diff --git a/src/app/settings/storage/page.tsx b/src/app/settings/storage/page.tsx
index 3cf5be0..53eb695 100644
--- a/src/app/settings/storage/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/settings/storage/page.tsx
@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import Link from 'next/link';
-import { Box, ExternalLink } from 'lucide-react';
+import { Box, ExternalLink, Loader2 } from 'lucide-react';
 import { ArrowLeftIcon } from '@/components/Icons';
 import { StorageConfigurationPrompt } from '@/components/StorageConfigurationPrompt';
+import { getStoragePageState } from './storage-page-state';
 
 interface StorageStatus {
     provider: 'stuffbox' | null;
@@ -15,9 +16,11 @@ interface StorageStatus {
 export default function StorageSettingsPage() {
     const [status, setStatus] = useState<StorageStatus | null>(null);
     const [error, setError] = useState('');
+    const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
     const [isDisconnecting, setIsDisconnecting] = useState(false);
 
-    const loadStatus = useCallback(async () => {
+    const loadStatus = useCallback(async (showLoading = false) => {
+        if (showLoading) setIsLoading(true);
         try {
             const response = await fetch('/api/storage/configuration', { cache: 'no-store' });
             const data = await response.json().catch(() => ({}));
@@ -26,10 +29,12 @@ export default function StorageSettingsPage() {
             setError('');
         } catch (loadError) {
             setError(loadError instanceof Error ? loadError.message : 'Unable to load storage settings');
+        } finally {
+            if (showLoading) setIsLoading(false);
         }
     }, []);
 
-    useEffect(() => { void loadStatus(); }, [loadStatus]);
+    useEffect(() => { void loadStatus(true); }, [loadStatus]);
 
     const disconnectStuffbox = async () => {
         if (!window.confirm('Disconnect Stuffbox from this Synapsis account? Existing media links will keep working.')) return;
@@ -47,6 +52,19 @@ export default function StorageSettingsPage() {
         }
     };
 
+    const pageState = getStoragePageState(status, isLoading);
+
+    if (pageState === 'loading') {
+        return (
+            <main aria-busy="true" aria-label="Loading media storage" style={{ minHeight: '70vh', display: 'grid', placeItems: 'center', padding: '24px' }}>
+                <div role="status" style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: '10px', color: 'var(--foreground-secondary)' }}>
+                    <Loader2 className="animate-spin" size={22} aria-hidden="true" />
+                    <span>Loading media storage…</span>
+                </div>
+            </main>
+        );
+    }
+
     return (
         <div style={{ maxWidth: '600px', margin: '0 auto', padding: '24px 16px 64px' }}>
             <header style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'center', gap: '16px', marginBottom: '32px' }}>
@@ -65,7 +83,7 @@ export default function StorageSettingsPage() {
                 Storage belongs to your account rather than this node. That keeps your media available if you move your account elsewhere.
             </p>
 
-            <div className="card" style={{ padding: '20px', marginBottom: '16px' }}>
+            {status && <div className="card" style={{ padding: '20px', marginBottom: '16px' }}>
                 <div style={{ display: 'flex', alignItems: 'flex-start', gap: '12px' }}>
                     <Box size={22} />
                     <div style={{ flex: 1 }}>
@@ -82,9 +100,9 @@ export default function StorageSettingsPage() {
                         </button>
                     </div>
                 )}
-            </div>
+            </div>}
 
-            {status?.provider !== 'stuffbox' && (
+            {pageState === 'disconnected' && status && (
                 <div className="card" style={{ padding: '20px' }}>
                     <h2 style={{ fontSize: '18px', fontWeight: 600, marginBottom: '8px' }}>
                         Connect Stuffbox
@@ -92,7 +110,13 @@ export default function StorageSettingsPage() {
                     <p style={{ color: 'var(--foreground-secondary)', fontSize: '14px', lineHeight: 1.5, marginBottom: '20px' }}>
                         Connect the official Synapsis storage partner to upload portable media from your account.
                     </p>
-                    <StorageConfigurationPrompt open onConfigured={loadStatus} onCancel={() => {}} variant="inline" />
+                    <StorageConfigurationPrompt
+                        open
+                        stuffboxAvailable={status.stuffboxAvailable}
+                        onConfigured={loadStatus}
+                        onCancel={() => {}}
+                        variant="inline"
+                    />
                 </div>
             )}
             {error && <p style={{ color: 'var(--error)', fontSize: '14px', marginTop: '14px' }}>{error}</p>}
diff --git a/src/app/settings/storage/storage-page-state.test.ts b/src/app/settings/storage/storage-page-state.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97760a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/settings/storage/storage-page-state.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import { getStoragePageState } from './storage-page-state';
+
+describe('storage page render gate', () => {
+  it('never treats missing initial status as a disconnected account', () => {
+    expect(getStoragePageState(null, true)).toBe('loading');
+  });
+
+  it('renders the connection UI only after a disconnected status is loaded', () => {
+    expect(getStoragePageState({ provider: null }, false)).toBe('disconnected');
+    expect(getStoragePageState({ provider: 'stuffbox' }, false)).toBe('connected');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/app/settings/storage/storage-page-state.ts b/src/app/settings/storage/storage-page-state.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b6514c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/settings/storage/storage-page-state.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+export interface StoragePageStatus {
+  provider: 'stuffbox' | null;
+}
+
+export type StoragePageState = 'loading' | 'error' | 'connected' | 'disconnected';
+
+export function getStoragePageState(
+  status: StoragePageStatus | null,
+  isLoading: boolean,
+): StoragePageState {
+  if (isLoading) return 'loading';
+  if (!status) return 'error';
+  return status.provider === 'stuffbox' ? 'connected' : 'disconnected';
+}
diff --git a/src/components/StorageConfigurationPrompt.tsx b/src/components/StorageConfigurationPrompt.tsx
index c383b20..42b25b6 100644
--- a/src/components/StorageConfigurationPrompt.tsx
+++ b/src/components/StorageConfigurationPrompt.tsx
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@ interface StorageConfigurationPromptProps {
     onConfigured: () => void | Promise<void>;
     onCancel: () => void;
     variant?: 'modal' | 'inline';
+    stuffboxAvailable?: boolean;
 }
 
-export function StorageConfigurationPrompt({ open, onConfigured, onCancel, variant = 'modal' }: StorageConfigurationPromptProps) {
+export function StorageConfigurationPrompt({ open, onConfigured, onCancel, variant = 'modal', stuffboxAvailable: prefetchedStuffboxAvailable }: StorageConfigurationPromptProps) {
     const [error, setError] = useState('');
     const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
-    const [stuffboxAvailable, setStuffboxAvailable] = useState(false);
+    const [stuffboxAvailable, setStuffboxAvailable] = useState(prefetchedStuffboxAvailable ?? false);
     const [isConnectingStuffbox, setIsConnectingStuffbox] = useState(false);
     const connectionAbortRef = useRef<AbortController | null>(null);
     const connectionPopupRef = useRef<Window | null>(null);
@@ -51,6 +52,12 @@ export function StorageConfigurationPrompt({ open, onConfigured, onCancel, varia
 
     useEffect(() => {
         if (!open) return;
+        if (prefetchedStuffboxAvailable !== undefined) {
+            setError('');
+            setStuffboxAvailable(prefetchedStuffboxAvailable);
+            setIsLoading(false);
+            return;
+        }
         let active = true;
         setError('');
         setIsLoading(true);
@@ -63,7 +70,7 @@ export function StorageConfigurationPrompt({ open, onConfigured, onCancel, varia
             .catch((loadError) => active && setError(loadError instanceof Error ? loadError.message : 'Unable to load storage options'))
             .finally(() => active && setIsLoading(false));
         return () => { active = false; };
-    }, [open]);
+    }, [open, prefetchedStuffboxAvailable]);
 
     if (!open) return null;
     const connectStuffbox = async () => {