diff --git a/frontend/server.ts b/frontend/server.ts
index d0e2b00..65e20c0 100644
--- a/frontend/server.ts
+++ b/frontend/server.ts
@@ -382,7 +382,10 @@ app.all("/api/copilotkit/*", async (c) => {
           headers: outbound.headers,
           body: JSON.stringify({ ...body, messages: paired }),
         });
-      } catch {
+      } catch (err) {
+        // Skipping the repair is survivable; doing it silently is not —
+        // orphan tool calls then fail downstream with no trace of why.
+        console.error("[copilotkit] orphan-tool-call repair skipped:", err);
         return;
       }
     },
diff --git a/frontend/src/AuthContext.tsx b/frontend/src/AuthContext.tsx
index f82b110..a32c4df 100644
--- a/frontend/src/AuthContext.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/AuthContext.tsx
@@ -20,12 +20,27 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    // Probe auth state by hitting a protected endpoint.
-    // If the ws_token cookie is valid, the server returns 200; else 401.
-    fetch("/api/v1/auth/me", { credentials: "include" })
-      .then((r) => setAuthenticated(r.ok))
-      .catch(() => setAuthenticated(false))
-      .finally(() => setIsLoading(false));
+    // Probe auth state by hitting a protected endpoint. An HTTP status is an
+    // authoritative answer (200 = in, 401 = out); a thrown fetch is a NETWORK
+    // failure and must not log the user out — retry once before giving up.
+    let cancelled = false;
+    const probe = () => fetch("/api/v1/auth/me", { credentials: "include" });
+    probe()
+      .catch(() => new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 1500)).then(probe))
+      .then((r) => {
+        if (!cancelled) setAuthenticated((r as Response).ok);
+      })
+      .catch(() => {
+        // Network still down: leave unauthenticated but log the real cause.
+        console.warn("Auth probe failed twice (network) — backend unreachable");
+        if (!cancelled) setAuthenticated(false);
+      })
+      .finally(() => {
+        if (!cancelled) setIsLoading(false);
+      });
+    return () => {
+      cancelled = true;
+    };
   }, []);
 
   const logout = async () => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/contexts/privacy-context.tsx b/frontend/src/contexts/privacy-context.tsx
index 260ae39..fd58c66 100644
--- a/frontend/src/contexts/privacy-context.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/contexts/privacy-context.tsx
@@ -8,11 +8,10 @@ const PrivacyContext = createContext<{
 }>({ privacyMode: false, togglePrivacy: () => {} });
 
 export function PrivacyProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
-  const [privacyMode, setPrivacyMode] = useState<boolean>(false);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    setPrivacyMode(localStorage.getItem("privacyMode") === "true");
-  }, []);
+  // Lazy initializer: sensitive values must never flash unmasked on reload.
+  const [privacyMode, setPrivacyMode] = useState<boolean>(
+    () => localStorage.getItem("privacyMode") === "true",
+  );
 
   useEffect(() => {
     document.documentElement.classList.toggle("privacy", privacyMode);
diff --git a/frontend/src/contexts/theme-context.tsx b/frontend/src/contexts/theme-context.tsx
index f0ab679..b6ba1aa 100644
--- a/frontend/src/contexts/theme-context.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/contexts/theme-context.tsx
@@ -10,18 +10,15 @@ const ThemeContext = createContext<{
 }>({ theme: "dark", toggleTheme: () => {} });
 
 export function ThemeProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
-  const [theme, setTheme] = useState<Theme>("dark");
-
-  // Initialize once on mount (localStorage + prefers-color-scheme).
-  useEffect(() => {
+  // Lazy initializer: resolving the theme before first paint avoids the
+  // flash of wrong theme an effect-based init caused.
+  const [theme, setTheme] = useState<Theme>(() => {
     const saved = localStorage.getItem("theme") as Theme | null;
-    const initial: Theme = saved
-      ? saved
-      : window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)").matches
-        ? "dark"
-        : "light";
-    setTheme(initial);
-  }, []);
+    if (saved) return saved;
+    return window.matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)").matches
+      ? "dark"
+      : "light";
+  });
 
   useEffect(() => {
     document.documentElement.classList.toggle("dark", theme === "dark");