diff --git a/src/app/components/Chat.svelte b/src/app/components/Chat.svelte
index c63ef531..5eb8b285 100644
--- a/src/app/components/Chat.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/Chat.svelte
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
   import ComposeParent from "@app/components/ComposeParent.svelte"
   import ThunkToast from "@app/components/ThunkToast.svelte"
   import {app, deletes, router, user, wraps} from "@app/core"
-  import {userSettingsValues} from "@app/settings"
+  import {loadSendDelay} from "@app/settings"
   import {deriveChat, makeChatId} from "@app/chats"
   import {makeFeedContext} from "@app/feeds"
   import {navigate, pushModal} from "@app/modal"
@@ -141,13 +141,15 @@
 
     addTemplate(DIRECT_MESSAGE, buffer.splice(0).join(""), tags)
 
+    const delay = await loadSendDelay()
+
     // Kind 15 carries one image each per nip 17, and a second's sleep keeps the timestamps distinct.
     const thunks = await Promise.all(
       Array.from(enumerate(templates)).map(([i, event]) =>
         $wraps.publish({
           event,
           recipients: pubkeys,
-          delay: $userSettingsValues.send_delay + ms(i),
+          delay: delay + ms(i),
           pow: 16,
         }),
       ),
diff --git a/src/app/components/CommentCompose.svelte b/src/app/components/CommentCompose.svelte
index e36ae762..3d9fc774 100644
--- a/src/app/components/CommentCompose.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/CommentCompose.svelte
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   import {relays, thunks, writer} from "@app/core"
   import {DraftKey} from "@app/drafts"
   import {makeEditor} from "@app/editor"
-  import {getSetting} from "@app/settings"
+  import {loadSendDelay} from "@app/settings"
   import {pushToast} from "@app/toast"
 
   type Values = {
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 
     try {
       const reply = await renderReply(content, ed.storage.nostr.getEditorTags())
-      const thunk = $thunks.publish({...reply, delay: getSetting("send_delay")})
+      const thunk = $thunks.publish({...reply, delay: await loadSendDelay()})
       const error = await thunk.waitForError()
 
       if (error) {
diff --git a/src/app/components/EventReply.svelte b/src/app/components/EventReply.svelte
index 9f61823c..00043186 100644
--- a/src/app/components/EventReply.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/EventReply.svelte
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
   import {DraftKey} from "@app/drafts"
   import {pushToast} from "@app/toast"
   import {relays, thunks, writer} from "@app/core"
-  import {getSetting} from "@app/settings"
+  import {loadSendDelay} from "@app/settings"
 
   type Values = {
     content?: string | object
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
     const thunk = $thunks.publish({
       relays: [url],
       event: await eventWriter.renderTemplate(),
-      delay: getSetting("send_delay"),
+      delay: await loadSendDelay(),
     })
 
     draftKey.clear()
diff --git a/src/app/components/RoomChat.svelte b/src/app/components/RoomChat.svelte
index 55aa4704..a9c593a0 100644
--- a/src/app/components/RoomChat.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/RoomChat.svelte
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     groupRoomMessages,
     prependParent,
   } from "@app/rooms"
-  import {userSettingsValues} from "@app/settings"
+  import {loadSendDelay} from "@app/settings"
   import {isFeedLoading, makeFeed, makeFeedContext, makeScrollLoader} from "@app/feeds"
   import {pageLoading} from "@app/loading"
   import {checked, deferredRoomPath, setChecked} from "@app/notifications"
@@ -211,13 +211,15 @@
         eventWriter.setParent(parent)
       }
 
+      const delay = await loadSendDelay()
+
       const thunk = $thunks.publish({
         relays: [url],
         event: stamp(await eventWriter.renderTemplate(), eventToEdit?.created_at),
-        delay: $userSettingsValues.send_delay,
+        delay,
       })
 
-      if ($userSettingsValues.send_delay) {
+      if (delay) {
         pushToast({
           timeout: 30_000,
           children: {
diff --git a/src/app/settings.ts b/src/app/settings.ts
index f8cc9f75..5aaa06b0 100644
--- a/src/app/settings.ts
+++ b/src/app/settings.ts
@@ -110,6 +110,18 @@ export const createSettingsForm = (): Writable<SettingsValues> => {
   }
 }
 
+// A send reads the delay when it is clicked, and a room can paint before the user's own settings arrive.
+export const loadSendDelay = async () => {
+  const $app = app.get()
+  const {pubkey} = User.require($app)
+
+  if (!$app.use(Settings).get(pubkey)) {
+    await $app.use(Settings).load(pubkey)
+  }
+
+  return userSettingsValues.get().send_delay
+}
+
 export const zapAmounts = derived(userSettingsValues, $settings => $settings.zap_amounts)
 
 export const getSetting = <K extends keyof SettingsValues>(key: K) => userSettingsValues.get()[key]