diff --git a/src/hooks/usePrescribedNames.ts b/src/hooks/usePrescribedNames.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..477737da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/usePrescribedNames.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import { useGlobalState } from '@src/store';
+import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+
+const DEFAULT_NAMES = ['dapp_ardrive', 'arns'];
+
+const usePrescribedNames = () => {
+  const arIOReadSDK = useGlobalState((state) => state.arIOReadSDK);
+
+  const currentEpoch = useGlobalState((state) => state.currentEpoch);
+
+  const queryResults = useQuery({
+    queryKey: ['prescribedNames', currentEpoch?.epochIndex || -1],
+    queryFn: () => {
+      if (arIOReadSDK && currentEpoch) {
+        return arIOReadSDK.getPrescribedNames(currentEpoch).catch((e) => {
+          // log error
+          console.error('Failed to fetch prescribed names', {
+            message: e.message,
+          });
+          // fallback to defaults
+          return DEFAULT_NAMES;
+        });
+      }
+      // log error
+      throw new Error('arIOReadSDK or currentEpoch not available');
+    },
+  });
+
+  return queryResults;
+};
+
+export default usePrescribedNames;
diff --git a/src/pages/Observe/ObserveHeader.tsx b/src/pages/Observe/ObserveHeader.tsx
index 9ab2b55b..bf8504ce 100644
--- a/src/pages/Observe/ObserveHeader.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Observe/ObserveHeader.tsx
@@ -8,10 +8,11 @@ import {
   HeaderSeparatorIcon,
 } from '@src/components/icons';
 import { log } from '@src/constants';
+import usePrescribedNames from '@src/hooks/usePrescribedNames';
 import db from '@src/store/db';
 import { Assessment } from '@src/types';
 import { performAssessment } from '@src/utils/observations';
-import { useState } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { Link, useParams } from 'react-router-dom';
 
 const isSearchStringValid = (searchString: string) => {
@@ -32,11 +33,17 @@ const ObserveHeader = ({
 }) => {
   const params = useParams();
   const ownerId = params?.ownerId;
-
-  const [arnsNamesToSearch, setArnsNamesToSearch] =
-    useState('dapp_ardrive, arns');
+  
   const [runningObservation, setRunningObservation] = useState(false);
 
+  // fetch current prescribed names, fallback to defaults
+  const { data: prescribedNames = [], isLoading: loadingPrescribedNames } =
+    usePrescribedNames();
+
+  const [arnsNamesToSearch, setArnsNamesToSearch] = useState(
+    prescribedNames.join(', '),
+  );
+
   const runObservation = async () => {
     setRunningObservation(true);
     const assessment = await performAssessment(
@@ -61,6 +68,11 @@ const ObserveHeader = ({
     setRunningObservation(false);
   };
 
+  // update prescribed names after loading
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setArnsNamesToSearch(prescribedNames.join(','));
+  }, [prescribedNames]);
+
   return (
     <header className="mt-6 flex-col text-clip rounded-xl border leading-[1.4] dark:border-transparent-100-8 dark:bg-grey-1000 dark:text-grey-300">
       <div className="flex items-center gap-3 py-5 pl-6 pr-4 text-sm">
@@ -94,8 +106,8 @@ const ObserveHeader = ({
             'h-7 w-[12.5rem] rounded-md border border-grey-700 bg-grey-1000 p-3 text-sm text-mid outline-none placeholder:text-grey-400 focus:text-high'
           }
           type="text"
-          disabled={!gateway}
-          readOnly={!gateway}
+          disabled={!gateway || loadingPrescribedNames}
+          readOnly={!gateway || loadingPrescribedNames}
           value={arnsNamesToSearch}
           onChange={(e) => {
             setArnsNamesToSearch(e.target.value);