diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Online/TestSceneUserProfileOverlay.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Online/TestSceneUserProfileOverlay.cs
index a8ed2cf110..ce8136199f 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Online/TestSceneUserProfileOverlay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Online/TestSceneUserProfileOverlay.cs
@@ -71,13 +71,13 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Online
         {
             base.LoadComplete();
 
-            AddStep("Show offline dummy", () => profile.ShowUser(TEST_USER, false));
+            AddStep("Show offline dummy", () => profile.ShowUser(TEST_USER));
 
             AddStep("Show null dummy", () => profile.ShowUser(new APIUser
             {
                 Username = @"Null",
                 Id = 1,
-            }, false));
+            }));
 
             AddStep("Show ppy", () => profile.ShowUser(new APIUser
             {
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Online
                 IsSupporter = true,
                 Country = new Country { FullName = @"Australia", FlagName = @"AU" },
                 CoverUrl = @"https://osu.ppy.sh/images/headers/profile-covers/c3.jpg"
-            }, api.IsLoggedIn));
+            }));
 
             AddStep("Show flyte", () => profile.ShowUser(new APIUser
             {
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Online
                 Id = 3103765,
                 Country = new Country { FullName = @"Japan", FlagName = @"JP" },
                 CoverUrl = @"https://osu.ppy.sh/images/headers/profile-covers/c6.jpg"
-            }, api.IsLoggedIn));
+            }));
 
             AddStep("Show bancho", () => profile.ShowUser(new APIUser
             {
@@ -103,10 +103,10 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Online
                 IsBot = true,
                 Country = new Country { FullName = @"Saint Helena", FlagName = @"SH" },
                 CoverUrl = @"https://osu.ppy.sh/images/headers/profile-covers/c4.jpg"
-            }, api.IsLoggedIn));
+            }));
 
-            AddStep("Show ppy from username", () => profile.ShowUser(@"peppy"));
-            AddStep("Show flyte from username", () => profile.ShowUser(@"flyte"));
+            AddStep("Show ppy from username", () => profile.ShowUser(new APIUser { Username = @"peppy" }));
+            AddStep("Show flyte from username", () => profile.ShowUser(new APIUser { Username = @"flyte" }));
 
             AddStep("Hide", profile.Hide);
             AddStep("Show without reload", profile.Show);
diff --git a/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs b/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
index a7ed7fedf5..ea8682e696 100644
--- a/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/OsuGame.cs
@@ -53,8 +53,10 @@ using osu.Game.Database;
 using osu.Game.Extensions;
 using osu.Game.IO;
 using osu.Game.Localisation;
+using osu.Game.Online.API.Requests.Responses;
 using osu.Game.Performance;
 using osu.Game.Skinning.Editor;
+using osu.Game.Users;
 
 namespace osu.Game
 {
@@ -323,10 +325,9 @@ namespace osu.Game
                     break;
 
                 case LinkAction.OpenUserProfile:
-                    if (int.TryParse(link.Argument, out int userId))
-                        ShowUser(userId);
-                    else
-                        ShowUser(link.Argument);
+                    ShowUser(int.TryParse(link.Argument, out int userId)
+                        ? new APIUser { Id = userId }
+                        : new APIUser { Username = link.Argument });
 
                     break;
 
@@ -383,14 +384,8 @@ namespace osu.Game
         /// <summary>
         /// Show a user's profile as an overlay.
         /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="userId">The user to display.</param>
-        public void ShowUser(int userId) => waitForReady(() => userProfile, _ => userProfile.ShowUser(userId));
-
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Show a user's profile as an overlay.
-        /// </summary>
-        /// <param name="username">The user to display.</param>
-        public void ShowUser(string username) => waitForReady(() => userProfile, _ => userProfile.ShowUser(username));
+        /// <param name="user">The user to display.</param>
+        public void ShowUser(IUser user) => waitForReady(() => userProfile, _ => userProfile.ShowUser(user));
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Show a beatmap's set as an overlay, displaying the given beatmap.
diff --git a/osu.Game/Overlays/UserProfileOverlay.cs b/osu.Game/Overlays/UserProfileOverlay.cs
index d9b4e68a75..9fac1463f2 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Overlays/UserProfileOverlay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Overlays/UserProfileOverlay.cs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ using osu.Game.Online.API.Requests;
 using osu.Game.Online.API.Requests.Responses;
 using osu.Game.Overlays.Profile;
 using osu.Game.Overlays.Profile.Sections;
+using osu.Game.Users;
 using osuTK;
 using osuTK.Graphics;
 
@@ -38,18 +39,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
 
         protected override Color4 BackgroundColour => ColourProvider.Background6;
 
-        public void ShowUser(int userId) => ShowUser(new APIUser { Id = userId });
-
-        public void ShowUser(string username) => ShowUser(new APIUser { Username = username });
-
-        public void ShowUser(APIUser user, bool fetchOnline = true)
+        public void ShowUser(IUser user)
         {
             if (user == APIUser.SYSTEM_USER)
                 return;
 
             Show();
 
-            if (user.Id == Header?.User.Value?.Id)
+            if (user.OnlineID == Header?.User.Value?.Id)
                 return;
 
             if (sectionsContainer != null)
@@ -116,19 +113,20 @@ namespace osu.Game.Overlays
                 }
             };
 
-            if (fetchOnline)
-            {
-                userReq = user.Id > 1 ? new GetUserRequest(user.Id) : new GetUserRequest(user.Username);
-                userReq.Success += userLoadComplete;
-                API.Queue(userReq);
-            }
-            else
+            sectionsContainer.ScrollToTop();
+
+            // Check arbitrarily whether this user has already been populated.
+            // This is only generally used by tests, but should be quite safe unless we want to force a refresh on loading a previous user in the future.
+            if (user is APIUser apiUser && apiUser.JoinDate != default)
             {
                 userReq = null;
-                userLoadComplete(user);
+                userLoadComplete(apiUser);
+                return;
             }
 
-            sectionsContainer.ScrollToTop();
+            userReq = user.OnlineID > 1 ? new GetUserRequest(user.OnlineID) : new GetUserRequest(user.Username);
+            userReq.Success += userLoadComplete;
+            API.Queue(userReq);
         }
 
         private void userLoadComplete(APIUser user)
diff --git a/osu.Game/Users/Drawables/ClickableAvatar.cs b/osu.Game/Users/Drawables/ClickableAvatar.cs
index 6883cc0e62..2825c41ef6 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Users/Drawables/ClickableAvatar.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Users/Drawables/ClickableAvatar.cs
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Users.Drawables
         private void openProfile()
         {
             if (user?.Id > 1)
-                game?.ShowUser(user.Id);
+                game?.ShowUser(user);
         }
 
         private class ClickableArea : OsuClickableContainer