diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.mounted.test.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.mounted.test.tsx
index c90fe2e2ec..ade821eeb6 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.mounted.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.mounted.test.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ const listState = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   isSearching: false,
   isError: false,
   organization: { organizationId: null as string | null, isLoaded: true },
+  // Mirrors the real hook's stored-query flags so the screen's loading
+  // decision can be exercised on the first render, before the request
+  // settles (isFetching false, isPending true).
+  storedIsPending: false,
+  storedIsFetching: false,
+  storedLoadedPageCount: 1,
   storedQuery: vi.fn<(options: Parameters<typeof useAgentSessions>[0]) => void>(),
   searchQuery: vi.fn<(options: Parameters<typeof useAgentSessionSearch>[0]) => void>(),
   repositoryQuery: vi.fn<(options: Parameters<typeof useRecentAgentRepositories>[0]) => void>(),
@@ -135,8 +141,9 @@ vi.mock('@/lib/hooks/use-agent-sessions', async () => {
         dateGroups: storedSessions.length > 0 ? [{ label: 'Today', sessions: storedSessions }] : [],
         activeIsError: false,
         storedIsError: listState.isError,
-        storedIsFetching: false,
-        storedLoadedPageCount: 1,
+        storedIsPending: listState.storedIsPending,
+        storedIsFetching: listState.storedIsFetching,
+        storedLoadedPageCount: listState.storedLoadedPageCount,
         hasNextPage: false,
         isFetchingNextPage: false,
         fetchNextPage: vi.fn(),
@@ -258,6 +265,9 @@ describe('SessionHistoryScreen', () => {
     listState.storedSessions = [];
     listState.isSearching = false;
     listState.isError = false;
+    listState.storedIsPending = false;
+    listState.storedIsFetching = false;
+    listState.storedLoadedPageCount = 1;
     Object.assign(listState.organization, { organizationId: null, isLoaded: true });
     listState.storedQuery.mockClear();
     listState.searchQuery.mockClear();
@@ -460,6 +470,50 @@ describe('SessionHistoryScreen', () => {
     }
   );
 
+  // Regression: the empty state ("No past sessions") must not flash on the
+  // cold-open render. React Query v5 reports `isFetching: false` until the
+  // observer subscribes and starts the first fetch, while `isPending` stays
+  // true until the query settles — the screen must treat that first frame as
+  // loading, not as a settled empty list.
+  it('shows loading on the cold-open render before the request settles', async () => {
+    listState.storedSessions = [];
+    listState.storedIsPending = true;
+    listState.storedIsFetching = false;
+    listState.storedLoadedPageCount = 0;
+
+    const renderer = await renderScreen();
+
+    const content = findNodeByType(renderer, 'AgentSessionListContent');
+    expect(content.props.isLoading).toBe(true);
+    expect(content.props.hasAnySessions).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('stops loading and renders cached rows during a background refetch', async () => {
+    listState.storedSessions = [{ session_id: 'cached', organization_id: null }];
+    listState.storedIsPending = false;
+    listState.storedIsFetching = true;
+    listState.storedLoadedPageCount = 1;
+
+    const renderer = await renderScreen();
+
+    const content = findNodeByType(renderer, 'AgentSessionListContent');
+    expect(content.props.isLoading).toBe(false);
+    expect(findNodeByType(renderer, 'AgentSessionListContent').props.sections).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it('shows the settled empty state once the request completes with no rows', async () => {
+    listState.storedSessions = [];
+    listState.storedIsPending = false;
+    listState.storedIsFetching = false;
+    listState.storedLoadedPageCount = 1;
+
+    const renderer = await renderScreen();
+
+    const content = findNodeByType(renderer, 'AgentSessionListContent');
+    expect(content.props.isLoading).toBe(false);
+    expect(content.props.hasAnySessions).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it('renders the agents title with a back button and default header size', async () => {
     const renderer = await renderScreen();
     const header = findNodeByType(renderer, 'ScreenHeader');
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.pull-failure.mounted.test.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.pull-failure.mounted.test.tsx
index 5234712573..ef4afb779a 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.pull-failure.mounted.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.pull-failure.mounted.test.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ type MockStoredSession = Pick<StoredSession, 'session_id' | 'organization_id'> &
 const listState = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   storedSessions: [] as MockStoredSession[],
   isError: false,
+  storedIsPending: false,
   storedIsFetching: false,
 }));
 
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ vi.mock('@/lib/hooks/use-agent-sessions', () => ({
       dateGroups: storedSessions.length > 0 ? [{ label: 'Today', sessions: storedSessions }] : [],
       activeIsError: false,
       storedIsError: listState.isError,
+      storedIsPending: listState.storedIsPending,
       storedIsFetching: listState.storedIsFetching,
       storedLoadedPageCount: 1,
       hasNextPage: false,
@@ -261,6 +263,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
     },
   ];
   listState.isError = false;
+  listState.storedIsPending = false;
   listState.storedIsFetching = false;
 });
 
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.tsx
index fab7712831..bcc82cc5e3 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-history-screen.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { useFocusEffect, useNavigation } from 'expo-router';
 import { SessionFilterModal } from '@/components/agents/platform-filter-modal';
 import { AgentSessionListContent } from '@/components/agents/session-list-content';
 import { SessionListHeaderActions } from '@/components/agents/session-list-header-actions';
+import { selectSessionListIsLoading } from '@/components/agents/session-list-loading';
 import { selectShowSearchBusy } from '@/components/agents/session-list-search-busy';
 import { SessionListSearchHeader } from '@/components/agents/session-list-search-header';
 import { useAgentSessionListData } from '@/components/agents/use-agent-session-list-data';
@@ -76,8 +77,7 @@ export function SessionHistoryScreen() {
   const {
     storedSessions,
     activeSessionIds,
-    storedIsFetching,
-    storedLoadedPageCount,
+    storedIsPending,
     paging,
     handleRetry,
     handleRefetch,
@@ -163,8 +163,12 @@ export function SessionHistoryScreen() {
     clearFilters();
   }, [clearSearchInput, searchController, clearFilters, isSearching]);
 
-  const isLoading =
-    !ready || (isSearching ? search.isPending : storedIsFetching && storedLoadedPageCount === 0);
+  const isLoading = selectSessionListIsLoading({
+    ready,
+    isSearching,
+    searchIsPending: search.isPending,
+    storedIsPending,
+  });
 
   return (
     <View className="flex-1 bg-background">
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-list-loading.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-list-loading.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3722150637
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-list-loading.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { selectSessionListContentSurface } from './session-list-content-surface';
+import { selectSessionListIsLoading } from './session-list-loading';
+
+function loading(overrides: Partial<Parameters<typeof selectSessionListIsLoading>[0]> = {}) {
+  return selectSessionListIsLoading({
+    ready: true,
+    isSearching: false,
+    searchIsPending: false,
+    storedIsPending: false,
+    ...overrides,
+  });
+}
+
+describe('selectSessionListIsLoading', () => {
+  describe('cold open — first render before the request settles', () => {
+    it('treats the very first render as loading, not a settled empty list', () => {
+      // React Query v5 reports isLoading/isFetching false until the observer
+      // starts the fetch; only isPending is true. The surface must show
+      // skeletons, never the empty state, on this frame.
+      expect(loading({ isSearching: false, searchIsPending: false, storedIsPending: true })).toBe(
+        true
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('stays loading until the query inputs resolve', () => {
+      expect(loading({ ready: false, isSearching: false, storedIsPending: true })).toBe(true);
+      expect(loading({ ready: false, isSearching: false, storedIsPending: false })).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('treats a pending search on the first render as loading', () => {
+      expect(loading({ isSearching: true, searchIsPending: true, storedIsPending: false })).toBe(
+        true
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('after load', () => {
+    it('is not loading once the stored query settles with no rows (true empty)', () => {
+      expect(loading({ isSearching: false, searchIsPending: false, storedIsPending: false })).toBe(
+        false
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('stops loading when a search settles with no matches', () => {
+      expect(loading({ isSearching: true, searchIsPending: false, storedIsPending: false })).toBe(
+        false
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('reads the search flag, not the stored flag, while searching', () => {
+      expect(loading({ isSearching: true, searchIsPending: false, storedIsPending: true })).toBe(
+        false
+      );
+      expect(loading({ isSearching: false, searchIsPending: true, storedIsPending: false })).toBe(
+        false
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
+  // Ties the loading decision to the body-surface decision: the combination is
+  // what the screen actually renders, and it is where the flash came from.
+  describe('cold-open body-surface decision', () => {
+    const surfaceInput = {
+      isError: false,
+      hasAnySessions: false,
+      hasHistoryContent: false,
+    };
+
+    it('selects skeletons, never the history-empty surface, before the request settles', () => {
+      const isLoading = loading({ isSearching: false, storedIsPending: true });
+      expect(selectSessionListContentSurface({ isLoading, ...surfaceInput })).toEqual({
+        kind: 'section-list',
+        listEmpty: 'loading-skeletons',
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('selects the history-empty surface only after the request settles', () => {
+      const isLoading = loading({ isSearching: false, storedIsPending: false });
+      expect(selectSessionListContentSurface({ isLoading, ...surfaceInput })).toEqual({
+        kind: 'history-empty',
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-list-loading.ts b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-list-loading.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..db6ccdf6b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/session-list-loading.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/**
+ * Loading decision shared by the stored session-list surfaces (the history
+ * screen and any other surface that renders the same stored rows).
+ *
+ * React Query v5's `isLoading` is `isPending && isFetching`, so it is false on
+ * the first render — the observer has not started the fetch yet — and while a
+ * query is paused (offline). The body surfaces gate their empty/error states on
+ * this flag, so keying "no data yet" off `isFetching` lets a cold open paint
+ * "No past sessions" for a frame before the request settles.
+ *
+ * `isPending` stays true until the query settles (success or error), which is
+ * exactly the "keep showing skeletons until the request settles" contract. It
+ * is false as soon as any page is cached, so a background refetch never blanks
+ * out rows that are already rendered.
+ */
+export function selectSessionListIsLoading(input: {
+  /** Query inputs (org, persisted filters, identity) have resolved. */
+  ready: boolean;
+  isSearching: boolean;
+  /** `search.isPending` — no search result cached yet. */
+  searchIsPending: boolean;
+  /** `stored.isPending` — no stored page cached yet. */
+  storedIsPending: boolean;
+}): boolean {
+  if (!input.ready) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  return input.isSearching ? input.searchIsPending : input.storedIsPending;
+}
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/use-agent-session-list-data.ts b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/use-agent-session-list-data.ts
index 387cce7adf..f9118848b4 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/use-agent-session-list-data.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/components/agents/use-agent-session-list-data.ts
@@ -36,8 +36,7 @@ export function useAgentSessionListData(options: {
     dateGroups,
     activeIsError,
     storedIsError,
-    storedIsFetching,
-    storedLoadedPageCount,
+    storedIsPending,
     hasNextPage,
     isFetchingNextPage,
     fetchNextPage,
@@ -149,8 +148,7 @@ export function useAgentSessionListData(options: {
   return {
     storedSessions,
     activeSessionIds,
-    storedIsFetching,
-    storedLoadedPageCount,
+    storedIsPending,
     paging,
     refetch,
     handleRetry,
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/components/device-sessions-screen.mounted.test.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/components/device-sessions-screen.mounted.test.tsx
index 73b88605a8..4afad43319 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/components/device-sessions-screen.mounted.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/components/device-sessions-screen.mounted.test.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { TrustedHostsScreen } from './trusted-hosts-screen';
 const query = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   data: undefined as DeviceSession[] | undefined,
   isLoading: false,
+  isPending: false,
   isError: false,
   isFetching: false,
   refetch: vi.fn(),
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ vi.mock('@/lib/format', () => ({ formatDate: () => 'Date' }));
 beforeEach(() => {
   query.data = undefined;
   query.isLoading = false;
+  query.isPending = false;
   query.isError = false;
   query.refetch.mockClear();
   hosts.hasLoaded = true;
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ describe('account surface states', () => {
   });
 
   it('keeps device loading ahead of error and empty states', async () => {
-    query.isLoading = true;
+    query.isPending = true;
     query.isError = true;
     const { renderer, unmount } = await renderWithProviders(createElement(DeviceSessionsScreen));
     expect(renderer.root.findAll(node => String(node.type) === 'Skeleton')).toHaveLength(12);
@@ -119,6 +121,20 @@ describe('account surface states', () => {
     unmount();
   });
 
+  // Regression: React Query v5's `isLoading` is false on the first render
+  // before the observer starts fetching. The very first frame of a cold open
+  // must still be the skeleton, not the empty state.
+  it('shows the skeleton on the cold-open render before the request settles', async () => {
+    query.isPending = true;
+    query.isLoading = false;
+    query.isError = false;
+    query.data = undefined;
+    const { renderer, unmount } = await renderWithProviders(createElement(DeviceSessionsScreen));
+    expect(renderer.root.findAll(node => String(node.type) === 'Skeleton')).toHaveLength(12);
+    expect(renderer.root.findAll(node => String(node.type) === 'EmptyState')).toHaveLength(0);
+    unmount();
+  });
+
   it('lifts trusted host emptiness outside the scroller', async () => {
     const { renderer, unmount } = await renderWithProviders(createElement(TrustedHostsScreen));
     expect(renderer.root.findAll(node => String(node.type) === 'TabScreenScrollView')).toHaveLength(
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/components/device-sessions-screen.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/components/device-sessions-screen.tsx
index 8d2fe1c9a9..5e8cc47415 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/components/device-sessions-screen.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/components/device-sessions-screen.tsx
@@ -84,13 +84,16 @@ export function DeviceSessionsScreen() {
   const trpc = useTRPC();
   const { t } = useTranslation();
 
-  const { data, isLoading, isError, isFetching, refetch } = useQuery({
+  const { data, isPending, isError, isFetching, refetch } = useQuery({
     ...trpc.user.listDeviceSessions.queryOptions(),
     enabled: token != null,
   });
 
   const state = classifyDeviceSessionsState({
-    isLoading,
+    // `isPending`, not `isLoading`: React Query v5's `isLoading` is
+    // `isPending && isFetching`, so it is false on the first render before the
+    // fetch starts and the cold open would classify as `empty`.
+    isPending,
     isError: isError && data === undefined,
     data,
   });
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/device-sessions.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/device-sessions.test.ts
index 0eb4c6c674..5e229961fd 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/device-sessions.test.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/device-sessions.test.ts
@@ -73,23 +73,30 @@ describe('classifyDeviceSessionsState', () => {
   it.each([
     {
       name: 'loading ahead of stale data',
-      args: { isLoading: true, isError: false, data: rows },
+      args: { isPending: true, isError: false, data: rows },
+      expected: 'loading',
+    },
+    {
+      // Cold open, first render: the observer has not started fetching yet so
+      // React Query's `isLoading` would be false, but `isPending` is true.
+      name: 'the first render before the request settles as loading, not empty',
+      args: { isPending: true, isError: false, data: undefined },
       expected: 'loading',
     },
     {
       name: 'a query error as retryable error',
-      args: { isLoading: false, isError: true, data: undefined },
+      args: { isPending: false, isError: true, data: undefined },
       expected: 'error',
     },
     {
       name: 'zero rows as empty',
-      args: { isLoading: false, isError: false, data: [] },
+      args: { isPending: false, isError: false, data: [] },
       expected: 'empty',
     },
     {
       name: 'rows with a current row as happy',
       args: {
-        isLoading: false,
+        isPending: false,
         isError: false,
         data: [makeSession({ id: 'b', isCurrent: true }), ...rows],
       },
@@ -97,7 +104,7 @@ describe('classifyDeviceSessionsState', () => {
     },
     {
       name: 'rows without a current row as no-current, never empty',
-      args: { isLoading: false, isError: false, data: rows },
+      args: { isPending: false, isError: false, data: rows },
       expected: 'no-current',
     },
   ])('classifies $name', ({ args, expected }) => {
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/device-sessions.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/device-sessions.ts
index df0207b732..2b73c784d9 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/device-sessions.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/device-sessions.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,14 @@ export function sortDeviceSessions(sessions: readonly DeviceSession[]): DeviceSe
 type DeviceSessionsQueryState = 'loading' | 'error' | 'empty' | 'happy' | 'no-current';
 
 type ClassifyArgs = {
-  isLoading: boolean;
+  /**
+   * `isPending` (no data yet), NOT React Query v5's `isLoading`
+   * (`isPending && isFetching`): the first render before the observer starts
+   * the fetch and a paused (offline) query are pending but not fetching, so
+   * `isLoading` would classify a cold open as `empty` and flash the empty
+   * state before the request settles.
+   */
+  isPending: boolean;
   isError: boolean;
   data: DeviceSession[] | undefined;
 };
@@ -53,11 +60,11 @@ type ClassifyArgs = {
  * note — never the empty state.
  */
 export function classifyDeviceSessionsState({
-  isLoading,
+  isPending,
   isError,
   data,
 }: ClassifyArgs): DeviceSessionsQueryState {
-  if (isLoading) {
+  if (isPending) {
     return 'loading';
   }
   if (isError) {
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/use-agent-sessions.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/use-agent-sessions.ts
index 220377e3fd..fb9642863d 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/use-agent-sessions.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/use-agent-sessions.ts
@@ -347,6 +347,12 @@ export function useAgentSessions(options?: UseAgentSessionsOptions) {
     // vs "keep showing stale data") should use these instead of `isError`.
     storedIsError: stored.isError,
     storedIsSuccess: stored.isSuccess,
+    // React Query v5's `isLoading` is `isPending && isFetching`, so it is false
+    // on the first render (the observer has not started the fetch yet) and
+    // while a query is paused (offline). `isPending` stays true until the query
+    // settles, so the list surfaces must key "no data yet" off this flag — a
+    // cached list has `isPending: false` and keeps rendering during a refetch.
+    storedIsPending: stored.isPending,
     // Any stored-list fetch in flight (initial load, refetch, next page),
     // used by the backfill selector to serialize automatic fetches behind
     // user- or focus-driven refetches on the same infinite query. The selector