diff --git a/lib/mozilla_iam/application_extensions.rb b/lib/mozilla_iam/application_extensions.rb
index 74d61f2..21e3f72 100644
--- a/lib/mozilla_iam/application_extensions.rb
+++ b/lib/mozilla_iam/application_extensions.rb
@@ -2,13 +2,30 @@ module MozillaIAM
   module ApplicationExtensions
     def check_iam_session
       begin
+        return unless current_user
+
         last_refresh = session[:mozilla_iam].try(:[], :last_refresh)
+        no_refresh = session[:mozilla_iam].try(:[], :no_refresh)
+
+        return if no_refresh && !last_refresh
+
+        unless last_refresh
+          current_user.clear_custom_fields
+          last_refresh = Profile.for(current_user)&.last_refresh
+          session[:mozilla_iam] = {} if session[:mozilla_iam].nil?
+          if last_refresh
+            session[:mozilla_iam][:last_refresh] = last_refresh
+          else
+            session[:mozilla_iam][:no_refresh] = true
+            return
+          end
+        end
+
         logout_delay =
           Rails.cache.fetch('mozilla-iam/logout_delay') do
             ::PluginStore.get('mozilla-iam', 'logout_delay')
           end
 
-        return if last_refresh.nil? || !current_user
         if last_refresh + logout_delay < Time.now
           reset_session
           log_off_user
diff --git a/lib/mozilla_iam/profile.rb b/lib/mozilla_iam/profile.rb
index 3c70828..c6a2fa9 100644
--- a/lib/mozilla_iam/profile.rb
+++ b/lib/mozilla_iam/profile.rb
@@ -15,10 +15,15 @@ module MozillaIAM
         array_keys << key
       end
 
-      def refresh(user)
+      def for(user)
         uid = get(user, :uid)
         return if uid.blank?
-        Profile.new(user, uid).refresh
+        Profile.new(user, uid)
+      end
+
+      def refresh(user)
+        profile = self.for(user)
+        profile.refresh unless profile.nil?
       end
     end
 
@@ -56,8 +61,6 @@ module MozillaIAM
       return response
     end
 
-    private
-
     def last_refresh
       @last_refresh ||=
         if time = get(:last_refresh)
@@ -65,6 +68,8 @@ module MozillaIAM
         end
     end
 
+    private
+
     def set_last_refresh(time)
       @last_refresh = set(:last_refresh, time)
     end
diff --git a/plugin.rb b/plugin.rb
index 69f3aa3..df0f2ad 100644
--- a/plugin.rb
+++ b/plugin.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # name: mozilla-iam
 # about: A plugin to integrate Discourse with Mozilla's Identity and Access Management (IAM) system
-# version: 0.2.3
+# version: 0.2.4
 # authors: Leo McArdle
 # url: https://github.com/mozilla/discourse-mozilla-iam
 
diff --git a/spec/components/mozilla_iam/profile_spec.rb b/spec/components/mozilla_iam/profile_spec.rb
index d540087..d52ab60 100644
--- a/spec/components/mozilla_iam/profile_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/mozilla_iam/profile_spec.rb
@@ -43,12 +43,26 @@ describe MozillaIAM::Profile do
       expect(result).to be true
     end
 
-    it 'should return nil if user has no profile' do
+    it 'returns nil if user has no profile' do
       result = MozillaIAM::Profile.refresh(user)
       expect(result).to be_nil
     end
   end
 
+  describe ".for" do
+    it "returns a user who has a profile" do
+      profile
+      MozillaIAM::Profile.expects(:new).with(user, "uid").returns(profile)
+      result = described_class.for(user)
+      expect(result).to eq profile
+    end
+
+    it 'returns nil if user has no profile' do
+      result = described_class.for(user)
+      expect(result).to be_nil
+    end
+  end
+
   context '#initialize' do
     it "should save a user's uid" do
       profile
diff --git a/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb
index 3574883..62f3752 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/application_controller_spec.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ describe TopicsController do
 
       last_refresh = Time.now - 14.minutes
       user.custom_fields['mozilla_iam_last_refresh'] = last_refresh
+      user.save_custom_fields
       session[:mozilla_iam] = { last_refresh: last_refresh }
 
       get :show, params: { id: 666 }, format: :json
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ describe TopicsController do
 
       last_refresh = Time.now - 16.minutes
       user.custom_fields['mozilla_iam_last_refresh'] = last_refresh
+      user.save_custom_fields
       session[:mozilla_iam] = { last_refresh: last_refresh }
 
       get :show, params: { id: 666 }, format: :json
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ describe TopicsController do
 
       last_refresh = Time.now - 8.days
       user.custom_fields['mozilla_iam_last_refresh'] = last_refresh
+      user.save_custom_fields
       session[:mozilla_iam] = { last_refresh: last_refresh }
 
       expect(session['current_user_id']).to be
@@ -54,5 +57,82 @@ describe TopicsController do
       get :show, params: { id: 666 }, format: :json rescue
       expect(session['current_user_id']).to be_nil
     end
+
+    context "with no session[:mozilla_iam] set" do
+      let(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
+      before do
+        authenticate_user(user)
+        log_in_user(user)
+        session[:mozilla_iam] = nil
+      end
+
+      context "and with a user with a last refresh" do
+        it "fetches last refresh from user profile" do
+          last_refresh = Time.now - 5.minutes
+          user.custom_fields['mozilla_iam_last_refresh'] = last_refresh
+          user.save_custom_fields
+
+          get :show, params: { id: 666 }, format: :json
+
+          expect(session[:mozilla_iam][:last_refresh]).to be_within(2.seconds).of last_refresh
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "and with a user with no last refresh" do
+        it "sets session[:mozilla_iam][:no_refresh] to true" do
+          user.custom_fields['mozilla_iam_last_refresh'] = nil
+          user.save_custom_fields
+
+          get :show, params: { id: 666 }, format: :json
+
+          expect(session[:mozilla_iam][:no_refresh]).to eq true
+        end
+      end
+
+      context "and with a user with no profile" do
+        it "sets session[:mozilla_iam][:no_refresh] to true" do
+          user.custom_fields['mozilla_iam_uid'] = nil
+          user.save_custom_fields
+
+          get :show, params: { id: 666 }, format: :json
+
+          expect(session[:mozilla_iam][:no_refresh]).to eq true
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "with session[:mozilla_iam][:no_refresh] set to true" do
+      let(:user) { Fabricate(:user) }
+      before do
+        authenticate_user(user)
+        log_in_user(user)
+        session[:mozilla_iam] = { no_refresh: true }
+      end
+
+      it "doesn't query user profile" do
+        MozillaIAM::Profile.expects(:for).never
+
+        get :show, params: { id: 666 }, format: :json
+      end
+
+      it "doesn't refresh user profile" do
+        MozillaIAM::Profile.expects(:refresh).never
+
+        get :show, params: { id: 666 }, format: :json
+      end
+
+      context "and with session[:mozilla_iam][:last_refresh] set" do
+        before do
+          last_refresh = Time.now - 5.minutes
+          session[:mozilla_iam][:last_refresh] = last_refresh
+        end
+
+        it "refreshes user profile" do
+          MozillaIAM::Profile.expects(:refresh).once
+
+          get :show, params: { id: 666 }, format: :json
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
 end