diff --git a/src/services/onboardingService.test.ts b/src/services/onboardingService.test.ts
index 104be6b..e6a561d 100644
--- a/src/services/onboardingService.test.ts
+++ b/src/services/onboardingService.test.ts
@@ -260,9 +260,19 @@ describe("initializeGuidedPath — rule D9 (#396)", () => {
       ["INSERT", ONBOARDING_GUIDED_INITIALIZED_KEY],
       ["COMMIT", undefined],
     ]);
-    // The flag and the transaction count are read after BEGIN.
-    const firstSelect = fake.db.select.mock.invocationCallOrder[0];
-    expect(firstSelect).toBeGreaterThan(fake.db.execute.mock.invocationCallOrder[0]);
+    // The flag is read once outside any transaction, then again after BEGIN,
+    // with the transaction count.
+    const begin = fake.db.execute.mock.invocationCallOrder[0];
+    const reads = fake.db.select.mock.calls.map(([sql], i) => ({
+      sql: String(sql),
+      order: fake.db.select.mock.invocationCallOrder[i],
+    }));
+    const flagReads = reads.filter((r) => r.sql.includes("FROM user_preferences WHERE key = $1"));
+    expect(flagReads).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(flagReads[0].order).toBeLessThan(begin);
+    expect(flagReads[1].order).toBeGreaterThan(begin);
+    const count = reads.find((r) => r.sql.includes("COUNT(*) AS transactions FROM transactions"))!;
+    expect(count.order).toBeGreaterThan(begin);
     expect(fake.prefs()).toEqual({
       [ONBOARDING_CHECKLIST_HIDDEN_KEY]: "1",
       [ONBOARDING_GUIDED_INITIALIZED_KEY]: "1",
@@ -278,17 +288,57 @@ describe("initializeGuidedPath — rule D9 (#396)", () => {
     expect(logInfo).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it("with the flag already set: no write at all, even with transactions", async () => {
+  it("with the flag already set: no transaction and no write, even with transactions", async () => {
     const fake = useFakeDb({
       transactions: 3,
       prefs: { [ONBOARDING_GUIDED_INITIALIZED_KEY]: "1" },
     });
     await expect(initializeGuidedPath()).resolves.toEqual({ hidden: false });
-    expect(fake.statements).toEqual(["BEGIN", "COMMIT"]);
+    expect(withTransaction).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(fake.statements).toEqual([]);
+    expect(fake.db.select).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(fake.prefs()).toEqual({ [ONBOARDING_GUIDED_INITIALIZED_KEY]: "1" });
     expect(logInfo).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it('counts the flag as set only for the value "1", outside and inside the transaction', async () => {
+    for (const value of ["0", "true", ""]) {
+      vi.mocked(withTransaction).mockClear();
+      const fake = useFakeDb({
+        transactions: 3,
+        prefs: { [ONBOARDING_GUIDED_INITIALIZED_KEY]: value },
+      });
+      await expect(initializeGuidedPath()).resolves.toEqual({ hidden: true });
+      expect(withTransaction).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(fake.statements).toEqual([
+        "BEGIN",
+        "INSERT INTO user_preferences",
+        "INSERT INTO user_preferences",
+        "COMMIT",
+      ]);
+      expect(fake.prefs()[ONBOARDING_GUIDED_INITIALIZED_KEY]).toBe("1");
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("re-reads the flag inside the transaction: a first load that set it in between wins (CWE-362)", async () => {
+    const fake = useFakeDb({ transactions: 3 });
+    const read = fake.db.select.getMockImplementation()!;
+    let flagReads = 0;
+    fake.db.select.mockImplementation(async (sql: string, params?: unknown[]) => {
+      const rows = await read(sql, params);
+      if (params?.[0] === ONBOARDING_GUIDED_INITIALIZED_KEY && ++flagReads === 1) {
+        // Another opening runs D9 to its end right after this read.
+        fake.prefs()[ONBOARDING_GUIDED_INITIALIZED_KEY] = "1";
+      }
+      return rows;
+    });
+    await expect(initializeGuidedPath()).resolves.toEqual({ hidden: false });
+    expect(flagReads).toBe(2);
+    expect(fake.statements).toEqual(["BEGIN", "COMMIT"]);
+    expect(fake.prefs()[ONBOARDING_CHECKLIST_HIDDEN_KEY]).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(logInfo).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("a profile shown again after D9 is not hidden a second time", async () => {
     // D9 hid it, the user showed it again from Settings → Users.
     const fake = useFakeDb({ transactions: 3 });
diff --git a/src/services/onboardingService.ts b/src/services/onboardingService.ts
index bdd78cc..3a0fc29 100644
--- a/src/services/onboardingService.ts
+++ b/src/services/onboardingService.ts
@@ -123,15 +123,24 @@ export async function getOnboardingSnapshot(): Promise<OnboardingSnapshot> {
  * Rule D9, once per profile: at the first opening under this version, a
  * profile that already has transactions gets the path hidden (same preference
  * as "Hide", so Settings → Users shows it again); an empty or new profile sees
- * it. Runs as one transaction under the DB lock, flag re-read inside it, so two
- * concurrent first loads cannot apply it twice (CWE-362): the hidden preference
- * is written first, then the flag, then COMMIT; any failure rolls both back and
- * leaves the flag unset, so the next opening tries again.
+ * it.
+ *
+ * The flag is read first, outside any transaction: once D9 ran, every later
+ * opening costs that one queued read and opens no transaction (while a
+ * `withTransaction` callback runs, `db.ts` lets every other query bypass its
+ * lock). Without the flag, D9 runs as one transaction under the DB lock, flag
+ * re-read inside it, so two concurrent first loads cannot apply it twice
+ * (CWE-362): the hidden preference is written first, then the flag, then
+ * COMMIT; any failure rolls both back and leaves the flag unset, so the next
+ * opening tries again. Only the value "1" counts as set, on both reads.
  *
  * Returns `{ hidden: true }` only when this call hid the path, which it also
  * writes to the in-app log. Not announced on the data channel.
  */
 export async function initializeGuidedPath(): Promise<{ hidden: boolean }> {
+  if ((await getPreference(ONBOARDING_GUIDED_INITIALIZED_KEY)) === "1") {
+    return { hidden: false };
+  }
   const hidden = await withTransaction(async (db) => {
     await db.execute("BEGIN");
     try {