diff --git a/src/pages/contacts/contacts-view-state.test.ts b/src/pages/contacts/contacts-view-state.test.ts
index d810cb0f..1540869a 100644
--- a/src/pages/contacts/contacts-view-state.test.ts
+++ b/src/pages/contacts/contacts-view-state.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   shouldShowGroupmateSection,
   shouldShowContactsLoadingState,
   shouldHoldCompletedContactsTaskProgress,
+  shouldPreserveFriendActionRefreshRows,
 } from './contacts-view-state'
 
 function diagnostics(overrides: Partial<ContactsDiagnostics> = {}): ContactsDiagnostics {
@@ -92,6 +93,14 @@ test('preserves scroll position for friend section friend actions', () => {
   )
 })
 
+test('replaces friend rows after a groupmate is marked as friend', () => {
+  assert.equal(shouldPreserveFriendActionRefreshRows('friend'), false)
+})
+
+test('keeps preserving groupmate rows after local removal during friend actions', () => {
+  assert.equal(shouldPreserveFriendActionRefreshRows('non_friend'), true)
+})
+
 test('shows groupmate section immediately when the groupmate tab is active', () => {
   assert.equal(
     shouldShowGroupmateSection({
diff --git a/src/pages/contacts/contacts-view-state.ts b/src/pages/contacts/contacts-view-state.ts
index 005f39fe..b104ed93 100644
--- a/src/pages/contacts/contacts-view-state.ts
+++ b/src/pages/contacts/contacts-view-state.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@ export function resolveFriendActionScrollTop(state: FriendActionScrollState): nu
   return state.previousScrollTop
 }
 
+export function shouldPreserveFriendActionRefreshRows(pool: ContactPoolTab): boolean {
+  return pool !== 'friend'
+}
+
 export function shouldShowGroupmateSection(state: GroupmateSectionVisibilityState): boolean {
   return state.activeSection === 'non_friend' || state.friendSectionReady
 }
diff --git a/src/pages/contacts/index.vue b/src/pages/contacts/index.vue
index f67317db..e5c359d2 100644
--- a/src/pages/contacts/index.vue
+++ b/src/pages/contacts/index.vue
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import {
   resolveFriendActionScrollTop,
   resolveContactsPollingPools,
   shouldHoldCompletedContactsTaskProgress,
+  shouldPreserveFriendActionRefreshRows,
   shouldShowContactsDisabledNotice,
   shouldShowContactsLoadingState,
   shouldShowGroupmateSection,
@@ -649,13 +650,13 @@ async function refreshContactsPageMetadata() {
     loadContactsPage('friend', 1, {
       acceptStale: true,
       replace: true,
-      preserveExisting: true,
+      preserveExisting: shouldPreserveFriendActionRefreshRows('friend'),
       silent: true,
     }),
     loadContactsPage('non_friend', 1, {
       acceptStale: true,
       replace: true,
-      preserveExisting: true,
+      preserveExisting: shouldPreserveFriendActionRefreshRows('non_friend'),
       silent: true,
     }),
   ])