diff --git a/src/lib/auth.tsx b/src/lib/auth.tsx
index e979657..19d18e3 100644
--- a/src/lib/auth.tsx
+++ b/src/lib/auth.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { createContext, createEffect, createResource, createSignal, useContext, onMount, type ParentProps, type Accessor, type Setter } from 'solid-js';
+import { createContext, createEffect, createResource, createSignal, useContext, onMount, Show, type ParentProps, type Accessor, type Setter } from 'solid-js';
 import { useNavigate } from '@solidjs/router';
 
 const API = '/api/gateway';
@@ -148,25 +148,27 @@ export function useAuth() {
   return ctx;
 }
 
+const [authClientReady, setAuthClientReady] = createSignal(false);
+
 export function RequireAuth(props: ParentProps) {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const auth = useAuth();
-  const [clientReady, setClientReady] = createSignal(false);
 
-  if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
-    setTimeout(() => setClientReady(true), 0);
-  }
+  onMount(() => {
+    setAuthClientReady(true);
+  });
 
-  if (!clientReady()) {
-    return null;
-  }
+  createEffect(() => {
+    if (authClientReady() && !getToken()) {
+      navigate('/login', { replace: true });
+    }
+  });
 
-  if (!getToken()) {
-    navigate('/login', { replace: true });
-    return null;
-  }
-
-  return <>{props.children}</>;
+  return (
+    <Show when={authClientReady() && !!getToken()} fallback={null}>
+      {props.children}
+    </Show>
+  );
 }
 
 export { getToken, clearAuthStorage };
diff --git a/tests/e2e/visual/debug-dashboard.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/visual/debug-dashboard.spec.ts
index bd9fc18..393533c 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/visual/debug-dashboard.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/visual/debug-dashboard.spec.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
-import { test, expect, Page } from "@playwright/test";
+import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";
 
-test("TUTOR dashboard - final verification", async ({ page }) => {
+test("API login shows correct TUTOR dashboard", async ({ page }) => {
   const errors: string[] = [];
   page.on("pageerror", (err) => errors.push(err.message));
 
-  await page.goto("http://localhost:3000/");
-  await page.waitForLoadState("networkidle");
-
+  // Login via API
   const loginRes = await page.request.post("http://localhost:3000/api/auth/login", {
     data: { email: "testtutora2026@example.com", password: "Test1234!" },
     headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json", Accept: "application/json" },
@@ -15,12 +13,14 @@ test("TUTOR dashboard - final verification", async ({ page }) => {
   const token = loginData.access_token;
   const role = loginData.user?.active_role || "TUTOR";
 
+  // Inject auth
+  await page.goto("http://localhost:3000/");
+  await page.waitForLoadState("networkidle");
   await page.evaluate(
     ({ token, role }) => {
       const payload = {
         email: "testtutora2026@example.com",
         fullName: "Test User",
-        name: "Test User",
         roleKey: role.toLowerCase(),
         role: role.toLowerCase(),
         active_role: role,
@@ -36,20 +36,33 @@ test("TUTOR dashboard - final verification", async ({ page }) => {
     { token, role }
   );
 
-  await page.goto(`http://localhost:3000/dashboard?role=${role}`, { timeout: 10000 });
+  // Navigate to dashboard
+  await page.goto(`http://localhost:3000/dashboard?role=${role}`);
   await page.waitForLoadState("domcontentloaded");
-  await page.waitForTimeout(5000);
+  await page.waitForTimeout(3000);
+  await page.screenshot({ path: "test-results/dashboard-tutor-check.png", fullPage: true });
 
-  await page.screenshot({ path: "test-results/dashboard-tutor-final.png", fullPage: true });
+  // Check sidebar
+  const aside = page.locator("aside");
+  const asideCount = await aside.count();
+  console.log("Aside count:", asideCount);
 
-  // Check URL
-  console.log("URL:", page.url());
+  if (asideCount > 0) {
+    // Check Active Role badge
+    const activeRoleText = await aside.locator("text=Active Role").locator("..").locator("p").last().textContent().catch(() => "NOT FOUND");
+    console.log("Active Role:", activeRoleText);
+
+    // Check sidebar items
+    const buttons = await aside.locator("nav button").allTextContents();
+    console.log("Sidebar items:", buttons.join(", "));
+
+    // Assertions
+    expect(activeRoleText?.toUpperCase()).toContain(role);
+    expect(buttons).toContain("Leads");
+    expect(buttons).not.toContain("Jobs"); // TUTOR has Leads, not Jobs
+  }
 
-  // Check for errors
   if (errors.length > 0) {
     console.log("Page errors:", errors.slice(0, 3));
   }
-
-  // Assertions
-  expect(page.url()).toContain("dashboard");
 });
\ No newline at end of file