diff --git a/src/components/AppProvider.tsx b/src/components/AppProvider.tsx
index 3f2ad041..cd25c150 100644
--- a/src/components/AppProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/components/AppProvider.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ReactNode, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { ReactNode, useLayoutEffect } from 'react';
 import { z } from 'zod';
 import { useLocalStorage } from '@/hooks/useLocalStorage';
 import { AppContext, type AppConfig, type AppContextType, type Theme, type RelayMetadata } from '@/contexts/AppContext';
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ export function AppProvider(props: AppProviderProps) {
  * When theme is "custom", uses the provided customTheme tokens.
  */
 function useApplyTheme(theme: Theme, customTheme: ThemeTokens | undefined) {
-  useEffect(() => {
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
     function apply() {
       const resolved = resolveTheme(theme);
       let tokens: ThemeTokens;
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ function useApplyTheme(theme: Theme, customTheme: ThemeTokens | undefined) {
         document.head.appendChild(el);
       }
       el.textContent = css;
+      document.documentElement.className = resolved;
       // Now that CSS variables are set, the inline body background from
       // theme.js is no longer needed — bg-background will resolve correctly.
       document.body.removeAttribute('style');
diff --git a/src/components/ContentSettings.tsx b/src/components/ContentSettings.tsx
index 1474b662..b9a4ca3d 100644
--- a/src/components/ContentSettings.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ContentSettings.tsx
@@ -236,18 +236,13 @@ function KindBadge({ kind }: { kind: number }) {
 
 function SubKindRow({ sub, parentEnabled }: { sub: SubKindDef; parentEnabled: boolean }) {
   const { feedSettings, updateFeedSettings } = useFeedSettings();
-  const { updateSettings, settings: nostrSettings } = useEncryptedSettings();
+  const { updateSettings } = useEncryptedSettings();
   const { user } = useCurrentUser();
 
   const handleToggle = async (key: string, value: boolean) => {
     updateFeedSettings({ [key]: value });
     if (user) {
-      // Merge against the Nostr-cached feed settings (most up-to-date persisted
-      // state) rather than the local React state, which may lag behind when
-      // multiple toggles fire in quick succession.
-      const baseFeed = nostrSettings?.feedSettings ?? feedSettings;
-      const updatedFeedSettings = { ...baseFeed, [key]: value };
-      await updateSettings.mutateAsync({ feedSettings: updatedFeedSettings });
+      await updateSettings.mutateAsync({ feedSettings: { ...feedSettings, [key]: value } });
     }
   };
 
@@ -284,7 +279,7 @@ function SubKindRow({ sub, parentEnabled }: { sub: SubKindDef; parentEnabled: bo
 
 function ContentTypeRow({ def }: { def: ExtraKindDef }) {
   const { feedSettings, updateFeedSettings } = useFeedSettings();
-  const { updateSettings, settings: nostrSettings } = useEncryptedSettings();
+  const { updateSettings } = useEncryptedSettings();
   const { user } = useCurrentUser();
   const icon = ICONS[def.route ?? String(def.kind)] ?? <Palette className="size-5" />;
   const hasSubKinds = !!def.subKinds;
@@ -293,12 +288,7 @@ function ContentTypeRow({ def }: { def: ExtraKindDef }) {
   const handleToggle = async (key: string, value: boolean) => {
     updateFeedSettings({ [key]: value });
     if (user) {
-      // Merge against the Nostr-cached feed settings (most up-to-date persisted
-      // state) rather than the local React state, which may lag behind when
-      // multiple toggles fire in quick succession.
-      const baseFeed = nostrSettings?.feedSettings ?? feedSettings;
-      const updatedFeedSettings = { ...baseFeed, [key]: value };
-      await updateSettings.mutateAsync({ feedSettings: updatedFeedSettings });
+      await updateSettings.mutateAsync({ feedSettings: { ...feedSettings, [key]: value } });
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/src/components/NostrSync.tsx b/src/components/NostrSync.tsx
index cdb28a74..dab0c532 100644
--- a/src/components/NostrSync.tsx
+++ b/src/components/NostrSync.tsx
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ export function NostrSync() {
     // the immediate write window, e.g. before the new event propagates back).
     if (recentlyWritten()) {
       console.log('Skipping settings sync - recent write');
+      // Advance the cursor so this snapshot is never re-applied once the write
+      // window expires and the effect fires again.
+      lastSyncedTimestamp.current = remoteSync;
       return;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/components/NoteCard.tsx b/src/components/NoteCard.tsx
index 0d5a6fe7..3d9beb17 100644
--- a/src/components/NoteCard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/NoteCard.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Link, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { MessageCircle, Zap, MoreHorizontal, Play, Radio, Users } from 'lucide-react';
 import { RepostIcon } from '@/components/icons/RepostIcon';
 import { Avatar, AvatarImage, AvatarFallback } from '@/components/ui/avatar';
@@ -155,7 +155,6 @@ function encodeEventId(event: NostrEvent): string {
 }
 
 export function NoteCard({ event, className, repostedBy, compact, threaded }: NoteCardProps) {
-  const navigate = useNavigate();
   const { config } = useAppContext();
   const { user } = useCurrentUser();
   const author = useAuthor(event.pubkey);
diff --git a/src/hooks/useEncryptedSettings.ts b/src/hooks/useEncryptedSettings.ts
index e3311b74..af7a68b7 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useEncryptedSettings.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useEncryptedSettings.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { useNostr } from '@nostrify/react';
 import { useQuery, useMutation, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import type { NostrFilter } from '@nostrify/nostrify';
@@ -120,19 +120,27 @@ export function useEncryptedSettings() {
     refetchOnReconnect: false,
   });
 
+  // Tracks the latest optimistic settings so rapid successive mutations
+  // don't overwrite each other by reading stale cache data.
+  const pendingSettings = useRef<EncryptedSettings | null>(null);
+
   // Update settings
   const updateSettings = useMutation({
     mutationFn: async (patch: Partial<EncryptedSettings>) => {
       if (!user) throw new Error('User not logged in');
       if (!user.signer.nip44) throw new Error('NIP-44 encryption not supported by signer');
 
-      const currentSettings = settings.data || {};
+      // Use the latest pending settings if available, otherwise fall back to cache.
+      const currentSettings = pendingSettings.current ?? settings.data ?? {};
       const updatedSettings: EncryptedSettings = {
         ...currentSettings,
         ...patch,
         lastSync: Date.now(),
       };
 
+      // Optimistically track so the next rapid mutation sees this state immediately
+      pendingSettings.current = updatedSettings;
+
       // Encrypt the settings
       const plaintext = JSON.stringify(updatedSettings);
       const encrypted = await user.signer.nip44.encrypt(user.pubkey, plaintext);
@@ -172,6 +180,8 @@ export function useEncryptedSettings() {
     onSuccess: ({ updatedSettings, signedEvent }) => {
       queryClient.setQueryData(['encryptedSettings', user?.pubkey], signedEvent);
       queryClient.setQueryData(['parsedSettings', signedEvent.id], updatedSettings);
+      // Cache is now up to date — pending ref no longer needed
+      pendingSettings.current = null;
     },
   });
 
diff --git a/src/hooks/useNotifications.ts b/src/hooks/useNotifications.ts
index beffd35e..56fe279d 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useNotifications.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useNotifications.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
+import { useCallback, useMemo, useRef } from 'react';
 import { useNostr } from '@nostrify/react';
 import { useInfiniteQuery, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import { Capacitor } from '@capacitor/core';
@@ -175,10 +175,18 @@ export function useNotifications(): NotificationData {
   }, [data?.pages]);
 
   // Only use cursor if settings have actually loaded, otherwise null
-  const notificationsCursor = settings !== undefined && settings !== null
+  const remoteCursor = settings !== undefined && settings !== null
     ? (settings.notificationsCursor ?? 0)
     : null;
 
+  // Optimistic local cursor — updated immediately on markAsRead so that
+  // newNotificationIds collapses to empty before the query cache catches up,
+  // preventing the NotificationsPage effect from re-triggering markAsRead.
+  const optimisticCursor = useRef<number | null>(null);
+  const notificationsCursor = optimisticCursor.current !== null
+    ? Math.max(optimisticCursor.current, remoteCursor ?? 0)
+    : remoteCursor;
+
   // Build set of unread notification IDs
   const newNotificationIds = useMemo(() => {
     if (notificationsCursor === null) return new Set<string>();
@@ -199,12 +207,18 @@ export function useNotifications(): NotificationData {
 
     if (newestTimestamp <= notificationsCursor) return;
 
+    // Update optimistic cursor immediately so unread state clears before
+    // the query cache updates, preventing re-trigger loops.
+    optimisticCursor.current = newestTimestamp;
+
     try {
       await updateSettings.mutateAsync({
         notificationsCursor: newestTimestamp,
       });
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Failed to mark notifications as read:', error);
+      // Roll back optimistic cursor on failure
+      optimisticCursor.current = null;
     }
   // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [user?.pubkey, items.length, notificationsCursor]);
diff --git a/src/hooks/useTheme.ts b/src/hooks/useTheme.ts
index 465517cc..3d3aac61 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useTheme.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useTheme.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { useAppContext } from "@/hooks/useAppContext";
 import { useEncryptedSettings } from "@/hooks/useEncryptedSettings";
 import { useCurrentUser } from "@/hooks/useCurrentUser";
 import { useRef, useCallback } from "react";
+import { builtinThemes, buildThemeCss, resolveTheme } from "@/themes";
 
 /**
  * Hook to get and set the active theme.
@@ -32,6 +33,27 @@ export function useTheme() {
 
   /** Switch to a builtin theme (light, dark, system) or to "custom" (preserving existing customTheme). */
   const setTheme = useCallback((theme: Theme) => {
+    // Disable all transitions while swapping theme to prevent animated flicker
+    const noTransition = document.createElement('style');
+    noTransition.textContent = '*, *::before, *::after { transition: none !important; }';
+    document.head.appendChild(noTransition);
+
+    // Apply CSS vars synchronously before React re-renders to eliminate flicker
+    const resolved = resolveTheme(theme);
+    const css = buildThemeCss(builtinThemes[resolved as keyof typeof builtinThemes] ?? builtinThemes.dark);
+    let el = document.getElementById('theme-vars') as HTMLStyleElement | null;
+    if (!el) {
+      el = document.createElement('style');
+      el.id = 'theme-vars';
+      document.head.appendChild(el);
+    }
+    el.textContent = css;
+    document.documentElement.className = resolved;
+
+    // Re-enable transitions after the browser has painted the new theme
+    requestAnimationFrame(() => noTransition.remove());
+
+    // Update local immediately
     updateConfig((currentConfig) => ({
       ...currentConfig,
       theme,