diff --git a/src/app/components/ChatStart.svelte b/src/app/components/ChatStart.svelte
index 80246cef..81ad6d63 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ChatStart.svelte
+++ b/src/app/components/ChatStart.svelte
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import {goto} from "$app/navigation"
+  import {pubkey} from '@welshman/app'
   import Field from "@lib/components/Field.svelte"
   import Button from "@lib/components/Button.svelte"
   import Icon from "@lib/components/Icon.svelte"
@@ -10,9 +11,7 @@
 
   const back = () => history.back()
 
-  const onSubmit = async () => {
-    goto(makeChatPath(pubkeys))
-  }
+  const onSubmit = () => goto(makeChatPath([...pubkeys, $pubkey!]))
 
   let pubkeys: string[] = []
 </script>
diff --git a/src/app/modal.ts b/src/app/modal.ts
index d4160659..51c6b86d 100644
--- a/src/app/modal.ts
+++ b/src/app/modal.ts
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ export const pushModal = (
 ) => {
   const id = randomId()
 
-  // TODO: fix memory leak here by listening to history somehow
   modals.set(id, {component, props, options})
-  goto("#" + id)
+
+  setTimeout(() => goto("#" + id))
 
   return id
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/components/Link.svelte b/src/lib/components/Link.svelte
index 36c76d54..d5c7db9f 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/Link.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/Link.svelte
@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-  import cx from "classnames"
+  import {goto} from '$app/navigation'
 
   export let href
   export let external = false
+
+  const go = () => goto(href)
 </script>
 
 <a
   {href}
   {...$$props}
-  on:click|stopPropagation
-  class={cx($$props.class, "cursor-pointer")}
+  class="cursor-pointer {$$props.class}"
+  on:click|preventDefault|stopPropagation={go}
   rel={external ? "noopener noreferer" : ""}
   target={external ? "_blank" : ""}>
   <slot />
diff --git a/src/routes/home/[chat]/+page.svelte b/src/routes/home/[chat]/+page.svelte
index 7dd8c51e..d060d265 100644
--- a/src/routes/home/[chat]/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/home/[chat]/+page.svelte
@@ -113,15 +113,14 @@
         {/if}
       </div>
       <div slot="action">
-        {#if $missingInboxes.length > 0}
-          {@const plural = $missingInboxes.length > 0}
+        {#if remove($pubkey, $missingInboxes).length > 0}
+          {@const count = remove($pubkey, $missingInboxes).length}
+          {@const label = count > 0 ? 'inboxes are' : 'inbox is'}
           <div
             class="row-2 badge badge-error badge-lg tooltip tooltip-left cursor-pointer"
-            data-tip="{$missingInboxes.length} {plural
-              ? 'inboxes are'
-              : 'inbox is'} not configured.">
+            data-tip="{count} {label} not configured.">
             <Icon icon="danger" />
-            {$missingInboxes.length}
+            {count}
           </div>
         {/if}
       </div>
diff --git a/src/routes/home/network/+page.svelte b/src/routes/home/network/+page.svelte
index 87a1fc90..a5d5d677 100644
--- a/src/routes/home/network/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/home/network/+page.svelte
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
   import type {TrustedEvent} from "@welshman/util"
   import {deriveEvents} from "@welshman/store"
   import {repository, userFollows, load} from "@welshman/app"
+  import Link from "@lib/components/Link.svelte"
+  import Icon from "@lib/components/Icon.svelte"
   import Spinner from "@lib/components/Spinner.svelte"
   import NoteCard from "@app/components/NoteCard.svelte"
   import Content from "@app/components/Content.svelte"
@@ -85,6 +87,14 @@
             <Content {event} />
           </div>
         </NoteCard>
+      {:else}
+        <div class="py-20 max-w-sm col-4 items-center m-auto text-center">
+          <p>No activity found! Try following a few more people.</p>
+          <Link class="btn btn-primary" href="/home/people">
+            <Icon icon="user-heart" />
+            Browse Profiles
+          </Link>
+        </div>
       {/each}
     </div>
   {/await}
diff --git a/src/routes/home/people/+page.svelte b/src/routes/home/people/+page.svelte
index e8b4d0e8..cdf6f53c 100644
--- a/src/routes/home/people/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/home/people/+page.svelte
@@ -1,14 +1,17 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import {onMount} from "svelte"
   import {createScroller} from "@lib/html"
-  import Icon from "@lib/components/Icon.svelte"
-  import {shuffle} from "@welshman/lib"
+  import {uniq, shuffle} from "@welshman/lib"
   import {getPubkeyTagValues, getListTags} from "@welshman/util"
   import {profileSearch, userFollows} from "@welshman/app"
+  import Icon from "@lib/components/Icon.svelte"
   import PageHeader from "@lib/components/PageHeader.svelte"
   import PeopleItem from "@app/components/PeopleItem.svelte"
 
-  const defaultPubkeys = shuffle(getPubkeyTagValues(getListTags($userFollows)))
+  const defaultPubkeys = uniq([
+    ...shuffle(getPubkeyTagValues(getListTags($userFollows))),
+    ...import.meta.env.VITE_DEFAULT_PUBKEYS.split(','),
+  ])
 
   let term = ""
   let limit = 10