diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/api/csrf.ts b/frontend/src/lib/api/csrf.ts
index 1d1549b9..e791745d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/api/csrf.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/api/csrf.ts
@@ -17,3 +17,20 @@ export function getCsrfHeaders(): Record<string, string> {
 	const token = getCsrfToken();
 	return token ? { 'X-CSRF-Token': token } : {};
 }
+
+/**
+ * Best-effort "does the browser think it has a session?" hint. The server
+ * sets `oxicloud_csrf` (non-HttpOnly, JS-visible) alongside the session
+ * cookies on every login and clears it on logout, so its ABSENCE is a
+ * reliable proof of "no session" — cheaper than a network probe that
+ * would 401 → refresh 401 → 401 on first landing with no cookies.
+ *
+ * Its PRESENCE is only a hint: the session cookies (HttpOnly) may have
+ * been revoked server-side while the CSRF cookie lingers. Callers that
+ * see `true` must still probe /api/auth/me — this helper just lets a
+ * fresh no-cookie bootstrap skip the doomed 2× /me + /refresh burst.
+ */
+export function hasSessionHint(): boolean {
+	if (typeof document === 'undefined') return false;
+	return document.cookie.split('; ').some((row) => row.startsWith('oxicloud_csrf='));
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/AppShell.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/AppShell.svelte
index 12047e12..6200c1ec 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/AppShell.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/AppShell.svelte
@@ -524,11 +524,7 @@
 		// landing from `?source=session_expired` (auto-divert on 401 →
 		// refresh 401). The login page reads the flag, shows the success
 		// notice, and skips its existing-session probe.
-		// `resolve()` from `$app/paths` normalises a route-id (adds base
-		// path prefix); it does NOT accept a query string. Concatenate
-		// the `?source=logged_out` marker AFTER resolve so the login
-		// page's onMount branch actually sees it.
-		await goto(resolve('/login') + '?source=logged_out');
+		await goto(resolve('/login?source=logged_out'));
 	}
 </script>
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/stores/session.svelte.ts b/frontend/src/lib/stores/session.svelte.ts
index 82046670..6b523301 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/stores/session.svelte.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/stores/session.svelte.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
  */
 import { bindDpopIfPossible, fetchMe, tryRefresh } from '$lib/api/endpoints/auth';
 import { setLogoutInProgress } from '$lib/api/client';
+import { hasSessionHint } from '$lib/api/csrf';
 import { drives } from '$lib/stores/drives.svelte';
 import type { User } from '$lib/api/types';
 import { ensureActiveUser } from '$lib/utils/localStoragePrefs';
@@ -41,6 +42,16 @@ class SessionStore {
 	 */
 	async load(): Promise<User | null> {
 		if (this.loaded) return this.user;
+		// No JS-visible session hint ⇒ nothing to probe. The server sets
+		// `oxicloud_csrf` alongside the HttpOnly session cookies and clears
+		// it on logout, so a missing hint means no session. Skips the
+		// doomed 2× /me + /refresh burst that would otherwise fire on
+		// every first landing / post-logout re-mount with no cookies.
+		if (!hasSessionHint()) {
+			this.user = null;
+			this.loaded = true;
+			return null;
+		}
 		try {
 			let me = await fetchMe();
 			if (!me && (await tryRefresh())) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.svelte
index 52feb865..3bbdb33f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.svelte
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 	} from '$lib/api/endpoints/auth';
 	import { i18n, SUPPORTED_LOCALES, setLocale, t, type Locale } from '$lib/i18n/index.svelte';
 	import { session } from '$lib/stores/session.svelte';
+	import { hasSessionHint } from '$lib/api/csrf';
 
 	type Mode = 'login' | 'register' | 'setup';
 	let mode = $state<Mode>('login');
@@ -409,11 +410,13 @@
 		}
 
 		// 2) Existing-session probe: if already authenticated, skip the form.
-		//    Skipped when we KNOW the session is gone (explicit logout or
-		//    interceptor-detected expiry) — probing would 401, the
-		//    interceptor would retry via /refresh (also 401), and the
-		//    sessionExpiredHandler would clobber this landing.
-		if (!skipExistingSessionProbe) {
+		//    Skipped when we KNOW the session is gone: explicit logout /
+		//    interceptor-detected expiry (both set `skipExistingSessionProbe`),
+		//    OR the CSRF hint cookie is absent (fresh browser, no cookies at
+		//    all — a probe would just 401). Probing anyway would trip the
+		//    apiFetch → 401 → refresh → 401 → sessionExpiredHandler chain
+		//    that clobbers whatever notice we're about to paint.
+		if (!skipExistingSessionProbe && hasSessionHint()) {
 			try {
 				const me = await fetchMe();
 				if (me) {