diff --git a/src/App.vue b/src/App.vue
index fa10298..28ad4be 100644
--- a/src/App.vue
+++ b/src/App.vue
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 import { ref, computed, onMounted } from 'vue'
 import { useRouter, useRoute } from 'vue-router'
 import { useAuthStore } from './stores/auth'
+import { useContentStore } from './stores/content'
 import { useSearchSelectionStore } from './stores/searchSelection'
 import AppHeader from './components/AppHeader.vue'
 import BackstageHeader from './components/BackstageHeader.vue'
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ import type { Content } from './types/content'
 const router = useRouter()
 const route = useRoute()
 const authStore = useAuthStore()
+const contentStore = useContentStore()
 const searchSelection = useSearchSelectionStore()
 
 /**
@@ -93,6 +95,12 @@ function handleAuthClose() {
 
 function handleAuthSuccess() {
   showAuthModal.value = false
+
+  // Re-fetch content so backstage-published projects are merged
+  // into the active catalog (they require session tokens which
+  // are only available after login completes).
+  contentStore.fetchContent()
+
   if (pendingRedirect.value) {
     router.push(pendingRedirect.value)
     pendingRedirect.value = null
diff --git a/src/components/AuthModal.vue b/src/components/AuthModal.vue
index 90b7504..221bd28 100644
--- a/src/components/AuthModal.vue
+++ b/src/components/AuthModal.vue
@@ -493,15 +493,10 @@ async function handleAmberPubkeyRead() {
     const pubkey = await decodePubkeyFromClipboard(clipboardText)
     amberPubkey.value = pubkey
 
-    // Register the Amber account in the account manager so the app
-    // knows who is signing in (the signer is set but we won't call
-    // signEvent on it — we use intents + clipboard for that)
-    const { AmberClipboardSigner, AmberClipboardAccount } = await import('../lib/accounts')
-    const signer = new AmberClipboardSigner()
-    signer.pubkey = pubkey
-    const account = new AmberClipboardAccount(pubkey, signer)
-    accountManager.addAccount(account)
-    accountManager.setActive(account)
+    // NOTE: We do NOT register the Amber account in accountManager here.
+    // That happens in Phase 3 after backend login succeeds, to avoid a
+    // split state where accountManager.active is set but authStore
+    // isn't authenticated (which confuses guards and the UI).
 
     // Build the unsigned NIP-98 event that the backend expects.
     // Store it so Phase 3 can reuse the exact same event data
@@ -605,6 +600,19 @@ async function handleAmberSignComplete() {
     // Authenticate with the pre-signed NIP-98 header (bypasses signer.signEvent)
     await loginWithNostr(pubkey, 'amber-nip55', {}, authHeader)
 
+    // Backend login succeeded — NOW register the Amber account in
+    // accountManager so the rest of the UI reflects the logged-in state.
+    try {
+      const { AmberClipboardSigner, AmberClipboardAccount } = await import('../lib/accounts')
+      const signer = new AmberClipboardSigner()
+      signer.pubkey = pubkey
+      const account = new AmberClipboardAccount(pubkey, signer)
+      accountManager.addAccount(account)
+      accountManager.setActive(account)
+    } catch (accountErr) {
+      console.warn('[Amber] Account registration after login:', accountErr)
+    }
+
     amberPhase.value = 'idle'
     amberPubkey.value = null
     amberUnsignedEvent.value = null