event_changed(new_event: event)
+        }
+    }
 
     init(our_pubkey: Pubkey) {
         self.our_pubkey = our_pubkey
@@ -88,3 +93,8 @@ class Contacts {
         return Array((pubkey_to_our_friends[pubkey] ?? Set()))
     }
 }
+
+/// Delegate protocol for `Contacts`. Use this to listen to significant updates from a `Contacts` instance
+protocol ContactsDelegate {
+    func latest_contact_event_changed(new_event: NostrEvent)
+}
diff --git a/damus/Models/HomeModel.swift b/damus/Models/HomeModel.swift
index a86b1eeb..ee460ad0 100644
--- a/damus/Models/HomeModel.swift
+++ b/damus/Models/HomeModel.swift
@@ -41,11 +41,15 @@ enum HomeResubFilter {
     }
 }
 
-class HomeModel {
+class HomeModel: ContactsDelegate {
     // Don't trigger a user notification for events older than a certain age
     static let event_max_age_for_notification: TimeInterval = EVENT_MAX_AGE_FOR_NOTIFICATION
     
-    var damus_state: DamusState
+    var damus_state: DamusState {
+        didSet {
+            self.load_our_stuff_from_damus_state()
+        }
+    }
 
     // NDBTODO: let's get rid of this entirely, let nostrdb handle it
     var has_event: [String: Set<NoteId>] = [:]
@@ -108,6 +112,32 @@ class HomeModel {
             self.should_debounce_dms = false
         }
     }
+    
+    // MARK: - Loading items from DamusState
+    
+    /// This is called whenever DamusState gets set. This function is used to load or setup anything we need from the new DamusState
+    func load_our_stuff_from_damus_state() {
+        self.load_latest_contact_event_from_damus_state()
+    }
+    
+    /// This loads the latest contact event we have on file from NostrDB. This should be called as soon as we get the new DamusState
+    /// Loading the latest contact list event into our `Contacts` instance from storage is important to avoid getting into weird states when the network is unreliable or when relays delete such information
+    func load_latest_contact_event_from_damus_state() {
+        guard let latest_contact_event_id_hex = damus_state.settings.latest_contact_event_id_hex else { return }
+        guard let latest_contact_event_id = NoteId(hex: latest_contact_event_id_hex) else { return }
+        guard let latest_contact_event: NdbNote = damus_state.ndb.lookup_note( latest_contact_event_id)?.unsafeUnownedValue?.to_owned() else { return }
+        process_contact_event(state: damus_state, ev: latest_contact_event)
+        damus_state.contacts.delegate = self
+    }
+    
+    // MARK: - ContactsDelegate functions
+    
+    func latest_contact_event_changed(new_event: NostrEvent) {
+        // When the latest user contact event has changed, save its ID so we know exactly where to find it next time
+        damus_state.settings.latest_contact_event_id_hex = new_event.id.hex()
+    }
+    
+    // MARK: - Nostr event and subscription handling
 
     func resubscribe(_ resubbing: Resubscribe) {
         if self.should_debounce_dms {
diff --git a/damus/Models/UserSettingsStore.swift b/damus/Models/UserSettingsStore.swift
index 503f60c2..351bc108 100644
--- a/damus/Models/UserSettingsStore.swift
+++ b/damus/Models/UserSettingsStore.swift
@@ -312,6 +312,12 @@ class UserSettingsStore: ObservableObject {
             return internal_winetranslate_api_key != nil
         }
     }
+    
+    // MARK: Internal, hidden settings
+    
+    @Setting(key: "latest_contact_event_id", default_value: nil)
+    var latest_contact_event_id_hex: String?
+    
 }
 
 func pk_setting_key(_ pubkey: Pubkey, key: String) -> String {