diff --git a/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings-proto/1.ts b/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings-proto/1.ts
index 334a7015..2eea291a 100644
--- a/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings-proto/1.ts
+++ b/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings-proto/1.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ router.get(
 		},
 	}),
 	async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
-		const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrCreate(req.user_id);
+		const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrDefault(req.user_id);
 
 		res.json({
 			settings: PreloadedUserSettings.toBase64(
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ router.get(
 		},
 	}),
 	async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
-		const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrCreate(req.user_id);
+		const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrDefault(req.user_id);
 
 		res.json({
 			settings: PreloadedUserSettings.toJson(userSettings.userSettings!),
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ async function patchUserSettings(
 	required_data_version: number | undefined,
 	atomic: boolean = false,
 ) {
-	const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrCreate(userId);
+	const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrDefault(userId);
 	let settings = userSettings.userSettings!;
 
 	if (
diff --git a/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings-proto/2.ts b/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings-proto/2.ts
index 9c989758..34cd3bfc 100644
--- a/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings-proto/2.ts
+++ b/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings-proto/2.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ router.get(
 		},
 	}),
 	async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
-		const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrCreate(req.user_id);
+		const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrDefault(req.user_id);
 
 		res.json({
 			settings: FrecencyUserSettings.toBase64(
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ router.get(
 		},
 	}),
 	async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
-		const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrCreate(req.user_id);
+		const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrDefault(req.user_id);
 
 		res.json({
 			settings: FrecencyUserSettings.toJson(
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ async function patchUserSettings(
 	required_data_version: number | undefined,
 	atomic: boolean = false,
 ) {
-	const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrCreate(userId);
+	const userSettings = await UserSettingsProtos.getOrDefault(userId);
 	let settings = userSettings.frecencySettings!;
 
 	if (
diff --git a/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings.ts b/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings.ts
index b21b31ed..26d2f21b 100644
--- a/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings.ts
+++ b/src/api/routes/users/@me/settings.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 */
 
 import { route } from "@spacebar/api";
-import { User, UserSettingsSchema } from "@spacebar/util";
+import { User, UserSettings, UserSettingsSchema } from "@spacebar/util";
 import { Request, Response, Router } from "express";
 
 const router = Router({ mergeParams: true });
@@ -35,11 +35,8 @@ router.get(
 		},
 	}),
 	async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
-		const user = await User.findOneOrFail({
-			where: { id: req.user_id },
-			relations: ["settings"],
-		});
-		return res.json(user.settings);
+		const settings = await UserSettings.getOrDefault(req.user_id)
+		return res.json(settings);
 	},
 );
 
@@ -68,11 +65,16 @@ router.patch(
 			relations: ["settings"],
 		});
 
-		user.settings.assign(body);
+		if (!user.settings)
+			user.settings = UserSettings.create(body);
+		else
+			user.settings.assign(body);
+
 		if (body.guild_folders)
 			user.settings.guild_folders = body.guild_folders;
 
 		await user.settings.save();
+		await user.save();
 
 		res.json({ ...user.settings, index: undefined });
 	},
diff --git a/src/gateway/opcodes/Identify.ts b/src/gateway/opcodes/Identify.ts
index 4bd41d21..74402bc8 100644
--- a/src/gateway/opcodes/Identify.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/opcodes/Identify.ts
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ export async function onIdentify(this: WebSocket, data: Payload) {
 	// so for instances that migrated, users may not have a `user_settings` row.
 	let createUserSettingsTime: ElapsedTime | undefined = undefined;
 	if (!user.settings) {
-		console.warn("[WARN] Creating new user settings!")
+		console.warn("[WARN] Creating new user settings!");
 		user.settings = new UserSettings();
 		await user.settings.save();
 		createUserSettingsTime = taskSw.getElapsedAndReset();
diff --git a/src/util/entities/User.ts b/src/util/entities/User.ts
index 840c028d..138a24c1 100644
--- a/src/util/entities/User.ts
+++ b/src/util/entities/User.ts
@@ -202,10 +202,10 @@ export class User extends BaseClass {
 	@OneToOne(() => UserSettings, {
 		cascade: true,
 		orphanedRowAction: "delete",
-		eager: false,
+		nullable: true
 	})
 	@JoinColumn()
-	settings: UserSettings;
+	settings?: UserSettings;
 
 	// workaround to prevent fossord-unaware clients from deleting settings not used by them
 	@Column({ type: "simple-json", select: false })
diff --git a/src/util/entities/UserSettings.ts b/src/util/entities/UserSettings.ts
index 1a196871..6d842d6c 100644
--- a/src/util/entities/UserSettings.ts
+++ b/src/util/entities/UserSettings.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 import { Column, Entity, PrimaryGeneratedColumn } from "typeorm";
 import { BaseClassWithoutId } from "./BaseClass";
+import { User } from "./User";
 
 @Entity({
 	name: "user_settings",
@@ -124,6 +125,24 @@ export class UserSettings extends BaseClassWithoutId {
 
 	@Column({ nullable: true })
 	view_nsfw_guilds: boolean = true;
+
+	public static async getOrDefault(userId: string) {
+		// raw sql query
+		const userSettingsIndex = await User.getRepository()
+			.createQueryBuilder()
+			.select("settingsIndex")
+			.where('id = :id', { id: userId })
+			.execute();
+
+		console.log(`[INFO/UserSettings] Fetched settings index for user ${userId}:`, userSettingsIndex);
+
+		if (!userSettingsIndex) return new UserSettings();
+
+		const settings = await UserSettings.findOne({ where: { index: userSettingsIndex } });
+		if (!settings) return new UserSettings();
+
+		return settings;
+	}
 }
 
 interface CustomStatus {
diff --git a/src/util/entities/UserSettingsProtos.ts b/src/util/entities/UserSettingsProtos.ts
index eb2a1871..e68fca57 100644
--- a/src/util/entities/UserSettingsProtos.ts
+++ b/src/util/entities/UserSettingsProtos.ts
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export class UserSettingsProtos extends BaseClassWithoutId {
 		}
 	}
 
-	static async getOrCreate(user_id: string): Promise<UserSettingsProtos> {
+	static async getOrDefault(user_id: string, save: boolean = false): Promise<UserSettingsProtos> {
 		const user = await User.findOneOrFail({
 			where: { id: user_id },
 			select: { settings: true },
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ export class UserSettingsProtos extends BaseClassWithoutId {
 			modified = true;
 		}
 
-		if (modified) userSettings = await userSettings.save();
+		if (modified && save) userSettings = await userSettings.save();
 
 		return userSettings;
 	}