diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 550e53af..d0c03be2 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import { FavoriteRelaysProvider } from '@/providers/FavoriteRelaysProvider'
 import { FeedProvider } from '@/providers/FeedProvider'
 import { FontSizeProvider } from '@/providers/FontSizeProvider'
 import { FollowListProvider } from '@/providers/FollowListProvider'
-import { GroupListProvider } from '@/providers/GroupListProvider'
 import { InterestListProvider } from '@/providers/InterestListProvider'
 import { KindFilterProvider } from '@/providers/KindFilterProvider'
 import { MediaUploadServiceProvider } from '@/providers/MediaUploadServiceProvider'
@@ -50,30 +49,28 @@ export default function App(): JSX.Element {
                         <MuteListProvider>
                           <FavoriteRelaysActivityProvider>
                             <InterestListProvider>
-                              <GroupListProvider>
-                                <UserTrustProvider>
-                                  <BookmarksProvider>
-                                    <FeedProvider>
-                                      <ReplyProvider>
-                                        <MediaUploadServiceProvider>
-                                          <KindFilterProvider>
-                                            <UserPreferencesProvider>
-                                              <LiveActivitiesProvider>
-                                                <CacheBrowserProvider>
-                                                  <PageManager />
-                                                </CacheBrowserProvider>
-                                              </LiveActivitiesProvider>
-                                              <ReadAloudPlayerModal />
-                                              <PublishSuccessSubtleIndicator />
-                                              <Toaster />
-                                            </UserPreferencesProvider>
-                                          </KindFilterProvider>
-                                        </MediaUploadServiceProvider>
-                                      </ReplyProvider>
-                                    </FeedProvider>
-                                  </BookmarksProvider>
-                                </UserTrustProvider>
-                              </GroupListProvider>
+                              <UserTrustProvider>
+                                <BookmarksProvider>
+                                  <FeedProvider>
+                                    <ReplyProvider>
+                                      <MediaUploadServiceProvider>
+                                        <KindFilterProvider>
+                                          <UserPreferencesProvider>
+                                            <LiveActivitiesProvider>
+                                              <CacheBrowserProvider>
+                                                <PageManager />
+                                              </CacheBrowserProvider>
+                                            </LiveActivitiesProvider>
+                                            <ReadAloudPlayerModal />
+                                            <PublishSuccessSubtleIndicator />
+                                            <Toaster />
+                                          </UserPreferencesProvider>
+                                        </KindFilterProvider>
+                                      </MediaUploadServiceProvider>
+                                    </ReplyProvider>
+                                  </FeedProvider>
+                                </BookmarksProvider>
+                              </UserTrustProvider>
                             </InterestListProvider>
                           </FavoriteRelaysActivityProvider>
                         </MuteListProvider>
diff --git a/src/components/PostEditor/PostContent.tsx b/src/components/PostEditor/PostContent.tsx
index 9fd39e93..e10fd142 100644
--- a/src/components/PostEditor/PostContent.tsx
+++ b/src/components/PostEditor/PostContent.tsx
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ import {
   ListTodo,
   MessageCircle,
   MessagesSquare,
-  Users,
   X,
   Highlighter,
   FileText,
@@ -94,7 +93,6 @@ import {
 import { prefixNostrAddresses } from '@/lib/nostr-address'
 import dayjs from 'dayjs'
 import { TDraftEvent } from '@/types'
-import { useGroupList } from '@/providers/group-list-context'
 import { Popover, PopoverContent, PopoverTrigger } from '@/components/ui/popover'
 import { Switch } from '@/components/ui/switch'
 import { DISCUSSION_TOPICS } from '@/pages/primary/DiscussionsPage/discussionTopics'
@@ -194,7 +192,6 @@ export default function PostContent({
 }) {
   const { t, i18n } = useTranslation()
   const { pubkey, publish, checkLogin } = useNostr()
-  const { userGroups } = useGroupList()
   const { addReplies } = useReply()
 
   const mergePublishedReplyIntoThread = useCallback(
@@ -308,13 +305,11 @@ export default function PostContent({
     return row?.label ?? 'general'
   })
   const [threadSelectedTopic, setThreadSelectedTopic] = useState('general')
-  const [threadSelectedGroup, setThreadSelectedGroup] = useState('')
   const [threadIsReadingGroup, setThreadIsReadingGroup] = useState(false)
   const [threadReadingAuthor, setThreadReadingAuthor] = useState('')
   const [threadReadingSubject, setThreadReadingSubject] = useState('')
   const [threadShowReadingsPanel, setThreadShowReadingsPanel] = useState(false)
   const [threadTopicPopoverOpen, setThreadTopicPopoverOpen] = useState(false)
-  const [threadGroupPopoverOpen, setThreadGroupPopoverOpen] = useState(false)
   const [threadErrors, setThreadErrors] = useState<{
     title?: string
     content?: string
@@ -322,7 +317,6 @@ export default function PostContent({
     relay?: string
     author?: string
     subject?: string
-    group?: string
   }>({})
   const [mediaNoteKind, setMediaNoteKind] = useState<number | null>(null)
   const [mediaImetaTags, setMediaImetaTags] = useState<string[][]>([])
@@ -438,7 +432,6 @@ export default function PostContent({
       processedContent: prefixNostrAddresses(text.trim()),
       topicForTags: resolved,
       title: threadTitle,
-      selectedGroup: threadSelectedGroup,
       dynamicTopics: discussionDynamicTopics,
       isReadingGroup: threadIsReadingGroup,
       author: threadReadingAuthor,
@@ -451,7 +444,6 @@ export default function PostContent({
     allAvailableTopics,
     text,
     threadTitle,
-    threadSelectedGroup,
     discussionDynamicTopics,
     threadIsReadingGroup,
     threadReadingAuthor,
@@ -485,8 +477,7 @@ export default function PostContent({
         !!text.trim() &&
         text.length <= 5000 &&
         additionalRelayUrls.length > 0 &&
-        (!threadIsReadingGroup || (!!threadReadingAuthor.trim() && !!threadReadingSubject.trim())) &&
-        (threadTopicResolved !== 'groups' || !!threadSelectedGroup.trim()))
+        (!threadIsReadingGroup || (!!threadReadingAuthor.trim() && !!threadReadingSubject.trim())))
     const result = (
       !!pubkey &&
       !posting &&
@@ -537,7 +528,6 @@ export default function PostContent({
     threadIsReadingGroup,
     threadReadingAuthor,
     threadReadingSubject,
-    threadSelectedGroup,
     relayCapBlockInfo
   ])
 
@@ -805,7 +795,6 @@ export default function PostContent({
         processedContent: processed,
         topicForTags: topicResolved,
         title: threadTitle,
-        selectedGroup: threadSelectedGroup,
         dynamicTopics: discussionDynamicTopics,
         isReadingGroup: threadIsReadingGroup,
         author: threadReadingAuthor,
@@ -1130,7 +1119,6 @@ export default function PostContent({
     allAvailableTopics,
     threadSelectedTopic,
     threadTitle,
-    threadSelectedGroup,
     discussionDynamicTopics,
     threadIsReadingGroup,
     threadReadingAuthor,
@@ -1299,9 +1287,6 @@ export default function PostContent({
             newErrors.subject = t('Subject (book title) is required for reading groups')
           }
         }
-        if (topicResolved === 'groups' && !threadSelectedGroup.trim()) {
-          newErrors.group = t('Please select a group')
-        }
         setThreadErrors(newErrors)
         if (Object.keys(newErrors).length > 0) {
           return
@@ -2246,7 +2231,6 @@ export default function PostContent({
     setThreadSelectedTopic('general')
     const gRow = DISCUSSION_TOPICS.find((x) => x.id === 'general')
     setThreadTopicInput(gRow?.label ?? 'general')
-    setThreadSelectedGroup('')
     setThreadIsReadingGroup(false)
     setThreadReadingAuthor('')
     setThreadReadingSubject('')
@@ -2420,63 +2404,6 @@ export default function PostContent({
             </p>
           </div>
 
-          {threadTopicResolved === 'groups' && (
-            <div className="space-y-2">
-              <Label htmlFor="discussion-group" className="text-sm font-medium">
-                {t('Select Group')}
-              </Label>
-              <Popover open={threadGroupPopoverOpen} onOpenChange={setThreadGroupPopoverOpen}>
-                <PopoverTrigger asChild>
-                  <Button
-                    variant="outline"
-                    role="combobox"
-                    aria-expanded={threadGroupPopoverOpen}
-                    title={t('Select group...')}
-                    className="h-9 w-full justify-between bg-background font-normal"
-                  >
-                    {threadSelectedGroup ? threadSelectedGroup : t('Select group...')}
-                    <ChevronDown className="ml-2 h-4 w-4 shrink-0 opacity-50" />
-                  </Button>
-                </PopoverTrigger>
-                <PopoverContent
-                  className="z-[10000] w-[--radix-popover-trigger-width] p-2"
-                  align="start"
-                  side="bottom"
-                  sideOffset={4}
-                >
-                  <div className="max-h-60 overflow-y-auto">
-                    {userGroups.length === 0 ? (
-                      <div className="p-2 text-center text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-                        {t('No groups available. Join some groups first.')}
-                      </div>
-                    ) : (
-                      userGroups.map((groupId) => (
-                        <div
-                          key={groupId}
-                          className="flex cursor-pointer items-center rounded p-2 hover:bg-accent"
-                          onClick={() => {
-                            setThreadSelectedGroup(groupId)
-                            setThreadGroupPopoverOpen(false)
-                          }}
-                        >
-                          <Check
-                            className={`mr-2 h-4 w-4 ${threadSelectedGroup === groupId ? 'opacity-100' : 'opacity-0'}`}
-                          />
-                          <Users className="mr-2 h-4 w-4" />
-                          {groupId}
-                        </div>
-                      ))
-                    )}
-                  </div>
-                </PopoverContent>
-              </Popover>
-              {threadErrors.group && <p className="text-sm text-destructive">{threadErrors.group}</p>}
-              <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                {t('Select the group where you want to create this discussion.')}
-              </p>
-            </div>
-          )}
-
           <div className="space-y-2">
             <Label htmlFor="discussion-thread-title" className="text-sm font-medium">
               {t('Title')} <span className="text-destructive">*</span>
diff --git a/src/components/Sidebar/SidebarCalendarWeekWidget.tsx b/src/components/Sidebar/SidebarCalendarWeekWidget.tsx
index 5020c042..6a052ce4 100644
--- a/src/components/Sidebar/SidebarCalendarWeekWidget.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Sidebar/SidebarCalendarWeekWidget.tsx
@@ -17,12 +17,13 @@ import { useFavoriteRelays } from '@/providers/FavoriteRelaysProvider'
 import { useFollowListOptional } from '@/providers/follow-list-context'
 import { useNostr } from '@/providers/NostrProvider'
 import client from '@/services/client.service'
+import { registerSessionInteractivePrewarmListener } from '@/services/session-interactive-prewarm-bridge'
 import indexedDb from '@/services/indexed-db.service'
 import { CALENDAR_EVENT_KINDS, ExtendedKind } from '@/constants'
 import { appendCuratedReadOnlyRelays } from '@/pages/primary/SpellsPage/fauxSpellFeeds'
 import { CalendarDays, ChevronLeft, ChevronRight } from 'lucide-react'
 import { type Event } from 'nostr-tools'
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useReducer, useState } from 'react'
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next'
 import { CalendarEventCoverImage } from '@/components/CalendarEventCoverImage'
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button'
@@ -47,6 +48,14 @@ export default function SidebarCalendarWeekWidget() {
   const { navigateToNote } = useSmartNoteNavigation()
   const { navigate: navigatePrimary } = usePrimaryPage()
 
+  const [prewarmRefreshKey, bumpPrewarmRefresh] = useReducer((n: number) => n + 1, 0)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    return registerSessionInteractivePrewarmListener(() => {
+      bumpPrewarmRefresh()
+    })
+  }, [])
+
   const [weekOffset, setWeekOffset] = useState(0)
   const [rawEvents, setRawEvents] = useState<Event[]>([])
 
@@ -269,7 +278,7 @@ export default function SidebarCalendarWeekWidget() {
       cancelled = true
       if (lateMergeTimer != null) window.clearTimeout(lateMergeTimer)
     }
-  }, [relayKey, followAuthorsKey, weekOffset])
+  }, [relayKey, followAuthorsKey, weekOffset, prewarmRefreshKey])
 
   const openEvent = useCallback(
     (ev: Event) => {
diff --git a/src/constants.ts b/src/constants.ts
index fead0dd1..2770582f 100644
--- a/src/constants.ts
+++ b/src/constants.ts
@@ -504,7 +504,6 @@ export const ExtendedKind = {
   HTTP_RELAY_LIST: 10243,
   RELAY_REVIEW: 31987,
   GROUP_METADATA: 39000,
-  GROUP_LIST: 10009, // NIP-51 Group List
   /** NIP-51 follow sets (addressable); `p` tags name pubkeys in the set */
   FOLLOW_SET: 30000,
   ZAP_REQUEST: 9734,
diff --git a/src/lib/discussion-thread-composer.ts b/src/lib/discussion-thread-composer.ts
index ab4aa5f3..0abaaab9 100644
--- a/src/lib/discussion-thread-composer.ts
+++ b/src/lib/discussion-thread-composer.ts
@@ -74,10 +74,9 @@ export function buildAllAvailableTopics(dynamicTopics?: TDiscussionDynamicTopics
 
   if (dynamicTopics) {
     dynamicTopics.mainTopics.forEach((dynamicTopic) => {
-      const isGroupsTopic = dynamicTopic.id === 'groups'
       combined.push({
         id: dynamicTopic.id,
-        label: `${dynamicTopic.label} (${dynamicTopic.count}) ${isGroupsTopic ? '👥' : '🔥'}`,
+        label: `${dynamicTopic.label} (${dynamicTopic.count}) 🔥`,
         icon: Hash
       })
     })
@@ -138,32 +137,17 @@ export function collectDiscussionThreadTags(params: {
   processedContent: string
   topicForTags: string
   title: string
-  selectedGroup: string
   dynamicTopics?: TDiscussionDynamicTopics | null
   isReadingGroup: boolean
   author: string
   subject: string
   isNsfw: boolean
 }): string[][] {
-  const {
-    processedContent,
-    topicForTags,
-    title,
-    selectedGroup,
-    dynamicTopics,
-    isReadingGroup,
-    author,
-    subject,
-    isNsfw
-  } = params
+  const { processedContent, topicForTags, title, dynamicTopics, isReadingGroup, author, subject, isNsfw } = params
   const images = extractImagesFromContent(processedContent)
   const hashtags = extractHashtagsFromContent(processedContent)
   const tags: string[][] = [['title', title.trim()], ['-']]
 
-  if (topicForTags === 'groups' && selectedGroup) {
-    tags.push(['h', selectedGroup])
-  }
-
   if (topicForTags !== 'all' && topicForTags !== 'general' && topicForTags !== 'groups') {
     const selectedDynamicTopic = dynamicTopics?.allTopics.find((dt) => dt.id === topicForTags)
 
diff --git a/src/lib/nip05.ts b/src/lib/nip05.ts
index 5db9e5a7..3c5bfb74 100644
--- a/src/lib/nip05.ts
+++ b/src/lib/nip05.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 import { LRUCache } from 'lru-cache'
 import { nip19 } from 'nostr-tools'
+import {
+  clearSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession,
+  isSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession,
+  markSitesProxyUnavailableFromHttpStatus
+} from '@/lib/optional-proxy-session'
 import { buildViteProxySitesFetchUrl } from '@/lib/vite-proxy-url'
 import { hexPubkeysEqual, isValidPubkey, normalizeHexPubkey } from './pubkey'
 import { fetchWithTimeout } from '@/lib/fetch-with-timeout'
@@ -187,7 +192,8 @@ async function fetchWellKnownNostrJsonOnce(
 ): Promise<Record<string, unknown> | null> {
   const targetUrl = getWellKnownNip05Url(domain, nameInQuery)
   const proxyServer = import.meta.env.VITE_PROXY_SERVER?.trim()
-  const fetchUrl = proxyServer ? buildViteProxySitesFetchUrl(targetUrl, proxyServer) : targetUrl
+  const useProxy = Boolean(proxyServer && !isSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession())
+  const fetchUrl = useProxy ? buildViteProxySitesFetchUrl(targetUrl, proxyServer!) : targetUrl
   try {
     const res = await fetchWithTimeout(fetchUrl, {
       credentials: 'omit',
@@ -197,7 +203,11 @@ async function fetchWellKnownNostrJsonOnce(
       timeoutMs: 15_000
     })
     /** NIP-05: well-known MUST NOT redirect; following redirects can land on unrelated JSON. */
-    if (res.redirected || !res.ok) return null
+    if (res.redirected || !res.ok) {
+      if (useProxy && !res.redirected) markSitesProxyUnavailableFromHttpStatus(res.status)
+      return null
+    }
+    if (useProxy) clearSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession()
     const data: unknown = await res.json()
     return data && typeof data === 'object' && !Array.isArray(data) ? (data as Record<string, unknown>) : null
   } catch {
diff --git a/src/lib/optional-proxy-session.ts b/src/lib/optional-proxy-session.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a1799d1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/optional-proxy-session.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import logger from '@/lib/logger'
+
+/**
+ * When `VITE_PROXY_SERVER` points at a dev stub that returns 502/503/504 for `/sites/?url=…`,
+ * remember for the rest of the tab lifetime so OG, NIP-05, and RSS do not hammer the proxy.
+ * Cleared on a successful proxy response.
+ */
+let sitesProxyUnavailableThisSession = false
+let sitesProxySkipLogged = false
+
+export function isSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession(): boolean {
+  return sitesProxyUnavailableThisSession
+}
+
+export function clearSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession(): void {
+  sitesProxyUnavailableThisSession = false
+  sitesProxySkipLogged = false
+}
+
+const BAD_GATEWAYISH = new Set([502, 503, 504])
+
+export function markSitesProxyUnavailableFromHttpStatus(status: number): void {
+  if (!BAD_GATEWAYISH.has(status)) return
+  if (!sitesProxyUnavailableThisSession) {
+    sitesProxyUnavailableThisSession = true
+    if (import.meta.env.DEV && !sitesProxySkipLogged) {
+      sitesProxySkipLogged = true
+      logger.debug(
+        '[Optional proxy] Sites proxy returned ' +
+          `${status}; skipping further /sites/ proxy fetches this session (direct or fallbacks only).`
+      )
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/translate-client.ts b/src/lib/translate-client.ts
index b3abdcd9..53b0924b 100644
--- a/src/lib/translate-client.ts
+++ b/src/lib/translate-client.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,19 @@ const memoryCache = new Map<string, { text: string; at: number }>()
 const MAX_MEMORY = 80
 const CACHE_TTL_MS = 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24
 
+/** After `/languages` or `/translate` hits 502/503/504, skip further translate HTTP this tab (optional dev proxy). */
+let translateBackendGoneThisSession = false
+
+const translateOptionalLoggedKeys = new Set<string>()
+
+function translateDevLogOnce(key: string, message: string, payload?: Record<string, unknown>): void {
+  if (translateOptionalLoggedKeys.has(key)) return
+  translateOptionalLoggedKeys.add(key)
+  if (import.meta.env.DEV) {
+    logger.debug(message, payload)
+  }
+}
+
 function cacheKey(source: string, sourceLang: string, targetLang: string): string {
   const h = bytesToHex(sha256(new TextEncoder().encode(`${sourceLang}|${targetLang}|${source}`)))
   return h
@@ -25,6 +38,10 @@ function pruneMemory(): void {
   }
 }
 
+export function isTranslateBackendUnreachableThisSession(): boolean {
+  return translateBackendGoneThisSession
+}
+
 export function isTranslateConfigured(): boolean {
   return Boolean(TRANSLATE_URL.trim())
 }
@@ -135,6 +152,14 @@ function parseLanguagesResponse(data: unknown): TranslateLanguageOption[] {
 export async function fetchTranslateLanguages(): Promise<TranslateLanguageOption[]> {
   const base = TRANSLATE_URL.trim().replace(/\/$/u, '')
   if (!base) return []
+  if (translateBackendGoneThisSession) {
+    translateDevLogOnce(
+      'languages-skip',
+      '[Translate] /languages skipped — optional translate backend unavailable this session.'
+    )
+    recordAdvertisedTranslateCodesFromServer(languagesCache?.list ?? [])
+    return languagesCache?.list ?? []
+  }
   const now = Date.now()
   if (languagesCache) {
     const ttl = languagesCache.fromFailure ? LANGUAGES_FAILURE_CACHE_TTL_MS : LANGUAGES_CACHE_TTL_MS
@@ -152,16 +177,14 @@ export async function fetchTranslateLanguages(): Promise<TranslateLanguageOption
     const res = await electronAwareFetch(url)
     if (!res.ok) {
       const t = Date.now()
-      if (t - lastLanguagesFailureLogAt > 10_000) {
+      if (res.status === 502 || res.status === 503 || res.status === 504) {
+        translateBackendGoneThisSession = true
+        translateDevLogOnce('languages-fail', '[Translate] Optional translate proxy offline (502/503/504); skipping further translate HTTP this session.', {
+          status: res.status
+        })
+      } else if (t - lastLanguagesFailureLogAt > 10_000) {
         lastLanguagesFailureLogAt = t
-        if (import.meta.env.DEV && (res.status === 503 || res.status === 502)) {
-          logger.debug(
-            '[Translate] /languages skipped — dev translate proxy has no backend (:5000). See PROXY_SETUP.md.',
-            { status: res.status }
-          )
-        } else {
-          logger.warn('[Translate] /languages failed', { status: res.status })
-        }
+        logger.warn('[Translate] /languages failed', { status: res.status })
       }
       languagesCache = { list: [], at: t, fromFailure: true }
       recordAdvertisedTranslateCodesFromServer([])
@@ -171,6 +194,7 @@ export async function fetchTranslateLanguages(): Promise<TranslateLanguageOption
       const data = (await res.json()) as unknown
       const list = parseLanguagesResponse(data)
       languagesCache = { list, at: Date.now() }
+      translateBackendGoneThisSession = false
       recordAdvertisedTranslateCodesFromServer(list)
       return list
     } catch (e) {
@@ -194,6 +218,8 @@ export function clearTranslateLanguagesCache(): void {
   languagesCache = null
   advertisedTranslateApiCodes = null
   warmTranslateLanguagesPromise = null
+  translateBackendGoneThisSession = false
+  translateOptionalLoggedKeys.clear()
 }
 
 /**
@@ -213,6 +239,13 @@ export async function translatePlainText(
   if (!base) {
     throw new Error('Translation URL not configured')
   }
+  if (translateBackendGoneThisSession) {
+    translateDevLogOnce(
+      'translate-post-skip',
+      '[Translate] Skipping translate POST — optional backend unavailable this session.'
+    )
+    return text
+  }
 
   /** LibreTranslate often trims `q` / `translatedText`; keep edge whitespace so markup segments still join cleanly. */
   const leadingWs = text.match(/^\s*/u)?.[0] ?? ''
@@ -269,6 +302,13 @@ export async function translatePlainText(
     })
   })
   if (!res.ok) {
+    if (res.status === 502 || res.status === 503 || res.status === 504) {
+      translateBackendGoneThisSession = true
+      translateDevLogOnce('translate-post-fail', '[Translate] Optional translate proxy offline; skipping further translate HTTP this session.', {
+        status: res.status
+      })
+      return text
+    }
     const err = await res.text().catch(() => '')
     logger.warn('[Translate] HTTP error', { status: res.status, err: err.slice(0, 200) })
     const detail = err.replace(/\s+/gu, ' ').trim().slice(0, 160)
@@ -278,6 +318,7 @@ export async function translatePlainText(
   }
   const data = (await res.json()) as { translatedText?: string }
   const outCore = data.translatedText ?? ''
+  translateBackendGoneThisSession = false
   pruneMemory()
   memoryCache.set(key, { text: outCore, at: Date.now() })
   logger.info('[AdvancedLab] translate', {
diff --git a/src/pages/primary/DiscussionsPage/discussionTopics.ts b/src/pages/primary/DiscussionsPage/discussionTopics.ts
index 41ecca59..b73861f0 100644
--- a/src/pages/primary/DiscussionsPage/discussionTopics.ts
+++ b/src/pages/primary/DiscussionsPage/discussionTopics.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,5 @@ export const DISCUSSION_TOPICS = [
   { id: 'travel', label: 'Travel & Adventure', icon: MapPin },
   { id: 'home', label: 'Home & Garden', icon: Home },
   { id: 'pets', label: 'Pets & Animals', icon: PawPrint },
-  { id: 'fashion', label: 'Fashion & Beauty', icon: Shirt },
-  { id: 'groups', label: 'Groups', icon: Users }
+  { id: 'fashion', label: 'Fashion & Beauty', icon: Shirt }
 ]
diff --git a/src/providers/FavoriteRelaysActivityProvider.tsx b/src/providers/FavoriteRelaysActivityProvider.tsx
index 7845e227..21bd5055 100644
--- a/src/providers/FavoriteRelaysActivityProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/providers/FavoriteRelaysActivityProvider.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { useFavoriteRelays } from '@/providers/FavoriteRelaysProvider'
 import { useNostr } from '@/providers/NostrProvider'
 import { queryService, replaceableEventService } from '@/services/client.service'
 import indexedDb from '@/services/indexed-db.service'
+import { registerSessionInteractivePrewarmListener } from '@/services/session-interactive-prewarm-bridge'
 import type { Event } from 'nostr-tools'
 import { kinds } from 'nostr-tools'
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
@@ -306,6 +307,13 @@ export function FavoriteRelaysActivityProvider({ children }: { children: React.R
     }
   }, [viewerPubkey, followings.length])
 
+  /** After session interactive prewarm, relay URLs / follow context are stable — refresh pulse once. */
+  useEffect(() => {
+    return registerSessionInteractivePrewarmListener(() => {
+      void fetchRef.current()
+    })
+  }, [])
+
   /** While the document is visible: poll once per hour; when returning after a long background, catch up if due. */
   useEffect(() => {
     let intervalId: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | undefined
diff --git a/src/providers/GroupListProvider.tsx b/src/providers/GroupListProvider.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index b019b37c..00000000
--- a/src/providers/GroupListProvider.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,118 +0,0 @@
-import { useEffect, useState, useCallback, useMemo } from 'react'
-import { useNostr } from '@/providers/NostrProvider'
-import { useFavoriteRelays } from '@/providers/FavoriteRelaysProvider'
-import { ExtendedKind } from '@/constants'
-import { getFavoritesFeedRelayUrls } from '@/lib/favorites-feed-relays'
-import { fetchLatestReplaceableListEvent } from '@/lib/replaceable-list-latest'
-import { buildPrioritizedReadRelayUrls } from '@/lib/relay-url-priority'
-import client from '@/services/client.service'
-import logger from '@/lib/logger'
-import { GroupListContext } from './group-list-context'
-
-export function GroupListProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
-  const { pubkey: accountPubkey } = useNostr()
-  const { favoriteRelays, blockedRelays } = useFavoriteRelays()
-  const [userGroups, setUserGroups] = useState<string[]>([])
-  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false)
-
-  // Build comprehensive relay list for fetching group list
-  const buildComprehensiveRelayList = useCallback(async () => {
-    const myRelayList = accountPubkey
-      ? await client.fetchRelayList(accountPubkey)
-      : {
-          write: [],
-          read: [],
-          originalRelays: [],
-          httpRead: [],
-          httpWrite: [],
-          httpOriginalRelays: []
-        }
-    const favoritesTier = getFavoritesFeedRelayUrls(favoriteRelays ?? [], blockedRelays)
-    return buildPrioritizedReadRelayUrls({
-      userReadRelays: [...(myRelayList.httpRead ?? []), ...(myRelayList.read ?? [])],
-      userWriteRelays: [...(myRelayList.httpWrite ?? []), ...(myRelayList.write ?? [])],
-      favoriteRelays: favoritesTier,
-      blockedRelays,
-      applySocialKindBlockedFilter: false
-    })
-  }, [accountPubkey, favoriteRelays, blockedRelays])
-
-  // Fetch user's group list (kind 10009)
-  const fetchGroupList = useCallback(async () => {
-    if (!accountPubkey) {
-      setUserGroups([])
-      return
-    }
-
-    try {
-      setIsLoading(true)
-      logger.debug('[GroupListProvider] Fetching group list for user:', accountPubkey.substring(0, 8))
-      
-      // Get comprehensive relay list
-      const allRelays = await buildComprehensiveRelayList()
-      
-      const groupListEvent = await fetchLatestReplaceableListEvent(
-        accountPubkey,
-        ExtendedKind.GROUP_LIST,
-        allRelays
-      )
-
-      if (groupListEvent) {
-        logger.debug('[GroupListProvider] Found group list event:', groupListEvent.id.substring(0, 8))
-        
-        // Extract groups from a-tags (group coordinates)
-        const groups: string[] = []
-        groupListEvent.tags.forEach(tag => {
-          if (tag[0] === 'a' && tag[1]) {
-            // Parse group coordinate: kind:pubkey:group-id
-            const coordinate = tag[1]
-            const parts = coordinate.split(':')
-            if (parts.length >= 3) {
-              const groupId = parts[2]
-              groups.push(groupId)
-            }
-          }
-        })
-        
-        setUserGroups(groups)
-        logger.debug('[GroupListProvider] Extracted groups:', groups)
-      } else {
-        setUserGroups([])
-        logger.debug('[GroupListProvider] No group list found')
-      }
-    } catch (error) {
-      logger.error('[GroupListProvider] Error fetching group list:', error)
-      setUserGroups([])
-    } finally {
-      setIsLoading(false)
-    }
-  }, [accountPubkey, buildComprehensiveRelayList])
-
-  // Check if user is in a specific group
-  const isUserInGroup = useCallback((groupId: string): boolean => {
-    return userGroups.includes(groupId)
-  }, [userGroups])
-
-  // Refresh group list
-  const refreshGroupList = useCallback(async () => {
-    await fetchGroupList()
-  }, [fetchGroupList])
-
-  // Load group list on mount and when account changes
-  useEffect(() => {
-    fetchGroupList()
-  }, [fetchGroupList])
-
-  const contextValue = useMemo(() => ({
-    userGroups,
-    isUserInGroup,
-    refreshGroupList,
-    isLoading
-  }), [userGroups, isUserInGroup, refreshGroupList, isLoading])
-
-  return (
-    <GroupListContext.Provider value={contextValue}>
-      {children}
-    </GroupListContext.Provider>
-  )
-}
diff --git a/src/providers/LiveActivitiesProvider.tsx b/src/providers/LiveActivitiesProvider.tsx
index 672e0ca4..583e42f7 100644
--- a/src/providers/LiveActivitiesProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/providers/LiveActivitiesProvider.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { userReadRelaysWithHttp } from '@/lib/favorites-feed-relays'
 import logger from '@/lib/logger'
 import client from '@/services/client.service'
 import indexedDb from '@/services/indexed-db.service'
-import { registerLiveActivitiesPrewarmCallback } from '@/services/live-activities-prewarm-bridge'
+import { registerSessionInteractivePrewarmListener } from '@/services/session-interactive-prewarm-bridge'
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { LiveActivitiesContext } from './live-activities-context'
 import { useFavoriteRelays } from './FavoriteRelaysProvider'
@@ -125,10 +125,9 @@ export function LiveActivitiesProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode
   refreshRef.current = refresh
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    registerLiveActivitiesPrewarmCallback(() => {
+    return registerSessionInteractivePrewarmListener(() => {
       void refreshRef.current()
     })
-    return () => registerLiveActivitiesPrewarmCallback(null)
   }, [])
 
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/src/providers/group-list-context.tsx b/src/providers/group-list-context.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index 8b4c20ff..00000000
--- a/src/providers/group-list-context.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-import { createContext, useContext } from 'react'
-
-export interface GroupListContextType {
-  userGroups: string[]
-  isUserInGroup: (groupId: string) => boolean
-  refreshGroupList: () => Promise<void>
-  isLoading: boolean
-}
-
-export const GroupListContext = createContext<GroupListContextType | undefined>(undefined)
-
-export const useGroupList = (): GroupListContextType => {
-  const context = useContext(GroupListContext)
-  if (context === undefined) {
-    throw new Error('useGroupList must be used within a GroupListProvider')
-  }
-  return context
-}
diff --git a/src/services/client.service.ts b/src/services/client.service.ts
index b4f27812..d5b31fb8 100644
--- a/src/services/client.service.ts
+++ b/src/services/client.service.ts
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ import {
 import { AbstractRelay } from 'nostr-tools/abstract-relay'
 import indexedDb from './indexed-db.service'
 import { invalidateArchiveFootprintCache } from './event-archive.service'
-import { notifyLiveActivitiesPrewarmComplete } from './live-activities-prewarm-bridge'
+import { notifySessionInteractivePrewarmComplete } from './session-interactive-prewarm-bridge'
 import nip66Service from './nip66.service'
 import { buildProfileKind0SearchFilters } from '@/lib/profile-relay-search-filters'
 import { patchRelayNoticeForFetchFailures } from '@/services/relay-notice-fetch-failure'
@@ -361,8 +361,9 @@ class ClientService extends EventTarget {
   private sessionRelayPublishStats = new Map<string, { successCount: number; sumLatencyMs: number }>()
 
   /**
-   * IndexedDB profile index + NIP-66 relay discovery run once per page session; when logged in,
-   * {@link initUserIndexFromFollowings} hydrates each follow's kind 0, 3, and 10002 in batches.
+   * IndexedDB profile index + NIP-66 relay discovery run once per page session. When logged in,
+   * {@link initUserIndexFromFollowings} runs **after** this batch completes (deferred) so startup is not
+   * blocked on hundreds of follow relay round-trips.
    * @see {@link runSessionPrewarm}
    */
   private sessionPrewarmBaseCompleted = false
@@ -447,6 +448,16 @@ class ClientService extends EventTarget {
     return ClientService.instance
   }
 
+  private async yieldForUiPaint(): Promise<void> {
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      if (typeof requestAnimationFrame === 'function') {
+        requestAnimationFrame(() => resolve())
+      } else {
+        setTimeout(resolve, 0)
+      }
+    })
+  }
+
   private async prewarmProfileSearchIndexFromIdb(): Promise<void> {
     const t0 = typeof performance !== 'undefined' ? performance.now() : 0
     let profileRows = 0
@@ -461,37 +472,50 @@ class ClientService extends EventTarget {
   }
 
   /**
-   * One-shot batch: local profile search index + NIP-66 relay discovery (once per session) + optional following-profile fetch (parallel).
-   * Call after Nostr session is ready so it does not compete with the first relay-list REQ.
+   * One-shot: local profile @-index + NIP-66 relay discovery (once per session). When logged in,
+   * the heavy follow-list relay fetch runs **after** this returns (see {@link runSessionPrewarm}) so the
+   * session gate and live-activities prewarm hook are not held for minutes on large follow graphs.
    */
   async runSessionPrewarm(options: { pubkey: string | null; signal?: AbortSignal }): Promise<void> {
     const signal = options.signal ?? new AbortController().signal
     const t0 = typeof performance !== 'undefined' ? performance.now() : 0
-    const tasks: Promise<unknown>[] = []
+    const fastTasks: Promise<unknown>[] = []
 
     if (!this.sessionPrewarmBaseCompleted) {
       this.sessionPrewarmBaseCompleted = true
-      tasks.push(this.prewarmProfileSearchIndexFromIdb(), this.fetchNip66RelayDiscovery())
-    }
-    if (options.pubkey) {
-      tasks.push(this.initUserIndexFromFollowings(options.pubkey, signal))
+      fastTasks.push(this.prewarmProfileSearchIndexFromIdb(), this.fetchNip66RelayDiscovery())
     }
 
-    if (tasks.length === 0) {
-      notifyLiveActivitiesPrewarmComplete()
+    if (fastTasks.length === 0 && !options.pubkey) {
+      notifySessionInteractivePrewarmComplete()
       return
     }
 
-    logger.info('[client] Session prewarm batch started (parallel)', {
+    logger.info('[client] Session prewarm batch started (interactive)', {
       hasPubkey: !!options.pubkey,
-      taskCount: tasks.length
+      fastTaskCount: fastTasks.length
     })
-    const results = await Promise.allSettled(tasks)
-    logger.info('[client] Session prewarm batch finished', {
+    const fastResults = await Promise.allSettled(fastTasks)
+    logger.info('[client] Session prewarm batch finished (interactive)', {
       ms: typeof performance !== 'undefined' ? Math.round(performance.now() - t0) : undefined,
-      results: results.map((r) => r.status)
+      fastResults: fastResults.map((r) => r.status)
     })
-    notifyLiveActivitiesPrewarmComplete()
+    notifySessionInteractivePrewarmComplete()
+
+    if (options.pubkey) {
+      const pk = options.pubkey
+      /** Defer: follow graph pulls compete with first feed REQs; same hydrate {@link AbortSignal} still applies. */
+      void Promise.resolve().then(async () => {
+        try {
+          await this.initUserIndexFromFollowings(pk, signal)
+        } catch (err) {
+          logger.debug('[client] Prewarm: following index background pass failed', {
+            pubkeySlice: pk.slice(0, 12),
+            err: err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)
+          })
+        }
+      })
+    }
   }
 
   // Update signer in query service when it changes
@@ -3478,6 +3502,9 @@ class ClientService extends EventTarget {
       profileResolved += profiles.length
       await Promise.allSettled(profiles.map((ev) => this.addUsernameToIndex(ev)))
       profiles.forEach((ev) => this.updateProfileEventCache(ev))
+      if ((i + 1) * chunkSize < followings.length && !signal.aborted) {
+        await this.yieldForUiPaint()
+      }
     }
     logger.info('[client] Prewarm: following profile + contacts + NIP-65 fetch finished', {
       pubkeySlice: pubkey.slice(0, 12),
diff --git a/src/services/live-activities-prewarm-bridge.ts b/src/services/live-activities-prewarm-bridge.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index ab74d358..00000000
--- a/src/services/live-activities-prewarm-bridge.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Fired when {@link ClientService.runSessionPrewarm} finishes so the live-activities banner can refresh
- * in step with the initial session batch (logged-in or anonymous).
- */
-
-let onPrewarmComplete: (() => void) | null = null
-
-export function registerLiveActivitiesPrewarmCallback(fn: (() => void) | null): void {
-  onPrewarmComplete = fn
-}
-
-export function notifyLiveActivitiesPrewarmComplete(): void {
-  try {
-    onPrewarmComplete?.()
-  } catch {
-    // ignore listener errors
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/services/rss-feed.service.ts b/src/services/rss-feed.service.ts
index 713aa770..ca66836a 100644
--- a/src/services/rss-feed.service.ts
+++ b/src/services/rss-feed.service.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { DEFAULT_RSS_FEEDS } from '@/constants'
 import { fetchWithTimeout } from '@/lib/fetch-with-timeout'
 import { canonicalizeRssArticleUrl } from '@/lib/rss-article'
+import {
+  isSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession,
+  markSitesProxyUnavailableFromHttpStatus
+} from '@/lib/optional-proxy-session'
 import { cleanUrl } from '@/lib/url'
 import logger from '@/lib/logger'
 import { buildViteProxySitesFetchUrl, urlLooksLikeViteProxyRequest } from '@/lib/vite-proxy-url'
@@ -285,7 +289,7 @@ class RssFeedService {
     
     // Strategy 1: Same `VITE_PROXY_SERVER` contract as OG/link preview (`sites/?url=…`), not path-encoded `/sites/{url}`.
     const proxyServer = import.meta.env.VITE_PROXY_SERVER?.trim()
-    if (proxyServer && !urlLooksLikeViteProxyRequest(url)) {
+    if (proxyServer && !urlLooksLikeViteProxyRequest(url) && !isSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession()) {
       strategies.push({
         name: 'configured-proxy',
         getUrl: (u) => buildViteProxySitesFetchUrl(u, proxyServer)
@@ -335,6 +339,9 @@ class RssFeedService {
       })
 
       if (!res.ok) {
+        if (strategy.name === 'configured-proxy') {
+          markSitesProxyUnavailableFromHttpStatus(res.status)
+        }
         throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}: ${res.statusText}`)
       }
 
diff --git a/src/services/session-interactive-prewarm-bridge.ts b/src/services/session-interactive-prewarm-bridge.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..efdeac6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/services/session-interactive-prewarm-bridge.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+/**
+ * Multicast hook for {@link ClientService.runSessionPrewarm}'s **interactive** phase (IndexedDB @-mention
+ * index + NIP-66). Widgets that depend on a settled relay/follow picture (live activities, relay pulse,
+ * sidebar calendar) can register here so they refresh once without waiting for the follow-graph background pass.
+ */
+
+const listeners: Array<() => void> = []
+
+/** Returns an unsubscribe function. Safe under React Strict Mode (pair register/unregister). */
+export function registerSessionInteractivePrewarmListener(fn: () => void): () => void {
+  listeners.push(fn)
+  return () => {
+    const i = listeners.indexOf(fn)
+    if (i >= 0) listeners.splice(i, 1)
+  }
+}
+
+export function notifySessionInteractivePrewarmComplete(): void {
+  const snapshot = [...listeners]
+  for (const fn of snapshot) {
+    try {
+      fn()
+    } catch {
+      // ignore listener errors
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/services/web.service.ts b/src/services/web.service.ts
index 4f057916..0e84c7d2 100644
--- a/src/services/web.service.ts
+++ b/src/services/web.service.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 import { fetchWithTimeout } from '@/lib/fetch-with-timeout'
+import {
+  clearSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession,
+  isSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession,
+  markSitesProxyUnavailableFromHttpStatus
+} from '@/lib/optional-proxy-session'
 import { buildViteProxySitesFetchUrl, urlLooksLikeViteProxyRequest } from '@/lib/vite-proxy-url'
 import { TWebMetadata } from '@/types'
 import DataLoader from 'dataloader'
@@ -20,7 +25,10 @@ const HTML_FETCH_HEADERS = {
   'User-Agent': 'Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Imwald/1.0; +https://jumble.imwald.eu)'
 }
 
-async function tryFetchHtml(fetchUrl: string, timeoutMs: number): Promise<string | null> {
+async function tryFetchHtml(
+  fetchUrl: string,
+  timeoutMs: number
+): Promise<{ html: string | null; status?: number }> {
   try {
     const res = await fetchWithTimeout(fetchUrl, {
       timeoutMs,
@@ -28,13 +36,13 @@ async function tryFetchHtml(fetchUrl: string, timeoutMs: number): Promise<string
       credentials: 'omit',
       headers: HTML_FETCH_HEADERS
     })
-    if (!res.ok) return null
+    if (!res.ok) return { html: null, status: res.status }
     const html = await res.text()
-    if (html.length < 50) return null
-    if (htmlLooksLikeLocalDevAppShell(html)) return null
-    return html
+    if (html.length < 50) return { html: null, status: res.status }
+    if (htmlLooksLikeLocalDevAppShell(html)) return { html: null, status: res.status }
+    return { html }
   } catch {
-    return null
+    return { html: null }
   }
 }
 
@@ -45,31 +53,35 @@ async function fetchHtmlForOpenGraph(originalUrl: string): Promise<{ html: strin
   const isAlreadyProxyRequest = urlLooksLikeViteProxyRequest(originalUrl)
 
   if (isAlreadyProxyRequest) {
-    const html = await tryFetchHtml(originalUrl, 35_000)
+    const { html } = await tryFetchHtml(originalUrl, 35_000)
     return html ? { html, via: originalUrl } : null
   }
 
   const proxyServer = import.meta.env.VITE_PROXY_SERVER?.trim()
 
-  if (proxyServer) {
+  if (proxyServer && !isSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession()) {
     const proxyFetchUrl = buildViteProxySitesFetchUrl(originalUrl, proxyServer)
     logger.debug('[WebService] OG fetch via VITE_PROXY_SERVER', { originalUrl, proxyFetchUrl })
-    let html = await tryFetchHtml(proxyFetchUrl, 35_000)
-    if (html) {
-      return { html, via: proxyFetchUrl }
+    const proxyTry = await tryFetchHtml(proxyFetchUrl, 35_000)
+    if (proxyTry.html) {
+      clearSitesProxyUnavailableThisSession()
+      return { html: proxyTry.html, via: proxyFetchUrl }
+    }
+    if (typeof proxyTry.status === 'number') {
+      markSitesProxyUnavailableFromHttpStatus(proxyTry.status)
     }
-    logger.debug('[WebService] OG proxy unavailable or bad response', { originalUrl })
+    logger.debug('[WebService] OG proxy unavailable or bad response', { originalUrl, status: proxyTry.status })
     // In production with a configured proxy, skip direct fetch: random sites rarely allow browser CORS,
     // and the attempt spams DevTools with cross-origin errors without improving OG success.
     if (!import.meta.env.PROD) {
-      html = await tryFetchHtml(originalUrl, 15_000)
-      return html ? { html, via: 'direct' } : null
+      const direct = await tryFetchHtml(originalUrl, 15_000)
+      return direct.html ? { html: direct.html, via: 'direct' } : null
     }
     return null
   }
 
-  const html = await tryFetchHtml(originalUrl, 15_000)
-  return html ? { html, via: 'direct' } : null
+  const directOnly = await tryFetchHtml(originalUrl, 15_000)
+  return directOnly.html ? { html: directOnly.html, via: 'direct' } : null
 }
 
 function parseOpenGraphFromHtml(html: string, pageUrl: string): TWebMetadata {