diff --git a/src/layout/Banners/AnnouncementBanner.svelte b/src/layout/Banners/AnnouncementBanner.svelte
index 32bf987..1b236a9 100644
--- a/src/layout/Banners/AnnouncementBanner.svelte
+++ b/src/layout/Banners/AnnouncementBanner.svelte
@@ -2,49 +2,45 @@
 	import { read_announcements } from '$lib/stores';
 	import Banner from '$layout/Banners/Banner.svelte';
 	import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
-	import type { ResponseAnnouncement } from '$lib/types';
-	import { browser } from '$app/environment';
 	import { createQuery } from '@tanstack/svelte-query';
 	import { queries } from '$data/api';
 	import moment from 'moment';
 
-	let latestUnreadAnnouncement: ResponseAnnouncement | undefined = undefined;
-
 	const query = createQuery(queries.announcements());
 
-	$: {
-		if ($query.data?.announcements && $query.data.announcements.length > 0) {
-			const nonArchived = $query.data.announcements.filter(
-				(a) => !a.archived_at || moment(a.archived_at).isAfter(moment())
-			);
-			const announcement = nonArchived[0];
+	$: latestUnreadAnnouncement = (() => {
+		const announcements = $query.data?.announcements ?? [];
 
-			if (announcement && !$read_announcements.has(announcement.id)) {
-				latestUnreadAnnouncement = announcement;
-			} else {
-				latestUnreadAnnouncement = undefined;
-			}
-		}
-	}
+		const nonArchived = announcements.filter(
+			(a) => !a.archived_at || moment(a.archived_at).isAfter(moment())
+		);
+
+		const announcement = nonArchived[0];
+
+		return announcement && !$read_announcements.has(announcement.id) ? announcement : undefined;
+	})();
 
 	function setAsRead() {
 		if (!latestUnreadAnnouncement) return;
-		$read_announcements.add(latestUnreadAnnouncement.id);
-		localStorage.setItem('read_announcements', JSON.stringify(Array.from($read_announcements)));
-		latestUnreadAnnouncement = undefined;
+
+		read_announcements.update((set) => {
+			const updated = new Set(set);
+			updated.add(latestUnreadAnnouncement.id);
+			return updated;
+		});
 	}
 
 	function handleClick() {
-		if (latestUnreadAnnouncement) {
-			goto(`/announcements/${latestUnreadAnnouncement.id}`);
-			setAsRead();
-		}
+		if (!latestUnreadAnnouncement) return;
+
+		goto(`/announcements/${latestUnreadAnnouncement.id}`);
+		setAsRead();
 	}
 
 	function handleClose() {
-		if (latestUnreadAnnouncement && browser) {
-			setAsRead();
-		}
+		if (!latestUnreadAnnouncement) return;
+
+		setAsRead();
 	}
 
 	function getBannerLevel(level: number | undefined): 'info' | 'caution' {
diff --git a/src/lib/stores.ts b/src/lib/stores.ts
index dcc8871..ee9c02e 100644
--- a/src/lib/stores.ts
+++ b/src/lib/stores.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ export const read_announcements = writable<Set<number>>(new Set(), (set) => {
 	};
 });
 
+read_announcements.subscribe((value) => {
+	if (!browser) return;
+
+	localStorage.setItem('read_announcements', JSON.stringify(Array.from(value)));
+});
+
 export const passed_login_with_creds = writable(false); // will only change when the user INPUTS the credentials, not if the session is just valid
 
 export const allowAnalytics = writable(false);
diff --git a/src/routes/announcements/+page.svelte b/src/routes/announcements/+page.svelte
index e7263c8..9093659 100644
--- a/src/routes/announcements/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/announcements/+page.svelte
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 	import Search from '$lib/components/Search.svelte';
 	import { onMount } from 'svelte';
 	import type { ResponseAnnouncement } from '$lib/types';
-	import { admin_login } from '$lib/stores';
+	import { admin_login, read_announcements } from '$lib/stores';
 	import Button from '$lib/components/Button.svelte';
 	import moment from 'moment';
 	import { debounce } from '$util/debounce';
@@ -66,6 +66,16 @@
 
 	onMount(() => {
 		debounce(update)();
+
+		if ($read_announcements.size === 0) {
+			query.subscribe((data) => {
+				read_announcements.update((set) => {
+					const updated = new Set(set);
+					data.data?.announcements.forEach((a) => updated.add(a.id));
+					return updated;
+				});
+			});
+		}
 	});
 </script>
 
diff --git a/src/routes/announcements/AnnouncementCard.svelte b/src/routes/announcements/AnnouncementCard.svelte
index cdda5b7..385c826 100644
--- a/src/routes/announcements/AnnouncementCard.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/announcements/AnnouncementCard.svelte
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 	const client = useQueryClient();
 
-	let isRead: boolean;
+	$: isRead = $read_announcements.has(announcement.id);
 
 	function prefetch() {
 		const query = queries['announcementById'](announcement.id);
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@
 	}
 
 	function setAnnouncementRead() {
-		isRead = true;
-
-		$read_announcements.add(announcement.id);
-		localStorage.setItem('read_announcements', JSON.stringify(Array.from($read_announcements)));
+		read_announcements.update((set) => {
+			const updated = new Set(set);
+			updated.add(announcement.id);
+			return updated;
+		});
 	}
 
 	function generateSlug(title: string) {
@@ -39,10 +40,6 @@
 			.replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, '-')
 			.replace(/^-+|-+$/g, '');
 	}
-
-	onMount(() => {
-		isRead = $read_announcements.has(announcement.id);
-	});
 </script>
 
 <!-- svelte-ignore a11y-no-static-element-interactions -->