diff --git a/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.jsx b/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.jsx
index d04415d..6fb6df7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.jsx
@@ -10,17 +10,16 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true)
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    const token = localStorage.getItem('token')
-    if (token) {
-      api.get('/auth/me')
-        .then(res => setUser(res.data))
-        .catch(() => { if (localStorage.getItem('token') === token) setToken(null) })
-        .finally(() => setLoading(false))
-    } else {
-      // Nobody signed in here — but they may be signed in at the provider for
-      // the other app, in which case they should not be shown a door. One
-      // silent attempt, then the page as normal. `loading` stays true while
-      // the browser is on its way out, so nothing paints and swaps.
+    // Nobody signed in here — but they may be signed in at the provider for
+    // the other app, in which case they should not be shown a door. One
+    // silent attempt, then the page as normal. `loading` stays true while the
+    // browser is on its way out, so nothing paints and swaps.
+    //
+    // "Nobody signed in" includes a token the server will not accept: an
+    // expired session is exactly the case where somebody would otherwise be
+    // shown a sign-in page for no reason, having done nothing but leave the
+    // tab open overnight.
+    const askProviderQuietly = () => {
       api.get('/auth/sso/config')
         .then(res => {
           if (shouldTrySilently({ hasToken: false, ssoEnabled: res.data?.sso_enabled === true })) {
@@ -31,6 +30,18 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
         })
         .catch(() => setLoading(false))
     }
+
+    const token = localStorage.getItem('token')
+    if (token) {
+      api.get('/auth/me')
+        .then(res => { setUser(res.data); setLoading(false) })
+        .catch(() => {
+          if (localStorage.getItem('token') === token) setToken(null)
+          askProviderQuietly()
+        })
+    } else {
+      askProviderQuietly()
+    }
   }, [])
 
   const login = async (email, password) => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.test.jsx b/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.test.jsx
index d05a150..510ea50 100644
--- a/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.test.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.test.jsx
@@ -1,38 +1,62 @@
-import { beforeEach, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
-import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'
-import { AuthProvider, useAuth } from './AuthContext'
 import api from '../api/client'
+import { AuthProvider, useAuth } from './AuthContext'
 
-vi.mock('../api/client', () => ({ default: { get: vi.fn(), post: vi.fn() } }))
-beforeEach(() => {
-  localStorage.clear()
-  vi.restoreAllMocks()
-  api.get.mockResolvedValue({ data: { id: 1, name: 'Synthetic' } })
-  api.post.mockResolvedValue({ data: { access_token: 'password-token' } })
-})
-function Controls() {
-  const { login, loginWithToken, logout, user } = useAuth()
-  return <><span>{user?.name}</span><button onClick={() => login('synthetic@example.com', 'unused')}>Password</button><button onClick={() => loginWithToken('sso-token')}>SSO</button><button onClick={logout}>Logout</button></>
+vi.mock('../api/client', () => ({ default: { get: vi.fn(), post: vi.fn(), put: vi.fn() } }))
+
+const replace = vi.fn()
+
+function Show() {
+  const { user, loading } = useAuth()
+  return <p>{loading ? 'loading' : user ? `signed in as ${user.name}` : 'signed out'}</p>
 }
-it.each(['Password', 'SSO'])('mirrors %s login and synchronously clears logout', async method => {
-  const cookie = vi.spyOn(document, 'cookie', 'set')
-  render(<AuthProvider><Controls /></AuthProvider>)
-  await userEvent.click(screen.getByText(method))
-  await screen.findByText('Synthetic')
-  const token = method === 'Password' ? 'password-token' : 'sso-token'
-  expect(localStorage.getItem('token')).toBe(token)
-  expect(cookie).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(expect.stringContaining(`pedshub_media=${token}; Path=/uploads`))
-  await userEvent.click(screen.getByText('Logout'))
-  expect(localStorage.getItem('token')).toBeNull()
-  expect(cookie).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(expect.stringContaining('Max-Age=0'))
-})
-it('bootstrap failure cannot clear a switched account', async () => {
-  let reject
-  localStorage.setItem('token', 'bootstrap-token')
-  api.get.mockImplementationOnce(() => new Promise((_, fail) => { reject = fail }))
-  render(<AuthProvider><Controls /></AuthProvider>)
-  localStorage.setItem('token', 'other-account')
-  reject(new Error('Old request failed'))
-  await waitFor(() => expect(localStorage.getItem('token')).toBe('other-account'))
+const mount = () => render(<AuthProvider><Show /></AuthProvider>)
+
+describe('what happens before anything is drawn', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
+    localStorage.clear()
+    sessionStorage.clear()
+    vi.stubGlobal('location', { pathname: '/', search: '', hash: '', replace })
+  })
+
+  it('asks the provider quietly when there is no session at all', async () => {
+    api.get.mockImplementation(url => (url === '/auth/sso/config'
+      ? Promise.resolve({ data: { sso_enabled: true } })
+      : Promise.reject(new Error('no'))))
+    mount()
+    await waitFor(() => expect(replace).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/auth/sso/login?prompt=none'))
+    // Still loading: the browser is on its way out, and painting a signed-out
+    // page first would be a flash of a door that is about to open itself.
+    expect(screen.getByText('loading')).toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
+  it('asks again when the token has expired, rather than showing a sign-in page', async () => {
+    // The case this is really for: a tab left open overnight. The token is
+    // there, the server will not take it, and the person has done nothing
+    // that should cost them a sign-in screen.
+    localStorage.setItem('token', 'stale')
+    api.get.mockImplementation(url => (url === '/auth/me'
+      ? Promise.reject({ response: { status: 401 } })
+      : Promise.resolve({ data: { sso_enabled: true } })))
+    mount()
+    await waitFor(() => expect(replace).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/auth/sso/login?prompt=none'))
+    expect(localStorage.getItem('token')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('does not ask when the token is good', async () => {
+    localStorage.setItem('token', 'fresh')
+    api.get.mockResolvedValue({ data: { id: 1, name: 'Reader' } })
+    mount()
+    expect(await screen.findByText('signed in as Reader')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(replace).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('shows the page when the provider is not configured', async () => {
+    api.get.mockResolvedValue({ data: { sso_enabled: false } })
+    mount()
+    expect(await screen.findByText('signed out')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(replace).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
 })