diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/api/ExternalApi.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/api/ExternalApi.kt
index 196ff53cb..d3ba49f7a 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/api/ExternalApi.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/api/ExternalApi.kt
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 package com.github.libretube.api
 
+import com.github.libretube.api.obj.Instances
 import com.github.libretube.constants.GITHUB_API_URL
-import com.github.libretube.constants.PIPED_INSTANCES_URL
 import com.github.libretube.obj.update.UpdateInfo
 import retrofit2.http.GET
+import retrofit2.http.Url
 
 interface ExternalApi {
     // only for fetching servers list
-    @GET(PIPED_INSTANCES_URL)
-    suspend fun getInstances(): List<com.github.libretube.api.obj.Instances>
+    @GET
+    suspend fun getInstances(@Url url: String): List<Instances>
 
     // fetch latest version info
     @GET(GITHUB_API_URL)
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/constants/Constants.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/constants/Constants.kt
index 4019f5d69..25da67196 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/constants/Constants.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/constants/Constants.kt
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ const val YOUTUBE_FRONTEND_URL = "https://www.youtube.com"
  */
 const val PIPED_API_URL = "https://pipedapi.kavin.rocks/"
 const val PIPED_INSTANCES_URL = "https://piped-instances.kavin.rocks/"
+const val FALLBACK_INSTANCES_URL = "https://instances.tokhmi.xyz"
 
 /**
  * Notification IDs
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/preferences/InstanceSettings.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/preferences/InstanceSettings.kt
index ba18f4b13..a7931a840 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/preferences/InstanceSettings.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/preferences/InstanceSettings.kt
@@ -8,9 +8,12 @@ import androidx.preference.Preference
 import androidx.preference.SwitchPreferenceCompat
 import com.github.libretube.R
 import com.github.libretube.api.RetrofitInstance
+import com.github.libretube.constants.FALLBACK_INSTANCES_URL
+import com.github.libretube.constants.PIPED_INSTANCES_URL
 import com.github.libretube.constants.PreferenceKeys
 import com.github.libretube.db.DatabaseHolder.Companion.Database
 import com.github.libretube.extensions.awaitQuery
+import com.github.libretube.extensions.toastFromMainThread
 import com.github.libretube.ui.base.BasePreferenceFragment
 import com.github.libretube.ui.dialogs.CustomInstanceDialog
 import com.github.libretube.ui.dialogs.DeleteAccountDialog
@@ -110,6 +113,7 @@ class InstanceSettings : BasePreferenceFragment() {
     }
 
     private fun initCustomInstances(instancePref: ListPreference) {
+        val appContext = requireContext().applicationContext
         lifecycleScope.launchWhenCreated {
             val customInstances = awaitQuery {
                 Database.customInstanceDao().getAll()
@@ -118,23 +122,23 @@ class InstanceSettings : BasePreferenceFragment() {
             val instanceNames = arrayListOf<String>()
             val instanceValues = arrayListOf<String>()
 
-            // fetch official public instances
+            // fetch official public instances from kavin.rocks as well as tokhmi.xyz as fallback
+            val response = runCatching {
+                RetrofitInstance.externalApi.getInstances(PIPED_INSTANCES_URL).toMutableList()
+            }.getOrNull() ?: runCatching {
+                RetrofitInstance.externalApi.getInstances(FALLBACK_INSTANCES_URL).toMutableList()
+            }.getOrNull()
 
-            val response = try {
-                RetrofitInstance.externalApi.getInstances().toMutableList()
-            } catch (e: Exception) {
-                e.printStackTrace()
-                mutableListOf()
+            if (response == null) {
+                appContext.toastFromMainThread(R.string.failed_fetching_instances)
+                instanceNames.addAll(resources.getStringArray(R.array.instances))
+                instanceValues.addAll(resources.getStringArray(R.array.instancesValue))
             }
 
-            response.sortBy { it.name }
+            response?.sortBy { it.name }
 
-            response.forEach {
-                if (it.name != null && it.api_url != null) {
-                    instanceNames += it.name!!
-                    instanceValues += it.api_url!!
-                }
-            }
+            instanceNames.addAll(response.orEmpty().map { it.name ?: "" })
+            instanceValues.addAll(response.orEmpty().map { it.api_url ?: "" })
 
             customInstances.forEach { instance ->
                 instanceNames += instance.name
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index bbd9eeff2..9979b3d99 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -417,6 +417,7 @@
     <string name="play_latest_videos">Play latest videos</string>
     <string name="nothing_selected">Nothing selected!</string>
     <string name="color_violet">Versatile Violet</string>
+    <string name="failed_fetching_instances">Failed to fetch available instances.</string>
 
     <!-- Notification channel strings -->
     <string name="download_channel_name">Download Service</string>