diff --git a/deploy/gitea/install-hop-native.sh b/deploy/gitea/install-hop-native.sh
index e72d1f1..66a389d 100755
--- a/deploy/gitea/install-hop-native.sh
+++ b/deploy/gitea/install-hop-native.sh
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ docker compose --env-file "$env_file" cp \
 docker compose --env-file "$env_file" cp \
   deploy/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native.js \
   gitea:/data/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native-v17.js
+docker compose --env-file "$env_file" cp \
+  deploy/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native.js \
+  gitea:/data/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native-v18.js
 docker compose --env-file "$env_file" cp \
   deploy/gitea/public/assets/css/hop-home.css \
   gitea:/data/gitea/public/assets/css/hop-home.css
diff --git a/deploy/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native.js b/deploy/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native.js
index 155cfdd..0b2e7ad 100644
--- a/deploy/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native.js
+++ b/deploy/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native.js
@@ -345,15 +345,37 @@
     return new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).get('hop') === 'home';
   }
 
+  function signedIn() {
+    return Boolean(document.querySelector('meta[name="hop-signed-user-id"]'));
+  }
+
+  function revealHopPage() {
+    document.documentElement.dataset.hopNative = 'true';
+  }
+
   async function loadPublicHomepage() {
     const link = document.querySelector('[data-hop-public-home-link]');
     if (link) link.classList.toggle('active', publicHomepageRequested());
-    if (!link || !publicHomepageRequested() || document.documentElement.dataset.hopPublicHome) return;
+    if (!publicHomepageRequested()) return;
+
+    if (document.querySelector('#hop-main')) {
+      document.documentElement.dataset.hopPublicHome = 'rendered';
+      revealHopPage();
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (!signedIn()) {
+      revealHopPage();
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (document.documentElement.dataset.hopPublicHome) return;
 
     document.documentElement.dataset.hopPublicHome = 'loading';
     try {
-      const publicURL = new URL(link.href, window.location.origin);
+      const publicURL = new URL(link?.href || window.location.href, window.location.origin);
       publicURL.search = '';
+      publicURL.hash = '';
       const response = await fetch(publicURL, {credentials: 'omit'});
       if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Could not load the Hop homepage (${response.status})`);
 
@@ -372,8 +394,10 @@
       bindInstallationSwitchers();
       bindInstallationCopyButtons();
     } catch (error) {
-      delete document.documentElement.dataset.hopPublicHome;
+      document.documentElement.dataset.hopPublicHome = 'failed';
       console.error(error);
+    } finally {
+      revealHopPage();
     }
   }
 
@@ -389,7 +413,12 @@
     bindInstallationSwitchers();
     bindInstallationCopyButtons();
     void loadPublicHomepage();
-    document.documentElement.dataset.hopNative = 'true';
+    const publicHomepageNeedsSwap = publicHomepageRequested()
+      && signedIn()
+      && !document.querySelector('#hop-main');
+    if (!publicHomepageNeedsSwap || document.documentElement.dataset.hopPublicHome === 'failed') {
+      revealHopPage();
+    }
   }
 
   let queued = false;
diff --git a/deploy/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native.test.mjs b/deploy/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3f1f5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy/gitea/public/assets/js/hop-native.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import {readFile} from 'node:fs/promises';
+import test from 'node:test';
+import vm from 'node:vm';
+
+const source = await readFile(new URL('./hop-native.js', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
+
+function page({search = '', signedIn = false, fetchResult} = {}) {
+  const dataset = {};
+  const publicHomeLink = {
+    classList: {toggle() {}},
+    href: 'https://hop.test/',
+  };
+  let currentMainReplaced = false;
+  const currentMain = {
+    replaceWith() {
+      currentMainReplaced = true;
+    },
+  };
+  const publicMain = {
+    parentElement: {querySelectorAll: () => []},
+  };
+  const document = {
+    documentElement: {dataset},
+    title: 'Dashboard',
+    addEventListener() {},
+    querySelector(selector) {
+      if (selector === 'meta[name="hop-signed-user-id"]') return signedIn ? {} : null;
+      if (selector === '[data-hop-public-home-link]') return signedIn ? publicHomeLink : null;
+      if (selector === '[role="main"]') return currentMain;
+      return null;
+    },
+    querySelectorAll() {
+      return [];
+    },
+  };
+  const context = {
+    console: {error() {}},
+    document,
+    DOMParser: class {
+      parseFromString() {
+        return {
+          title: 'Hop',
+          querySelector: (selector) => selector === '#hop-main' ? publicMain : null,
+        };
+      }
+    },
+    fetch: fetchResult || (() => Promise.resolve({ok: true, text: () => Promise.resolve('<main id="hop-main"></main>')})),
+    MutationObserver: class { observe() {} },
+    URL,
+    URLSearchParams,
+    window: {
+      location: {href: `https://hop.test/${search}`, origin: 'https://hop.test', pathname: '/', search},
+      requestAnimationFrame() {},
+    },
+  };
+  vm.runInNewContext(source, context);
+  return {dataset, get currentMainReplaced() { return currentMainReplaced; }};
+}
+
+async function settle() {
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+}
+
+test('keeps the authenticated dashboard hidden until the public homepage is ready', async () => {
+  let finishFetch;
+  const fetchResult = () => new Promise((resolve) => { finishFetch = resolve; });
+  const result = page({search: '?hop=home', signedIn: true, fetchResult});
+
+  assert.equal(result.dataset.hopPublicHome, 'loading');
+  assert.equal(result.dataset.hopNative, undefined);
+  assert.equal(result.currentMainReplaced, false);
+
+  finishFetch({ok: true, text: () => Promise.resolve('<main id="hop-main"></main>')});
+  await settle();
+
+  assert.equal(result.dataset.hopPublicHome, 'rendered');
+  assert.equal(result.dataset.hopNative, 'true');
+  assert.equal(result.currentMainReplaced, true);
+});
+
+test('reveals the existing page when the public homepage request fails', async () => {
+  const result = page({
+    search: '?hop=home',
+    signedIn: true,
+    fetchResult: () => Promise.reject(new Error('offline')),
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(result.dataset.hopNative, undefined);
+  await settle();
+
+  assert.equal(result.dataset.hopPublicHome, 'failed');
+  assert.equal(result.dataset.hopNative, 'true');
+  assert.equal(result.currentMainReplaced, false);
+});
+
+test('reveals ordinary pages immediately', () => {
+  const result = page({signedIn: true});
+  assert.equal(result.dataset.hopNative, 'true');
+});
diff --git a/deploy/gitea/templates/custom/footer.tmpl b/deploy/gitea/templates/custom/footer.tmpl
index dc7f7c8..5d9478f 100644
--- a/deploy/gitea/templates/custom/footer.tmpl
+++ b/deploy/gitea/templates/custom/footer.tmpl
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{AssetUrlPrefix}}/css/hop-home.css?v=4">
 <link rel="stylesheet" href="{{AssetUrlPrefix}}/css/hop-prompts.css?v=4">
-<script src="{{AssetUrlPrefix}}/js/hop-native-v17.js?v=1"></script>
+<script src="{{AssetUrlPrefix}}/js/hop-native-v18.js?v=1"></script>