diff --git a/persistence/media_download.go b/persistence/media_download.go
index 1d733e5..c4cf405 100644
--- a/persistence/media_download.go
+++ b/persistence/media_download.go
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ func (p Profile) DownloadUserContentWithInjector(u *scraper.User, downloader Med
  * If this user should have a big profile picture, defer to the regular `DownloadUserContentFor` method.
  */
 func (p Profile) DownloadUserProfileImageTiny(u *scraper.User) error {
-	if p.IsFollowing(u.Handle) {
+	if p.IsFollowing(*u) {
 		return p.DownloadUserContentFor(u)
 	}
 
diff --git a/persistence/user_queries.go b/persistence/user_queries.go
index b79ee91..2147fd8 100644
--- a/persistence/user_queries.go
+++ b/persistence/user_queries.go
@@ -240,11 +240,12 @@ func (p Profile) GetAllFollowedUsers() []scraper.UserHandle {
 	return ret
 }
 
-func (p Profile) IsFollowing(handle scraper.UserHandle) bool {
-	for _, follow := range p.GetAllFollowedUsers() {
-		if follow == handle {
-			return true
-		}
+func (p Profile) IsFollowing(user scraper.User) bool {
+	row := p.DB.QueryRow("select is_followed from users where id like ?", user.ID)
+	var ret bool
+	err := row.Scan(&ret)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
 	}
-	return false
+	return ret
 }
diff --git a/persistence/user_queries_test.go b/persistence/user_queries_test.go
index 2439a23..c5d36ff 100644
--- a/persistence/user_queries_test.go
+++ b/persistence/user_queries_test.go
@@ -214,6 +214,38 @@ func TestFollowUnfollowUser(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.False(user_reloaded.IsFollowed)
 }
 
+/**
+ * Should correctly report whether a User is followed or not, according to the DB (not the in-memory objects)
+ */
+func TestIsFollowingUser(t *testing.T) {
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	profile_path := "test_profiles/TestUserQueries"
+	profile := create_or_load_profile(profile_path)
+
+	// Create the user
+	user := create_dummy_user()
+	assert.False(user.IsFollowed)
+	err := profile.SaveUser(&user)
+	assert.NoError(err)
+
+	// Make sure the user isn't "followed"
+	assert.False(profile.IsFollowing(user))
+	user.IsFollowed = true
+	assert.False(profile.IsFollowing(user)) // Should check the DB not the in-memory User
+	user.IsFollowed = false
+
+	profile.SetUserFollowed(&user, true)
+
+	assert.True(profile.IsFollowing(user))
+	user.IsFollowed = false
+	assert.True(profile.IsFollowing(user)) // Check the DB, not the User
+	user.IsFollowed = true
+
+	profile.SetUserFollowed(&user, false)
+	assert.False(profile.IsFollowing(user))
+}
+
 /**
  * Should create a new Unknown User from the given handle.
  * The Unknown User should work consistently with other Users.