diff --git a/public/src/app.js b/public/src/app.js
index 6154c8b323..a20aaf0bde 100644
--- a/public/src/app.js
+++ b/public/src/app.js
@@ -214,12 +214,16 @@ app.flags = {};
 			return;
 		}
 		els = els || $('body');
-		els.find('.avatar,img[title].teaser-pic,img[title].user-img,div.user-icon,span.user-icon').each(function () {
-			$(this).tooltip({
-				placement: placement || $(this).attr('title-placement') || 'top',
-				title: $(this).attr('title'),
+		els.find('.avatar,img[title].teaser-pic,img[title].user-img,div.user-icon,span.user-icon').one('mouseenter', function (ev) {
+			const $this = $(this);
+			// perf: create tooltips on demand
+			$this.tooltip({
+				placement: placement || $this.attr('title-placement') || 'top',
+				title: $this.attr('title'),
 				container: '#content',
 			});
+			// this will cause the tooltip to show up
+			$this.trigger(ev);
 		});
 	};
 
@@ -234,15 +238,10 @@ app.flags = {};
 
 	app.processPage = function () {
 		highlightNavigationLink();
-
 		$('.timeago').timeago();
-
 		utils.makeNumbersHumanReadable($('.human-readable-number'));
-
 		utils.addCommasToNumbers($('.formatted-number'));
-
 		app.createUserTooltips($('#content'));
-
 		app.createStatusTooltips();
 	};
 
diff --git a/public/src/client/account/posts.js b/public/src/client/account/posts.js
index 27442e21a5..a4dbb619e1 100644
--- a/public/src/client/account/posts.js
+++ b/public/src/client/account/posts.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ define('forum/account/posts', ['forum/account/header', 'forum/infinitescroll', '
 			$('[component="posts"]').append(html);
 			html.find('img:not(.not-responsive)').addClass('img-responsive');
 			html.find('.timeago').timeago();
-			app.createUserTooltips();
+			app.createUserTooltips(html);
 			utils.makeNumbersHumanReadable(html.find('.human-readable-number'));
 			hooks.fire('action:posts.loaded', { posts: posts });
 			callback();
diff --git a/public/src/client/account/topics.js b/public/src/client/account/topics.js
index cba3358275..0bebfdac2f 100644
--- a/public/src/client/account/topics.js
+++ b/public/src/client/account/topics.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ define('forum/account/topics', [
 		app.parseAndTranslate(template, 'topics', { topics: topics }, function (html) {
 			$('[component="category"]').append(html);
 			html.find('.timeago').timeago();
-			app.createUserTooltips();
+			app.createUserTooltips(html);
 			utils.makeNumbersHumanReadable(html.find('.human-readable-number'));
 			hooks.fire('action:topics.loaded', { topics: topics });
 			callback();
diff --git a/public/src/client/categories.js b/public/src/client/categories.js
index 44025e8b8c..04010f5554 100644
--- a/public/src/client/categories.js
+++ b/public/src/client/categories.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ define('forum/categories', ['components', 'categorySelector', 'hooks'], function
 
 			html.fadeIn();
 
-			app.createUserTooltips();
+			app.createUserTooltips(html);
 			html.find('.timeago').timeago();
 
 			if (category.find('[component="category/posts"]').length > parseInt(numRecentReplies, 10)) {