diff --git a/platforms/pictique/api/src/controllers/UserController.ts b/platforms/pictique/api/src/controllers/UserController.ts
index 0f519b874..8f6bb6851 100644
--- a/platforms/pictique/api/src/controllers/UserController.ts
+++ b/platforms/pictique/api/src/controllers/UserController.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export class UserController {
                 return res.status(400).json({ error: "User ID is required" });
             }
 
-            const profile = await this.userService.getProfileById(id);
+            const profile = await this.userService.getProfileById(id, req.user?.id);
             if (!profile) {
                 return res.status(404).json({ error: "User not found" });
             }
diff --git a/platforms/pictique/api/src/database/entities/Chat.ts b/platforms/pictique/api/src/database/entities/Chat.ts
index c44f9b193..5ba3adf43 100644
--- a/platforms/pictique/api/src/database/entities/Chat.ts
+++ b/platforms/pictique/api/src/database/entities/Chat.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export class Chat {
     @OneToMany(() => Message, (e) => e.chat)
     messages!: Message[];
 
-    @ManyToMany(() => User)
+    @ManyToMany(() => User, (user) => user.chats)
     @JoinTable({
         name: "chat_participants",
         joinColumn: { name: "chat_id", referencedColumnName: "id" },
diff --git a/platforms/pictique/api/src/services/UserService.ts b/platforms/pictique/api/src/services/UserService.ts
index f465354a3..ed3340887 100644
--- a/platforms/pictique/api/src/services/UserService.ts
+++ b/platforms/pictique/api/src/services/UserService.ts
@@ -354,43 +354,78 @@ export class UserService {
     };
 
     followUser = async (followerId: string, followingId: string) => {
-        const follower = await this.userRepository.findOne({
-            where: { id: followerId },
-            relations: ["following"],
-        });
-
-        const following = await this.userRepository.findOne({
-            where: { id: followingId },
-        });
-
-        if (!follower || !following) {
-            throw new Error("User not found");
+        if (followerId === followingId) {
+            throw new Error("Cannot follow yourself");
         }
 
-        if (!follower.following) {
-            follower.following = [];
-        }
+        // Both sides are read, checked, and (if needed) written inside one
+        // transaction so a failure partway through can't leave one join
+        // table updated and the other not.
+        await this.userRepository.manager.transaction(async (manager) => {
+            const follower = await manager.findOne(User, {
+                where: { id: followerId },
+                relations: ["following"],
+            });
+
+            const following = await manager.findOne(User, {
+                where: { id: followingId },
+                relations: ["followers"],
+            });
+
+            if (!follower || !following) {
+                throw new Error("User not found");
+            }
+
+            if (!follower.following) {
+                follower.following = [];
+            }
+            if (!following.followers) {
+                following.followers = [];
+            }
+
+            // The two sides are backed by separate join tables and can drift
+            // out of sync (e.g. a prior write that only landed on one side),
+            // so each side is checked and repaired independently rather than
+            // assuming one side being present implies the other is too.
+            const missingFromFollowing = !follower.following.some(
+                (user) => user.id === followingId,
+            );
+            const missingFromFollowers = !following.followers.some(
+                (user) => user.id === followerId,
+            );
 
-        // Check if already following
-        if (follower.following.some((user) => user.id === followingId)) {
-            return follower;
-        }
+            if (missingFromFollowing) {
+                follower.following.push(following);
+                await manager.save(follower);
+            }
+            if (missingFromFollowers) {
+                following.followers.push(follower);
+                await manager.save(following);
+            }
+        });
 
-        follower.following.push(following);
-        return await this.userRepository.save(follower);
+        // follower.following and following.followers now reference each
+        // other, so the loaded entities aren't safe to JSON-serialize
+        // directly. Return the freshly updated target profile instead,
+        // using the same safe shape getProfileById already builds.
+        return this.getProfileById(followingId, followerId);
     };
 
-    async getProfileById(userId: string) {
+    async getProfileById(userId: string, viewerId?: string) {
         const user = await this.userRepository.findOne({
             where: { id: userId },
+            relations: {
+                followers: true,
+                following: true,
+            },
             select: {
                 id: true,
                 handle: true,
                 name: true,
                 avatarUrl: true,
-                followers: true,
-                following: true,
                 description: true,
+                followers: { id: true },
+                following: { id: true },
             },
         });
 
@@ -402,8 +437,17 @@ export class UserService {
             order: { createdAt: "DESC" },
         });
 
+        const followers = user.followers ?? [];
+        const following = user.following ?? [];
+
         return {
             ...user,
+            username: user.handle,
+            followers: followers.length,
+            following: following.length,
+            isFollowing: viewerId
+                ? followers.some((follower) => follower.id === viewerId)
+                : false,
             totalPosts: posts.length,
             posts: posts.map((post) => ({
                 id: post.id,
diff --git a/platforms/pictique/api/src/web3adapter/watchers/subscriber.ts b/platforms/pictique/api/src/web3adapter/watchers/subscriber.ts
index 96fe22ef3..0898e0098 100644
--- a/platforms/pictique/api/src/web3adapter/watchers/subscriber.ts
+++ b/platforms/pictique/api/src/web3adapter/watchers/subscriber.ts
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ export class PostgresSubscriber implements EntitySubscriberInterface {
                 setTimeout(async () => {
                     try {
                         let globalId = await this.adapter.mappingDb.getGlobalId(
-                            entity.id
+                            parentEntity.id
                         );
                         globalId = globalId ?? "";
 
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ export class PostgresSubscriber implements EntitySubscriberInterface {
                         console.log(
                             "sending packet for global Id",
                             globalId,
-                            entity.id
+                            parentEntity.id
                         );
 
                         const tableName = `${junctionInfo.entity.toLowerCase()}s`;
diff --git a/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/fragments/Profile/Profile.svelte b/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/fragments/Profile/Profile.svelte
index 02a1fc252..389529321 100644
--- a/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/fragments/Profile/Profile.svelte
+++ b/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/fragments/Profile/Profile.svelte
@@ -12,16 +12,14 @@
 		handleFollow,
 		handleSinglePost,
 		handleMessage,
-		isFollowing = $bindable(false),
-		didFollowed = $bindable(false)
+		followPending = false
 	}: {
 		variant: 'user' | 'other';
 		profileData: userProfile;
 		handleSinglePost: (post: PostData) => void;
 		handleFollow: () => Promise<void>;
 		handleMessage: () => Promise<void>;
-		isFollowing: boolean;
-		didFollowed: boolean;
+		followPending?: boolean;
 	} = $props();
 
 	let imgPosts = $derived(profileData.posts.filter((e) => e.imgUris && e.imgUris.length > 0));
@@ -59,15 +57,15 @@
 						variant={'primary'}
 						size="sm"
 						callback={wrappedFollow}
-						class="min-w-[110px] transition-all duration-500 {didFollowed
+						class="min-w-[110px] transition-all duration-500 {profileData.isFollowing
 							? 'opacity-80'
 							: ''}"
 					>
 						<div class="flex items-center justify-center gap-2">
-							{#if didFollowed}
+							{#if profileData.isFollowing}
 								<HugeiconsIcon icon={Tick01Icon} size={16} />
 								<span>Following</span>
-							{:else if isFollowing}
+							{:else if followPending}
 								<span class="flex gap-0.5">
 									<span class="animate-bounce">.</span>
 									<span class="animate-bounce [animation-delay:0.2s]">.</span>
@@ -96,11 +94,11 @@
 			<p class="text-gray-600">Posts</p>
 		</div>
 		<div>
-			<p class="font-semibold">{0}</p>
+			<p class="font-semibold">{profileData.followers}</p>
 			<p class="text-gray-600">Followers</p>
 		</div>
 		<div>
-			<p class="font-semibold">{0}</p>
+			<p class="font-semibold">{profileData.following}</p>
 			<p class="text-gray-600">Following</p>
 		</div>
 	</div>
diff --git a/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/stores/users.ts b/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/stores/users.ts
index d230bc893..11c4e11b7 100644
--- a/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/stores/users.ts
+++ b/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/stores/users.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ export const searchUsers = async (query: string) => {
 
 export const followUser = async (followingId: string) => {
 	try {
-		await apiClient.post('/api/users/follow', { followingId });
+		await apiClient.post(`/api/users/${followingId}/follow`);
 		return true;
 	} catch (err) {
 		console.error('Failed to follow user:', err);
diff --git a/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/types.ts b/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/types.ts
index 4ff512dcd..cc95f81e7 100644
--- a/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/types.ts
+++ b/platforms/pictique/client/src/lib/types.ts
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export type userProfile = {
 	totalPosts: number;
 	followers: number;
 	following: number;
+	isFollowing: boolean;
 	posts: PostData[];
 	username: string;
 };
diff --git a/platforms/pictique/client/src/routes/(protected)/profile/[id]/+page.svelte b/platforms/pictique/client/src/routes/(protected)/profile/[id]/+page.svelte
index a19ed7ef2..9d18151a0 100644
--- a/platforms/pictique/client/src/routes/(protected)/profile/[id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/platforms/pictique/client/src/routes/(protected)/profile/[id]/+page.svelte
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@
 	let error = $state<string | null>(null);
 	let loading = $state(true);
 	let ownerId: string | null = $derived(getAuthId());
-	let isFollowing = $state(false);
-	let didFollowed = $state(false);
+	let followPending = $state(false);
 	let ownerProfile = $derived.by(async () => {
 		if (ownerId) {
 			const response = await apiClient.get<userProfile>(`/api/users/${ownerId}`);
@@ -51,21 +50,15 @@
 	}
 
 	async function handleFollow() {
+		if (!profile || profile.isFollowing || followPending) return;
+		followPending = true;
 		try {
-			isFollowing = true;
-			const response = await apiClient.post(`/api/users/${profileId}/follow`);
-			if (response) {
-				didFollowed = true;
-				setTimeout(async () => {
-					await fetchProfile();
-					didFollowed = false;
-				}, 1000);
-			}
+			const response = await apiClient.post<userProfile>(`/api/users/${profileId}/follow`);
+			profile = response.data;
 		} catch (err) {
 			error = err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Failed to follow user';
-			didFollowed = false;
 		} finally {
-			isFollowing = false;
+			followPending = false;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -106,8 +99,7 @@
 		</div>
 	{:else if profile}
 		<Profile
-			bind:isFollowing
-			bind:didFollowed
+			{followPending}
 			variant={ownerId === profileId ? 'user' : 'other'}
 			profileData={profile}
 			handleSinglePost={(post) => handlePostClick(post)}