diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index d202884..7882ec1 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ undefined identifiers, which is how
 - 2026-08-11: `docs/README.md` rewritten against the code: no competitor names,
   all five network destinations documented, password/Settings/Add Wallet
   sections corrected ([#163](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/AutistMask/issues/163)).
+- 2026-08-11: `loadState()` now derives `hasWallet` from the wallet list instead
+  of trusting the persisted flag, so a profile already saved inconsistent no
+  longer stays broken on every load
+  ([#195](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/AutistMask/issues/195)).
 - 2026-08-11: Wallet deletion repairs its own state — `hasWallet` follows the
   remaining wallets, the selection only moves when it was deleted, and the
   active-address change is broadcast to connected sites
diff --git a/src/shared/state.js b/src/shared/state.js
index b0192d8..14e76eb 100644
--- a/src/shared/state.js
+++ b/src/shared/state.js
@@ -84,8 +84,11 @@ async function loadState() {
     const result = await storageApi.get("autistmask");
     if (result.autistmask) {
         const saved = result.autistmask;
-        state.hasWallet = saved.hasWallet;
         state.wallets = saved.wallets || [];
+        // Derived, never read from storage: a profile persisted with the flag
+        // out of step with the wallet list would otherwise stay broken on
+        // every load. Nothing depends on the two disagreeing.
+        state.hasWallet = state.wallets.length > 0;
         state.trackedTokens = saved.trackedTokens || [];
         state.networkId = saved.networkId || DEFAULT_STATE.networkId;
         state.rpcUrl = saved.rpcUrl || DEFAULT_STATE.rpcUrl;
diff --git a/tests/state.test.js b/tests/state.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..353d7e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/state.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+const ADDRESS = "0x66133E8ea0f5D1d612D2502a968757D1048c214a";
+
+function oneWallet() {
+    return [{ name: "Wallet 1", type: "hd", addresses: [ADDRESS] }];
+}
+
+// state.js resolves the storage API at require time, so the stub has to exist
+// before the module is loaded, and the module registry has to be reset between
+// cases because `state` is a module-level singleton.
+function loadModuleWith(persisted) {
+    jest.resetModules();
+    const set = jest.fn(async () => {});
+    global.chrome = {
+        storage: {
+            local: {
+                get: jest.fn(async () =>
+                    persisted ? { autistmask: persisted } : {},
+                ),
+                set,
+            },
+        },
+    };
+    return { mod: require("../src/shared/state"), set };
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+    delete global.chrome;
+});
+
+describe("loadState hasWallet reconciliation", () => {
+    // A profile that deleted its last wallet on a build predating the write
+    // path fix keeps hasWallet: true forever. It must load as no wallet, which
+    // is what sends the popup to the welcome view.
+    test("stored hasWallet true with zero wallets loads as no wallet", async () => {
+        const { mod } = loadModuleWith({ hasWallet: true, wallets: [] });
+        await mod.loadState();
+        expect(mod.state.hasWallet).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    test("stored hasWallet true with a missing wallets key loads as no wallet", async () => {
+        const { mod } = loadModuleWith({ hasWallet: true });
+        await mod.loadState();
+        expect(mod.state.wallets).toEqual([]);
+        expect(mod.state.hasWallet).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    test("stored hasWallet false with one wallet loads as having a wallet", async () => {
+        const { mod } = loadModuleWith({
+            hasWallet: false,
+            wallets: oneWallet(),
+        });
+        await mod.loadState();
+        expect(mod.state.hasWallet).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test("absent hasWallet with wallets present loads as having a wallet", async () => {
+        const { mod } = loadModuleWith({ wallets: oneWallet() });
+        await mod.loadState();
+        expect(mod.state.hasWallet).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test("consistent stored states are preserved", async () => {
+        const withWallet = loadModuleWith({
+            hasWallet: true,
+            wallets: oneWallet(),
+        });
+        await withWallet.mod.loadState();
+        expect(withWallet.mod.state.hasWallet).toBe(true);
+
+        const without = loadModuleWith({ hasWallet: false, wallets: [] });
+        await without.mod.loadState();
+        expect(without.mod.state.hasWallet).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    test("empty storage leaves the default no-wallet state", async () => {
+        const { mod } = loadModuleWith(null);
+        await mod.loadState();
+        expect(mod.state.hasWallet).toBe(false);
+        expect(mod.state.wallets).toEqual([]);
+    });
+
+    // The correction is derived on every load rather than written back, so a
+    // load never has a storage side effect.
+    test("loadState does not write to storage", async () => {
+        const { mod, set } = loadModuleWith({ hasWallet: true, wallets: [] });
+        await mod.loadState();
+        expect(set).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    // Deriving must not disturb the rest of the load.
+    test("other persisted fields still load", async () => {
+        const { mod } = loadModuleWith({
+            hasWallet: false,
+            wallets: oneWallet(),
+            networkId: "sepolia",
+            theme: "dark",
+            activeAddress: ADDRESS,
+        });
+        await mod.loadState();
+        expect(mod.state.networkId).toBe("sepolia");
+        expect(mod.state.theme).toBe("dark");
+        expect(mod.state.activeAddress).toBe(ADDRESS);
+    });
+});