diff --git a/ts/ConversationController.ts b/ts/ConversationController.ts
index 8f2b5b43fb80..eb4934989428 100644
--- a/ts/ConversationController.ts
+++ b/ts/ConversationController.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import { sleep } from './util/sleep';
 import { isNotNil } from './util/isNotNil';
 import { MINUTE, SECOND } from './util/durations';
 import { getUuidsForE164s } from './util/getUuidsForE164s';
-import { SIGNAL_ACI, SIGNAL_AVATAR_PATH } from './types/Conversation';
+import { SIGNAL_ACI, SIGNAL_AVATAR_PATH } from './types/SignalConversation';
 
 type ConvoMatchType =
   | {
@@ -409,8 +409,8 @@ export class ConversationController {
     return conversation;
   }
 
-  getOrCreateSignalConversation(): ConversationModel {
-    const conversation = this.getOrCreate(SIGNAL_ACI, 'private', {
+  async getOrCreateSignalConversation(): Promise<ConversationModel> {
+    const conversation = await this.getOrCreateAndWait(SIGNAL_ACI, 'private', {
       muteExpiresAt: Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER,
       profileAvatar: { path: SIGNAL_AVATAR_PATH },
       profileName: 'Signal',
@@ -422,28 +422,12 @@ export class ConversationController {
     return conversation;
   }
 
-  getSignalConversationId(): string {
-    if (this._signalConversationId) {
-      return this._signalConversationId;
-    }
-
-    let conversation = this.get(SIGNAL_ACI);
-
-    if (!conversation) {
-      conversation = this.getOrCreateSignalConversation();
-    }
-
-    this._signalConversationId = conversation.id;
-
-    return conversation.id;
-  }
-
   isSignalConversation(uuidOrId: string): boolean {
     if (uuidOrId === SIGNAL_ACI) {
       return true;
     }
 
-    return this.getSignalConversationId() === uuidOrId;
+    return this._signalConversationId === uuidOrId;
   }
 
   areWePrimaryDevice(): boolean {
diff --git a/ts/background.ts b/ts/background.ts
index a0b9af048018..09be5364f1a8 100644
--- a/ts/background.ts
+++ b/ts/background.ts
@@ -1021,6 +1021,7 @@ export async function startApp(): Promise<void> {
       await window.ConversationController.load();
 
       await Promise.all([
+        window.ConversationController.getOrCreateSignalConversation(),
         Stickers.load(),
         loadRecentEmojis(),
         loadInitialBadgesState(),
diff --git a/ts/components/Avatar.tsx b/ts/components/Avatar.tsx
index 13b7ba6c221f..6b254a505cc4 100644
--- a/ts/components/Avatar.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/Avatar.tsx
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import { getBadgeImageFileLocalPath } from '../badges/getBadgeImageFileLocalPath
 import { getInitials } from '../util/getInitials';
 import { isBadgeVisible } from '../badges/isBadgeVisible';
 import { shouldBlurAvatar } from '../util/shouldBlurAvatar';
-import { SIGNAL_AVATAR_PATH } from '../types/Conversation';
+import { SIGNAL_AVATAR_PATH } from '../types/SignalConversation';
 
 export enum AvatarBlur {
   NoBlur,
diff --git a/ts/components/StoryListItem.tsx b/ts/components/StoryListItem.tsx
index dd5ecfe2f071..f07da7112440 100644
--- a/ts/components/StoryListItem.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/StoryListItem.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import type { ViewUserStoriesActionCreatorType } from '../state/ducks/stories';
 import { Avatar, AvatarSize } from './Avatar';
 import { ConfirmationDialog } from './ConfirmationDialog';
 import { ContextMenu } from './ContextMenu';
-import { SIGNAL_ACI } from '../types/Conversation';
+import { SIGNAL_ACI } from '../types/SignalConversation';
 import { StoryViewTargetType, HasStories } from '../types/Stories';
 
 import { MessageTimestamp } from './conversation/MessageTimestamp';
diff --git a/ts/services/storyLoader.ts b/ts/services/storyLoader.ts
index f285e6077a1e..93e5376c2db6 100644
--- a/ts/services/storyLoader.ts
+++ b/ts/services/storyLoader.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { isNotNil } from '../util/isNotNil';
 import { strictAssert } from '../util/assert';
 import { dropNull } from '../util/dropNull';
 import { isGroup } from '../util/whatTypeOfConversation';
-import { SIGNAL_ACI } from '../types/Conversation';
+import { SIGNAL_ACI } from '../types/SignalConversation';
 
 let storyData:
   | Array<
diff --git a/ts/state/ducks/stories.ts b/ts/state/ducks/stories.ts
index b132bce03e59..11b36f0835a5 100644
--- a/ts/state/ducks/stories.ts
+++ b/ts/state/ducks/stories.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import type { StoryViewTargetType, StoryViewType } from '../../types/Stories';
 import type { SyncType } from '../../jobs/helpers/syncHelpers';
 import type { UUIDStringType } from '../../types/UUID';
 import * as log from '../../logging/log';
-import { SIGNAL_ACI } from '../../types/Conversation';
+import { SIGNAL_ACI } from '../../types/SignalConversation';
 import dataInterface from '../../sql/Client';
 import { ReadStatus } from '../../messages/MessageReadStatus';
 import { SafetyNumberChangeSource } from '../../components/SafetyNumberChangeDialog';
diff --git a/ts/state/selectors/stories.ts b/ts/state/selectors/stories.ts
index 7ddb66fb8003..25c2a65bbc93 100644
--- a/ts/state/selectors/stories.ts
+++ b/ts/state/selectors/stories.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ import { getStoriesEnabled } from './items';
 import { calculateExpirationTimestamp } from '../../util/expirationTimer';
 import { getMessageIdForLogging } from '../../util/idForLogging';
 import * as log from '../../logging/log';
-import { SIGNAL_ACI } from '../../types/Conversation';
+import { SIGNAL_ACI } from '../../types/SignalConversation';
 
 export const getStoriesState = (state: StateType): StoriesStateType =>
   state.stories;
diff --git a/ts/types/Conversation.ts b/ts/types/Conversation.ts
index c350de8d31d0..29bc7755b4d6 100644
--- a/ts/types/Conversation.ts
+++ b/ts/types/Conversation.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
 
 import type { ConversationAttributesType } from '../model-types.d';
-import { UUID } from './UUID';
 import { computeHash } from '../Crypto';
 
 export type BuildAvatarUpdaterOptions = Readonly<{
@@ -88,6 +87,3 @@ export async function deleteExternalFiles(
     await deleteAttachmentData(profileAvatar.path);
   }
 }
-
-export const SIGNAL_ACI = UUID.cast('11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111');
-export const SIGNAL_AVATAR_PATH = 'images/icon_256.png';
diff --git a/ts/types/SignalConversation.ts b/ts/types/SignalConversation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0d62aa0d71bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ts/types/SignalConversation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Signal Messenger, LLC
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
+
+import { UUID } from './UUID';
+
+export const SIGNAL_ACI = UUID.cast('11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111');
+export const SIGNAL_AVATAR_PATH = 'images/icon_256.png';
diff --git a/ts/util/downloadOnboardingStory.ts b/ts/util/downloadOnboardingStory.ts
index b422b58749f9..6ce82bc1cff5 100644
--- a/ts/util/downloadOnboardingStory.ts
+++ b/ts/util/downloadOnboardingStory.ts
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ async function continueDownloadingOnboardingStory(): Promise<void> {
     })
   );
 
+  log.info('downloadOnboardingStory: getting signal conversation');
   const signalConversation =
     await window.ConversationController.getOrCreateSignalConversation();
 
diff --git a/ts/util/isSignalConversation.ts b/ts/util/isSignalConversation.ts
index ce709d4e394c..d3211174f062 100644
--- a/ts/util/isSignalConversation.ts
+++ b/ts/util/isSignalConversation.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright 2022 Signal Messenger, LLC
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only
 
-import { SIGNAL_ACI } from '../types/Conversation';
+import { SIGNAL_ACI } from '../types/SignalConversation';
 
 export function isSignalConversation(conversation: {
   id: string;