diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/credentials.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/credentials.test.ts
index 364c9f6711..94ce7612c7 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/credentials.test.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/credentials.test.ts
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ vi.mock('expo-secure-store', () => ({
   }),
 }));
 
-vi.mock('@/lib/config', () => ({ API_BASE_URL: 'https://api.example.com' }));
-
 // The sign-out deletes live in auth-context.tsx; mounting it pulls in the full
 // teardown graph, so stub every side-effecting collaborator.
 vi.mock('@sentry/react-native', () => ({
@@ -143,7 +141,7 @@ vi.mock('@/lib/temp-file-registry', () => ({
 }));
 
 import * as SecureStore from 'expo-secure-store';
-import { persistSignInCredentialsAtEpoch } from '@/lib/auth/credentials';
+import { performRefresh, persistSignInCredentialsAtEpoch } from '@/lib/auth/credentials';
 import { bumpAuthEpoch } from '@/lib/auth/auth-epoch';
 import { clearActiveToken, setSignOutTeardownActive } from '@/lib/auth/token-owner';
 import {
@@ -214,6 +212,56 @@ describe('bearer credential writes', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('refresh rotation', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    store.clear();
+    clearActiveToken();
+    setSignOutTeardownActive(false);
+  });
+
+  it('retries a rejected refresh-token read and still rotates the token', async () => {
+    store.set(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY, 'r1');
+    // The keychain rejects the first read — the transient class on a device
+    // that just foregrounded — and resolves the stored value on the retry.
+    let reads = 0;
+    vi.mocked(SecureStore.getItemAsync).mockImplementation(async (key: string) => {
+      await Promise.resolve();
+      reads += 1;
+      if (reads === 1) {
+        throw new Error('keychain temporarily unavailable');
+      }
+      return store.get(key) ?? null;
+    });
+    const fetchMock = vi
+      .fn()
+      .mockResolvedValue(
+        Response.json({ token: 't2', refreshToken: 'r2', expiresIn: 3600 }, { status: 200 })
+      );
+    vi.stubGlobal('fetch', fetchMock);
+
+    try {
+      const outcome = await performRefresh();
+
+      expect(outcome.ok).toBe(true);
+      expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(SecureStore.setItemAsync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY, 't2', expectedOptions);
+      expect(SecureStore.setItemAsync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY,
+        'r2',
+        expectedOptions
+      );
+      expect(SecureStore.setItemAsync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        TOKEN_EXPIRES_AT_KEY,
+        expect.any(String),
+        expectedOptions
+      );
+    } finally {
+      vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
 describe('sign-out deletes', () => {
   // mountAndSignOut resets modules and imports the whole auth graph; under the
   // full related-suite running concurrently with the device stack that exceeds
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/credentials.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/credentials.ts
index ef6af237b8..57faa2e10a 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/credentials.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/credentials.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import * as SecureStore from 'expo-secure-store';
 import { API_BASE_URL } from '@/lib/config';
 import { currentAuthEpoch, isCurrentAuthEpoch } from '@/lib/auth/auth-epoch';
 import { parseTokenPair } from '@/lib/auth/native-auth-contract';
+import { readStoredValueWithRetry } from '@/lib/auth/secure-store-read';
 import { isSignOutTeardownActive, setActiveToken } from '@/lib/auth/token-owner';
 import { chainSave } from '@/lib/hooks/save-chain';
 import { AUTH_TOKEN_KEY, REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY, TOKEN_EXPIRES_AT_KEY } from '@/lib/storage-keys';
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ async function doRefresh(): Promise<RefreshOutcome> {
     return { ok: false, refused: false, superseded: true };
   }
   try {
-    const storedRefreshToken = await SecureStore.getItemAsync(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY);
+    const storedRefreshToken = await readStoredValueWithRetry(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY);
     if (superseded()) {
       return { ok: false, refused: false, superseded: true };
     }
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/token-owner.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/token-owner.test.ts
index 314e215f63..e9acb18477 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/token-owner.test.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/token-owner.test.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,23 @@ describe('token-owner', () => {
       expect(SecureStore.getItemAsync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     });
 
+    it('retries a rejected cold read and serves the stored token', async () => {
+      store.set(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY, 'stored-token');
+      // The keychain rejects the first read — the transient class on a device
+      // that just foregrounded — and resolves the stored value on the retry.
+      let reads = 0;
+      vi.mocked(SecureStore.getItemAsync).mockImplementation(async (key: string) => {
+        await Promise.resolve();
+        reads += 1;
+        if (reads === 1) {
+          throw new Error('keychain temporarily unavailable');
+        }
+        return store.get(key) ?? null;
+      });
+
+      await expect(getAuthTokenForRequest()).resolves.toBe('stored-token');
+    });
+
     it('warms the owner on a cold read so the next read is in-memory', async () => {
       store.set(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY, 'stored-token');
       await getAuthTokenForRequest();
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/token-owner.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/token-owner.ts
index 882e039b62..846b6f8b2b 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/token-owner.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/auth/token-owner.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-import * as SecureStore from 'expo-secure-store';
-
 import { currentAuthEpoch, isCurrentAuthEpoch } from '@/lib/auth/auth-epoch';
+import { readStoredValueWithRetry } from '@/lib/auth/secure-store-read';
 import { AUTH_TOKEN_KEY } from '@/lib/storage-keys';
 
 export type ActiveToken = {
@@ -97,7 +96,7 @@ export async function getAuthTokenForRequest(): Promise<string | null> {
   if (isSignOutTeardownActive()) {
     return null;
   }
-  const token = await SecureStore.getItemAsync(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY);
+  const token = await readStoredValueWithRetry(AUTH_TOKEN_KEY);
   // A sign-in or refresh may have published a newer owner while the cold read
   // was in flight: prefer it and never overwrite it with the stale read.
   const published = getActiveToken();
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/secure-store-preference.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/secure-store-preference.test.ts
index 8332f9c110..903a61091a 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/secure-store-preference.test.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/secure-store-preference.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ vi.mock('@sentry/react-native', () => ({ captureException }));
 const { toastError } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ toastError: vi.fn() }));
 vi.mock('sonner-native', () => ({ toast: { error: toastError } }));
 
+// The retrying read imports @/lib/config, whose real module needs the app's
+// baked build `extra` and cannot load under Vitest. Vitest also rejects a mock
+// factory that omits an export the importer reads, so this stub answers the
+// whole surface: every value reads as unset, which keeps the retry helper's
+// fault window closed and leaves the failure to the SecureStore mock.
+const configStub = vi.hoisted(() => new Proxy({}, { get: () => undefined, has: () => true }));
+vi.mock('@/lib/config', () => configStub);
+
 // eslint-disable-next-line typescript-eslint/promise-function-async -- conflicting require-await rule
 function flushMicrotasks(): Promise<void> {
   return new Promise(resolve => {
@@ -25,6 +33,10 @@ function flushMicrotasks(): Promise<void> {
 // eslint-disable-next-line no-empty-function -- listener body is irrelevant, only subscribe()'s side effect (starting the load) is under test
 function noopListener(): void {}
 
+// The retrying read backs off 250/500/1000 ms, so a test that drives a
+// rejection must let those timers fire before the read settles.
+const RETRY_BUDGET_MS = 250 + 500 + 1000 + 250;
+
 describe('createSecureStorePreference', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     getItemAsync.mockReset();
@@ -35,6 +47,8 @@ describe('createSecureStorePreference', () => {
   });
 
   it('logs to Sentry (not a toast) on a read failure and keeps the default value', async () => {
+    // Every attempt rejects, so the retry budget is exhausted before the
+    // failure is surfaced.
     getItemAsync.mockRejectedValue(new Error('disk error'));
     const store = createSecureStorePreference<boolean>({
       key: 'k',
@@ -43,16 +57,46 @@ describe('createSecureStorePreference', () => {
       serialize: value => (value ? 'true' : 'false'),
     });
 
-    const unsubscribe = store.subscribe(noopListener);
-    await flushMicrotasks();
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      const unsubscribe = store.subscribe(noopListener);
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(RETRY_BUDGET_MS);
+
+      expect(store.get()).toBe(false);
+      expect(store.getHasLoaded()).toBe(true);
+      expect(getItemAsync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(4);
+      expect(captureException).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.any(Error), {
+        tags: { 'error.subsystem': 'preferences', 'error.operation': 'load_secure_store' },
+      });
+      expect(toastError).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      unsubscribe();
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
 
-    expect(store.get()).toBe(false);
-    expect(store.getHasLoaded()).toBe(true);
-    expect(captureException).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.any(Error), {
-      tags: { 'error.subsystem': 'preferences', 'error.operation': 'load_secure_store' },
+  it('retries a rejected read and applies the value from the retry', async () => {
+    getItemAsync
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('keychain unavailable'))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce('true');
+    const store = createSecureStorePreference<boolean>({
+      key: 'k',
+      defaultValue: false,
+      parse: raw => raw === 'true',
+      serialize: value => (value ? 'true' : 'false'),
     });
-    expect(toastError).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    unsubscribe();
+
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      const unsubscribe = store.subscribe(noopListener);
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(RETRY_BUDGET_MS);
+
+      expect(store.get()).toBe(true);
+      expect(store.getHasLoaded()).toBe(true);
+      unsubscribe();
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
   });
 
   it('shows a toast on a write failure while keeping the in-memory value', async () => {
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/secure-store-preference.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/secure-store-preference.ts
index 245442eaa5..f2ebb6d1e1 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/secure-store-preference.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/hooks/secure-store-preference.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import * as Sentry from '@sentry/react-native';
-import * as SecureStore from 'expo-secure-store';
 import { toast } from 'sonner-native';
 
 import { i18n } from '@/i18n';
 import { deleteAccountMetadata, setAccountMetadata } from '@/lib/auth/account-metadata-write';
+import { readStoredValueWithRetry } from '@/lib/auth/secure-store-read';
 
 function noop(): void {
   // Placeholder until the promise executor hands over its resolve.
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export function createSecureStorePreference<T>(options: {
 
   const load = async () => {
     try {
-      const raw = await SecureStore.getItemAsync(key);
+      const raw = await readStoredValueWithRetry(key);
       if (!dirty) {
         value = parse(raw);
       } else if (mergeOnLoad && !cleared) {
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/encrypted-kv.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/encrypted-kv.test.ts
index 953c310210..c8bded4200 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/encrypted-kv.test.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/encrypted-kv.test.ts
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ vi.mock('@sentry/react-native', () => ({
 }));
 
 /* eslint-disable import/first */
+import * as SecureStore from 'expo-secure-store';
 import * as SQLite from 'expo-sqlite';
 import { PERSIST_DB_KEY } from '@/lib/storage-keys';
 import {
@@ -363,6 +364,23 @@ describe('single-flight open contract', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('transient keychain read', () => {
+  it('retries a rejected key read instead of memoizing the open failure', async () => {
+    // The keychain read can reject transiently (device just rebooted, keystore
+    // still locked). The open must retry it: a memoized rejection here would
+    // reject every KV caller for the rest of the process.
+    const storedKey = 'a'.repeat(64);
+    store.set(PERSIST_DB_KEY, storedKey);
+    vi.mocked(SecureStore.getItemAsync).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('keychain unavailable'));
+
+    await expect(getItem('s', 'k')).resolves.toBeNull();
+
+    // The retry read the stored key and the store opened on it.
+    expect(SQLite.openDatabaseSync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(sqlLog).toContain(`PRAGMA key = "x'${storedKey}'"`);
+  });
+});
+
 describe('connection configuration', () => {
   it('configures busy_timeout and WAL after the key and before the first schema read', async () => {
     await setItem('s', 'a', 'x');
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/encrypted-kv.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/encrypted-kv.ts
index 1f3adb1224..43f55fef51 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/encrypted-kv.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/encrypted-kv.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import * as Crypto from 'expo-crypto';
 import * as SecureStore from 'expo-secure-store';
 import * as SQLite from 'expo-sqlite';
 import migrations from '../../../drizzle/migrations';
+import { readStoredValueWithRetry } from '@/lib/auth/secure-store-read';
 import { PERSIST_DB_KEY } from '@/lib/storage-keys';
 import { kv } from './schema';
 
@@ -92,7 +93,10 @@ async function generateHexKey(): Promise<string> {
 }
 
 async function readOrCreateKey(): Promise<string> {
-  const existing = await SecureStore.getItemAsync(PERSIST_DB_KEY);
+  // A transient keychain rejection must not be read as "no key": retrying it
+  // keeps one rejection from failing the open, which is memoized for the rest
+  // of the process.
+  const existing = await readStoredValueWithRetry(PERSIST_DB_KEY);
   if (existing) {
     return existing;
   }
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/read-cache.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/read-cache.test.ts
index b385e71383..5ce838bfa9 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/read-cache.test.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/read-cache.test.ts
@@ -558,6 +558,24 @@ describe('cold-start restore and takeover', () => {
     expect(takeOverColdStartRestore()).toBeNull();
   });
 
+  it('retries a rejected identity-hint read and still hydrates the cache', async () => {
+    const { scopes } = createFakeKv();
+    store.set(ACTIVE_USER_ID_KEY, 'u1');
+    scopes.set(
+      'cache:u1:1',
+      new Map([['read-cache', JSON.stringify(makePersistedClient({ id: 'u1' }))]])
+    );
+    // The keychain read can reject transiently; the restore must retry it
+    // rather than abandoning the whole cold-start restore.
+    vi.mocked(SecureStore.getItemAsync).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('keychain unavailable'));
+    const queryClient = new QueryClient();
+
+    await restorePersistedCacheOnColdStart(queryClient);
+
+    expect(queryClient.getQueryData(GET_ME_QUERY_KEY)).toEqual({ id: 'u1' });
+    expect(takeOverColdStartRestore()).toBe('cache:u1:1');
+  });
+
   it('drops an expired blob instead of hydrating it', async () => {
     const { kv, scopes } = createFakeKv();
     store.set(ACTIVE_USER_ID_KEY, 'u1');
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/read-cache.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/read-cache.ts
index 03b6358c6a..ae11de9522 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/read-cache.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/persist/read-cache.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import * as SecureStore from 'expo-secure-store';
 import { type Query, type QueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import { createAsyncStoragePersister } from '@tanstack/query-async-storage-persister';
 import {
@@ -10,6 +9,7 @@ import { z } from 'zod';
 
 import { buildAgentSessionListInput } from '@/lib/agent-session-input';
 import { currentAuthEpoch, isCurrentAuthEpoch } from '@/lib/auth/auth-epoch';
+import { readStoredValueWithRetry } from '@/lib/auth/secure-store-read';
 import { isSignOutActive, setSignOutActive } from '@/lib/auth/sign-out-state';
 import * as encryptedKv from '@/lib/persist/encrypted-kv';
 import { ACTIVE_USER_ID_KEY } from '@/lib/storage-keys';
@@ -271,13 +271,17 @@ export async function restorePersistedCacheOnColdStart(queryClient: QueryClient)
   // this restore immediately after scheduling it.
   coldStartGeneration += 1;
   const generation = coldStartGeneration;
-  // Capture the epoch before the first SecureStore read: a sign-in or sign-out
+  // Capture the epoch before the first stored-value read: a sign-in or sign-out
   // that lands while the hint read or the KV read is in flight fences the
   // whole restore, so it can never hydrate (or claim a scope) after the auth
   // epoch moved — including after a logout that cleared the query client.
   const epoch = currentAuthEpoch();
   try {
-    const hintUserId = await SecureStore.getItemAsync(ACTIVE_USER_ID_KEY);
+    // The identity hint read is retried on a transient keychain rejection: a
+    // rejected read must not abandon the restore, or the profile's cached
+    // identity is never hydrated and the first foreground refetch has nothing
+    // to render.
+    const hintUserId = await readStoredValueWithRetry(ACTIVE_USER_ID_KEY);
     if (generation !== coldStartGeneration || !hintUserId || !isCurrentAuthEpoch(epoch)) {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/trpc.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/trpc.test.ts
index 9f821a4cc7..88c11145b5 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/lib/trpc.test.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/trpc.test.ts
@@ -67,12 +67,6 @@ vi.mock('expo-secure-store', () => ({
   WHEN_UNLOCKED_THIS_DEVICE_ONLY: 'WHEN_UNLOCKED_THIS_DEVICE_ONLY',
 }));
 
-vi.mock('@/lib/config', () => ({
-  API_BASE_URL: 'https://api.example.com',
-  E2E_LATENCY_MESSAGES_MS: 0,
-  E2E_LATENCY_SESSION_MS: 0,
-}));
-
 vi.mock('@/lib/storage-keys', () => ({
   AUTH_TOKEN_KEY: 'auth-token',
   TOKEN_EXPIRES_AT_KEY: 'token-expires-at',
diff --git a/apps/mobile/vitest.mounted.config.ts b/apps/mobile/vitest.mounted.config.ts
index 46b660c661..351d4629fa 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/vitest.mounted.config.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/vitest.mounted.config.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ export default defineProject({
   test: {
     name: 'mobile-mounted',
     environment: 'node',
+    // The app build's config module cannot load in this project; the setup
+    // file stubs the exports its importers read.
+    setupFiles: ['./vitest.setup.ts'],
     include: ['src/**/*.mounted.test.tsx'],
     // Project configs do not inherit the root test options, and this suite
     // runs both projects in parallel: on a loaded host (dev stack, simulator,
diff --git a/apps/mobile/vitest.pure.config.ts b/apps/mobile/vitest.pure.config.ts
index e1456e3fb4..c5c7676302 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/vitest.pure.config.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/vitest.pure.config.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ export default defineProject({
   test: {
     name: 'mobile-pure',
     environment: 'node',
+    // The app build's config module cannot load in this project; the setup
+    // file stubs the exports its importers read.
+    setupFiles: ['./vitest.setup.ts'],
     // Project configs do not inherit the root test options, and this suite
     // runs both projects in parallel: on a loaded host (dev stack, simulator,
     // Appium) workers starve and real-timer tests exceed the 5s default. One
diff --git a/apps/mobile/vitest.setup.ts b/apps/mobile/vitest.setup.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2afe3c785a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/mobile/vitest.setup.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+import { vi } from 'vitest';
+
+// The mobile vitest projects run with no app build, so `@/lib/config` cannot
+// load: its real module needs the baked `extra`. Tests that exercise modules
+// importing it (the auth retry helpers and everything built on them) would
+// otherwise fail before their first assertion.
+//
+// A Proxy answers every export Vitest resolves, and an unset value keeps the
+// build-gated E2E windows closed. A test that needs a config value still mocks
+// this module itself; its later registration wins over this one.
+vi.mock('@/lib/config', () => new Proxy({}, { get: () => undefined, has: () => true }));