diff --git a/src/components/GitHubStarCount.tsx b/src/components/GitHubStarCount.tsx
index f6ed15ef7..ef03daf63 100644
--- a/src/components/GitHubStarCount.tsx
+++ b/src/components/GitHubStarCount.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 'use client'
 
+import { getStarGazers } from '@/lib/stargazers'
 import clsx from 'clsx'
-import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import React, { FC, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 
 const STAR_COUNT_KEY = 'nitric_github_star_count'
 const STAR_COUNT_TIMESTAMP_KEY = 'nitric_github_star_count_timestamp'
@@ -18,10 +19,16 @@ const formatStarCount = (count: number) => {
   return count.toString()
 }
 
-const DEFAULT_STAR_COUNT = 1150
+interface GitHubStarCountProps {
+  className: string
+  defaultStarCount: number
+}
 
-const GitHubStarCount = ({ className }: { className: string }) => {
-  const [starCount, setStarCount] = useState(DEFAULT_STAR_COUNT)
+const GitHubStarCount: FC<GitHubStarCountProps> = ({
+  className,
+  defaultStarCount,
+}) => {
+  const [starCount, setStarCount] = useState(defaultStarCount)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const fetchStarCount = async () => {
@@ -35,7 +42,7 @@ const GitHubStarCount = ({ className }: { className: string }) => {
           cachedTimestamp &&
           currentTime - parseInt(cachedTimestamp) < CACHE_DURATION &&
           // Ensure cached value is at least the new default value
-          parseInt(cachedStarCount) >= DEFAULT_STAR_COUNT
+          parseInt(cachedStarCount) >= defaultStarCount
         ) {
           setStarCount(JSON.parse(cachedStarCount))
         } else {
diff --git a/src/components/layout/BaseLayout.tsx b/src/components/layout/BaseLayout.tsx
index af7d0d094..f1de210ba 100644
--- a/src/components/layout/BaseLayout.tsx
+++ b/src/components/layout/BaseLayout.tsx
@@ -1,20 +1,16 @@
-import Link from 'next/link'
-
 import { Footer } from '@/components/Footer'
 import { Header } from '@/components/layout/Header'
-import { Logo } from '@/components/Logo'
 import { Navigation } from '@/components/nav/Navigation'
+import { getStarGazers } from '@/lib/stargazers'
 
-const experimentalRuntimes = ['go', 'dart']
-
-const v0Runtimes = ['csharp', 'jvm']
+export async function BaseLayout({ children }: React.PropsWithChildren) {
+  const defaultStarCount = await getStarGazers()
 
-export function BaseLayout({ children }: React.PropsWithChildren) {
   return (
     <div className="w-full lg:ml-72 xl:ml-80">
       <header className="contents lg:pointer-events-none lg:fixed lg:inset-0 lg:z-40 lg:flex">
         <div className="contents lg:pointer-events-auto lg:mt-[calc(var(--header-height))] lg:block lg:w-72 lg:overflow-y-auto lg:border-r lg:border-zinc-900/10 lg:px-6 lg:pb-8 lg:pt-4 lg:dark:border-white/10 xl:w-80">
-          <Header />
+          <Header defaultStarCount={defaultStarCount} />
 
           <Navigation className="hidden lg:block" />
         </div>
diff --git a/src/components/layout/Header.tsx b/src/components/layout/Header.tsx
index 5c8b5b439..a8844293b 100644
--- a/src/components/layout/Header.tsx
+++ b/src/components/layout/Header.tsx
@@ -43,83 +43,92 @@ function TopLevelNavItem({
   )
 }
 
-export const Header = forwardRef<
-  React.ElementRef<'div'>,
-  React.ComponentPropsWithoutRef<typeof motion.div>
->(function Header({ className, ...props }, ref) {
-  let { isOpen: mobileNavIsOpen } = useMobileNavigationStore()
-  let isInsideMobileNavigation = useIsInsideMobileNavigation()
+interface HeaderProps
+  extends React.ComponentPropsWithoutRef<typeof motion.div> {
+  defaultStarCount?: number
+}
 
-  let { scrollY } = useScroll()
-  let bgOpacityLight = useTransform(scrollY, [0, 72], [0.5, 0.9])
-  let bgOpacityDark = useTransform(scrollY, [0, 72], [0.2, 0.8])
+export const Header = forwardRef<React.ElementRef<'div'>, HeaderProps>(
+  function Header({ className, defaultStarCount, ...props }, ref) {
+    let { isOpen: mobileNavIsOpen } = useMobileNavigationStore()
+    let isInsideMobileNavigation = useIsInsideMobileNavigation()
 
-  return (
-    <motion.div
-      ref={ref}
-      className={clsx(
-        className,
-        'fixed inset-x-0 top-0 z-50 flex h-14 items-center justify-between gap-12 px-4 transition sm:px-6 lg:z-30 lg:px-8',
-        !isInsideMobileNavigation && 'backdrop-blur-sm dark:backdrop-blur',
-        isInsideMobileNavigation
-          ? 'bg-white dark:bg-background'
-          : 'bg-white/[var(--bg-opacity-light)] dark:bg-background/[var(--bg-opacity-dark)]',
-      )}
-      style={
-        {
-          '--bg-opacity-light': bgOpacityLight,
-          '--bg-opacity-dark': bgOpacityDark,
-        } as any
-      }
-    >
-      <div
+    let { scrollY } = useScroll()
+    let bgOpacityLight = useTransform(scrollY, [0, 72], [0.5, 0.9])
+    let bgOpacityDark = useTransform(scrollY, [0, 72], [0.2, 0.8])
+
+    return (
+      <motion.div
+        ref={ref}
         className={clsx(
-          'absolute inset-x-0 top-full h-px transition',
-          (isInsideMobileNavigation || !mobileNavIsOpen) &&
-            'bg-gray-800/7.5 dark:bg-white/7.5',
+          className,
+          'fixed inset-x-0 top-0 z-50 flex h-14 items-center justify-between gap-12 px-4 transition sm:px-6 lg:z-30 lg:px-8',
+          !isInsideMobileNavigation && 'backdrop-blur-sm dark:backdrop-blur',
+          isInsideMobileNavigation
+            ? 'bg-white dark:bg-background'
+            : 'bg-white/[var(--bg-opacity-light)] dark:bg-background/[var(--bg-opacity-dark)]',
         )}
-      />
-      <Link href="/" aria-label="Home" className="hidden lg:block">
-        <Logo className="h-6" />
-      </Link>
-
-      <div className="flex items-center gap-5 lg:hidden">
-        <MobileNavigation />
-        <Link href="/" aria-label="Home">
+        style={
+          {
+            '--bg-opacity-light': bgOpacityLight,
+            '--bg-opacity-dark': bgOpacityDark,
+          } as any
+        }
+      >
+        <div
+          className={clsx(
+            'absolute inset-x-0 top-full h-px transition',
+            (isInsideMobileNavigation || !mobileNavIsOpen) &&
+              'bg-gray-800/7.5 dark:bg-white/7.5',
+          )}
+        />
+        <Link href="/" aria-label="Home" className="hidden lg:block">
           <Logo className="h-6" />
         </Link>
-      </div>
-      <div className="flex items-center gap-5">
-        <nav className="hidden lg:block">
-          <ul role="list" className="flex items-center gap-8">
-            <TopLevelNavItem
-              parentHref="/get-started/foundations"
-              href="/get-started/foundations/why-nitric"
-            >
-              Foundations
-            </TopLevelNavItem>
-            <TopLevelNavItem href="/guides">Guides</TopLevelNavItem>
-            <li>
-              <Search />
-            </li>
 
-            <TopLevelNavItem
-              className="group flex items-center"
-              rel="noreferrer noopener"
-              href="https://github.com/nitrictech/nitric"
-            >
-              <GitHubIcon className="dark:fill-gray h-5 w-5 fill-current" />
-              <GitHubStarCount className="ml-2 text-inherit" />
-            </TopLevelNavItem>
-          </ul>
-        </nav>
-        <div className="flex items-center gap-4">
-          <div className="lg:hidden">
-            <Search />
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-5 lg:hidden">
+          <MobileNavigation />
+          <Link href="/" aria-label="Home">
+            <Logo className="h-6" />
+          </Link>
+        </div>
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-5">
+          <nav className="hidden lg:block">
+            <ul role="list" className="flex items-center gap-8">
+              <TopLevelNavItem
+                parentHref="/get-started/foundations"
+                href="/get-started/foundations/why-nitric"
+              >
+                Foundations
+              </TopLevelNavItem>
+              <TopLevelNavItem href="/guides">Guides</TopLevelNavItem>
+              <li>
+                <Search />
+              </li>
+
+              <TopLevelNavItem
+                className="group flex items-center"
+                rel="noreferrer noopener"
+                href="https://github.com/nitrictech/nitric"
+              >
+                <GitHubIcon className="dark:fill-gray h-5 w-5 fill-current" />
+                {typeof defaultStarCount === 'number' && (
+                  <GitHubStarCount
+                    defaultStarCount={defaultStarCount}
+                    className="ml-2 text-inherit"
+                  />
+                )}
+              </TopLevelNavItem>
+            </ul>
+          </nav>
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-4">
+            <div className="lg:hidden">
+              <Search />
+            </div>
+            <ThemeToggle />
           </div>
-          <ThemeToggle />
         </div>
-      </div>
-    </motion.div>
-  )
-})
+      </motion.div>
+    )
+  },
+)
diff --git a/src/lib/stargazers.ts b/src/lib/stargazers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..40c2f4b3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/stargazers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+const DEFAULT_STARGAZERS = 1250
+
+export const getStarGazers = async (): Promise<number> => {
+  try {
+    // on next < 15.x fetch will force-cache by default
+    const response = await fetch(
+      'https://api.github.com/repos/nitrictech/nitric',
+    )
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      console.error('Error fetching star count:', response.statusText)
+
+      return DEFAULT_STARGAZERS
+    }
+
+    const repoData = await response.json()
+    return repoData.stargazers_count
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error('Error fetching star count:', e)
+    return DEFAULT_STARGAZERS
+  }
+}