diff --git a/services/gunDB/Mediator/index.js b/services/gunDB/Mediator/index.js
index 8540002f..d317b15a 100644
--- a/services/gunDB/Mediator/index.js
+++ b/services/gunDB/Mediator/index.js
@@ -239,6 +239,10 @@ const getGun = () => {
 }
 
 const getUser = () => {
+  if (!user.is) {
+    logger.warn('called getUser() without being authed')
+    throw new Error('NOT_AUTH')
+  }
   return user
 }
 
diff --git a/services/gunDB/contact-api/events/index.js b/services/gunDB/contact-api/events/index.js
index bae689e0..0f672754 100644
--- a/services/gunDB/contact-api/events/index.js
+++ b/services/gunDB/contact-api/events/index.js
@@ -527,11 +527,11 @@ const onChats = cb => {
 
   if (!onChatsSubbed) {
     const Streams = require('../streams')
-    onChatsSubbed = true
     onOutgoing(processChats)
     Streams.onAvatar(processChats)
     Streams.onDisplayName(processChats)
     Streams.onPubToFeed(processChats)
+    onChatsSubbed = true
   }
 
   return () => {
diff --git a/services/gunDB/contact-api/utils/index.js b/services/gunDB/contact-api/utils/index.js
index 03758c87..63432cd7 100644
--- a/services/gunDB/contact-api/utils/index.js
+++ b/services/gunDB/contact-api/utils/index.js
@@ -105,6 +105,9 @@ const tryAndWait = async (promGen, shouldRetry = () => false) => {
     }
   } catch (e) {
     logger.error(e)
+    if (e.message === 'NOT_AUTH') {
+      throw e
+    }
   }
 
   logger.info(
@@ -132,6 +135,9 @@ const tryAndWait = async (promGen, shouldRetry = () => false) => {
     }
   } catch (e) {
     logger.error(e)
+    if (e.message === 'NOT_AUTH') {
+      throw e
+    }
   }
 
   logger.info(