diff --git a/internal/db/bundb/account.go b/internal/db/bundb/account.go
index 90bf3eb65..94fd054bf 100644
--- a/internal/db/bundb/account.go
+++ b/internal/db/bundb/account.go
@@ -712,11 +712,9 @@ func (a *accountDB) PopulateAccount(ctx context.Context, account *gtsmodel.Accou
 		}
 	}
 
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		// Get / Create stats for this account.
-		if err := a.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			errs.Appendf("error populating account stats: %w", err)
-		}
+	// Get / Create stats for this account (handles case of already set).
+	if err := a.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		errs.Appendf("error populating account stats: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	return errs.Combine()
@@ -1160,6 +1158,11 @@ func (a *accountDB) UpdateAccountSettings(
 }
 
 func (a *accountDB) PopulateAccountStats(ctx context.Context, account *gtsmodel.Account) error {
+	if account.Stats != nil {
+		// Already populated!
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// Fetch stats from db cache with loader callback.
 	stats, err := a.state.Caches.DB.AccountStats.LoadOne(
 		"AccountID",
diff --git a/internal/db/bundb/account_test.go b/internal/db/bundb/account_test.go
index 116ea19f0..28c9274f7 100644
--- a/internal/db/bundb/account_test.go
+++ b/internal/db/bundb/account_test.go
@@ -743,6 +743,10 @@ func (suite *AccountTestSuite) TestAccountStatsAll() {
 			suite.FailNow(err.Error())
 		}
 
+		// Nil out account stats to allow
+		// db to refetch + regenerate them.
+		account.Stats = nil
+
 		// Get stats for a third time, they
 		// should get regenerated now, but
 		// only for local accounts.
diff --git a/internal/federation/dereferencing/account.go b/internal/federation/dereferencing/account.go
index 65436f9ea..3abf628d1 100644
--- a/internal/federation/dereferencing/account.go
+++ b/internal/federation/dereferencing/account.go
@@ -984,10 +984,8 @@ func (d *Dereferencer) dereferenceAccountStats(
 	account *gtsmodel.Account,
 ) error {
 	// Ensure we have a stats model for this account.
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		if err := d.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-		}
+	if err := d.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// We want to update stats by getting remote
diff --git a/internal/processing/account/rss.go b/internal/processing/account/rss.go
index cbbb4875b..60f93b012 100644
--- a/internal/processing/account/rss.go
+++ b/internal/processing/account/rss.go
@@ -70,11 +70,9 @@ func (p *Processor) GetRSSFeedForUsername(ctx context.Context, username string)
 	}
 
 	// Ensure account stats populated.
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			err = gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats %s: %w", username, err)
-			return nil, never, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
-		}
+	if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		err = gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats %s: %w", username, err)
+		return nil, never, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
 	}
 
 	// LastModified time is needed by callers to check freshness for cacheing.
diff --git a/internal/processing/fedi/collections.go b/internal/processing/fedi/collections.go
index a1fc5e1f4..e81d3e269 100644
--- a/internal/processing/fedi/collections.go
+++ b/internal/processing/fedi/collections.go
@@ -70,11 +70,9 @@ func (p *Processor) OutboxGet(
 	}
 
 	// Ensure we have stats for this account.
-	if receivingAcct.Stats == nil {
-		if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, receivingAcct); err != nil {
-			err := gtserror.Newf("error getting stats for account %s: %w", receivingAcct.ID, err)
-			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
-		}
+	if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, receivingAcct); err != nil {
+		err := gtserror.Newf("error getting stats for account %s: %w", receivingAcct.ID, err)
+		return nil, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
 	}
 
 	var obj vocab.Type
@@ -200,11 +198,9 @@ func (p *Processor) FollowersGet(
 	}
 
 	// Ensure we have stats for this account.
-	if receivingAcct.Stats == nil {
-		if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, receivingAcct); err != nil {
-			err := gtserror.Newf("error getting stats for account %s: %w", receivingAcct.ID, err)
-			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
-		}
+	if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, receivingAcct); err != nil {
+		err := gtserror.Newf("error getting stats for account %s: %w", receivingAcct.ID, err)
+		return nil, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
 	}
 
 	var obj vocab.Type
@@ -314,11 +310,9 @@ func (p *Processor) FollowingGet(ctx context.Context, requestedUser string, page
 	}
 
 	// Ensure we have stats for this account.
-	if receivingAcct.Stats == nil {
-		if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, receivingAcct); err != nil {
-			err := gtserror.Newf("error getting stats for account %s: %w", receivingAcct.ID, err)
-			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
-		}
+	if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, receivingAcct); err != nil {
+		err := gtserror.Newf("error getting stats for account %s: %w", receivingAcct.ID, err)
+		return nil, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
 	}
 
 	var obj vocab.Type
diff --git a/internal/processing/status/pin.go b/internal/processing/status/pin.go
index c4a6fc3b8..3f8435e52 100644
--- a/internal/processing/status/pin.go
+++ b/internal/processing/status/pin.go
@@ -92,11 +92,9 @@ func (p *Processor) PinCreate(ctx context.Context, requestingAccount *gtsmodel.A
 	}
 
 	// Ensure account stats populated.
-	if requestingAccount.Stats == nil {
-		if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, requestingAccount); err != nil {
-			err = gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
-		}
+	if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, requestingAccount); err != nil {
+		err = gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
+		return nil, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
 	}
 
 	pinnedCount := *requestingAccount.Stats.StatusesPinnedCount
@@ -157,11 +155,9 @@ func (p *Processor) PinRemove(ctx context.Context, requestingAccount *gtsmodel.A
 	}
 
 	// Ensure account stats populated.
-	if requestingAccount.Stats == nil {
-		if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, requestingAccount); err != nil {
-			err = gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-			return nil, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
-		}
+	if err := p.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, requestingAccount); err != nil {
+		err = gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
+		return nil, gtserror.NewErrorInternalError(err)
 	}
 
 	targetStatus.PinnedAt = time.Time{}
diff --git a/internal/processing/workers/util.go b/internal/processing/workers/util.go
index 994242d37..7f6c259de 100644
--- a/internal/processing/workers/util.go
+++ b/internal/processing/workers/util.go
@@ -257,10 +257,8 @@ func (u *utils) incrementStatusesCount(
 	defer unlock()
 
 	// Populate stats.
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-		}
+	if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Update stats by incrementing status
@@ -288,10 +286,8 @@ func (u *utils) decrementStatusesCount(
 	defer unlock()
 
 	// Populate stats.
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-		}
+	if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Update stats by decrementing
@@ -322,10 +318,8 @@ func (u *utils) incrementFollowersCount(
 	defer unlock()
 
 	// Populate stats.
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-		}
+	if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Update stats by incrementing followers
@@ -351,10 +345,8 @@ func (u *utils) decrementFollowersCount(
 	defer unlock()
 
 	// Populate stats.
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-		}
+	if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Update stats by decrementing
@@ -385,10 +377,8 @@ func (u *utils) incrementFollowingCount(
 	defer unlock()
 
 	// Populate stats.
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-		}
+	if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Update stats by incrementing
@@ -414,10 +404,8 @@ func (u *utils) decrementFollowingCount(
 	defer unlock()
 
 	// Populate stats.
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-		}
+	if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Update stats by decrementing
@@ -448,10 +436,8 @@ func (u *utils) incrementFollowRequestsCount(
 	defer unlock()
 
 	// Populate stats.
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-		}
+	if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Update stats by incrementing
@@ -477,10 +463,8 @@ func (u *utils) decrementFollowRequestsCount(
 	defer unlock()
 
 	// Populate stats.
-	if account.Stats == nil {
-		if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
-			return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
-		}
+	if err := u.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, account); err != nil {
+		return gtserror.Newf("db error getting account stats: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	// Update stats by decrementing
diff --git a/internal/typeutils/internaltofrontend.go b/internal/typeutils/internaltofrontend.go
index b85d24eee..682d76775 100644
--- a/internal/typeutils/internaltofrontend.go
+++ b/internal/typeutils/internaltofrontend.go
@@ -113,13 +113,11 @@ func (c *Converter) AccountToAPIAccountSensitive(ctx context.Context, a *gtsmode
 	}
 
 	// Ensure account stats populated.
-	if a.Stats == nil {
-		if err := c.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, a); err != nil {
-			return nil, gtserror.Newf(
-				"error getting stats for account %s: %w",
-				a.ID, err,
-			)
-		}
+	if err := c.state.DB.PopulateAccountStats(ctx, a); err != nil {
+		return nil, gtserror.Newf(
+			"error getting stats for account %s: %w",
+			a.ID, err,
+		)
 	}
 
 	// Populate the account's role permissions bitmap and highlightedness from its public role.