diff --git a/apps/desktop/renderer-architecture.json b/apps/desktop/renderer-architecture.json
index 7d68ff293b..f8b5140b20 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/renderer-architecture.json
+++ b/apps/desktop/renderer-architecture.json
@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@
           "react": 1
         },
         "importSpecifiers": 98,
-        "nonTriviaTokens": 12731
+        "nonTriviaTokens": 12730
       },
       "src/renderer/use-app-shell-composer-quotes.ts": {
         "importDeclarations": 0,
@@ -1085,7 +1085,6 @@
           "./features/conversation/index.js": 1,
           "./locales/shell-copy": 1,
           "./onboarding-hero": 1,
-          "@astryxdesign/core": 1,
           "@maka/ui": 1,
           "react": 1
         }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/main/__tests__/main-startup-lifetime.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/main/__tests__/main-startup-lifetime.test.ts
index 83ad0528d3..a7c9aa3361 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/main/__tests__/main-startup-lifetime.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/main/__tests__/main-startup-lifetime.test.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ const appSource = readFileSync(
   fileURLToPath(new URL('../../../src/renderer/app.tsx', import.meta.url)),
   'utf8',
 );
+const indexHtmlSource = readFileSync(
+  fileURLToPath(new URL('../../../src/renderer/index.html', import.meta.url)),
+  'utf8',
+);
 
 test('retains process lifetime before a standalone startup dialog can close', () => {
   const retentionPolicy = mainSource.search(
@@ -205,3 +209,34 @@ test('routes the first-paint IPC only to the active Renderer recovery listener',
   );
   assert.match(readyHandler, /revealGate\.markReady\(mainWindow\)/u);
 });
+
+test('retires the launch overlay only when a surface marks ready content', () => {
+  // The overlay's dismissal and its emitters live in different files; pinning
+  // both sides keeps the attribute from drifting into a permanent logo.
+  const readRenderer = (path: string) =>
+    readFileSync(
+      fileURLToPath(new URL(`../../../src/renderer/${path}`, import.meta.url)),
+      'utf8',
+    );
+  const workHubRoot = readRenderer('features/workhub/ui/workhub-root.tsx');
+  const handoffOverlay = readRenderer(
+    'features/runtime-host-management/ui/runtime-host-handoff-overlay.tsx',
+  );
+  const errorBoundary = readRenderer('error-boundary.tsx');
+  const chatMessageSurface = readRenderer('chat-message-surface.tsx');
+
+  assert.match(
+    indexHtmlSource,
+    /body:has\(#root \[data-maka-content-ready\]\) > \.maka-preload/u,
+  );
+  assert.doesNotMatch(indexHtmlSource, /body:has\(#root > \*\)/u);
+  // The shell marks ready only once the first snapshot settles; the floating
+  // composer is content-complete at mount; a pending handoff decision and the
+  // error surface must not wait on either.
+  assert.match(appShellSource, /data-maka-content-ready=\{!isOnboardingLoading/u);
+  assert.match(workHubRoot, /data-maka-content-ready/u);
+  assert.match(handoffOverlay, /data-maka-content-ready/u);
+  assert.match(errorBoundary, /data-maka-content-ready/u);
+  // The second loading surface is deleted: the overlay alone covers the gap.
+  assert.doesNotMatch(chatMessageSurface, /maka-onboarding-loading/u);
+});
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/main/main-window.ts b/apps/desktop/src/main/main-window.ts
index 5086629842..37f7f94a11 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/main/main-window.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/main/main-window.ts
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ export function createMainWindowController(deps: MainWindowControllerDeps): Main
     // PR-SHOW-AFTER-FIRST-COMMIT: reveal fallback. Start this budget only once
     // the renderer document has loaded. Starting it before loadURL/loadFile
     // let a cold Vite transform or slow disk consume the whole timeout and
-    // reveal index.html's preload skeleton before React had a chance to paint.
+    // reveal index.html's launch overlay before React had a chance to paint.
     // If renderer-ready arrived while loadURL/loadFile was resolving, the
     // window is already visible and no timer is needed. E2e-fixture windows
     // remain hidden for their whole lifecycle.
@@ -830,7 +830,7 @@ function emitRealWindowSmokeDiagnostic(stage: string): void {
         bodyTextSample: document.body?.innerText?.trim().slice(0, 240) ?? '',
         stylesheetCount: document.styleSheets.length,
         rootChildren: document.getElementById('root')?.children.length ?? 0,
-        elements: ['body', '#root', '.appFrame', '.app', '.maka-panel-detail', '.mainColumn', '.maka-onboarding-loading'].map((selector) => {
+        elements: ['body', '#root', '.appFrame', '.app', '.maka-panel-detail', '.mainColumn', '.maka-preload'].map((selector) => {
           const element = document.querySelector(selector);
           if (!element) return { selector, present: false };
           const rect = element.getBoundingClientRect();
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/README.md b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/README.md
index 4d0c8b46c8..2ac1bce1fd 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/README.md
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/README.md
@@ -25,9 +25,9 @@ For the main/preload/renderer split and the IPC contract, see `apps/desktop/READ
 
 ## Entry
 
-`main.tsx` → `app.tsx` → `AppShell` (`app-shell.tsx`). `index.html` is the Vite HTML shell. `main.tsx` mounts React immediately — the `.maka-preload` skeleton covers the load gap and each surface hydrates its own data after mount; `app.tsx` wraps `AppShell` in `ToastProvider` + `ErrorBoundary`.
+`main.tsx` → `app.tsx` → `AppShell` (`app-shell.tsx`). `index.html` is the Vite HTML shell. `main.tsx` mounts React immediately — the `.maka-preload` launch overlay covers the load gap and stays until a surface commits `data-maka-content-ready`; `app.tsx` wraps `AppShell` in `ToastProvider` + `ErrorBoundary`.
 
-`styles.css` is the **only** bundled style entry: it imports Astryx, fonts, `maka-tokens.css`, `reference-shell.css`, and every `styles/*.css`. It contains only top-level orchestration; real selector rules go in `styles/*.css`. One contract-pinned exception: `index.html` carries an inline `.maka-preload` skeleton with hardcoded colors (no CSS variables — `maka-tokens.css` hasn't loaded yet) so there's no blank window during the CSS + JS load gap; `createRoot` replaces it on mount.
+`styles.css` is the **only** bundled style entry: it imports Astryx, fonts, `maka-tokens.css`, `reference-shell.css`, and every `styles/*.css`. It contains only top-level orchestration; real selector rules go in `styles/*.css`. One contract-pinned exception: `index.html` carries an inline `.maka-preload` launch overlay with hardcoded colors (no CSS variables — `maka-tokens.css` hasn't loaded yet) so there's no blank window during the CSS + JS load gap; it retires once a surface commits `data-maka-content-ready`.
 
 ## Renderer ownership boundary
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/app-shell.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/app-shell.tsx
index 279145e090..eaafc7b180 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/app-shell.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/app-shell.tsx
@@ -1031,10 +1031,10 @@ function AppShellContent({
       void defaultHostConnections.refreshConnections();
     }
   }, [onboarding.error, onboarding.snapshot]);
-  // PR110c (@kenji review): suppress hero AND the fallback EmptyChatHero
-  // while the initial snapshot is in flight. Otherwise sessions.length===0
-  // + snapshot===null flashes the prompt-suggestion EmptyChatHero before
-  // the state-routed OnboardingHero mounts.
+  // Nothing settled to show while the first snapshot pull is in flight. The
+  // flag keeps the composer hidden and — through `data-maka-content-ready` on
+  // .appFrame — holds the launch overlay until a real frame exists: sessions,
+  // a hero, or the load-error fallback.
   const isOnboardingLoading =
     sessionCount === 0 && onboardingState === undefined && !onboardingSettled && !onboarding.error;
   // Only unfinished setup takes the chat surface over. A configured user with
@@ -2143,6 +2143,7 @@ function AppShellContent({
     <div
       className="appFrame agents-layout-root"
       data-agents-page
+      data-maka-content-ready={!isOnboardingLoading || undefined}
       /* The single writer for sidebar state in the DOM. It sits on the frame,
          above both the chrome strip and the shell, so every rule that keys on
          it (shell-layout.css, sidebar.css) reaches its target as a descendant.
@@ -2190,7 +2191,7 @@ function AppShellContent({
       <header
         className="maka-window-titlebar"
         aria-hidden={shellObscured ? 'true' : undefined}
-        inert={hasModalOpen ? true : undefined}
+        inert={hasModalOpen || undefined}
       >
         {/* Settings owns the full window chrome. Keep this empty header mounted
             as the frameless window's drag authority, but remove every control
@@ -2261,7 +2262,7 @@ function AppShellContent({
         contentPadding={0}
         mobileNav={{ breakpoint: 'none', hasToggle: false }}
         aria-hidden={shellObscured ? 'true' : undefined}
-        inert={shellObscured ? true : undefined}
+        inert={shellObscured || undefined}
         sideNav={
           <ModuleHub.ModuleHubScheduledTasksBoundary
             render={(scheduledTasks) => (
@@ -2603,7 +2604,6 @@ function AppShellContent({
                 }
                 showOnboardingHero={showOnboardingHero}
                 onboardingState={onboardingState}
-                isOnboardingLoading={isOnboardingLoading}
                 onOpenSettings={openSettingsSection}
                 onOpenConnectionDetail={openConnectionDetail}
                 onAddProvider={openProviderCreate}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/app.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/app.tsx
index 66daac3a48..d8244285fa 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/app.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/app.tsx
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ import { AppShell } from './composition/legacy-desktop-region';
 import { useAstryxThemeMode } from './astryx-theme-mode';
 
 export function App() {
-  // The launch overlay (`#maka-preload` in index.html) hides itself once this
-  // commit lands children into #root; this signal is only a backstop for the
-  // main-process reveal gate — `ready-to-show` normally beats it. A layout
-  // effect is too early: it runs after the DOM commit but before Chromium
-  // paints, so two animation frames put the signal after at least one paint
-  // of the committed AppShell. `window.maka` is undefined outside Electron
-  // (storybook), so guard it.
+  // The launch overlay (`#maka-preload` in index.html) retires on its own once
+  // a surface commits `data-maka-content-ready`; this signal's live job is the
+  // crash-recovery reload, where `ready-to-show` does not re-fire and the
+  // re-hidden window waits on it. A layout effect is too early: it runs after
+  // the DOM commit but before Chromium paints, so two animation frames put the
+  // signal after at least one paint of the committed AppShell. `window.maka`
+  // is undefined outside Electron (storybook), so guard it.
   useEffect(() => {
     let secondFrame = 0;
     const firstFrame = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/chat-message-surface.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/chat-message-surface.tsx
index 738cd7f435..c1acf59143 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/chat-message-surface.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/chat-message-surface.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import { useMemo, useState, type ComponentProps, type ReactNode } from 'react';
 import { type LlmConnection, type ProviderType } from '@maka/core/llm-connections';
 import { type OnboardingState } from '@maka/core/onboarding';
 import { type SettingsSection } from '@maka/core/settings';
-import { Skeleton } from '@astryxdesign/core';
 import {
   ChatView,
   ChatViewGoalProjectionConsumer,
@@ -78,7 +77,6 @@ interface ChatMessageSurfaceProps extends Omit<
   onTaskReadinessAction?: () => void;
   showOnboardingHero: boolean;
   onboardingState: OnboardingState | undefined;
-  isOnboardingLoading: boolean;
   onOpenSettings: (section?: SettingsSection) => void;
   onOpenConnectionDetail: (connectionSlug: string) => void;
   onAddProvider: (providerType: ProviderType) => void;
@@ -110,7 +108,6 @@ export function ChatMessageSurface({
   onTaskReadinessAction,
   showOnboardingHero,
   onboardingState,
-  isOnboardingLoading,
   onOpenSettings,
   onOpenConnectionDetail,
   onAddProvider,
@@ -196,20 +193,6 @@ export function ChatMessageSurface({
           onSkip={onSkip}
         />
       </div>
-    ) : isOnboardingLoading ? (
-      // Blocks EmptyChatHero from flashing while the first snapshot resolves.
-      // Astryx Skeleton bars (DESIGN.md §10) in the ready card's own frame —
-      // the hand-drawn static ::before/::after bars this replaces never pulsed,
-      // so the first screen a new user saw read as frozen.
-      (<div
-        className="maka-onboarding-loading"
-        role="status"
-        aria-busy="true"
-        aria-label={copy.loading}
-      >
-        <Skeleton width="52%" height={16} radius="rounded" index={0} />
-        <Skeleton width="78%" height={12} radius="rounded" index={1} />
-      </div>)
     ) : undefined;
 
   return (
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/error-boundary.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/error-boundary.tsx
index 1958e2e7b4..28852891f1 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/error-boundary.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/error-boundary.tsx
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ export function ErrorBoundaryFallback({
   const CopyIcon = copyState === 'copied' ? Check : Clipboard;
 
   return (
-    <div className="maka-error-surface" role="alert" aria-live="assertive">
+    <div className="maka-error-surface" role="alert" aria-live="assertive" data-maka-content-ready>
       {/* Astryx Card owns the card face: red tint for the destructive
           surface, high elevation for the former shadow-modal. The class
           keeps only the icon/copy grid geometry. */}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/features/runtime-host-management/ui/runtime-host-handoff-overlay.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/features/runtime-host-management/ui/runtime-host-handoff-overlay.tsx
index fbc7e0748b..93766dc7f0 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/features/runtime-host-management/ui/runtime-host-handoff-overlay.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/features/runtime-host-management/ui/runtime-host-handoff-overlay.tsx
@@ -65,7 +65,11 @@ export function RuntimeHostHandoffOverlay() {
   };
 
   return (
-    <Dialog isOpen onOpenChange={() => {}} purpose="required" width={480}>
+    <>
+      {/* Retires the launch overlay: the data it waits on may be blocked
+          behind this very decision, so the dialog cannot wait for it. */}
+      <span data-maka-content-ready hidden />
+      <Dialog isOpen onOpenChange={() => {}} purpose="required" width={480}>
       <Layout
         header={(
           <DialogHeader
@@ -111,5 +115,6 @@ export function RuntimeHostHandoffOverlay() {
         )}
       />
     </Dialog>
+    </>
   );
 }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/features/workhub/ui/workhub-root.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/features/workhub/ui/workhub-root.tsx
index 91344a3a34..3480d4b193 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/features/workhub/ui/workhub-root.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/features/workhub/ui/workhub-root.tsx
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ export function WorkHubRoot() {
   return (
     <WorkHubHighlightContext.Provider value={highlight}>
     <WorkHubHueProvider sessionIds={[...tasks.map((task) => task.target.sessionId), ...delegatedSessionIds]}>
-    <section ref={surface} data-progress={progress} data-progress-editing={editingProgress} className="workHubLive workhub-surface" data-placement={presentation?.placement ?? 'docked'} data-conversation-expanded={showConversation} aria-label={t.title}>
+    <section ref={surface} data-progress={progress} data-progress-editing={editingProgress} className="workHubLive workhub-surface" data-maka-content-ready data-placement={presentation?.placement ?? 'docked'} data-conversation-expanded={showConversation} aria-label={t.title}>
       {!floating && presentation?.workbar && <WorkbarEdgeToggle label={getShellCopy(locale).chrome[presentation.workbar.collapsed ? 'expandWorkbar' : 'collapseWorkbar']} {...presentation.workbar} onToggle={() => call(services.presentation.toggleWorkbar())} />}
       {progress && <WorkHubProgressCard ref={progressHeader} request={presentation.progressRequest!} control={control} liveTurn={controller.liveTurn} messages={transcript.messages} busy={Boolean(controller.activeTurn) || controller.sending} onOpen={() => {
         setConversationExpanded(true);
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/index.html b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/index.html
index 84c6a80f95..72eb85b455 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/index.html
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/index.html
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@
        * CSS loads: a theme-matched background with the centered wordmark, in
        * the spirit of Codex's launch screen rather than a fake app skeleton.
        * It lives outside #root as a fixed overlay so React mounts underneath
-       * it; dismissal is pure CSS — once #root has children the overlay fades
-       * out, whichever surface (desktop, WorkHub) committed the frame. A
-       * zero-duration animation arms the same hidden state at 8s so a wedged
-       * bundle can never strand the logo over a live window.
+       * it; dismissal is pure CSS — the overlay fades once a surface commits
+       * content marked `data-maka-content-ready`: the shell's first settled
+       * frame, the WorkHub composer, a pending Host decision, or the error
+       * surface. A zero-duration animation arms the same hidden state at 8s
+       * so a wedged bundle can never strand the logo over a live window.
        *
        * Colors are hardcoded (not CSS variables) because maka-tokens.css
        * (70KB) hasn't loaded yet. The background must equal the BrowserWindow
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@
         transition: opacity 160ms ease-out, visibility 0s linear 160ms;
         animation: maka-preload-timeout 0s linear 8s forwards;
       }
-      body:has(#root > *) > .maka-preload {
+      body:has(#root [data-maka-content-ready]) > .maka-preload {
         opacity: 0;
         visibility: hidden;
         pointer-events: none;
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/styles/onboarding.css b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/styles/onboarding.css
index 79ea7cbf2b..b111dde8d5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/styles/onboarding.css
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/styles/onboarding.css
@@ -79,23 +79,6 @@
   display: none;
 }
 
-/* The snapshot slot blocks the ordinary empty-chat hero while main resolves
-   onboarding state. The frame keeps the ready card's geometry; the bars inside
-   are Astryx Skeletons (DESIGN.md §10) rather than hand-drawn statics. */
-.maka-onboarding-loading {
-  display: grid;
-  align-content: start;
-  gap: var(--space-4);
-  width: min(460px, calc(100% - 32px));
-  min-height: 196px;
-  margin: auto;
-  padding: var(--space-8) var(--space-6);
-  overflow: hidden;
-  border: var(--border-width-hairline) solid var(--border-strong);
-  border-radius: var(--radius-modal);
-  background: var(--foreground-5);
-}
-
 .maka-onboarding-surface {
   display: grid;
   place-items: center;
diff --git a/docs/astryx-surface-file-inventory.md b/docs/astryx-surface-file-inventory.md
index 535284b5d5..b3788990f1 100644
--- a/docs/astryx-surface-file-inventory.md
+++ b/docs/astryx-surface-file-inventory.md
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ Wiki bar: Design Conventions · API Use-the-System · Theming · Container Paddi
 | `apps/desktop/src/renderer/application/contracts/workbar-edge-toggle.tsx` | shell-chrome-or-panel | Button | aligned — uses Astryx (Button) | aligned |
 | `apps/desktop/src/renderer/cascade-layers.css` | styles | n/a (css) | aligned — no off-rhythm control heights flagged | aligned |
 | `apps/desktop/src/renderer/chat-composer-region.tsx` | shell-chrome-or-panel | Banner, Button | aligned — uses Astryx (Banner, Button) | aligned |
-| `apps/desktop/src/renderer/chat-message-surface.tsx` | shell-chrome-or-panel | Skeleton | aligned — uses Astryx (Skeleton) | aligned |
+| `apps/desktop/src/renderer/chat-message-surface.tsx` | shell-chrome-or-panel | none | aligned — no raw controls; no Astryx JSX usage | aligned |
 | `apps/desktop/src/renderer/chat-recovery-notice.tsx` | shell-chrome-or-panel | Banner, Button | aligned — uses Astryx (Banner, Button) | aligned |
 | `apps/desktop/src/renderer/composer-mentions.tsx` | shell-chrome-or-panel | none | aligned — no raw controls; no Astryx JSX usage | aligned |
 | `apps/desktop/src/renderer/composition/desktop-feature-services.tsx` | other | none | aligned — no raw controls; no Astryx JSX usage | aligned |