diff --git a/webapp/components/FollowButton.vue b/webapp/components/FollowButton.vue
index cc4662c85..5275035e5 100644
--- a/webapp/components/FollowButton.vue
+++ b/webapp/components/FollowButton.vue
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 </template>
 
 <script>
-import gql from 'graphql-tag'
+import { followUserMutation, unfollowUserMutation } from '~/graphql/User'
 
 export default {
   name: 'HcFollowButton',
@@ -61,26 +61,23 @@ export default {
     },
     async toggle() {
       const follow = !this.isFollowed
-      const mutation = follow ? 'follow' : 'unfollow'
+      const mutation = follow ? followUserMutation(this.$i18n) : unfollowUserMutation(this.$i18n)
 
       this.hovered = false
-      this.$emit('optimistic', follow)
+      const optimisticResult = { followedByCurrentUser: follow }
+      this.$emit('optimistic', optimisticResult)
 
       try {
-        await this.$apollo.mutate({
-          mutation: gql`
-            mutation($id: ID!) {
-              ${mutation}(id: $id, type: User)
-            }
-          `,
-          variables: {
-            id: this.followId,
-          },
+        const { data } = await this.$apollo.mutate({
+          mutation,
+          variables: { id: this.followId },
         })
 
-        this.$emit('update', follow)
+        const followedUser = follow ? data.follow : data.unfollow
+        this.$emit('update', followedUser)
       } catch {
-        this.$emit('optimistic', !follow)
+        optimisticResult.followedByCurrentUser = !follow
+        this.$emit('optimistic', optimisticResult)
       }
     },
   },
diff --git a/webapp/components/User/User.vue b/webapp/components/User/User.vue
index 7c97c5755..fc84da9ee 100644
--- a/webapp/components/User/User.vue
+++ b/webapp/components/User/User.vue
@@ -132,13 +132,14 @@ export default {
     },
   },
   methods: {
-    optimisticFollow(follow) {
-      const inc = follow ? 1 : -1
-      this.user.followedByCurrentUser = follow
+    optimisticFollow({ followedByCurrentUser }) {
+      const inc = followedByCurrentUser ? 1 : -1
+      this.user.followedByCurrentUser = followedByCurrentUser
       this.user.followedByCount += inc
     },
-    updateFollow(follow) {
-      this.user.followedByCurrentUser = follow
+    updateFollow({ followedByCurrentUser, followedByCount }) {
+      this.user.followedByCount = followedByCount
+      this.user.followedByCurrentUser = followedByCurrentUser
     },
   },
 }
diff --git a/webapp/graphql/User.js b/webapp/graphql/User.js
index 3bf106991..863807897 100644
--- a/webapp/graphql/User.js
+++ b/webapp/graphql/User.js
@@ -1,72 +1,27 @@
 import gql from 'graphql-tag'
-import { postFragment, commentFragment } from './Fragments'
+import { userFragment, postFragment, commentFragment } from './Fragments'
 
 export default i18n => {
   const lang = i18n.locale().toUpperCase()
   return gql`
+    ${userFragment(lang)}
+
     query User($id: ID!) {
       User(id: $id) {
-        id
-        slug
-        name
-        avatar
+        ...user
         about
-        disabled
-        deleted
         locationName
-        location {
-          name: name${lang}
-        }
         createdAt
-        badges {
-          id
-          icon
-        }
         badgesCount
-        shoutedCount
-        commentedCount
-        contributionsCount
         followingCount
         following(first: 7) {
-          id
-          slug
-          name
-          avatar
-          disabled
-          deleted
-          followedByCount
-          followedByCurrentUser
-          contributionsCount
-          commentedCount
-          badges {
-            id
-            icon
-          }
-          location {
-            name: name${lang}
-          }
+          ...user
         }
         followedByCount
         followedByCurrentUser
         isBlocked
-        followedBy(first: 7)  {
-          id
-          slug
-          name
-          disabled
-          deleted
-          avatar
-          followedByCount
-          followedByCurrentUser
-          contributionsCount
-          commentedCount
-          badges {
-            id
-            icon
-          }
-          location {
-            name: name${lang}
-          }
+        followedBy(first: 7) {
+          ...user
         }
         socialMedia {
           id
@@ -145,3 +100,37 @@ export const markAsReadMutation = i18n => {
     }
   `
 }
+
+export const followUserMutation = i18n => {
+  const lang = i18n.locale().toUpperCase()
+  return gql`
+    ${userFragment(lang)}
+    mutation($id: ID!) {
+      follow(id: $id, type: User) {
+        name
+        followedByCount
+        followedByCurrentUser
+        followedBy(first: 7) {
+          ...user
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  `
+}
+
+export const unfollowUserMutation = i18n => {
+  const lang = i18n.locale().toUpperCase()
+  return gql`
+    ${userFragment(lang)}
+    mutation($id: ID!) {
+      unfollow(id: $id, type: User) {
+        name
+        followedByCount
+        followedByCurrentUser
+        followedBy(first: 7) {
+          ...user
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  `
+}
diff --git a/webapp/pages/profile/_id/_slug.vue b/webapp/pages/profile/_id/_slug.vue
index 9ebdfea35..389336bf6 100644
--- a/webapp/pages/profile/_id/_slug.vue
+++ b/webapp/pages/profile/_id/_slug.vue
@@ -43,7 +43,11 @@
             <ds-flex-item>
               <client-only>
                 <ds-number :label="$t('profile.followers')">
-                  <hc-count-to slot="count" :end-val="user.followedByCount" />
+                  <hc-count-to
+                    slot="count"
+                    :start-val="followedByCountStartValue"
+                    :end-val="user.followedByCount"
+                  />
                 </ds-number>
               </client-only>
             </ds-flex-item>
@@ -61,8 +65,8 @@
                 v-if="!user.isBlocked"
                 :follow-id="user.id"
                 :is-followed="user.followedByCurrentUser"
-                @optimistic="follow => (user.followedByCurrentUser = follow)"
-                @update="follow => fetchUser()"
+                @optimistic="optimisticFollow"
+                @update="updateFollow"
               />
               <ds-button v-else fullwidth @click="unblock(user)">
                 {{ $t('settings.blocked-users.unblock') }}
@@ -312,6 +316,7 @@ export default {
       pageSize: 6,
       tabActive: 'post',
       filter,
+      followedByCountStartValue: 0,
     }
   },
   computed: {
@@ -358,10 +363,6 @@ export default {
     uniq(items, field = 'id') {
       return uniqBy(items, field)
     },
-    fetchUser() {
-      // TODO: we should use subscriptions instead of fetching the whole user again
-      this.$apollo.queries.User.refetch()
-    },
     showMoreContributions() {
       const { Post: PostQuery } = this.$apollo.queries
       if (!PostQuery) return // seems this can be undefined on subpages
@@ -402,6 +403,27 @@ export default {
       this.resetPostList()
       this.$apollo.queries.Post.refetch()
     },
+    optimisticFollow({ followedByCurrentUser }) {
+      /*
+       * Note: followedByCountStartValue is updated to avoid counting from 0 when follow/unfollow
+       */
+      this.followedByCountStartValue = this.user.followedByCount
+      const currentUser = this.$store.getters['auth/user']
+      if (followedByCurrentUser) {
+        this.user.followedByCount++
+        this.user.followedBy = [currentUser, ...this.user.followedBy]
+      } else {
+        this.user.followedByCount--
+        this.user.followedBy = this.user.followedBy.filter(user => user.id !== currentUser.id)
+      }
+      this.user.followedByCurrentUser = followedByCurrentUser
+    },
+    updateFollow({ followedByCurrentUser, followedBy, followedByCount }) {
+      this.followedByCountStartValue = this.user.followedByCount
+      this.user.followedByCount = followedByCount
+      this.user.followedByCurrentUser = followedByCurrentUser
+      this.user.followedBy = followedBy
+    },
   },
   apollo: {
     Post: {