diff --git a/addon/components/hyper-table-v2/index.ts b/addon/components/hyper-table-v2/index.ts
index 072edc54..edff274d 100644
--- a/addon/components/hyper-table-v2/index.ts
+++ b/addon/components/hyper-table-v2/index.ts
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ export default class HyperTableV2 extends Component<HyperTableV2Args> {
   @tracked scrollableTable: boolean = false;
   @tracked initialFetchColumnsDone: boolean = false;
   @tracked initialLoadAnimationActive: boolean = false;
-  @tracked initialLoadAnimationPlayed: boolean = false;
 
+  private initialLoadAnimationPlayed: boolean = false;
   private initialLoadAnimationTimeout?: number;
 
   declare private hypertableInstanceID: string;
@@ -84,10 +84,11 @@ export default class HyperTableV2 extends Component<HyperTableV2Args> {
   constructor(owner: unknown, args: HyperTableV2Args) {
     super(owner, args);
     args.handler.fetchColumnDefinitions();
+    this.activateInitialLoadAnimationIfNeeded();
     args.handler.fetchColumns().then(() => {
       this.initialFetchColumnsDone = true;
       args.handler.fetchRows().finally(() => {
-        this.activateInitialLoadAnimationIfNeeded();
+        this.finalizeInitialLoadAnimation();
       });
       this.computeScrollableTable();
     });
@@ -280,12 +281,19 @@ export default class HyperTableV2 extends Component<HyperTableV2Args> {
       return;
     }
 
-    if (this.args.handler.communicationError || this.args.handler.rows.length === 0) {
+    this.initialLoadAnimationPlayed = true;
+    this.initialLoadAnimationActive = true;
+  }
+
+  private finalizeInitialLoadAnimation(): void {
+    if (!this.initialLoadAnimationActive || !this.initialLoadAnimation) {
       return;
     }
 
-    this.initialLoadAnimationPlayed = true;
-    this.initialLoadAnimationActive = true;
+    if (this.args.handler.communicationError || this.args.handler.rows.length === 0) {
+      this.initialLoadAnimationActive = false;
+      return;
+    }
 
     const rowsAnimationWindowMs = Math.max(this.args.handler.rows.length - 1, 0) * this.initialLoadAnimation.staggerMs;
     const activeDurationMs =