diff --git a/backend/src/api/donations.ts b/backend/src/api/donations.ts
index 580ae3a90..32700baae 100644
--- a/backend/src/api/donations.ts
+++ b/backend/src/api/donations.ts
@@ -16,14 +16,9 @@ class Donations {
 
   sponsorsCache: any[] = [];
 
-  constructor() {
-    if (!config.SPONSORS.ENABLED) {
-      return;
-    }
-    this.$updateCache();
-  }
+  constructor() {}
 
-  async $updateCache() {
+  public async $updateCache() {
     try {
       this.sponsorsCache = await this.$getDonationsFromDatabase('handle, image');
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/backend/src/index.ts b/backend/src/index.ts
index 206c8ef8e..e78691aed 100644
--- a/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -85,12 +85,16 @@ class Server {
       statistics.startStatistics();
     }
 
+    fiatConversion.startService();
+
+    if (config.SPONSORS.ENABLED) {
+      donations.$updateCache();
+    }
+
     this.setUpHttpApiRoutes();
     this.setUpWebsocketHandling();
     this.runMainUpdateLoop();
 
-    fiatConversion.startService();
-
     if (config.BISQ_BLOCKS.ENABLED) {
       bisq.startBisqService();
       bisq.setPriceCallbackFunction((price) => websocketHandler.setExtraInitProperties('bsq-price', price));