diff --git a/src/app/portal/onboarding/page.tsx b/src/app/portal/onboarding/page.tsx
index 1d7516e..712098d 100644
--- a/src/app/portal/onboarding/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/portal/onboarding/page.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { useEffect } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
 import { useAuth, useAppShell } from "@abe-kap/appshell-sdk/react";
 import { PortalAside, PanelBrand } from "@/components/portal/parts";
@@ -10,18 +10,34 @@ import { isShellConfigured } from "@/lib/appshell";
 
 /**
  * Post-OAuth onboarding — a first-time Google user completes their CRM profile
- * (everything except email, which Google already verified). Only reachable while
- * authenticated; unauthenticated visitors are sent back to sign in.
+ * (everything except email, which Google already verified).
+ *
+ * This screen is ONLY a step in the OAuth → onboarding handoff: the login page
+ * stashes the verified email in `sessionStorage` right before routing here. Any
+ * other way in — a typed URL, a fresh tab, a lost session — has no handoff hint
+ * (and possibly no session), so we bounce back to sign in rather than showing an
+ * empty form.
  */
 export default function OnboardingPage() {
   const router = useRouter();
   const { status } = useAuth();
   const { ready } = useAppShell();
+  const [allowed, setAllowed] = useState(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (isShellConfigured() && ready && status === "unauthenticated") router.replace("/portal/login");
+    if (!isShellConfigured()) { setAllowed(true); return; } // local dev without the Shell
+    if (!ready) return;                                     // wait for session restore
+    let hasHandoff = false;
+    try { hasHandoff = !!sessionStorage.getItem("onboard_email"); } catch { /* ignore */ }
+    if (status === "unauthenticated" || !hasHandoff) {
+      router.replace("/portal/login");
+      return;
+    }
+    setAllowed(true);
   }, [ready, status, router]);
 
+  if (!allowed) return <main className="portal-main"><span className="portal-grid" /></main>;
+
   return (
     <main className="portal-main">
       <span className="portal-grid" />
diff --git a/src/components/portal/register-flow.tsx b/src/components/portal/register-flow.tsx
index 762457e..c498991 100644
--- a/src/components/portal/register-flow.tsx
+++ b/src/components/portal/register-flow.tsx
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ export function RegisterFlow({ mode = "register" }: { mode?: "register" | "onboa
         // register mode: non-fatal — the auth account exists; the profile can be filled in later.
       }
     }
+    // Consume the OAuth→onboarding handoff so a stale hint can't re-open onboarding.
+    try { sessionStorage.removeItem("onboard_email"); } catch { /* ignore */ }
     router.push("/dashboard");
   }