diff --git a/frontend/index.html b/frontend/index.html
index ead66fd..682325e 100755
--- a/frontend/index.html
+++ b/frontend/index.html
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
     <link rel="preload" href="fonts/BricolageGrotesque-latin.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin />
     <link rel="preload" href="fonts/HankenGrotesk-latin.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin />
     <script type="application/json" id="ytp-assets">{"buildTag":"static","groups":{"core":{"contract":1,"eager":true,"files":["/index.html","/styles.css","/service-ui.css","/refresh.css","/layout-base.css","/recommendations.css","/flag-ui.js","/async-guard.js","/visible-timer.js","/asset-sync-core.js","/sw-update.js","/fingerprint.js","/opfs.js","/opfs-worker.js","/lyrics-core.js","/lyrics-display.js","/sha256.js","/resume-core.js","/loudness-wasm.js","/loudness.js","/sha256-wasm.js","/settings-sections.js","/related-videos.js","/related-videos.css","/audio-continuity.js","/fullscreen-orientation.js","/fullscreen-orientation.css","/download-actions.js","/download-actions.css","/download-errors.js","/downloads.js","/downloads-page.js","/offline-pages.css","/saved-page.js","/server-backfill.js","/saved-page.css","/prewarm-next.js","/settings-sections.css","/app.js","/manifest.webmanifest","/icons/icon-192.png","/icons/icon-512.png","/fonts/fonts.css","/fonts/BricolageGrotesque-latin-ext.woff2","/fonts/BricolageGrotesque-latin.woff2","/fonts/HankenGrotesk-latin-ext.woff2","/fonts/HankenGrotesk-latin.woff2","/fonts/JetBrainsMono-latin-ext.woff2","/fonts/JetBrainsMono-latin.woff2","/lazy.js","/feature-bootstrap.js","/eq-parameters.js","/assets.json","/device-db.js","/shell-core.js","/views-core.js","/section-rail.js"],"background":false},"layout:glass-stage":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/theme-glass.css","/theme-glass-panel.css","/glass-panel-layout.js"],"background":true,"dependencies":["feature:layout-controls"]},"layout:classic":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/theme-classic.css"],"background":true},"layout:bento-hub":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/theme-bento-hub.css","/bento-hub.js","/fonts/PlusJakartaSans-latin.woff2","/fonts/PlusJakartaSans-latin-ext.woff2"],"background":true,"dependencies":["feature:layout-controls"]},"layout:f7-swipe":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/theme-f7.css","/vendor/framework7-swipe.min.js","/f7-layout.js"],"background":true},"feature:piano":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/piano-core.js","/piano.js","/piano-engine.mjs"],"background":true},"feature:midi":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/midi.js"],"background":true},"feature:party-dj":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/party-dj.js"],"background":true},"feature:lyrics-window":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/lyrics-window.js"],"background":true},"feature:lower-third":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/lower-third.js","/lower-third.css"],"background":true},"feature:vocal-reducer":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/vocal-reducer.js"],"background":true},"feature:eq-core":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/eq-core.js"],"background":true},"feature:setlist-import":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/setlist-import.js"],"background":true},"feature:car-mode":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/car-mode.js","/car-mode.css"],"background":true},"feature:p2p":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/p2p-core.js","/p2p-client.js","/p2p-transfer.js","/p2p-recv-worker.js","/hash-worker.js"],"background":true},"feature:direct":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/direct-protocol.js","/direct-stream.js","/direct-media.js","/direct-media.css","/direct-recv-worker.js"],"background":true,"dependencies":["feature:p2p"]},"feature:video-edit":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/video-edit.js"],"background":true},"feature:stats":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/stats-core.js"],"background":true},"feature:export":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"files":["/export.js"],"background":true},"feature:playlist":{"contract":1,"eager":true,"files":[],"embeddedIn":["/app.js"],"background":false},"feature:settings":{"contract":1,"eager":true,"files":[],"embeddedIn":["/app.js","/settings-sections.js","/settings-sections.css","/views-core.js"],"background":false},"feature:service-mode":{"contract":1,"eager":true,"files":[],"embeddedIn":["/app.js","/service-ui.css"],"background":false},"feature:lyrics-editor":{"contract":1,"eager":true,"files":[],"embeddedIn":["/app.js","/lyrics-core.js","/lyrics-display.js"],"background":false},"feature:layout-controls":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":["/theme-glass-controls.css","/glass-controls.js"]},"layout:sanctuary-stage":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":[]},"layout:liturgical":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":[]},"layout:living-hymnal":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":[]},"layout:broadcaster":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":[]},"layout:contemplative":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":[]},"feature:presenter":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":["/presenter.js"]},"feature:remote-client":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":["/remote-client.js"]},"feature:watch-party":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":["/watch-party-client.js"]},"feature:share-external":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":["/share-external.js"]},"feature:stats-view":{"contract":1,"eager":false,"background":true,"files":["/stats-view.js"],"dependencies":["feature:stats"]}},"files":{}}</script>
+    <!-- Discover the default layout early; the loader still applies only the saved layout. -->
+    <link rel="preload" href="theme-classic.css" as="style" />
     <script src="lazy.js"></script>
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="fonts/fonts.css" />
     <link rel="preconnect" href="https://i.ytimg.com" crossorigin />
diff --git a/frontend/shell-consistency.test.js b/frontend/shell-consistency.test.js
index bbdfbff..8302dd8 100644
--- a/frontend/shell-consistency.test.js
+++ b/frontend/shell-consistency.test.js
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ test('only core scripts and styles remain eager; native fallback and active layo
   const {groups}=JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(__dirname,'assets.json'),'utf8'));
   const background=new Set(Object.values(groups).filter(g=>g.background).flatMap(g=>g.files));
   for(const match of html.matchAll(/<(?:script\b[^>]*\bsrc|link\b[^>]*\bhref)="([^"]+)"/gi)) {
+    // A style preload discovers bytes without applying or blocking another layout.
+    if(match[0].includes('rel="preload"'))continue;
     const path='/'+match[1].replace(/^\//,'').split(/[?#]/)[0];
     assert.ok(!background.has(path),`${path} is not eager`);
   }
@@ -88,3 +90,11 @@ test('layout-independent visibility and transport defaults stay in eager CSS',()
  for(const selector of ['.stg-overlay','.deck-chips','.np-btn.done .i-save','.sleep-status .sl-ic','.ab-group','.mc-tune'])assert.ok(shared.includes(selector));
  assert.ok(html.includes('href="layout-base.css"'));
 });
+
+
+test('classic first-visit style preload is discovered before the head loader without applying another layout',()=>{
+ const preload=html.match(/<link\b[^>]*rel="preload"[^>]*href="theme-classic.css"[^>]*as="style"[^>]*>/);
+ assert.ok(preload,'classic stylesheet has an early preload');
+ assert.ok(html.indexOf(preload[0])<html.indexOf('src="lazy.js"'));
+ assert.ok(!/<link\b[^>]*rel="stylesheet"[^>]*href="theme-classic.css"/.test(html),'the selected layout remains parser-applied by the loader');
+});
diff --git a/server/static-delivery.test.js b/server/static-delivery.test.js
index ed0661e..e54ab5b 100644
--- a/server/static-delivery.test.js
+++ b/server/static-delivery.test.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ mkdirSync(publicDir);
 mkdirSync(dataDir);
 mkdirSync(join(publicDir, 'fonts'));
 mkdirSync(join(publicDir, 'icons'));
-writeFileSync(join(publicDir, 'index.html'), '<!doctype html><script type="application/json" id="ytp-assets">{}</script><meta name="ytp-build" content="__BUILD_TAG__"><link rel="stylesheet" href="app.css"><script src="app.js"></script><script src="https://cdn.example/x.js"></script><link rel="stylesheet" href="/root.css">');
+writeFileSync(join(publicDir, 'index.html'), '<!doctype html><script type="application/json" id="ytp-assets">{}</script><meta name="ytp-build" content="__BUILD_TAG__"><link rel="preload" href="app.css" as="style"><link rel="stylesheet" href="app.css"><script src="app.js"></script><script src="https://cdn.example/x.js"></script><link rel="stylesheet" href="/root.css">');
 writeFileSync(join(publicDir, 'app.css'), 'body{}');
 writeFileSync(join(publicDir, 'app.js'), 'window.app=true;');
 writeFileSync(join(publicDir, 'root.css'), 'body{color:red}');
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ describe('static delivery characterization', () => {
     const html = await index.text();
     const { buildTag, files } = await (await fetch(`${server.base}/api/manifest`)).json();
     expect(html).toContain(`<meta name="ytp-build" content="${buildTag}">`);
-    expect(html).toContain(`href="app.css?v=${files['/app.css'].h}"`);
+    expect(html).toContain(`<link rel="preload" href="app.css?v=${files['/app.css'].h}" as="style">`);
+    expect(html.match(new RegExp('app\\.css\\?v='+files['/app.css'].h,'g'))).toHaveLength(2);
     expect(html).toContain(`src="app.js?v=${files['/app.js'].h}"`);
     expect(html).toContain('https://cdn.example/x.js');
     expect(html).toContain(`href="/root.css?v=${files['/root.css'].h}"`);