diff --git a/src/redux/session.js b/src/redux/session.js
index 36ce89927..b6ed97cc4 100644
--- a/src/redux/session.js
+++ b/src/redux/session.js
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ module.exports.selectToken = state => get(state, ['session', 'session', 'user',
 module.exports.selectIsAdmin = state => get(state, ['session', 'session', 'permissions', 'admin'], false);
 module.exports.selectIsSocial = state => get(state, ['session', 'session', 'permissions', 'social'], false);
 module.exports.selectIsEducator = state => get(state, ['session', 'session', 'permissions', 'educator'], false);
+module.exports.selectHasFetchedSession = state => state.session.status === module.exports.Status.FETCHED;
 
 // NB logged out user id as NaN so that it can never be used in equality testing since NaN !== NaN
 module.exports.selectUserId = state => get(state, ['session', 'session', 'user', 'id'], NaN);
diff --git a/src/views/studio/studio-comments.jsx b/src/views/studio/studio-comments.jsx
index b6ac7c15d..b477f0d94 100644
--- a/src/views/studio/studio-comments.jsx
+++ b/src/views/studio/studio-comments.jsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import TopLevelComment from '../preview/comment/top-level-comment.jsx';
 import studioCommentActions from '../../redux/studio-comment-actions.js';
 import StudioCommentsAllowed from './studio-comments-allowed.jsx';
 
-import {selectIsAdmin} from '../../redux/session';
+import {selectIsAdmin, selectHasFetchedSession} from '../../redux/session';
 import {
     selectShowCommentComposer,
     selectCanDeleteComment,
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const StudioComments = ({
     comments,
     commentsAllowed,
     isAdmin,
+    hasFetchedSession,
     handleLoadMoreComments,
     handleNewComment,
     moreCommentsToLoad,
@@ -42,8 +43,8 @@ const StudioComments = ({
     handleLoadMoreReplies
 }) => {
     useEffect(() => {
-        if (comments.length === 0) handleLoadMoreComments();
-    }, [comments.length === 0]);
+        if (comments.length === 0 && hasFetchedSession) handleLoadMoreComments();
+    }, [comments.length === 0, hasFetchedSession]);
 
     // The comments you see depend on your admin status
     // so reset them if isAdmin changes.
@@ -108,6 +109,7 @@ StudioComments.propTypes = {
     comments: PropTypes.arrayOf(PropTypes.shape({})),
     commentsAllowed: PropTypes.bool,
     isAdmin: PropTypes.bool,
+    hasFetchedSession: PropTypes.bool,
     handleLoadMoreComments: PropTypes.func,
     handleNewComment: PropTypes.func,
     moreCommentsToLoad: PropTypes.bool,
@@ -133,6 +135,7 @@ export {
 export default connect(
     state => ({
         comments: state.comments.comments,
+        hasFetchedSession: selectHasFetchedSession(state),
         isAdmin: selectIsAdmin(state),
         moreCommentsToLoad: state.comments.moreCommentsToLoad,
         replies: state.comments.replies,