diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/openchamber/GitHubSettings.test.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/openchamber/GitHubSettings.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36ac2368
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/openchamber/GitHubSettings.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import React from "react";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
+
+import { I18nProvider } from "@/lib/i18n";
+import { useGitHubAuthStore } from "@/stores/useGitHubAuthStore";
+
+import { GitHubSettings } from "./GitHubSettings";
+
+const serverAuthState = useGitHubAuthStore.getInitialState();
+
+const resetServerAuthState = () => {
+  Object.assign(serverAuthState, {
+    status: null,
+    isLoading: false,
+    hasChecked: false,
+  });
+};
+
+const renderSettings = () =>
+  renderToStaticMarkup(
+    <I18nProvider>
+      <GitHubSettings />
+    </I18nProvider>,
+  );
+
+describe("GitHubSettings", () => {
+  beforeEach(resetServerAuthState);
+  afterEach(resetServerAuthState);
+
+  test("stays hidden during the initial auth status load", () => {
+    serverAuthState.isLoading = true;
+
+    expect(renderSettings()).toBe("");
+  });
+
+  test("stays mounted while a checked status is refreshing, then shows reconnect state", () => {
+    Object.assign(serverAuthState, {
+      status: {
+        connected: true,
+        user: { login: "octocat" },
+      },
+      isLoading: true,
+      hasChecked: true,
+    });
+
+    const refreshingMarkup = renderSettings();
+    expect(refreshingMarkup).toContain("octocat");
+    expect(refreshingMarkup).toContain("Disconnect");
+
+    Object.assign(serverAuthState, {
+      status: { connected: false },
+      isLoading: false,
+      hasChecked: true,
+    });
+
+    const disconnectedMarkup = renderSettings();
+    expect(disconnectedMarkup).toContain("Not Connected");
+    expect(disconnectedMarkup).toContain("Connect GitHub");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/openchamber/GitHubSettings.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/openchamber/GitHubSettings.tsx
index a9500d45..e2a06bda 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/openchamber/GitHubSettings.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/openchamber/GitHubSettings.tsx
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ export const GitHubSettings: React.FC = () => {
     }
   }, [runtimeGitHub, setStatus, t]);
 
-  if (isLoading) {
+  if (isLoading && !hasChecked) {
     return null;
   }