diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 509aba9..b84f910 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -8,7 +8,15 @@
     <title>Template Studio</title>
   </head>
   <body>
-    <div id="root"></div>
+    <div id="root">
+      <main id="boot-shell" style="font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,sans-serif;min-height:100dvh;display:grid;place-items:center;background:#f7f9fb;color:#172033">
+        <div style="text-align:center;padding:24px">
+          <div style="width:42px;height:42px;margin:0 auto 14px;border-radius:12px;background:#111827;color:white;display:grid;place-items:center;font-weight:800">T</div>
+          <strong>Template Studio</strong>
+          <p style="margin:6px 0 0;color:#718096;font-size:13px">Loading…</p>
+        </div>
+      </main>
+    </div>
     <script type="module" src="/src/main.tsx"></script>
   </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/server/index.js b/server/index.js
index b3bf223..c30023a 100644
--- a/server/index.js
+++ b/server/index.js
@@ -401,8 +401,50 @@ app.delete('/api/api-keys/:id', async (req, res) => {
   res.status(204).end()
 })
 
-app.use(express.static('dist'))
-app.get(/^(?!\/api|\/auth).*/, (_req, res) => res.sendFile('index.html', { root: 'dist' }))
+app.get('/reset-pwa', (_req, res) => {
+  res.setHeader('Cache-Control', 'no-store')
+  res.type('html').send(`<!doctype html>
+<html><head><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1"><title>Resetting Template Studio</title></head>
+<body style="font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,sans-serif;padding:32px;color:#172033">
+<h1>Resetting Template Studio…</h1>
+<p>This clears only Template Studio's local PWA caches and service worker.</p>
+<script>
+(async () => {
+  try {
+    if ('serviceWorker' in navigator) {
+      const registrations = await navigator.serviceWorker.getRegistrations()
+      await Promise.all(registrations.map(registration => registration.unregister()))
+    }
+    if ('caches' in window) {
+      const names = await caches.keys()
+      await Promise.all(names.map(name => caches.delete(name)))
+    }
+  } finally {
+    location.replace('/?fresh=' + Date.now())
+  }
+})()
+</script>
+</body></html>`)
+})
+
+app.use(express.static('dist', {
+  setHeaders(res, filePath) {
+    if (filePath.endsWith('/index.html') || filePath.endsWith('/sw.js') || filePath.endsWith('/manifest.webmanifest')) {
+      res.setHeader('Cache-Control', 'no-store, max-age=0')
+      return
+    }
+    if (filePath.includes('/assets/')) {
+      res.setHeader('Cache-Control', 'public, max-age=31536000, immutable')
+    }
+  }
+}))
+
+app.use('/assets', (_req, res) => res.status(404).type('text').send('Asset not found'))
+
+app.get(/^(?!\/api|\/auth|\/reset-pwa).*/, (_req, res) => {
+  res.setHeader('Cache-Control', 'no-store, max-age=0')
+  res.sendFile('index.html', { root: 'dist' })
+})
 app.use((error, _req, res, _next) => {
   console.error(error)
   res.status(500).json({ error: 'internal_error' })
diff --git a/src/main.tsx b/src/main.tsx
index 3d73fc0..8e04965 100644
--- a/src/main.tsx
+++ b/src/main.tsx
@@ -5,10 +5,32 @@ import { App } from './App'
 import './styles.css'
 import './refine.css'
 
-async function bootstrap() {
-  registerSW({ immediate: true })
+function showBootError(error: unknown) {
+  document.body.innerHTML = `
+    <main style="font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,sans-serif;padding:24px;max-width:720px;margin:48px auto;color:#172033">
+      <h1 style="margin-bottom:8px">Template Studio</h1>
+      <p style="color:#64748b">The app could not start cleanly.</p>
+      <pre style="white-space:pre-wrap;background:#f1f5f9;padding:12px;border-radius:10px">${String(error)}</pre>
+      <p><a href="/reset-pwa" style="color:#1d4ed8;font-weight:700">Reset local app cache and reload</a></p>
+    </main>
+  `
+}
 
-  const session = await fetch('/api/session', { headers: { Accept: 'application/json' } })
+async function bootstrap() {
+  registerSW({
+    immediate: true,
+    onRegisteredSW(_url, registration) {
+      if (registration) void registration.update()
+    },
+    onRegisterError(error) {
+      console.error('Service worker registration failed', error)
+    }
+  })
+
+  const session = await fetch('/api/session', {
+    headers: { Accept: 'application/json' },
+    cache: 'no-store'
+  })
   if (session.status === 401) {
     window.location.assign('/auth/login')
     return
@@ -23,12 +45,4 @@ async function bootstrap() {
   )
 }
 
-bootstrap().catch(error => {
-  document.body.innerHTML = `
-    <main style="font-family:system-ui;padding:24px;max-width:720px;margin:auto">
-      <h1>Template Studio</h1>
-      <p>Unable to start the application.</p>
-      <pre style="white-space:pre-wrap">${String(error)}</pre>
-    </main>
-  `
-})
+bootstrap().catch(showBootError)
diff --git a/vite.config.ts b/vite.config.ts
index 0114fb7..4e72502 100644
--- a/vite.config.ts
+++ b/vite.config.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,16 @@ export default defineConfig({
     react(),
     VitePWA({
       registerType: 'autoUpdate',
+      workbox: {
+        cleanupOutdatedCaches: true,
+        clientsClaim: true,
+        skipWaiting: true,
+        navigateFallbackDenylist: [
+          /^\/api(?:\/|$)/,
+          /^\/auth(?:\/|$)/,
+          /^\/reset-pwa(?:\/|$)/
+        ]
+      },
       manifest: {
         name: 'Arrowstack Template Studio',
         short_name: 'Templates',