diff --git a/apps/dashboard/src/features/media/media-card.tsx b/apps/dashboard/src/features/media/media-card.tsx
index 1651f10..29e4c65 100644
--- a/apps/dashboard/src/features/media/media-card.tsx
+++ b/apps/dashboard/src/features/media/media-card.tsx
@@ -16,11 +16,15 @@ export function MediaCard({ item, isRevealed, onToggleReveal, onOpenPreview }: M
   return (
     <article className="media-card">
       <div className="media-preview">
-        {isRevealed ? (
-          <button aria-label={`View media from ${item.sender} larger`} className="media-preview-button" onClick={onOpenPreview} type="button">
-            <img alt={`Media from ${item.sender}`} className="media-image" loading="lazy" src={item.urlPath} />
-          </button>
-        ) : <img alt={`Media from ${item.sender}`} className="media-image is-blurred" loading="lazy" src={item.urlPath} />}
+        <button
+          aria-label={`View media from ${item.sender} larger`}
+          className="media-preview-button"
+          disabled={!isRevealed}
+          onClick={onOpenPreview}
+          type="button"
+        >
+          <img alt={`Media from ${item.sender}`} className={isRevealed ? 'media-image' : 'media-image is-blurred'} loading="lazy" src={item.urlPath} />
+        </button>
         {!isRevealed ? <span className="privacy-label">Private media hidden</span> : null}
       </div>
       <div className="media-card-body">
diff --git a/src/bootstrap.ts b/src/bootstrap.ts
index d85c461..4ef1e7f 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap.ts
+++ b/src/bootstrap.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { fetchWithTimeout } from './utils/fetch-with-timeout.js';
 import { WebServer } from './web/server.js';
 import { reportReply } from './web/event-reporting.js';
 import { RedditSessionImporter } from './services/reddit-session-importer.js';
+import { AccountAuthContext } from './services/account-auth-context.js';
 
 export interface AppContainer {
   config: Config;
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ export interface AppContainer {
   db: Database.Database;
 
   browserClient: BrowserClient;
+  accountAuth: AccountAuthContext;
 
   postsRepo: PostsRepository;
   messagesRepo: MessagesRepository;
@@ -102,23 +104,17 @@ export async function bootstrap(config: Config, logger: Logger): Promise<AppCont
 
   // Browser
   const browserClient = new BrowserClient(config, logger);
+  const accountAuth = new AccountAuthContext(logger);
   await browserClient.initialize();
 
   // The extension import is the only session acquisition path. A missing
   // session is recoverable: the dashboard remains available while all
   // account-bound work waits for a verified dump.
   logger.info('Verifying Reddit login status...');
-  const loggedIn = await browserClient.isSessionValid();
-  if (!loggedIn) {
+  const redditLoggedIn = await browserClient.isSessionValid();
+  if (!redditLoggedIn) {
     logger.warn('Reddit session is logged out. Account work is paused until a session dump is imported from the extension.');
   }
-  if (loggedIn) {
-    logger.info('Reddit login verified');
-  }
-  broadcaster.dashboardEvents.redditSession({
-    state: loggedIn ? 'authenticated' : 'login-required',
-    username: loggedIn ? await browserClient.getAuthenticatedUsername() ?? undefined : undefined,
-  });
 
   // Reddit API client (shares browser context for auth)
   const redditApi = new RedditApiClient(config, logger);
@@ -143,6 +139,7 @@ export async function bootstrap(config: Config, logger: Logger): Promise<AppCont
     successfulMessagesRepo,
     postsRepo,
     logger,
+    accountAuth,
     conversationOutcomesRepo,
   );
 
@@ -161,11 +158,28 @@ export async function bootstrap(config: Config, logger: Logger): Promise<AppCont
       capturedAt: Date.now(),
     };
   }
-  const matrixClient = new MatrixClient(matrixCreds, logger);
+  let activeMatrixClient = new MatrixClient(matrixCreds, logger);
+  accountAuth.setAuthenticator(async () => {
+    const redditUsername = await browserClient.getAuthenticatedUsername();
+    if (!redditUsername) return null;
+    try {
+      const matrixUserId = await activeMatrixClient.whoami();
+      if (!matrixUserId) return null;
+      return { accountId: matrixUserId, redditUsername, matrixUserId };
+    } catch {
+      return null;
+    }
+  });
+  const fullyAuthenticated = redditLoggedIn && await accountAuth.ensureFullyAuthenticated();
+  if (fullyAuthenticated) logger.info('Reddit and Matrix authentication verified');
+  broadcaster.dashboardEvents.redditSession({
+    state: fullyAuthenticated ? 'authenticated' : 'login-required',
+    username: fullyAuthenticated ? accountAuth.getSnapshot().redditUsername ?? undefined : undefined,
+  });
 
   // 2. Build the media downloader + service on top of the Matrix client so
   //    `mxc://` URIs resolve through the same auth + rate-limiter pipeline.
-  const mediaDownloader = new MatrixMediaDownloader(matrixClient, logger);
+  const mediaDownloader = new MatrixMediaDownloader(activeMatrixClient, logger);
   const mediaService = new MediaService(mediaDownloader, logger);
 
   // A 401 waits for a new extension dump instead of opening a browser login
@@ -204,7 +218,7 @@ export async function bootstrap(config: Config, logger: Logger): Promise<AppCont
   };
 
   const chatService = new ChatService(
-    matrixClient,
+    activeMatrixClient,
     logger,
     successfulMessagesRepo,
     mediaService,
@@ -213,9 +227,10 @@ export async function bootstrap(config: Config, logger: Logger): Promise<AppCont
     undefined,
     messagesRepo,
     redditUsersRepo,
+    accountAuth,
   );
 
-  const mediaSyncService = new MediaSyncService(chatService, logger, config.media.syncIntervalMs);
+  const mediaSyncService = new MediaSyncService(chatService, logger, config.media.syncIntervalMs, accountAuth);
   const rateLimiter = new RateLimiter(config, logger, undefined, {
     sentMessageHistory: async (since) => messagesRepo.getSentTimestampsSince(since),
   });
@@ -225,9 +240,15 @@ export async function bootstrap(config: Config, logger: Logger): Promise<AppCont
 
   const sessionImporter = new RedditSessionImporter(
     browserClient,
-    chatService,
+    {
+      setMatrixClient(client) {
+        activeMatrixClient = client;
+        chatService.setMatrixClient(client);
+      },
+    },
     (credentials) => new MatrixClient(credentials, logger),
     saveCredentials,
+    accountAuth,
   );
 
   let webServer: WebServer | null = null;
@@ -296,6 +317,7 @@ export async function bootstrap(config: Config, logger: Logger): Promise<AppCont
     webServer.setStrategySelector(strategySelector);
     webServer.setBrowserClient(browserClient);
     webServer.setSessionImporter(sessionImporter);
+    webServer.setAccountAuth(accountAuth);
     webServer.setConversationStateRepository(conversationStateRepo);
     webServer.setOnConfigChange(() => logger.info('Runtime config updated via dashboard'));
   }
@@ -316,6 +338,7 @@ export async function bootstrap(config: Config, logger: Logger): Promise<AppCont
     logger,
     db,
     browserClient,
+    accountAuth,
     postsRepo,
     messagesRepo,
     successfulMessagesRepo,
diff --git a/src/main-loop.ts b/src/main-loop.ts
index 6c70e56..fff9bf5 100644
--- a/src/main-loop.ts
+++ b/src/main-loop.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ export async function runMainLoop(app: AppContainer): Promise<void> {
     config,
     logger,
     browserClient,
+    accountAuth,
     postsRepo,
     messagesRepo,
     redditApi,
@@ -177,7 +178,9 @@ export async function runMainLoop(app: AppContainer): Promise<void> {
 
   while (!isShuttingDown) {
     try {
-      if (!sessionRuntime.reconcile(browserClient.getSessionState())) {
+      const authenticated = accountAuth.isFullyAuthenticated()
+        || await accountAuth.ensureFullyAuthenticated();
+      if (!sessionRuntime.reconcile(authenticated)) {
         if (Date.now() - lastPausedLog > PAUSED_LOG_INTERVAL_MS) {
           logger.info('Reddit is logged out. Waiting for a session dump from the extension.');
           lastPausedLog = Date.now();
diff --git a/src/services/chat/service.ts b/src/services/chat/service.ts
index eed90ac..cfcaa5f 100644
--- a/src/services/chat/service.ts
+++ b/src/services/chat/service.ts
@@ -19,9 +19,8 @@ const ROOM_URL_PREFIX = 'https://chat.reddit.com/room/';
 
 export interface TokenRefresher {
   /**
-   * Re-extract a fresh Matrix bearer token (e.g. by re-running the browser
-   * sniff against the persistent session) and apply it to the underlying
-   * client. Resolves when the client is ready to be retried.
+   * Requests replacement Matrix credentials. Extension-only authentication
+   * deliberately rejects this until the user imports a fresh dump.
    */
   refresh(): Promise<void>;
 }
@@ -175,9 +174,8 @@ export class ChatService {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Run a Matrix call; if it 401/403s, re-extract the bearer via the
-   * configured `TokenRefresher` and retry once. Single retry only — if the
-   * refresh itself fails, we propagate.
+   * Run a Matrix call; if it 401/403s, invalidate the shared account gate.
+   * The configured refresher reports that a new extension dump is required.
    */
   private async withAuth<T>(fn: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
     if (!this.accountAuth?.isFullyAuthenticated()) {
@@ -189,7 +187,7 @@ export class ChatService {
       return await fn();
     } catch (err) {
       if (err instanceof MatrixAuthError && this.tokenRefresher) {
-        this.logger.warn('[chat] Matrix token rejected — refreshing via browser session');
+        this.logger.warn('[chat] Matrix token rejected — waiting for a new extension dump');
         try {
           await this.tokenRefresher.refresh();
         } catch (refreshError) {
diff --git a/src/services/reddit-session-importer.ts b/src/services/reddit-session-importer.ts
index 7641b44..d805ace 100644
--- a/src/services/reddit-session-importer.ts
+++ b/src/services/reddit-session-importer.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import type { Cookie } from 'playwright';
 import type { MatrixClient } from './chat/matrix/client.js';
 import type { MatrixCredentials } from './chat/matrix/types.js';
+import type { AccountAuthContext } from './account-auth-context.js';
 
 interface BrowserSessionTarget {
   importRedditCookies(cookies: Cookie[]): Promise<void>;
   isSessionValid(): Promise<boolean>;
+  getAuthenticatedUsername(): Promise<string | null>;
 }
 
 interface ChatSessionTarget {
@@ -20,6 +22,7 @@ export class RedditSessionImporter {
     private readonly chat: ChatSessionTarget,
     private readonly createMatrixClient: MatrixClientFactory,
     private readonly saveCredentials: CredentialStore,
+    private readonly accountAuth: AccountAuthContext,
   ) {}
 
   async import(cookies: Cookie[], credentials: MatrixCredentials): Promise<void> {
@@ -41,8 +44,15 @@ export class RedditSessionImporter {
     if (!(await this.browser.isSessionValid())) {
       throw new Error('Imported cookies did not authenticate with Reddit');
     }
+    const redditUsername = await this.browser.getAuthenticatedUsername();
+    if (!redditUsername) throw new Error('Reddit did not return an authenticated account identity');
 
     this.saveCredentials(credentials);
     this.chat.setMatrixClient(matrixClient);
+    this.accountAuth.markAuthenticated({
+      accountId: userId,
+      redditUsername,
+      matrixUserId: userId,
+    });
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/services/response-checker.ts b/src/services/response-checker.ts
index d936d9a..2c0720d 100644
--- a/src/services/response-checker.ts
+++ b/src/services/response-checker.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import type { Logger } from '../utils/logger.js';
 import type { MessagesRepository, SuccessfulMessagesRepository, SentMessageRecord, ConversationOutcomesRepository } from '../database/repositories.js';
 import type { PostsRepository } from '../database/repositories.js';
 import { classifyConversationOutcome } from './conversation-outcome.js';
+import { denyAccountAuth, type AccountAuthGate } from './account-auth-context.js';
 
 export interface ResponseCheckResult {
   messageId: number;
@@ -18,11 +19,13 @@ export class ResponseCheckerService {
     private successfulMessagesRepo: SuccessfulMessagesRepository,
     private postsRepo: PostsRepository,
     private logger: Logger,
+    private accountAuth: AccountAuthGate = denyAccountAuth,
     private outcomesRepo?: ConversationOutcomesRepository,
   ) { }
 
   async checkForResponses(): Promise<ResponseCheckResult[]> {
     const results: ResponseCheckResult[] = [];
+    if (!this.accountAuth.isFullyAuthenticated()) return results;
 
     // Get messages that haven't been checked recently (at least 1 hour old, recheck every 6 hours)
     const minAgeMs = 60 * 60 * 1000; // 1 hour
diff --git a/src/services/session-bound-runtime.ts b/src/services/session-bound-runtime.ts
index bac41e8..b9114da 100644
--- a/src/services/session-bound-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/services/session-bound-runtime.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-import type { RedditSessionState } from '../browser/client.js';
-
 /** Starts and stops account-bound work as authentication changes. */
 export class SessionBoundRuntime {
   private active = false;
@@ -9,8 +7,7 @@ export class SessionBoundRuntime {
     private readonly stop: () => void,
   ) {}
 
-  reconcile(state: RedditSessionState): boolean {
-    const authenticated = state === 'authenticated';
+  reconcile(authenticated: boolean): boolean {
     if (authenticated && !this.active) {
       this.active = true;
       this.start();
diff --git a/src/web/context.ts b/src/web/context.ts
index ab3f1d6..4471a00 100644
--- a/src/web/context.ts
+++ b/src/web/context.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import type { ActivityLog } from './activity-log.js';
 import type { LogBroadcaster } from './log-broadcaster.js';
 import type { RuntimeConfig } from './types.js';
 import type { RedditSessionImporter } from '../services/reddit-session-importer.js';
+import type { AccountAuthContext } from '../services/account-auth-context.js';
 
 /** Bag of everything the route modules might need. */
 export interface WebContext {
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ export interface WebContext {
     strategySelector?: StrategySelector;
     browser?: BrowserClient;
     sessionImporter?: RedditSessionImporter;
+    accountAuth?: AccountAuthContext;
     conversationState?: ConversationStateRepository;
   };
 
diff --git a/src/web/routes/login.ts b/src/web/routes/login.ts
index 12ef1fa..331aea8 100644
--- a/src/web/routes/login.ts
+++ b/src/web/routes/login.ts
@@ -52,9 +52,25 @@ export function createLoginRouter(ctx: WebContext): Router {
       return;
     }
     try {
-      const loggedIn = await browser.isSessionValid();
-      const username = loggedIn ? await browser.getAuthenticatedUsername() : null;
-      res.json({ ready: true, loggedIn, status: browser.getSessionState(), username });
+      const accountAuth = ctx.services.accountAuth;
+      const fullyAuthenticated = accountAuth
+        ? await accountAuth.ensureFullyAuthenticated()
+        : await browser.isSessionValid();
+      if (fullyAuthenticated) {
+        const username = accountAuth?.getSnapshot().redditUsername
+          ?? await browser.getAuthenticatedUsername();
+        res.json({ ready: true, loggedIn: true, status: 'authenticated', username });
+        return;
+      }
+
+      await browser.isSessionValid();
+      const browserState = browser.getSessionState();
+      res.json({
+        ready: true,
+        loggedIn: false,
+        status: browserState === 'unreachable' ? 'unreachable' : 'login-required',
+        username: null,
+      });
     } catch (error) {
       ctx.logger.error('Failed to check login status:', error);
       res.status(500).json({ ready: true, loggedIn: false, error: 'check failed' });
diff --git a/src/web/server.ts b/src/web/server.ts
index f22f7a7..fd52000 100644
--- a/src/web/server.ts
+++ b/src/web/server.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import type { OpenRouterClient } from '../ai/openrouter.js';
 import type { StrategySelector } from '../services/strategy-selector.js';
 import type { BrowserClient } from '../browser/client.js';
 import type { RedditSessionImporter } from '../services/reddit-session-importer.js';
+import type { AccountAuthContext } from '../services/account-auth-context.js';
 import { ActivityLog } from './activity-log.js';
 import { LogBroadcaster } from './log-broadcaster.js';
 import type { WebContext } from './context.js';
@@ -205,6 +206,10 @@ export class WebServer {
     this.services.sessionImporter = sessionImporter;
   }
 
+  setAccountAuth(accountAuth: AccountAuthContext): void {
+    this.services.accountAuth = accountAuth;
+  }
+
   setConversationStateRepository(conversationState: ConversationStateRepository): void {
     this.services.conversationState = conversationState;
   }
diff --git a/tests/dashboard/settings.test.tsx b/tests/dashboard/settings.test.tsx
index 5b3acef..0f15765 100644
--- a/tests/dashboard/settings.test.tsx
+++ b/tests/dashboard/settings.test.tsx
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ describe('settings and access', () => {
     renderSettings('/settings?section=access');
 
     expect(await screen.findByText('Login required')).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.getByText(/waiting for a session dump/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText(/waiting for a fresh session dump/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.queryByText(/noVNC/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(screen.queryByRole('textbox', { name: /password/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
 
diff --git a/tests/login-status.test.ts b/tests/login-status.test.ts
index c56fc40..765cffe 100644
--- a/tests/login-status.test.ts
+++ b/tests/login-status.test.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@ function appWithBrowser(state: 'authenticated' | 'login-required' | 'unreachable
   app.use(
     createLoginRouter({
       services: {
+        accountAuth: {
+          ensureFullyAuthenticated: async () => state === 'authenticated',
+          getSnapshot: () => ({ redditUsername: state === 'authenticated' ? 'example-account' : null }),
+        },
         browser: {
           isSessionValid: async () => state === 'authenticated',
           getAuthenticatedUsername: async () => state === 'authenticated' ? 'example-account' : null,
diff --git a/tests/reddit-session-importer.test.ts b/tests/reddit-session-importer.test.ts
index 3737ed7..d39f878 100644
--- a/tests/reddit-session-importer.test.ts
+++ b/tests/reddit-session-importer.test.ts
@@ -15,11 +15,16 @@ const credentials = {
 
 describe('RedditSessionImporter', () => {
   it('verifies both parts of the dump before activating the account', async () => {
-    const browser = { importRedditCookies: vi.fn(), isSessionValid: vi.fn(async () => true) };
+    const browser = {
+      importRedditCookies: vi.fn(),
+      isSessionValid: vi.fn(async () => true),
+      getAuthenticatedUsername: vi.fn(async () => 'bot-account'),
+    };
     const matrix = { whoami: vi.fn(async () => credentials.userId) };
     const chat = { setMatrixClient: vi.fn() };
     const save = vi.fn();
-    const importer = new RedditSessionImporter(browser, chat as never, vi.fn(() => matrix as never), save);
+    const accountAuth = { markAuthenticated: vi.fn() };
+    const importer = new RedditSessionImporter(browser, chat as never, vi.fn(() => matrix as never), save, accountAuth as never);
 
     await importer.import(cookies, credentials);
 
@@ -27,15 +32,21 @@ describe('RedditSessionImporter', () => {
     expect(browser.importRedditCookies).toHaveBeenCalledWith(cookies);
     expect(chat.setMatrixClient).toHaveBeenCalledWith(matrix);
     expect(save).toHaveBeenCalledWith(credentials);
+    expect(accountAuth.markAuthenticated).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      accountId: credentials.userId,
+      redditUsername: 'bot-account',
+      matrixUserId: credentials.userId,
+    });
   });
 
   it('rejects non-Reddit Matrix homeservers without making a request', async () => {
     const createMatrix = vi.fn();
     const importer = new RedditSessionImporter(
-      { importRedditCookies: vi.fn(), isSessionValid: vi.fn() },
+      { importRedditCookies: vi.fn(), isSessionValid: vi.fn(), getAuthenticatedUsername: vi.fn() },
       { setMatrixClient: vi.fn() } as never,
       createMatrix,
       vi.fn(),
+      { markAuthenticated: vi.fn() } as never,
     );
 
     await expect(importer.import(cookies, { ...credentials, homeserver: 'https://attacker.example' }))
diff --git a/tests/session-bound-runtime.test.ts b/tests/session-bound-runtime.test.ts
index 21959d5..f3ca80a 100644
--- a/tests/session-bound-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/tests/session-bound-runtime.test.ts
@@ -7,22 +7,19 @@ describe('SessionBoundRuntime', () => {
     const stop = vi.fn();
     const runtime = new SessionBoundRuntime(start, stop);
 
-    expect(runtime.reconcile('login-required')).toBe(false);
+    expect(runtime.reconcile(false)).toBe(false);
     expect(start).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 
-    expect(runtime.reconcile('authenticated')).toBe(true);
-    expect(runtime.reconcile('authenticated')).toBe(true);
+    expect(runtime.reconcile(true)).toBe(true);
+    expect(runtime.reconcile(true)).toBe(true);
     expect(start).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
 
-    expect(runtime.reconcile('login-required')).toBe(false);
+    expect(runtime.reconcile(false)).toBe(false);
     expect(stop).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
   });
 
-  it.each(['unknown', 'login-required', 'unreachable'] as const)(
-    'treats %s as waiting for an extension dump',
-    (state) => {
-      const runtime = new SessionBoundRuntime(vi.fn(), vi.fn());
-      expect(runtime.reconcile(state)).toBe(false);
-    },
-  );
+  it('treats incomplete authentication as waiting for an extension dump', () => {
+    const runtime = new SessionBoundRuntime(vi.fn(), vi.fn());
+    expect(runtime.reconcile(false)).toBe(false);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/tests/web/control-realtime.test.ts b/tests/web/control-realtime.test.ts
index 4981abb..5eb82ba 100644
--- a/tests/web/control-realtime.test.ts
+++ b/tests/web/control-realtime.test.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ describe('control route realtime events', () => {
     const bot = vi.fn();
     const context = {
       config: { browser: { dryRun: true } },
+      services: { accountAuth: { isFullyAuthenticated: () => true } },
       setBotRunning: (next: boolean) => { running = next; },
       activity: { push: vi.fn() },
       logger: { info: vi.fn() },