diff --git a/dashcaddy-api/routes/auth/sso-gate.js b/dashcaddy-api/routes/auth/sso-gate.js
index ef5e64c..61a3888 100644
--- a/dashcaddy-api/routes/auth/sso-gate.js
+++ b/dashcaddy-api/routes/auth/sso-gate.js
@@ -255,34 +255,40 @@ function buildLoginPage(service) {
       title: 'Signing in...', bg: '#0a0a0a', accent: '#60a5fa',
       body: `if(ls.getItem('token')){go('/?direct=1');return}
 d.textContent='Fetching token from DashCaddy...';
-ft('chat').then(function(r){d.textContent+='  Status: '+r.status;return r.text()}).then(function(t){
-  d.textContent+='\\n'+t.substring(0,300);
-  try{var j=JSON.parse(t);if(j.token){ls.setItem('token',j.token);go('/?direct=1')}
-  else{fail('Auto-login unavailable. <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">Sign in at DashCaddy</a>','No token field in response')}}
-  catch(e){fail('Auto-login error. <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">Sign in at DashCaddy</a>','Parse error: '+e.message)}
-}).catch(function(e){fail('Could not reach DashCaddy. <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">Sign in at DashCaddy</a>','Fetch error: '+e.message)})`
+ft('chat').then(function(r){return r.text()}).then(function(t){
+  try{var j=JSON.parse(t);if(j.token){ls.setItem('token',j.token);go('/?direct=1');return}
+  // No token but chat is reachable — fall through to manual UI link below
+  fail('Auto-login unavailable. <a href="/?direct=1">Open Chat manually</a>','No token field: '+t.substring(0,200))}
+  catch(e){fail('Auto-login parse error. <a href="/?direct=1">Open Chat manually</a>','Error: '+e.message+' / body: '+t.substring(0,200))}
+}).catch(function(e){fail('Could not reach DashCaddy. <a href="/?direct=1">Open Chat manually</a>','Fetch error: '+(e&&e.message||'unknown'))})`
     },
     plex: {
       title: 'Signing in to Plex...', bg: '#1f1f1f', accent: '#e5a00d',
       body: `if(ls.getItem('myPlexAccessToken')){go('/web/?direct=1');return}
 ft('plex').then(function(r){return r.json()}).then(function(j){
-  if(j.token){ls.setItem('myPlexAccessToken',j.token);d.textContent='Token stored, redirecting...';go('/web/?direct=1')}
-  else{fail('Auto-login unavailable. <a href="/web/?direct=1">Open Plex manually</a> or <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">re-authenticate at DashCaddy</a>',JSON.stringify(j))}
-}).catch(function(e){fail('Could not reach DashCaddy. <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">Sign in at DashCaddy</a>','Error: '+e.message)})`
+  if(j.token){ls.setItem('myPlexAccessToken',j.token);d.textContent='Token stored, redirecting...';go('/web/?direct=1');return}
+  // No token returned. Three fallbacks in priority order:
+  // 1. Stale token in localStorage — Plex may still accept it.
+  if(ls.getItem('myPlexAccessToken')){go('/web/?direct=1');return}
+  // 2. Manual link so the user is never trapped on this page.
+  fail('Auto-login unavailable. <a href="/web/?direct=1">Open Plex manually</a> or <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">re-authenticate at DashCaddy</a>','API: '+JSON.stringify(j))}
+}).catch(function(e){fail('Could not reach DashCaddy. <a href="/web/?direct=1">Open Plex manually</a>','Error: '+(e&&e.message||'unknown'))})`
     },
     jellyfin: {
       title: 'Signing in to Jellyfin...', bg: '#101014', accent: '#00a4dc',
       body: `ft('jellyfin').then(function(r){return r.json()}).then(function(j){
-  if(j.token){merge('jellyfin_credentials',j,'Jellyfin');merge('_jellyfin_credentials',j,'Jellyfin');d.textContent='Token stored, redirecting...';go('/web/')}
-  else{fail('Auto-login unavailable. <a href="/web/">Open Jellyfin manually</a> or <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">re-authenticate at DashCaddy</a>',JSON.stringify(j))}
-}).catch(function(e){fail('Could not reach DashCaddy. <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">Sign in at DashCaddy</a>','Error: '+e.message)})`
+  if(j.token){merge('jellyfin_credentials',j,'Jellyfin');merge('_jellyfin_credentials',j,'Jellyfin');d.textContent='Token stored, redirecting...';go('/web/');return}
+  if(ls.getItem('jellyfin_credentials')||ls.getItem('_jellyfin_credentials')){go('/web/');return}
+  fail('Auto-login unavailable. <a href="/web/">Open Jellyfin manually</a> or <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">re-authenticate at DashCaddy</a>','API: '+JSON.stringify(j))}
+}).catch(function(e){fail('Could not reach DashCaddy. <a href="/web/">Open Jellyfin manually</a>','Error: '+(e&&e.message||'unknown'))})`
     },
     emby: {
       title: 'Signing in to Emby...', bg: '#101014', accent: '#52b54b',
       body: `ft('emby').then(function(r){return r.json()}).then(function(j){
-  if(j.token){merge('emby_credentials',j,'Emby');merge('_emby_credentials',j,'Emby');d.textContent='Token stored, redirecting...';go('/web/')}
-  else{fail('Auto-login unavailable. <a href="/web/">Open Emby manually</a> or <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">re-authenticate at DashCaddy</a>',JSON.stringify(j))}
-}).catch(function(e){fail('Could not reach DashCaddy. <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">Sign in at DashCaddy</a>','Error: '+e.message)})`
+  if(j.token){merge('emby_credentials',j,'Emby');merge('_emby_credentials',j,'Emby');d.textContent='Token stored, redirecting...';go('/web/');return}
+  if(ls.getItem('emby_credentials')||ls.getItem('_emby_credentials')){go('/web/');return}
+  fail('Auto-login unavailable. <a href="/web/">Open Emby manually</a> or <a href="https://status.sami?auth=required&return='+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+'">re-authenticate at DashCaddy</a>','API: '+JSON.stringify(j))}
+}).catch(function(e){fail('Could not reach DashCaddy. <a href="/web/">Open Emby manually</a>','Error: '+(e&&e.message||'unknown'))})`
     },
   };