diff --git a/.changeset/hip-turtles-travel.md b/.changeset/hip-turtles-travel.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..be9360d7fc9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/hip-turtles-travel.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@firebase/database': patch
+---
+
+get()s issued for queries that are being listened to no longer send backend requests.
diff --git a/packages/database/src/core/Repo.ts b/packages/database/src/core/Repo.ts
index 08d85217a3a..9d7da0f4225 100644
--- a/packages/database/src/core/Repo.ts
+++ b/packages/database/src/core/Repo.ts
@@ -307,29 +307,29 @@ export class Repo {
    * The purpose of `getValue` is to return the latest known value
    * satisfying `query`.
    *
-   * If the client is connected, this method will send a request
-   * to the server. If the client is not connected, then either:
+   * This method will first check for in-memory cached values
+   * belonging to active listeners. If they are found, such values
+   * are considered to be the most up-to-date.
    *
-   * 1. The client was once connected, but not anymore.
-   * 2. The client has never connected, this is the first operation
-   *    this repo is handling.
-   *
-   * In case (1), it's possible that the client still has an active
-   * listener, with cached data. Since this is the latest known
-   * value satisfying the query, that's what getValue will return.
-   * If there is no cached data, `getValue` surfaces an "offline"
-   * error.
-   *
-   * In case (2), `getValue` will trigger a time-limited connection
-   * attempt. If the client is unable to connect to the server, it
-   * will surface an "offline" error because there cannot be any
-   * cached data. On the other hand, if the client is able to connect,
-   * `getValue` will return the server's value for the query, if one
-   * exists.
+   * If the client is not connected, this method will try to
+   * establish a connection and request the value for `query`. If
+   * the client is not able to retrieve the query result, it reports
+   * an error.
    *
    * @param query - The query to surface a value for.
    */
   getValue(query: Query): Promise<DataSnapshot> {
+    // Only active queries are cached. There is no persisted cache.
+    const cached = this.serverSyncTree_.calcCompleteEventCache(query.path);
+    if (!cached.isEmpty()) {
+      return Promise.resolve(
+        new DataSnapshot(
+          cached,
+          query.getRef(),
+          query.getQueryParams().getIndex()
+        )
+      );
+    }
     return this.server_.get(query).then(
       payload => {
         const node = nodeFromJSON(payload as string);
@@ -347,22 +347,7 @@ export class Repo {
         );
       },
       err => {
-        this.log_(
-          'get for query ' +
-            stringify(query) +
-            ' falling back to cache after error: ' +
-            err
-        );
-        const cached = this.serverSyncTree_.calcCompleteEventCache(query.path);
-        if (!cached.isEmpty()) {
-          return Promise.resolve(
-            new DataSnapshot(
-              cached,
-              query.getRef(),
-              query.getQueryParams().getIndex()
-            )
-          );
-        }
+        this.log_('get for query ' + stringify(query) + ' failed: ' + err);
         return Promise.reject(new Error(err as string));
       }
     );
diff --git a/packages/database/test/query.test.ts b/packages/database/test/query.test.ts
index 426df605ca9..1f363b1e1c1 100644
--- a/packages/database/test/query.test.ts
+++ b/packages/database/test/query.test.ts
@@ -3128,6 +3128,12 @@ describe('Query Tests', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it('get returns the latest value', async () => {
+    const node = getRandomNode() as Reference;
+    await node.set({ foo: 'bar' });
+    expect(node.get()).to.eventually.equal({ foo: 'bar' });
+  });
+
   it('get reads from cache if database is not connected', async () => {
     const node = getRandomNode() as Reference;
     const node2 = getFreshRepo(node.path);