diff --git a/src/contexts/AuthContext.tsx b/src/contexts/AuthContext.tsx
index 880ac88..b6e89ac 100644
--- a/src/contexts/AuthContext.tsx
+++ b/src/contexts/AuthContext.tsx
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const [user, setUser] = useState<CCUser | null>(null);
   const [user_role, setUserRole] = useState<string | null>(null);
-  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
+  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true); // true until INITIAL_SESSION fires
   const [error, setError] = useState<Error | null>(null);
 
   const persistSession = useCallback((session: Session | null) => {
@@ -42,40 +42,6 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
     }
   }, []);
 
-  const restoreSessionFromStorage = useCallback(async (): Promise<Session | null> => {
-    const persistedSession = storageService.get(StorageKeys.SUPABASE_SESSION);
-
-    if (!persistedSession) {
-      return null;
-    }
-
-    if (!persistedSession.access_token || !persistedSession.refresh_token) {
-      storageService.remove(StorageKeys.SUPABASE_SESSION);
-      return null;
-    }
-
-    const { data: restored, error: restoreError } = await supabase.auth.setSession({
-      access_token: persistedSession.access_token,
-      refresh_token: persistedSession.refresh_token,
-    });
-
-    if (restoreError) {
-      logger.warn('auth-context', '⚠️ Failed to restore persisted Supabase session', {
-        error: restoreError.message ?? restoreError,
-      });
-      storageService.remove(StorageKeys.SUPABASE_SESSION);
-      return null;
-    }
-
-    if (restored.session) {
-      persistSession(restored.session);
-      return restored.session;
-    }
-
-    storageService.remove(StorageKeys.SUPABASE_SESSION);
-    return null;
-  }, [persistSession]);
-
   const buildUserFromSupabase = useCallback(async (supabaseUser: User | null): Promise<{ user: CCUser | null; role: string | null }> => {
     if (!supabaseUser) {
       return { user: null, role: null };
@@ -109,114 +75,42 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
   }, []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    let isMounted = true;
-
-    const loadInitialSession = async () => {
-      setLoading(true);
-      try {
-        const { data: { session }, error } = await supabase.auth.getSession();
-        if (error) {
-          throw error;
-        }
-
-        let activeSession: Session | null = session ?? null;
-
-        if (!activeSession) {
-          activeSession = await restoreSessionFromStorage();
-        }
-
-        if (!isMounted) {
-          return;
-        }
-
-        if (activeSession?.user) {
-          persistSession(activeSession);
-          try {
-            const { user: resolvedUser, role } = await buildUserFromSupabase(activeSession.user);
-            if (!isMounted) {
-              return;
-            }
-            setUser(resolvedUser);
-            setUserRole(role);
-          } catch (buildError) {
-            logger.error('auth-context', '❌ Failed to build user from initial session', {
-              error: buildError,
-            });
-            if (!isMounted) {
-              return;
-            }
-            setUser(null);
-            setUserRole(null);
-            setError(buildError instanceof Error ? buildError : new Error('Failed to load user'));
-          }
-        } else {
-          persistSession(null);
-          setUser(null);
-          setUserRole(null);
-        }
-      } catch (error) {
-        logger.error('auth-context', '❌ Failed to load initial session', { error });
-        if (isMounted) {
-          setError(error instanceof Error ? error : new Error('Failed to load user'));
-        }
-      } finally {
-        if (isMounted) {
-          setLoading(false);
-        }
-      }
-    };
-
-    loadInitialSession();
-
+    // Canonical Supabase auth pattern: rely solely on onAuthStateChange.
+    // INITIAL_SESSION fires immediately with the current session state,
+    // eliminating the race condition between loadInitialSession + onAuthStateChange.
     const { data: { subscription } } = supabase.auth.onAuthStateChange(
       async (event, session) => {
-        if (!isMounted) {
-          return;
-        }
+        logger.debug('auth-context', '🔄 Auth state change', { event, hasSession: !!session });
 
         switch (event) {
+          case 'INITIAL_SESSION':
           case 'SIGNED_IN':
-          case 'TOKEN_REFRESHED':
-          case 'INITIAL_SESSION': {
+          case 'TOKEN_REFRESHED': {
             persistSession(session ?? null);
             if (session?.user) {
-              setLoading(true);
               try {
                 const { user: resolvedUser, role } = await buildUserFromSupabase(session.user);
-                if (!isMounted) {
-                  return;
-                }
                 setUser(resolvedUser);
                 setUserRole(role);
               } catch (buildError) {
-                logger.error('auth-context', '❌ Failed to build user from session', {
-                  event,
-                  error: buildError,
-                });
+                logger.error('auth-context', '❌ Failed to build user from session', { event, error: buildError });
                 setUser(null);
                 setUserRole(null);
                 setError(buildError instanceof Error ? buildError : new Error('Failed to load user'));
-              } finally {
-                if (isMounted) {
-                  setLoading(false);
-                }
               }
             } else {
               setUser(null);
               setUserRole(null);
-              if (isMounted) {
-                setLoading(false);
-              }
             }
+            // Always clear loading after the first auth event resolves
+            setLoading(false);
             break;
           }
           case 'SIGNED_OUT': {
             persistSession(null);
             setUser(null);
             setUserRole(null);
-            if (isMounted) {
-              setLoading(false);
-            }
+            setLoading(false);
             break;
           }
           default:
@@ -225,11 +119,8 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
       }
     );
 
-    return () => {
-      isMounted = false;
-      subscription.unsubscribe();
-    };
-  }, [buildUserFromSupabase, persistSession, restoreSessionFromStorage]);
+    return () => subscription.unsubscribe();
+  }, [buildUserFromSupabase, persistSession]);
 
   const signIn = async (email: string, password: string) => {
     try {