diff --git a/apps/pwa/src/api/client.test.ts b/apps/pwa/src/api/client.test.ts
index 7bee75c..8b578e7 100644
--- a/apps/pwa/src/api/client.test.ts
+++ b/apps/pwa/src/api/client.test.ts
@@ -309,6 +309,74 @@ describe('fetchSyncStatus', () => {
   })
 })
 
+// ── fetchMe tests ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('fetchMe', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.stubGlobal('fetch', vi.fn())
+  })
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals()
+  })
+
+  it('requests /api/me with credentials:include AND redirect:manual', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(fetch).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      ok: true,
+      type: 'basic',
+      status: 200,
+      json: async () => ({ user: { id: 2, displayName: 'Me', color: '#E8734A' } }),
+    } as Response)
+
+    const { fetchMe } = await import('./client.js')
+    await fetchMe()
+
+    expect(vi.mocked(fetch)).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      '/api/me',
+      expect.objectContaining({ credentials: 'include', redirect: 'manual' }),
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('returns the user envelope on 200', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(fetch).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      ok: true,
+      type: 'basic',
+      status: 200,
+      json: async () => ({ user: { id: 2, displayName: 'Me', color: '#E8734A' } }),
+    } as Response)
+
+    const { fetchMe } = await import('./client.js')
+    const result = await fetchMe()
+    expect(result).toEqual({ user: { id: 2, displayName: 'Me', color: '#E8734A' } })
+  })
+
+  it('throws on an opaqueredirect (OIDC guard 302 to Authelia) — the auth-required signal', async () => {
+    // redirect:'manual' surfaces a 302 as an opaqueredirect with status 0 and
+    // ok:false instead of following it (which would hang the fetch).
+    vi.mocked(fetch).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      ok: false,
+      type: 'opaqueredirect',
+      status: 0,
+      json: async () => {
+        throw new Error('body not accessible on opaqueredirect')
+      },
+    } as unknown as Response)
+
+    const { fetchMe } = await import('./client.js')
+    await expect(fetchMe()).rejects.toThrow(/authentication required/i)
+  })
+
+  it('throws on a 401', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(fetch).mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      ok: false,
+      type: 'basic',
+      status: 401,
+    } as Response)
+
+    const { fetchMe } = await import('./client.js')
+    await expect(fetchMe()).rejects.toThrow(/authentication required/i)
+  })
+})
+
 // ── Zustand store new keys tests ──────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 describe('calendarStore — eventForm keys', () => {
diff --git a/apps/pwa/src/api/client.ts b/apps/pwa/src/api/client.ts
index cc7d73a..7a427ae 100644
--- a/apps/pwa/src/api/client.ts
+++ b/apps/pwa/src/api/client.ts
@@ -26,14 +26,26 @@ export interface MeResponse {
 }
 
 export async function fetchMe(): Promise<MeResponse> {
+  // redirect: 'manual' is critical. The OIDC guard answers an unauthenticated
+  // request with a 302 to Authelia (cross-origin). With the default
+  // redirect: 'follow', the browser follows that credentialed cross-origin
+  // redirect and the fetch HANGS (never resolves, never rejects) — leaving the
+  // query stuck "loading" so the SPA spins forever and the auth-redirect below
+  // never fires. With 'manual', the 302 comes back as an opaqueredirect
+  // (res.type === 'opaqueredirect', res.status === 0) that we detect immediately.
   const res = await fetch('/api/me', {
     credentials: 'include',
+    redirect: 'manual',
   })
 
+  if (res.type === 'opaqueredirect' || res.status === 401) {
+    // Session missing/expired → the guard wants us at Authelia. Signal the caller
+    // (CalendarShell) to perform a TOP-LEVEL navigation to /api/login via
+    // maybeRedirectToLogin() — a document navigation is not CORS-restricted.
+    throw new Error('GET /api/me: authentication required')
+  }
+
   if (!res.ok) {
-    // Throw on any non-ok response. The OIDC guard's 302 to Authelia cannot be
-    // followed by fetch (CORS-blocked for XHR). Callers that handle auth errors
-    // should use maybeRedirectToLogin() for a top-level navigation to /api/login.
     throw new Error(`GET /api/me failed: ${res.status}`)
   }