diff --git a/packages/backend/src/server/api/common/generate-following-query.ts b/packages/backend/src/server/api/common/generate-following-query.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b1063b54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend/src/server/api/common/generate-following-query.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import { Brackets, SelectQueryBuilder } from "typeorm";
+import { User } from "@/models/entities/user.js";
+import { Followings, Notes } from "@/models/index.js";
+import { Cache } from "@/misc/cache.js";
+import { apiLogger } from "@/server/api/logger.js";
+
+const cache = new Cache<number>("homeTlQueryData", 60 * 60 * 24);
+const cutoff = 250; // 250 posts in the last 7 days, constant determined by comparing benchmarks for cutoff values between 100 and 2500
+const logger = apiLogger.createSubLogger("heuristics");
+
+export async function generateFollowingQuery(
+	q: SelectQueryBuilder<any>,
+	me: { id: User["id"] },
+): Promise<void> {
+	const followingQuery = Followings.createQueryBuilder("following")
+		.select("following.followeeId")
+		.where("following.followerId = :meId");
+
+	const heuristic = await cache.fetch(me.id, async () => {
+		let curr = new Date();
+		let prev = new Date();
+		prev.setDate(prev.getDate() - 7);
+		return Notes.createQueryBuilder('note')
+			.where(`note.createdAt > :prev`, { prev })
+			.andWhere(`note.createdAt < :curr`, { curr })
+			.andWhere(`note.userId = ANY(array(${followingQuery.getQuery()} UNION ALL VALUES (:meId)))`, { meId: me.id })
+			.getCount()
+			.then(res => {
+				logger.info(`Calculating heuristics for user ${me.id} took ${new Date().getTime() - curr.getTime()}ms`);
+				return res;
+			});
+	});
+
+	const shouldUseUnion = heuristic < cutoff ;
+
+	q.andWhere(
+		new Brackets((qb) => {
+			if (shouldUseUnion) {
+				qb.where(`note.userId = ANY(array(${followingQuery.getQuery()} UNION ALL VALUES (:meId)))`);
+			} else {
+				qb.where(`note.userId = :meId`);
+				qb.orWhere(`note.userId IN (${followingQuery.getQuery()})`);
+			}
+		}),
+	)
+
+	q.setParameters({ meId: me.id });
+}
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/server/api/endpoints/notes/timeline.ts b/packages/backend/src/server/api/endpoints/notes/timeline.ts
index d2e097a77..731768ead 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/server/api/endpoints/notes/timeline.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/server/api/endpoints/notes/timeline.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { generateBlockedUserQuery } from "../../common/generate-block-query.js";
 import { generateMutedUserRenotesQueryForNotes } from "../../common/generated-muted-renote-query.js";
 import { ApiError } from "../../error.js";
 import { generateListQuery } from "@/server/api/common/generate-list-query.js";
+import { generateFollowingQuery } from "@/server/api/common/generate-following-query.js";
 
 export const meta = {
 	tags: ["notes"],
@@ -65,19 +66,7 @@ export const paramDef = {
 } as const;
 
 export default define(meta, paramDef, async (ps, user) => {
-	const hasFollowing =
-		(await Followings.count({
-			where: {
-				followerId: user.id,
-			},
-			take: 1,
-		})) !== 0;
-
 	//#region Construct query
-	const followingQuery = Followings.createQueryBuilder("following")
-		.select("following.followeeId")
-		.where("following.followerId = :followerId", { followerId: user.id });
-
 	const query = makePaginationQuery(
 		Notes.createQueryBuilder("note"),
 		ps.sinceId,
@@ -85,13 +74,6 @@ export default define(meta, paramDef, async (ps, user) => {
 		ps.sinceDate,
 		ps.untilDate,
 	)
-		.andWhere(
-			new Brackets((qb) => {
-				qb.where("note.userId = :meId", { meId: user.id });
-				if (hasFollowing)
-					qb.orWhere(`note.userId IN (${followingQuery.getQuery()})`);
-			}),
-		)
 		.innerJoinAndSelect("note.user", "user")
 		.leftJoinAndSelect("user.avatar", "avatar")
 		.leftJoinAndSelect("user.banner", "banner")
@@ -102,9 +84,9 @@ export default define(meta, paramDef, async (ps, user) => {
 		.leftJoinAndSelect("replyUser.banner", "replyUserBanner")
 		.leftJoinAndSelect("renote.user", "renoteUser")
 		.leftJoinAndSelect("renoteUser.avatar", "renoteUserAvatar")
-		.leftJoinAndSelect("renoteUser.banner", "renoteUserBanner")
-		.setParameters(followingQuery.getParameters());
+		.leftJoinAndSelect("renoteUser.banner", "renoteUserBanner");
 
+	await generateFollowingQuery(query, user);
 	generateListQuery(query, user);
 	generateChannelQuery(query, user);
 	generateRepliesQuery(query, ps.withReplies, user);
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/server/api/mastodon/helpers/timeline.ts b/packages/backend/src/server/api/mastodon/helpers/timeline.ts
index e4d1112d4..a97c12c44 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/server/api/mastodon/helpers/timeline.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/server/api/mastodon/helpers/timeline.ts
@@ -21,29 +21,22 @@ import { MastoApiError } from "@/server/api/mastodon/middleware/catch-errors.js"
 import { generatePaginationData } from "@/server/api/mastodon/middleware/pagination.js";
 import { MastoContext } from "@/server/api/mastodon/index.js";
 import { generateListQuery } from "@/server/api/common/generate-list-query.js";
+import { generateFollowingQuery } from "@/server/api/common/generate-following-query.js";
 
 export class TimelineHelpers {
     public static async getHomeTimeline(maxId: string | undefined, sinceId: string | undefined, minId: string | undefined, limit: number = 20, ctx: MastoContext): Promise<Note[]> {
         if (limit > 40) limit = 40;
         const user = ctx.user as ILocalUser;
 
-        const followingQuery = Followings.createQueryBuilder("following")
-            .select("following.followeeId")
-            .where("following.followerId = :followerId", { followerId: user.id });
-
         const query = PaginationHelpers.makePaginationQuery(
             Notes.createQueryBuilder("note"),
             sinceId,
             maxId,
             minId
         )
-            .andWhere(
-                new Brackets((qb) => {
-                    qb.where(`note.userId IN (${followingQuery.getQuery()} UNION ALL VALUES (:meId))`, { meId: user.id });
-                }),
-            )
             .leftJoinAndSelect("note.renote", "renote");
 
+        await generateFollowingQuery(query, user);
         generateListQuery(query, user);
         generateChannelQuery(query, user);
         generateRepliesQuery(query, true, user);