diff --git a/android/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/android/viewmodel/CommentsRepository.kt b/android/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/android/viewmodel/CommentsRepository.kt
index 55bc4f29..986a3378 100644
--- a/android/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/android/viewmodel/CommentsRepository.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/android/viewmodel/CommentsRepository.kt
@@ -22,10 +22,7 @@ constructor(
 ) {
 
   suspend fun getSeenComments(postId: String) =
-    withContext(dbDispatcher) {
-      postCommentsQueries.getCommentIds(postId).executeAsOneOrNull()
-        ?: PostComments(postId = postId, commentIds = emptyList())
-    }
+    withContext(dbDispatcher) { postCommentsQueries.getCommentIds(postId).executeAsOneOrNull() }
 
   suspend fun markSeenComments(postId: String, comments: List<Comment>) {
     withContext(dbDispatcher) {
diff --git a/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentNode.kt b/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentNode.kt
index 30f1e347..392024c3 100644
--- a/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentNode.kt
+++ b/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentNode.kt
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ internal class CommentNode(
 
 internal fun createListNode(
   comments: List<Comment>,
-  commentState: PostComments,
+  commentState: PostComments?,
 ): MutableList<CommentNode> {
   val commentNodes = mutableListOf<CommentNode>()
-  val isUnread = { id: String -> !commentState.commentIds.contains(id) }
+  val isUnread = { id: String -> commentState?.commentIds?.contains(id) == false }
 
   for (i in comments.indices) {
     if (comments[i].parentComment == null) {
diff --git a/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentsPage.kt b/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentsPage.kt
index 14c452e3..5853d753 100644
--- a/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentsPage.kt
+++ b/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentsPage.kt
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ fun CommentsPage(
   postId: String,
   postActions: PostActions,
   htmlConverter: HTMLConverter,
-  getSeenComments: suspend (String) -> PostComments,
+  getSeenComments: suspend (String) -> PostComments?,
   markSeenComments: (String, List<Comment>) -> Unit,
   contentPadding: PaddingValues,
   modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
@@ -48,9 +48,7 @@ fun CommentsPage(
         )
     }
   val commentState by
-    produceState(initialValue = PostComments(postId, emptyList())) {
-      value = getSeenComments(postId)
-    }
+    produceState<PostComments?>(initialValue = null) { value = getSeenComments(postId) }
 
   when (postDetails) {
     is Success<*> -> {
diff --git a/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentsPageImpl.kt b/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentsPageImpl.kt
index 349b2360..f9cff833 100644
--- a/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentsPageImpl.kt
+++ b/common/src/main/kotlin/dev/msfjarvis/claw/common/comments/CommentsPageImpl.kt
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ internal fun CommentsPageInternal(
   details: UIPost,
   postActions: PostActions,
   htmlConverter: HTMLConverter,
-  commentState: PostComments,
+  commentState: PostComments?,
   markSeenComments: (String, List<Comment>) -> Unit,
   openUserProfile: (String) -> Unit,
   contentPadding: PaddingValues,
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ internal fun CommentsPageInternal(
   val context = LocalContext.current
   val commentNodes = createListNode(details.comments, commentState)
   LaunchedEffect(key1 = commentNodes) {
-    if (details.comments.isNotEmpty() && commentState.commentIds.isNotEmpty()) {
-      val unreadCount = details.comments.size - commentState.commentIds.size
+    if (details.comments.isNotEmpty() && !commentState?.commentIds.isNullOrEmpty()) {
+      val unreadCount = details.comments.size - (commentState?.commentIds?.size ?: 0)
       if (unreadCount > 0) {
         val text =
           when (unreadCount) {