diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/crash_recovery.rs b/core/archipelago/src/crash_recovery.rs
index 90825dff..90d8fda4 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/crash_recovery.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/crash_recovery.rs
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ async fn start_stopped_app_stacks(data_dir: &Path) -> RecoveryReport {
     };
 
     for stack in stack_recovery_specs() {
-        if !stack_has_any_container(stack).await {
+        if !stack_anchor_container_exists(stack).await {
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -619,6 +619,11 @@ struct StackRecoverySpec {
     network: &'static str,
     aliases: &'static [(&'static str, &'static str)],
     containers: &'static [&'static str],
+    /// The stack's core dependency (its DB / server container) — every other
+    /// member depends on this being present. Used to distinguish "a genuinely
+    /// installed stack has a crashed member" from "orphan debris from a
+    /// partial/failed install" (see `stack_anchor_container_exists`).
+    anchor: &'static str,
 }
 
 fn stack_recovery_specs() -> &'static [StackRecoverySpec] {
@@ -632,6 +637,7 @@ fn stack_recovery_specs() -> &'static [StackRecoverySpec] {
                 ("immich_server", "immich_server"),
             ],
             containers: &["immich_postgres", "immich_redis", "immich_server"],
+            anchor: "immich_postgres",
         },
         StackRecoverySpec {
             name: "indeedhub",
@@ -653,6 +659,7 @@ fn stack_recovery_specs() -> &'static [StackRecoverySpec] {
                 "indeedhub-ffmpeg",
                 "indeedhub",
             ],
+            anchor: "indeedhub-postgres",
         },
         StackRecoverySpec {
             name: "netbird",
@@ -663,17 +670,20 @@ fn stack_recovery_specs() -> &'static [StackRecoverySpec] {
                 ("netbird", "netbird"),
             ],
             containers: &["netbird-server", "netbird-dashboard", "netbird"],
+            anchor: "netbird-server",
         },
     ]
 }
 
-async fn stack_has_any_container(stack: &StackRecoverySpec) -> bool {
-    for container in stack.containers {
-        if container_state(container).await.is_some() {
-            return true;
-        }
-    }
-    false
+/// Whether the stack's core dependency container exists at all (running or
+/// not — existence, not health, is what matters here). `false` means any
+/// other stack member still lying around is orphan debris from a partial or
+/// already-uninstalled install, not a legitimately-installed-but-crashed
+/// stack — blindly restarting those siblings just crash-loops them forever
+/// against a dependency that was never created (indeedhub-api on `.116`,
+/// 2026-07-01: retried every 120s against a nonexistent indeedhub-postgres).
+async fn stack_anchor_container_exists(stack: &StackRecoverySpec) -> bool {
+    container_state(stack.anchor).await.is_some()
 }
 
 async fn repair_stack_network_aliases(stack: &StackRecoverySpec) {
@@ -1059,4 +1069,27 @@ mod tests {
             true
         ));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn stack_recovery_anchor_is_the_stacks_own_core_dependency() {
+        // Every stack's anchor must be one of its own containers (typically
+        // the DB/server the rest depend on) — a typo here would silently
+        // disable orphan-debris protection for that stack.
+        for stack in stack_recovery_specs() {
+            assert!(
+                stack.containers.contains(&stack.anchor),
+                "{}: anchor {} not among its own containers",
+                stack.name,
+                stack.anchor
+            );
+        }
+        assert_eq!(
+            stack_recovery_specs()
+                .iter()
+                .find(|s| s.name == "indeedhub")
+                .unwrap()
+                .anchor,
+            "indeedhub-postgres"
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/appSession/AppSessionFrame.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/appSession/AppSessionFrame.vue
index e58293e0..fcb95d49 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/appSession/AppSessionFrame.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/appSession/AppSessionFrame.vue
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 <template>
   <div class="relative flex-1 min-h-0 bg-black/40 overflow-hidden app-session-frame-safe">
     <Transition name="content-fade">
-      <AppLoadingScreen v-if="loading" :icon="appIcon" :title="appTitle" :progress="loadProgress" />
+      <!-- Suppressed while the ElectrumX sync overlay below is showing — both
+           conditions can be true at once during launch (generic loader fires
+           first, then sync status arrives), and the sync screen is strictly
+           more informative, so it takes precedence instead of the two
+           rendering on top of each other. -->
+      <AppLoadingScreen v-if="loading && !(electrsSync && !electrsSync.stale)" :icon="appIcon" :title="appTitle" :progress="loadProgress" />
     </Transition>
 
     <!-- ElectrumX sync screen — shown before the real UI while the on-chain