diff --git a/docs/performance/PERFORMANCE_IMPROVEMENTS.md b/docs/performance/PERFORMANCE_IMPROVEMENTS.md
index 976cfad..2ceab9a 100644
--- a/docs/performance/PERFORMANCE_IMPROVEMENTS.md
+++ b/docs/performance/PERFORMANCE_IMPROVEMENTS.md
@@ -5,8 +5,19 @@
 ## Changes made (this pass)
 | Change | File | Effect | Verified |
 |---|---|---|---|
+| **Stop the infinite `/auth/me` request loop** — make `clearAuthClientState` emit `auth-changed` only on a real signed-in→out transition | `job-tracker-ui/src/auth.ts` | Eliminates a runaway request storm (100+ `GET /auth/me` and climbing) that ran continuously whenever the user was logged out | **Runtime-confirmed** in a live stack: `/auth/me` count 100+ & growing → 0 and stable after fix |
 | Revoke CV-preview blob URLs on unmount only (ref-based), not on every carousel change | `job-tracker-ui/src/pages/ProfilePage.tsx` | Fixes broken previews on multi-template decks; still frees URLs on unmount | `profile-page.test.tsx` 5/5 |
 
+### Runtime finding — self-triggering auth loop (the most impactful issue found)
+Only visible with a running backend (static analysis could not surface it). Sequence: the axios response
+interceptor (`api.ts`) calls `clearAuthClientState()` on **every** 401; that dispatched `"auth-changed"`;
+the `App` handler re-fetched `/auth/me`; that 401'd again → interceptor → `clearAuthClientState()` →
+`"auth-changed"` → … an unbounded loop that hammered the server and spun the client on the login page and
+after any session expiry. Fix: `clearAuthClientState` now only emits when it actually removes a stored user
+key (idempotent), so repeated 401s can't re-trigger the fetch. This is a CPU/network/battery drain and a
+self-inflicted request flood, not a memory leak — but squarely in the Phase 3.5 "infinite polling / retry
+loop / duplicate requests" scope, and the single highest-value fix from the whole investigation.
+
 > Context: this was the only defect found in a full resource audit. The codebase already practises
 > disciplined cleanup (timers cleared, listeners removed, object URLs revoked), so there was no leak to
 > fix — see the main report.
diff --git a/job-tracker-ui/src/auth.ts b/job-tracker-ui/src/auth.ts
index 1269ec5..8d047f3 100644
--- a/job-tracker-ui/src/auth.ts
+++ b/job-tracker-ui/src/auth.ts
@@ -82,8 +82,14 @@ export function setAuthUserKey(value: string | null | undefined, emit = true) {
 }
 
 export function clearAuthClientState(emit = true) {
+  // Only emit "auth-changed" when this call actually transitions from
+  // "signed in" to "signed out". The response interceptor calls this on every
+  // 401; without this guard each 401 re-dispatches "auth-changed", which
+  // re-fetches /auth/me, which 401s again — an infinite request loop whenever
+  // the user is logged out (login page, expired session).
+  const had = safeGet(window.localStorage, AUTH_USER_KEY) != null;
   safeRemove(window.localStorage, AUTH_USER_KEY);
-  if (emit) emitAuthChanged();
+  if (emit && had) emitAuthChanged();
 }
 
 export function getCsrfToken(): string | null {