diff --git a/app/composables/useAuth.ts b/app/composables/useAuth.ts
index b1bfbd8..a11bca6 100644
--- a/app/composables/useAuth.ts
+++ b/app/composables/useAuth.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,10 @@
-// Access the provided Zitadel auth instance + a small JSON helper for /api calls.
+import type { ZitadelAuth } from "@kuns/zitadel-auth";
+
+// Access the bootstrap-provided Zitadel auth instance + a small JSON helper for /api calls.
+// By the time any component mounts, the plugin has gated auth, so `auth` is authenticated.
 // `auth.fetch` auto-attaches the Bearer access token.
 export function useAuth() {
-  const { $auth } = useNuxtApp() as unknown as {
-    $auth: {
-      isAuthenticated: Ref<boolean>;
-      isLoading: Ref<boolean>;
-      user: Ref<{ sub: string; name: string; email: string } | null>;
-      error: Ref<string | null>;
-      login: () => void;
-      logout: () => Promise<void>;
-      fetch: (url: string, init?: RequestInit) => Promise<Response>;
-    };
-  };
+  const { $auth } = useNuxtApp() as unknown as { $auth: ZitadelAuth };
 
   async function api<T = unknown>(path: string, init?: RequestInit): Promise<T> {
     const res = await $auth.fetch(`/api${path}`, init);
diff --git a/app/pages/auth/callback.vue b/app/pages/auth/callback.vue
index 43a557a..3160815 100644
--- a/app/pages/auth/callback.vue
+++ b/app/pages/auth/callback.vue
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
-// The Zitadel client processes the OIDC redirect during init(); once authenticated,
-// move back to the app root.
-const { auth } = useAuth();
-watchEffect(() => {
-  if (!auth.isLoading.value && auth.isAuthenticated.value) {
-    navigateTo("/", { replace: true });
-  }
+// The auth plugin completes the OIDC code exchange during init() before mount.
+// This page just returns to the app root.
+onMounted(() => {
+  navigateTo("/", { replace: true });
 });
 </script>
 
diff --git a/app/pages/index.vue b/app/pages/index.vue
index 8dd5eed..5ffd6f6 100644
--- a/app/pages/index.vue
+++ b/app/pages/index.vue
@@ -86,15 +86,20 @@ async function addTask() {
   }
 }
 
-onMounted(refreshLists);
+onMounted(() => {
+  // The auth plugin gates before mount, so this is normally authenticated.
+  // Safety net: if not, drive login instead of calling the API (no 401 banner).
+  if (auth.isAuthenticated) refreshLists();
+  else auth.login();
+});
 </script>
 
 <template>
   <div class="app">
     <header class="topbar">
       <h1>Inbox</h1>
-      <div class="who" v-if="auth.user.value">
-        <span class="email">{{ auth.user.value.email || auth.user.value.name }}</span>
+      <div class="who" v-if="auth.user">
+        <span class="email">{{ auth.user.email || auth.user.name }}</span>
         <button class="link" @click="auth.logout()">Sign out</button>
       </div>
     </header>
diff --git a/app/plugins/auth.client.ts b/app/plugins/auth.client.ts
index e99da17..7105923 100644
--- a/app/plugins/auth.client.ts
+++ b/app/plugins/auth.client.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,34 @@
-import { useZitadelAuth } from "@kuns/zitadel-auth/vue";
+import { ZitadelAuth } from "@kuns/zitadel-auth";
 
-// Wire the framework-agnostic Zitadel OIDC client to Nuxt's router (client-only SPA).
-// Provides `$auth` (reactive state + login/logout/fetch). The adapter installs a
-// router guard that redirects unauthenticated users to the Zitadel hosted login.
-export default defineNuxtPlugin(() => {
+// Bootstrap-gate auth BEFORE the app mounts (mirrors the working krypto-kuns pattern):
+// Nuxt awaits async plugins before mounting, so we await init() and, if unauthenticated,
+// redirect to Zitadel and hold the mount — the app never renders (and never calls the API)
+// while unauthenticated. This avoids the router-guard mount race that produced a 401 flash.
+export default defineNuxtPlugin(async () => {
   const cfg = useRuntimeConfig().public;
   const scopes = ["openid", "profile", "email"];
   if (cfg.zitadelProjectId) {
-    // Force the project id into the access token's `aud` for backend validation.
+    // Put the project id into the access token's `aud` for backend validation.
     scopes.push(`urn:zitadel:iam:org:project:id:${cfg.zitadelProjectId}:aud`);
   }
-  const auth = useZitadelAuth(useRouter() as never, {
+
+  const auth = new ZitadelAuth({
     clientId: cfg.zitadelClientId as string,
     issuer: cfg.zitadelIssuer as string,
     scopes,
+    // Bootstrap gate issues at most one redirect per load, so a real loop never happens;
+    // raise the loop-guard ceiling so repeated manual reloads can't strand the user.
+    maxRedirects: 100,
   });
+
+  const onCallback = window.location.pathname.endsWith("/auth/callback");
+  await auth.init();
+
+  if (!auth.isAuthenticated && !onCallback) {
+    auth.login();
+    // Hold the mount while the browser navigates to the Zitadel login.
+    await new Promise(() => {});
+  }
+
   return { provide: { auth } };
 });