diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/+layout.server.ts b/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/+layout.server.ts
index 3a2e12d..66b8dbd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/+layout.server.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/+layout.server.ts
@@ -134,7 +134,14 @@ export async function load(event) {
 		chat = await resolveChatIdentity(session, pbToken);
 		// fams is superadmin-only (non-realtime). Fetched server-side for both
 		// roles; also recomputes + persists the derived `active` flag.
-		const res = await ensureFamAccess(famId).catch(() => null);
+		// Retried: a post-deploy PB blip here blanks `fam`, which both hides
+		// data AND disables the canonical slug redirect below (letting /{id}
+		// URLs persist).
+		let res: any = null;
+		for (let i = 0; i < 3 && !res; i++) {
+			if (i > 0) await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 400 * i));
+			res = await ensureFamAccess(famId).catch(() => null);
+		}
 		if (res) {
 			fam = res.fam;
 			famAccess = res.access;
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/+layout.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/+layout.svelte
index 34fc626..59a3579 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/+layout.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/+layout.svelte
@@ -78,6 +78,14 @@
 	// Settings stays usable while paused so admins can apply a code / manage billing.
 	let hasAuth = $derived(!!data.session);
 	let locked = $derived(disabled && !page.url.pathname.endsWith('/settings'));
+	// Expired-token zombie state: public PB rules still let logged-out users
+	// READ everything, so the dashboard looks alive while every write fails.
+	// Say so explicitly (join/switch/picker flows render their own UI).
+	let showLoggedOut = $derived(
+		!data.session &&
+			!pickerMode &&
+			!['join', 'switch'].includes(page.url.pathname.split('/')[2] || '')
+	);
 
 	// ── Post-checkout activation (event-driven) ──
 	// Landing with ?checkout=return: if the webhook has already landed we show
@@ -282,6 +290,28 @@
 				<div class="page-wrap">
 					<div class="page-content" class:locked>{@render children()}</div>
 
+					{#if showLoggedOut}
+						<div class="disabled-overlay loggedout-overlay">
+							<div class="disabled-card">
+								<strong>You're logged out</strong>
+								<span>
+									Your session expired, so everything below is read-only — toggles and
+									claims won't work until you log back in.
+								</span>
+								<span class="loggedout-actions">
+									<a class="btn-primary" href="/login">Parent log in</a>
+									{#if page.params.username}
+										<a
+											class="btn-secondary"
+											href={`/${data.famSlug || page.params.fam}/join/${page.params.username}`}
+											>Rejoin as {page.params.username}</a
+										>
+									{/if}
+								</span>
+								<span class="hint">Kids: re-open your invite link, or ask a parent to send it again.</span>
+							</div>
+						</div>
+					{/if}
 					{#if locked}
 						<div class="disabled-overlay">
 							<div class="disabled-card">
@@ -482,6 +512,34 @@
 		color: #6b7280;
 		font-size: 0.9rem;
 	}
+	/* Logged-out card must be clickable (the paused overlay is display-only). */
+	.loggedout-overlay {
+		pointer-events: auto;
+	}
+	.loggedout-actions {
+		display: flex;
+		gap: 0.6rem;
+		justify-content: center;
+		margin-top: 0.4rem;
+	}
+	.loggedout-actions a {
+		border-radius: 8px;
+		padding: 0.5rem 1.1rem;
+		font-size: 0.85rem;
+		font-weight: 700;
+		text-decoration: none;
+	}
+	.loggedout-actions .btn-primary {
+		background: #6366f1;
+		color: #fff;
+	}
+	.loggedout-actions .btn-secondary {
+		background: #eef2ff;
+		color: #4338ca;
+	}
+	.disabled-card .hint {
+		font-size: 0.78rem;
+	}
 	.chat-toggle {
 		position: relative;
 		width: 40px;
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/[username]/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/[username]/+page.svelte
index 72ff63a..a05408b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/[username]/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/[username]/+page.svelte
@@ -847,6 +847,10 @@
 
 	async function toggle(chore: AssignedChore) {
 		if (accessDisabled) return;
+		if (!pbToken) {
+			showToast('Logged out — please log in again to update chores.');
+			return;
+		}
 		if (chore.isTodo && isTodoExpired(chore)) return;
 		if (togglingIds.has(chore.id)) return;
 		togglingIds = new Set(togglingIds).add(chore.id);
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.server.ts b/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.server.ts
index 9434447..b4add95 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.server.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/login/+page.server.ts
@@ -30,8 +30,21 @@ export const actions = {
 		// An explicit email/password login supersedes kid mode on a shared device.
 		clearActiveChild(event.cookies);
 
-		const fam = await pbAdmin.getOne('fams', user.famId).catch(() => null);
-		const famSlug = fam?.slug || user.famId;
+		// Fam lookup with retries: right after a deploy/rebuild PB can blip and
+		// a single failed fetch falls back to the raw fam ID in the URL
+		// (/{famId}/...), which then persists via bookmarks/shortcuts.
+		let fam: any = null;
+		for (let i = 0; i < 4 && !fam; i++) {
+			if (i > 0) await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 500 * i));
+			fam = await pbAdmin.getOne('fams', user.famId).catch(() => null);
+		}
+		if (!fam) {
+			return fail(503, {
+				error: 'Family data is briefly unavailable (server restarting). Please try again.',
+				email
+			});
+		}
+		const famSlug = fam.slug;
 
 		// Parents (admins) land on the fam dashboard — no username in the URL.
 		if (user.role === 'parent') {