diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/layout/VSCodeLayout.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/layout/VSCodeLayout.tsx
index 0be18d2f..46fa223c 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/layout/VSCodeLayout.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/layout/VSCodeLayout.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { ErrorBoundary } from '../ui/ErrorBoundary';
 import { SessionSidebar } from '@/components/session/SessionSidebar';
 import { ChatView } from '@/components/views';
-
-const SettingsView = React.lazy(() => import('@/components/views/SettingsView').then(m => ({ default: m.SettingsView })));
 import { useSessionUIStore } from '@/sync/session-ui-store';
 import { useViewportStore } from '@/sync/viewport-store';
 import { useSessions, useDirectorySync } from '@/sync/sync-context';
@@ -29,6 +27,8 @@ import { updateDesktopSettings } from '@/lib/persistence';
 import type { UsageWindow } from '@/types';
 import { RiAddLine, RiArrowLeftLine, RiRefreshLine, RiRobot2Line, RiSettings3Line, RiTimerLine } from '@remixicon/react';
 
+const SettingsView = React.lazy(() => import('@/components/views/SettingsView').then(m => ({ default: m.SettingsView })));
+
 const formatTime = (timestamp: number | null) => {
   if (!timestamp) return '-';
   try {
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/main.tsx b/packages/ui/src/main.tsx
index f7af904b..9128e569 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/main.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/main.tsx
@@ -24,20 +24,22 @@ const runtimeAPIs = (typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.__OPENCHAMBER_RUNTI
   throw new Error('Runtime APIs not provided for legacy UI entrypoint.');
 })();
 
-// Keep appearance preferences blocking to avoid FOUC (flash of
-// unstyled content) for users with non-default themes. Defer the
-// remaining settings so they don't block first paint.
+// Initialize settings asynchronously — the app renders with defaults first
+// and hydrates once persisted preferences are applied. Users with non-default
+// themes may briefly see default appearance on cold start; accepted trade-off
+// for faster time-to-first-paint.
 void initializeAppearancePreferences().then(() => {
   void Promise.all([
     syncDesktopSettings(),
     applyPersistedDirectoryPreferences(),
-  ]).then(() => {
-    startAppearanceAutoSave();
-    startModelPrefsAutoSave();
-    startTypographyWatcher();
-  }).catch((err) => {
+  ]).catch((err) => {
     console.error('[main] settings init failed:', err);
   });
+
+  // Start watchers regardless of whether secondary settings succeed.
+  startAppearanceAutoSave();
+  startModelPrefsAutoSave();
+  startTypographyWatcher();
 }).catch((err) => {
   console.error('[main] appearance init failed:', err);
 });
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/sync/bootstrap.ts b/packages/ui/src/sync/bootstrap.ts
index 4608381a..be3a4f8a 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/sync/bootstrap.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/sync/bootstrap.ts
@@ -168,9 +168,11 @@ export async function bootstrapDirectory(input: {
     .filter((r): r is PromiseRejectedResult => r.status === "rejected")
     .map((r) => r.reason)
 
-  // path.get (index 3) and session.status (index 4) have no global-state
-  // fallback. If either fails, the UI cannot safely advance to "complete".
-  const criticalPhase1Failed = phase1Results[3].status === "rejected" || phase1Results[4].status === "rejected"
+  // path.get and session.status have no global-state fallback.
+  // If either fails, the UI cannot safely advance to "complete".
+  const [, , , pathResult, sessionStatusResult] = phase1Results
+  const criticalPhase1Failed =
+    pathResult.status === "rejected" || sessionStatusResult.status === "rejected"
 
   if (phase1Errors.length === phase1Results.length || criticalPhase1Failed) {
     console.error(`[bootstrap] directory bootstrap failed for ${directory}`, phase1Errors[0])