diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/i18n/i18n.test.ts b/frontend/src/lib/i18n/i18n.test.ts
index 4bc2951b..5447fe14 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/i18n/i18n.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/i18n/i18n.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
-import { getNestedValue, interpolate, resolveBrowserLocale } from './index.svelte';
+import { describe, expect, it, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+import {
+	getNestedValue,
+	interpolate,
+	resolveBrowserLocale,
+	initI18n,
+	t,
+	i18n
+} from './index.svelte';
 
 describe('resolveBrowserLocale', () => {
 	it('matches an exact full tag', () => {
@@ -69,3 +76,44 @@ describe('interpolate', () => {
 		expect(interpolate('{{count}} items', { count: 5 })).toBe('5 items');
 	});
 });
+
+describe('initI18n — lazy English fallback', () => {
+	let resolveEn: () => void;
+
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		localStorage.setItem('oxicloud-locale', 'es');
+		resolveEn = () => {};
+		globalThis.fetch = vi.fn((input: RequestInfo | URL) => {
+			const url = String(input);
+			if (url.includes('/es.json')) {
+				return Promise.resolve(new Response(JSON.stringify({ greeting: 'Hola' }), { status: 200 }));
+			}
+			if (url.includes('/en.json')) {
+				// Deferred: only resolves when the test flips it, proving init didn't wait.
+				return new Promise<Response>((res) => {
+					resolveEn = () =>
+						res(new Response(JSON.stringify({ only_en: 'English only' }), { status: 200 }));
+				});
+			}
+			return Promise.resolve(new Response('{}', { status: 404 }));
+		}) as unknown as typeof fetch;
+	});
+
+	it('is ready after only the active locale and warms en in the background', async () => {
+		// Resolves even though the en fetch is still pending — it isn't awaited.
+		await initI18n();
+		expect(i18n.loaded).toBe(true);
+		expect(i18n.locale).toBe('es');
+		expect(t('greeting')).toBe('Hola');
+
+		const urls = vi.mocked(globalThis.fetch).mock.calls.map((c) => String(c[0]));
+		expect(urls.some((u) => u.includes('/es.json'))).toBe(true);
+		expect(urls.some((u) => u.includes('/en.json'))).toBe(true); // en was kicked off
+
+		// A key missing from es is unresolved until en arrives, then falls back.
+		expect(t('only_en')).toBe('only_en');
+		resolveEn();
+		await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 0));
+		expect(t('only_en')).toBe('English only');
+	});
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/i18n/index.svelte.ts b/frontend/src/lib/i18n/index.svelte.ts
index a15b8a50..9a80169a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/i18n/index.svelte.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/i18n/index.svelte.ts
@@ -207,9 +207,13 @@ export async function initI18n(): Promise<void> {
 		store.locale = saved;
 	}
 	await loadDict(store.locale);
-	if (store.locale !== 'en') await loadDict('en');
 	applyHtmlLang(store.locale);
 	store.loaded = true;
+	// Warm the English fallback in the background. `t()` only consults it for
+	// keys the active (complete) locale is missing — and most call sites already
+	// pass an inline English fallback — so it must not block first paint. When it
+	// arrives, `dicts.en` is reactive, so any key that fell through re-renders.
+	if (store.locale !== 'en') void loadDict('en');
 }
 
 export async function setLocale(locale: Locale): Promise<boolean> {