diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/.env.example b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/.env.example
index fea5f577..e88813b6 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/.env.example
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/.env.example
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ SESSION_ENCRYPT=false
 SESSION_PATH=/
 SESSION_DOMAIN=null
 
+# Skinbase Nova conditional public sessions
+SKINBASE_CONDITIONAL_SESSIONS_ENABLED=true
+SKINBASE_SKIP_ANONYMOUS_PUBLIC_GET_SESSIONS=true
+SKINBASE_SKIP_BOT_PUBLIC_GET_SESSIONS=true
+
+# Debug only; do not enable permanently in production
+SKINBASE_SESSION_DEBUG_HEADER=false
+
 BROADCAST_CONNECTION=reverb
 FILESYSTEM_DISK=local
 QUEUE_CONNECTION=redis
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1666082d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession.php
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace App\Http\Middleware;
+
+use Closure;
+use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+use Illuminate\View\Middleware\ShareErrorsFromSession;
+
+class ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession extends ShareErrorsFromSession
+{
+    public function handle($request, Closure $next): mixed
+    {
+        if (! $request instanceof Request) {
+            return parent::handle($request, $next);
+        }
+
+        if ($request->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped') === true || ! $request->hasSession()) {
+            return $next($request);
+        }
+
+        return parent::handle($request, $next);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalStartSession.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalStartSession.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1a9e3c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalStartSession.php
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace App\Http\Middleware;
+
+use Closure;
+use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+use Illuminate\Session\Middleware\StartSession;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
+
+class ConditionalStartSession extends StartSession
+{
+    public function handle($request, Closure $next): mixed
+    {
+        if (! $request instanceof Request || ! config('skinbase-sessions.enabled', true)) {
+            return parent::handle($request, $next);
+        }
+
+        if ($this->shouldSkipSession($request)) {
+            $request->attributes->set('skinbase.session_skipped', true);
+
+            $response = $next($request);
+
+            if ($response instanceof Response && config('skinbase-sessions.debug_header', false)) {
+                $response->headers->set('X-Skinbase-Session', 'skipped');
+            }
+
+            return $response;
+        }
+
+        $request->attributes->set('skinbase.session_skipped', false);
+
+        $response = parent::handle($request, $next);
+
+        if ($response instanceof Response && config('skinbase-sessions.debug_header', false)) {
+            $response->headers->set('X-Skinbase-Session', 'started');
+        }
+
+        return $response;
+    }
+
+    protected function shouldSkipSession(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        if (! $this->isSafeReadMethod($request)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if ($this->hasExistingSessionCookie($request)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if ($this->matchesAnyPath($request, config('skinbase-sessions.always_session_paths', []))) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if (! $this->matchesAnyPath($request, config('skinbase-sessions.public_paths', []))) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if (config('skinbase-sessions.skip_anonymous_public_get', true)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        return config('skinbase-sessions.skip_known_crawlers_on_public_get', true)
+            && $this->isKnownCrawler($request);
+    }
+
+    protected function isSafeReadMethod(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        return in_array($request->getMethod(), ['GET', 'HEAD'], true);
+    }
+
+    protected function hasExistingSessionCookie(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        $cookieName = config('session.cookie');
+
+        return is_string($cookieName)
+            && $cookieName !== ''
+            && $request->cookies->has($cookieName);
+    }
+
+    protected function matchesAnyPath(Request $request, array $patterns): bool
+    {
+        foreach ($patterns as $pattern) {
+            if (! is_string($pattern) || $pattern === '') {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if ($pattern === '/' && $request->path() === '/') {
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            $normalizedPattern = trim($pattern, '/');
+
+            if ($normalizedPattern !== '' && $request->is($normalizedPattern)) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    protected function isKnownCrawler(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        $userAgent = strtolower((string) $request->userAgent());
+
+        if ($userAgent === '') {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        foreach (config('skinbase-sessions.bot_user_agent_keywords', []) as $keyword) {
+            $normalizedKeyword = strtolower((string) $keyword);
+
+            if ($normalizedKeyword !== '' && str_contains($userAgent, $normalizedKeyword)) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalValidateCsrfToken.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalValidateCsrfToken.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0112ae5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalValidateCsrfToken.php
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace App\Http\Middleware;
+
+use Closure;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Middleware\ValidateCsrfToken;
+use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+
+class ConditionalValidateCsrfToken extends ValidateCsrfToken
+{
+    public function handle($request, Closure $next): mixed
+    {
+        if ($request instanceof Request && $request->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped') === true) {
+            return $next($request);
+        }
+
+        return parent::handle($request, $next);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/HandleInertiaRequests.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/HandleInertiaRequests.php
index 86f3f3ea..dd870222 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/HandleInertiaRequests.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Http/Middleware/HandleInertiaRequests.php
@@ -12,6 +12,15 @@ final class HandleInertiaRequests extends Middleware
 {
     protected $rootView = 'upload';
 
+    protected function canReadSessionAuth(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        if ($request->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped') === true) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return $request->hasSession();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Select the root Blade view based on route prefix.
      */
@@ -58,13 +67,16 @@ final class HandleInertiaRequests extends Middleware
 
     public function share(Request $request): array
     {
+        $canReadSessionAuth = $this->canReadSessionAuth($request);
+        $user = $canReadSessionAuth ? $request->user() : null;
+
         return array_merge(parent::share($request), [
             'auth' => [
-                'user' => $request->user() ? [
-                    'id' => $request->user()->id,
-                    'name' => $request->user()->name,
-                    'is_admin' => $request->user()->isAdmin(),
-                    'is_moderator' => $request->user()->isModerator(),
+                'user' => $user ? [
+                    'id' => $user->id,
+                    'name' => $user->name,
+                    'is_admin' => $user->isAdmin(),
+                    'is_moderator' => $user->isModerator(),
                 ] : null,
             ],
             'cdn' => [
@@ -84,8 +96,8 @@ final class HandleInertiaRequests extends Middleware
                 'group_assets' => (bool) config('features.group_assets', true),
                 'group_activity_feed' => (bool) config('features.group_activity_feed', true),
             ],
-            'studio_groups' => $request->user()
-                ? app(GroupService::class)->studioOptionsForUser($request->user())
+            'studio_groups' => $user
+                ? app(GroupService::class)->studioOptionsForUser($user)
                 : [],
         ]);
     }
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
index 173ffa50..7c232247 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
@@ -151,6 +151,11 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
             $displayName = null;
             $userId = null;
             $toolbarContentTypes = collect();
+            $request = request();
+            $canReadSessionAuth = $request instanceof \Illuminate\Http\Request
+                && $request->hasSession()
+                && $request->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped') !== true;
+            $authUser = $canReadSessionAuth ? Auth::user() : null;
 
             try {
                 $toolbarContentTypes = $this->app
@@ -162,8 +167,9 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
                 $toolbarContentTypes = collect();
             }
 
-            if (Auth::check()) {
-                $userId = Auth::id();
+            if ($authUser) {
+                $authUser->loadMissing('profile');
+                $userId = (int) $authUser->id;
                 try {
                     $uploadCount = DB::table('artworks')->where('user_id', $userId)->count();
                 } catch (\Throwable $e) {
@@ -200,19 +206,18 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
 
                 try {
                     $receivedCommentsCount = $this->app->make(ReceivedCommentsInboxService::class)
-                        ->unreadCountForUser(Auth::user());
+                        ->unreadCountForUser($authUser);
                 } catch (\Throwable $e) {
                     $receivedCommentsCount = 0;
                 }
 
                 try {
-                    $profile = DB::table('user_profiles')->where('user_id', $userId)->first();
-                    $avatarHash = $profile->avatar_hash ?? null;
+                    $avatarHash = $authUser->profile?->avatar_hash;
                 } catch (\Throwable $e) {
                     $avatarHash = null;
                 }
 
-                $displayName = Auth::user()->name ?: (Auth::user()->username ?? '');
+                $displayName = $authUser->name ?: ($authUser->username ?? '');
             }
 
             $view->with(compact('userId','uploadCount', 'favCount', 'msgCount', 'noticeCount', 'receivedCommentsCount', 'avatarHash', 'displayName', 'toolbarContentTypes'));
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/bootstrap/app.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/bootstrap/app.php
index 1e203fb6..f108a625 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/bootstrap/app.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/bootstrap/app.php
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 <?php
 
+use App\Http\Middleware\ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession;
+use App\Http\Middleware\ConditionalStartSession;
+use App\Http\Middleware\ConditionalValidateCsrfToken;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Exceptions;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Middleware;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Middleware\ValidateCsrfToken;
+use Illuminate\Session\Middleware\StartSession;
+use Illuminate\View\Middleware\ShareErrorsFromSession;
 
 return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
     ->withRouting(
@@ -13,6 +19,12 @@ return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
         health: '/up',
     )
     ->withMiddleware(function (Middleware $middleware): void {
+        $middleware->web(replace: [
+            StartSession::class => ConditionalStartSession::class,
+            ShareErrorsFromSession::class => ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession::class,
+            ValidateCsrfToken::class => ConditionalValidateCsrfToken::class,
+        ]);
+
         $middleware->validateCsrfTokens(except: [
             'chat_post',
             'chat_post/*',
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/config/skinbase-sessions.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/config/skinbase-sessions.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f1c5e9eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/config/skinbase-sessions.php
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+<?php
+
+return [
+
+    'enabled' => env('SKINBASE_CONDITIONAL_SESSIONS_ENABLED', true),
+
+    'skip_anonymous_public_get' => env('SKINBASE_SKIP_ANONYMOUS_PUBLIC_GET_SESSIONS', true),
+
+    'skip_known_crawlers_on_public_get' => env('SKINBASE_SKIP_BOT_PUBLIC_GET_SESSIONS', true),
+
+    'debug_header' => env('SKINBASE_SESSION_DEBUG_HEADER', false),
+
+    'public_paths' => [
+        '/',
+        'featured',
+        'uploads/latest',
+        'uploads/daily',
+        'members/photos',
+        'downloads/today',
+        'comments/monthly',
+        'discover',
+        'discover/*',
+        'explore',
+        'explore/*',
+        'blog',
+        'blog/*',
+        'pages/*',
+        'about',
+        'help',
+        'help/*',
+        'contact',
+        'faq',
+        'rules-and-guidelines',
+        'privacy-policy',
+        'terms-of-service',
+        'staff',
+        'bug-report',
+        'rss-feeds',
+        'rss',
+        'rss/*',
+        'news',
+        'news/*',
+        'worlds',
+        'worlds/*',
+        'creators',
+        'creators/*',
+        'stories',
+        'stories/*',
+        'tags',
+        'tags/*',
+        'categories',
+        'leaderboard',
+        'art',
+        'art/*',
+        'sitemap.xml',
+        'sitemaps/*',
+        'robots.txt',
+    ],
+
+    'always_session_paths' => [
+        'login',
+        'logout',
+        'register',
+        'register/*',
+        'auth/*',
+        'forgot-password',
+        'reset-password',
+        'reset-password/*',
+        'confirm-password',
+        'email/verification-notification',
+        'verify-email',
+        'verify-email/*',
+        'setup/*',
+
+        'dashboard',
+        'dashboard/*',
+        'manage',
+        'studio',
+        'studio/*',
+        'upload',
+        'upload/*',
+        'settings',
+        'settings/*',
+        'messages',
+        'messages/*',
+        'worlds/create',
+
+        'cp',
+        'cp/*',
+        'admin',
+        'admin/*',
+
+        'api/me',
+        'api/auth/*',
+    ],
+
+    'bot_user_agent_keywords' => [
+        'googlebot',
+        'bingbot',
+        'slurp',
+        'duckduckbot',
+        'baiduspider',
+        'yandexbot',
+        'sogou',
+        'exabot',
+        'facebot',
+        'facebookexternalhit',
+        'ia_archiver',
+        'semrushbot',
+        'ahrefsbot',
+        'mj12bot',
+        'dotbot',
+        'petalbot',
+        'applebot',
+        'twitterbot',
+        'linkedinbot',
+        'discordbot',
+        'telegrambot',
+        'whatsapp',
+        'crawler',
+        'spider',
+        'bot',
+    ],
+];
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/artworks/show.blade.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/artworks/show.blade.php
index 2e1f8e04..e1ed3c3c 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/artworks/show.blade.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/artworks/show.blade.php
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     $comments = $comments ?? [];
     $groupSummary = $groupSummary ?? null;
     $useUnifiedSeo = true;
+    $canReadSessionAuth = request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped');
 @endphp
 
 @push('head')
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@
          data-canonical='@json($meta["canonical"])'
          data-comments='@json($comments)'
             data-group-summary='@json($groupSummary)'
-         data-is-authenticated='@json(auth()->check())'>
+            data-is-authenticated='@json($canReadSessionAuth && auth()->check())'>
     </div>
 
     @vite(['resources/js/Pages/ArtworkPage.jsx'])
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/collections.blade.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/collections.blade.php
index 672e42ec..31de4271 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/collections.blade.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/collections.blade.php
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @extends('layouts.nova')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
     @vite(['resources/js/collections.jsx'])
     <style>
         body.page-collections main { padding-top: 4rem; }
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/layouts/nova.blade.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/layouts/nova.blade.php
index fd642b57..0c673be2 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/layouts/nova.blade.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/layouts/nova.blade.php
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 @php
     $gridVersion = request()->query('grid') === 'v2' ? 'v2' : 'v1';
+    $skinbaseSessionSkipped = request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped') === true;
+    $skinbaseCanUseSession = request()->hasSession() && ! $skinbaseSessionSkipped;
     $deferToolbarSearch = request()->routeIs('index');
     $deferFontAwesome = request()->routeIs('index');
     $deferWebManifest = request()->routeIs('index');
@@ -21,7 +23,9 @@
 <head>
     <meta charset="UTF-8" />
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
+    @if($skinbaseCanUseSession)
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}">
+    @endif
     @if($shouldRenderBladeSeo)
         @include('partials.seo.head', ['seo' => $seo ?? null])
     @endif
@@ -235,13 +239,13 @@
 
 <!-- React Topbar mount point -->
 <div id="topbar-root"
-  @auth
+    @if($skinbaseCanUseSession && Auth::check())
     data-user-id="{{ Auth::id() }}"
     data-display-name="{{ Auth::user()->name ?? '' }}"
     data-username="{{ Auth::user()->username ?? '' }}"
     data-avatar-url="{{ \App\Support\AvatarUrl::forUser((int) Auth::id(), optional(Auth::user()->profile)->avatar_hash, 64) }}"
     data-upload-url="{{ Route::has('upload') ? route('upload') : '/upload' }}"
-  @endauth
+    @endif
 ></div>
 @include('layouts.nova.toolbar')
 <main class="flex-1 @yield('main-class', 'pt-16')">
@@ -252,9 +256,9 @@
 
 {{-- Toast notifications (Alpine) --}}
 @php
-    $toastMessage = session('status') ?? session('error') ?? null;
-    $toastType = session('error') ? 'error' : 'success';
-    $toastBorder = session('error') ? 'border-red-500' : 'border-green-500';
+    $toastMessage = $skinbaseCanUseSession ? (session('status') ?? session('error') ?? null) : null;
+    $toastType = $skinbaseCanUseSession && session('error') ? 'error' : 'success';
+    $toastBorder = $skinbaseCanUseSession && session('error') ? 'border-red-500' : 'border-green-500';
 @endphp
 @if($toastMessage)
     <div x-data="{show:true}" x-show="show" x-init="setTimeout(()=>show=false,4000)" x-cloak
@@ -262,7 +266,7 @@
         <div class="max-w-sm w-full rounded-lg shadow-lg overflow-hidden bg-nova-600 border {{ $toastBorder }}">
             <div class="px-4 py-3 flex items-start gap-3">
                 <div class="flex-shrink-0">
-                    @if(session('error'))
+                    @if($skinbaseCanUseSession && session('error'))
                         <svg class="w-6 h-6 text-red-200" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M18 12H6"/></svg>
                     @else
                         <svg class="w-6 h-6 text-green-200" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M5 13l4 4L19 7"/></svg>
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/layouts/nova/toolbar.blade.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/layouts/nova/toolbar.blade.php
index 98ad3ca7..a6e24403 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/layouts/nova/toolbar.blade.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/layouts/nova/toolbar.blade.php
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+@php
+    $skinbaseCanUseSession = ($skinbaseCanUseSession ?? false) === true;
+    $skinbaseToolbarUser = $skinbaseCanUseSession ? Auth::user() : null;
+    $skinbaseToolbarCanAuth = $skinbaseToolbarUser !== null;
+@endphp
+
 <header id="nova-toolbar" class="fixed inset-x-0 top-0 z-50 h-16 bg-black/40 backdrop-blur border-b border-white/10">
     <div class="mx-auto w-full h-full px-3 sm:px-4 flex items-center gap-2 sm:gap-3">
 
@@ -80,11 +86,11 @@
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="/discover/on-this-day">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-calendar-day w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>On This Day
                     </a>
-                    @auth
+                    @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('discover.for-you') }}">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-wand-magic-sparkles w-4 text-center"></i>For You
                     </a>
-                    @endauth
+                    @endif
                 </div>
             </div>
 
@@ -165,11 +171,11 @@
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="/stories">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-microphone w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Creator Stories
                     </a>
-                    @auth
+                    @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('dashboard.following') }}">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-user-plus w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Following
                     </a>
-                    @endauth
+                    @endif
                 </div>
             </div>
 
@@ -185,7 +191,7 @@
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('community.activity') }}">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-wave-square w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Activity Feed
                     </a>
-                    @auth
+                    @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
                     <a class="flex items-center justify-between gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('dashboard.comments.received') }}">
                         <span class="flex items-center gap-3">
                             <i class="fa-solid fa-inbox w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Received Comments
@@ -194,7 +200,7 @@
                         <span class="rounded-full border border-cyan-400/25 bg-cyan-500/10 px-2 py-0.5 text-[11px] font-semibold text-cyan-200">{{ $receivedCommentsCount }}</span>
                         @endif
                     </a>
-                    @endauth
+                    @endif
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="/forum">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-comments w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Forum
                     </a>
@@ -241,7 +247,7 @@
             </div>
         </div>
 
-        @auth
+        @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
             <!-- Notification icons -->
             <div class="hidden md:flex items-center gap-0.5 lg:gap-1 text-soft shrink-0">
                 <a href="{{ route('dashboard.favorites') }}"
@@ -458,7 +464,7 @@
                     </a>
                 </div>
             </details>
-        @endauth
+        @endif
     </div>
 </header>
 
@@ -466,9 +472,9 @@
 <div class="hidden fixed inset-x-0 top-16 bottom-0 z-40 overflow-y-auto overscroll-contain bg-nova border-b border-panel p-4 shadow-sb" id="mobileMenu">
     <div class="space-y-0.5 text-sm text-soft">
 
-        @guest
+        @if(! $skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
         <div class="my-2 border-t border-panel"></div>
-        @endguest
+        @endif
 
         <div class="pt-1">
             <button type="button" data-mobile-section-toggle aria-controls="mobileSectionDiscover" aria-expanded="true" class="w-full flex items-center justify-between py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg text-[11px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-widest text-sb-muted hover:bg-white/5">
@@ -528,10 +534,10 @@
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="/leaderboard"><i class="fa-solid fa-trophy w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Leaderboard</a>
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="/creators/rising"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-trend-up w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Rising Creators</a>
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="/stories"><i class="fa-solid fa-microphone w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Creator Stories</a>
-                @auth
+                @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('creator.stories.index') }}"><i class="fa-solid fa-rectangle-list w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>My Stories</a>
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('dashboard.following') }}"><i class="fa-solid fa-user-plus w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Following</a>
-                @endauth
+                @endif
             </div>
         </div>
 
@@ -542,9 +548,9 @@
             </button>
             <div id="mobileSectionCommunity" data-mobile-section-panel class="hidden mt-0.5 space-y-0.5">
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('community.activity') }}"><i class="fa-solid fa-wave-square w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Activity Feed</a>
-                @auth
+                @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
                 <a class="flex items-center justify-between gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('dashboard.comments.received') }}"><span class="flex items-center gap-3"><i class="fa-solid fa-inbox w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Received Comments</span>@if(($receivedCommentsCount ?? 0) > 0)<span class="rounded-full border border-cyan-400/25 bg-cyan-500/10 px-2 py-0.5 text-[11px] font-semibold text-cyan-200">{{ $receivedCommentsCount }}</span>@endif</a>
-                @endauth
+                @endif
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="/forum"><i class="fa-solid fa-comments w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Forum</a>
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="/news"><i class="fa-solid fa-newspaper w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>News</a>
             </div>
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/messages.blade.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/messages.blade.php
index 5095a7e1..d25cfd58 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/messages.blade.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/messages.blade.php
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 @section('title', 'Messages')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
 @endpush
 
 @section('content')
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/moderation.blade.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/moderation.blade.php
index fc31f517..599eb4ac 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/moderation.blade.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/moderation.blade.php
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @extends('layouts.nova')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
     @vite(['resources/js/moderation.jsx'])
     <style>
         body.page-moderation main { padding-top: 4rem; }
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/settings.blade.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/settings.blade.php
index baeed669..cef8cab4 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/settings.blade.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/settings.blade.php
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @extends('layouts.nova')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
     @vite(['resources/js/settings.jsx'])
     <style>
         body.page-settings main { padding-top: 4rem; }
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/studio.blade.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/studio.blade.php
index ffa131cc..47065d3f 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/studio.blade.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/studio.blade.php
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @extends('layouts.nova')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
     @vite(['resources/js/studio.jsx'])
     <style>
         body.page-studio main { padding-top: 2.3rem; }
diff --git a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/upload.blade.php b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/upload.blade.php
index 4b73d9ee..0d878006 100644
--- a/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/upload.blade.php
+++ b/.deploy/artwork-evolution-release/resources/views/upload.blade.php
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @extends('layouts.nova')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
 
     <script>
         window.SKINBASE_FLAGS = Object.assign({}, window.SKINBASE_FLAGS || {}, {
diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index fea5f577..e88813b6 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ SESSION_ENCRYPT=false
 SESSION_PATH=/
 SESSION_DOMAIN=null
 
+# Skinbase Nova conditional public sessions
+SKINBASE_CONDITIONAL_SESSIONS_ENABLED=true
+SKINBASE_SKIP_ANONYMOUS_PUBLIC_GET_SESSIONS=true
+SKINBASE_SKIP_BOT_PUBLIC_GET_SESSIONS=true
+
+# Debug only; do not enable permanently in production
+SKINBASE_SESSION_DEBUG_HEADER=false
+
 BROADCAST_CONNECTION=reverb
 FILESYSTEM_DISK=local
 QUEUE_CONNECTION=redis
diff --git a/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession.php b/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1666082d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession.php
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace App\Http\Middleware;
+
+use Closure;
+use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+use Illuminate\View\Middleware\ShareErrorsFromSession;
+
+class ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession extends ShareErrorsFromSession
+{
+    public function handle($request, Closure $next): mixed
+    {
+        if (! $request instanceof Request) {
+            return parent::handle($request, $next);
+        }
+
+        if ($request->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped') === true || ! $request->hasSession()) {
+            return $next($request);
+        }
+
+        return parent::handle($request, $next);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalStartSession.php b/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalStartSession.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d1a9e3c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalStartSession.php
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace App\Http\Middleware;
+
+use Closure;
+use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+use Illuminate\Session\Middleware\StartSession;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
+
+class ConditionalStartSession extends StartSession
+{
+    public function handle($request, Closure $next): mixed
+    {
+        if (! $request instanceof Request || ! config('skinbase-sessions.enabled', true)) {
+            return parent::handle($request, $next);
+        }
+
+        if ($this->shouldSkipSession($request)) {
+            $request->attributes->set('skinbase.session_skipped', true);
+
+            $response = $next($request);
+
+            if ($response instanceof Response && config('skinbase-sessions.debug_header', false)) {
+                $response->headers->set('X-Skinbase-Session', 'skipped');
+            }
+
+            return $response;
+        }
+
+        $request->attributes->set('skinbase.session_skipped', false);
+
+        $response = parent::handle($request, $next);
+
+        if ($response instanceof Response && config('skinbase-sessions.debug_header', false)) {
+            $response->headers->set('X-Skinbase-Session', 'started');
+        }
+
+        return $response;
+    }
+
+    protected function shouldSkipSession(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        if (! $this->isSafeReadMethod($request)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if ($this->hasExistingSessionCookie($request)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if ($this->matchesAnyPath($request, config('skinbase-sessions.always_session_paths', []))) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if (! $this->matchesAnyPath($request, config('skinbase-sessions.public_paths', []))) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        if (config('skinbase-sessions.skip_anonymous_public_get', true)) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        return config('skinbase-sessions.skip_known_crawlers_on_public_get', true)
+            && $this->isKnownCrawler($request);
+    }
+
+    protected function isSafeReadMethod(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        return in_array($request->getMethod(), ['GET', 'HEAD'], true);
+    }
+
+    protected function hasExistingSessionCookie(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        $cookieName = config('session.cookie');
+
+        return is_string($cookieName)
+            && $cookieName !== ''
+            && $request->cookies->has($cookieName);
+    }
+
+    protected function matchesAnyPath(Request $request, array $patterns): bool
+    {
+        foreach ($patterns as $pattern) {
+            if (! is_string($pattern) || $pattern === '') {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if ($pattern === '/' && $request->path() === '/') {
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            $normalizedPattern = trim($pattern, '/');
+
+            if ($normalizedPattern !== '' && $request->is($normalizedPattern)) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    protected function isKnownCrawler(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        $userAgent = strtolower((string) $request->userAgent());
+
+        if ($userAgent === '') {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        foreach (config('skinbase-sessions.bot_user_agent_keywords', []) as $keyword) {
+            $normalizedKeyword = strtolower((string) $keyword);
+
+            if ($normalizedKeyword !== '' && str_contains($userAgent, $normalizedKeyword)) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalValidateCsrfToken.php b/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalValidateCsrfToken.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0112ae5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Http/Middleware/ConditionalValidateCsrfToken.php
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace App\Http\Middleware;
+
+use Closure;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Middleware\ValidateCsrfToken;
+use Illuminate\Http\Request;
+
+class ConditionalValidateCsrfToken extends ValidateCsrfToken
+{
+    public function handle($request, Closure $next): mixed
+    {
+        if ($request instanceof Request && $request->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped') === true) {
+            return $next($request);
+        }
+
+        return parent::handle($request, $next);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/Http/Middleware/HandleInertiaRequests.php b/app/Http/Middleware/HandleInertiaRequests.php
index 86f3f3ea..dd870222 100644
--- a/app/Http/Middleware/HandleInertiaRequests.php
+++ b/app/Http/Middleware/HandleInertiaRequests.php
@@ -12,6 +12,15 @@ final class HandleInertiaRequests extends Middleware
 {
     protected $rootView = 'upload';
 
+    protected function canReadSessionAuth(Request $request): bool
+    {
+        if ($request->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped') === true) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return $request->hasSession();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Select the root Blade view based on route prefix.
      */
@@ -58,13 +67,16 @@ final class HandleInertiaRequests extends Middleware
 
     public function share(Request $request): array
     {
+        $canReadSessionAuth = $this->canReadSessionAuth($request);
+        $user = $canReadSessionAuth ? $request->user() : null;
+
         return array_merge(parent::share($request), [
             'auth' => [
-                'user' => $request->user() ? [
-                    'id' => $request->user()->id,
-                    'name' => $request->user()->name,
-                    'is_admin' => $request->user()->isAdmin(),
-                    'is_moderator' => $request->user()->isModerator(),
+                'user' => $user ? [
+                    'id' => $user->id,
+                    'name' => $user->name,
+                    'is_admin' => $user->isAdmin(),
+                    'is_moderator' => $user->isModerator(),
                 ] : null,
             ],
             'cdn' => [
@@ -84,8 +96,8 @@ final class HandleInertiaRequests extends Middleware
                 'group_assets' => (bool) config('features.group_assets', true),
                 'group_activity_feed' => (bool) config('features.group_activity_feed', true),
             ],
-            'studio_groups' => $request->user()
-                ? app(GroupService::class)->studioOptionsForUser($request->user())
+            'studio_groups' => $user
+                ? app(GroupService::class)->studioOptionsForUser($user)
                 : [],
         ]);
     }
diff --git a/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php b/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
index 304ee1b3..7531651a 100644
--- a/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
+++ b/app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
             $displayName = null;
             $userId = null;
             $toolbarContentTypes = collect();
+            $request = request();
+            $canReadSessionAuth = $request instanceof \Illuminate\Http\Request
+                && $request->hasSession()
+                && $request->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped') !== true;
+            $authUser = $canReadSessionAuth ? Auth::user() : null;
 
             try {
                 $toolbarContentTypes = $this->app
@@ -168,8 +173,8 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
                 $toolbarContentTypes = collect();
             }
 
-            if (Auth::check()) {
-                $userId = Auth::id();
+            if ($authUser) {
+                $userId = (int) $authUser->id;
                 try {
                     $uploadCount = DB::table('artworks')->where('user_id', $userId)->count();
                 } catch (\Throwable $e) {
@@ -206,7 +211,7 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
 
                 try {
                     $receivedCommentsCount = $this->app->make(ReceivedCommentsInboxService::class)
-                        ->unreadCountForUser(Auth::user());
+                        ->unreadCountForUser($authUser);
                 } catch (\Throwable $e) {
                     $receivedCommentsCount = 0;
                 }
@@ -218,7 +223,7 @@ class AppServiceProvider extends ServiceProvider
                     $avatarHash = null;
                 }
 
-                $displayName = Auth::user()->name ?: (Auth::user()->username ?? '');
+                $displayName = $authUser->name ?: ($authUser->username ?? '');
             }
 
             $view->with(compact('userId','uploadCount', 'favCount', 'msgCount', 'noticeCount', 'receivedCommentsCount', 'avatarHash', 'displayName', 'toolbarContentTypes'));
diff --git a/bootstrap/app.php b/bootstrap/app.php
index 64c9927c..b2e5f04c 100644
--- a/bootstrap/app.php
+++ b/bootstrap/app.php
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 <?php
 
+use App\Http\Middleware\ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession;
+use App\Http\Middleware\ConditionalStartSession;
+use App\Http\Middleware\ConditionalValidateCsrfToken;
+use Illuminate\Session\Middleware\StartSession;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Middleware\ValidateCsrfToken;
+use Illuminate\View\Middleware\ShareErrorsFromSession;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Application;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Exceptions;
 use Illuminate\Foundation\Configuration\Middleware;
@@ -13,6 +19,12 @@ return Application::configure(basePath: dirname(__DIR__))
         health: '/up',
     )
     ->withMiddleware(function (Middleware $middleware): void {
+        $middleware->web(replace: [
+            StartSession::class => ConditionalStartSession::class,
+            ShareErrorsFromSession::class => ConditionalShareErrorsFromSession::class,
+            ValidateCsrfToken::class => ConditionalValidateCsrfToken::class,
+        ]);
+
         $middleware->validateCsrfTokens(except: [
             'chat_post',
             'chat_post/*',
diff --git a/config/skinbase-sessions.php b/config/skinbase-sessions.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f1c5e9eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/skinbase-sessions.php
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+<?php
+
+return [
+
+    'enabled' => env('SKINBASE_CONDITIONAL_SESSIONS_ENABLED', true),
+
+    'skip_anonymous_public_get' => env('SKINBASE_SKIP_ANONYMOUS_PUBLIC_GET_SESSIONS', true),
+
+    'skip_known_crawlers_on_public_get' => env('SKINBASE_SKIP_BOT_PUBLIC_GET_SESSIONS', true),
+
+    'debug_header' => env('SKINBASE_SESSION_DEBUG_HEADER', false),
+
+    'public_paths' => [
+        '/',
+        'featured',
+        'uploads/latest',
+        'uploads/daily',
+        'members/photos',
+        'downloads/today',
+        'comments/monthly',
+        'discover',
+        'discover/*',
+        'explore',
+        'explore/*',
+        'blog',
+        'blog/*',
+        'pages/*',
+        'about',
+        'help',
+        'help/*',
+        'contact',
+        'faq',
+        'rules-and-guidelines',
+        'privacy-policy',
+        'terms-of-service',
+        'staff',
+        'bug-report',
+        'rss-feeds',
+        'rss',
+        'rss/*',
+        'news',
+        'news/*',
+        'worlds',
+        'worlds/*',
+        'creators',
+        'creators/*',
+        'stories',
+        'stories/*',
+        'tags',
+        'tags/*',
+        'categories',
+        'leaderboard',
+        'art',
+        'art/*',
+        'sitemap.xml',
+        'sitemaps/*',
+        'robots.txt',
+    ],
+
+    'always_session_paths' => [
+        'login',
+        'logout',
+        'register',
+        'register/*',
+        'auth/*',
+        'forgot-password',
+        'reset-password',
+        'reset-password/*',
+        'confirm-password',
+        'email/verification-notification',
+        'verify-email',
+        'verify-email/*',
+        'setup/*',
+
+        'dashboard',
+        'dashboard/*',
+        'manage',
+        'studio',
+        'studio/*',
+        'upload',
+        'upload/*',
+        'settings',
+        'settings/*',
+        'messages',
+        'messages/*',
+        'worlds/create',
+
+        'cp',
+        'cp/*',
+        'admin',
+        'admin/*',
+
+        'api/me',
+        'api/auth/*',
+    ],
+
+    'bot_user_agent_keywords' => [
+        'googlebot',
+        'bingbot',
+        'slurp',
+        'duckduckbot',
+        'baiduspider',
+        'yandexbot',
+        'sogou',
+        'exabot',
+        'facebot',
+        'facebookexternalhit',
+        'ia_archiver',
+        'semrushbot',
+        'ahrefsbot',
+        'mj12bot',
+        'dotbot',
+        'petalbot',
+        'applebot',
+        'twitterbot',
+        'linkedinbot',
+        'discordbot',
+        'telegrambot',
+        'whatsapp',
+        'crawler',
+        'spider',
+        'bot',
+    ],
+];
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/resources/views/artworks/show.blade.php b/resources/views/artworks/show.blade.php
index 2e1f8e04..e1ed3c3c 100644
--- a/resources/views/artworks/show.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/artworks/show.blade.php
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
     $comments = $comments ?? [];
     $groupSummary = $groupSummary ?? null;
     $useUnifiedSeo = true;
+    $canReadSessionAuth = request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped');
 @endphp
 
 @push('head')
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@
          data-canonical='@json($meta["canonical"])'
          data-comments='@json($comments)'
             data-group-summary='@json($groupSummary)'
-         data-is-authenticated='@json(auth()->check())'>
+            data-is-authenticated='@json($canReadSessionAuth && auth()->check())'>
     </div>
 
     @vite(['resources/js/Pages/ArtworkPage.jsx'])
diff --git a/resources/views/collections.blade.php b/resources/views/collections.blade.php
index 672e42ec..31de4271 100644
--- a/resources/views/collections.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/collections.blade.php
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @extends('layouts.nova')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
     @vite(['resources/js/collections.jsx'])
     <style>
         body.page-collections main { padding-top: 4rem; }
diff --git a/resources/views/layouts/nova.blade.php b/resources/views/layouts/nova.blade.php
index 23b4d25b..9b741049 100644
--- a/resources/views/layouts/nova.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/layouts/nova.blade.php
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 @php
     $gridVersion = request()->query('grid') === 'v2' ? 'v2' : 'v1';
+    $skinbaseSessionSkipped = request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped') === true;
+    $skinbaseCanUseSession = request()->hasSession() && ! $skinbaseSessionSkipped;
     $deferToolbarSearch = request()->routeIs('index');
     $deferFontAwesome = request()->routeIs('index');
     $deferWebManifest = request()->routeIs('index');
@@ -21,7 +23,9 @@
 <head>
     <meta charset="UTF-8" />
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
+    @if($skinbaseCanUseSession)
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}">
+    @endif
     @if($shouldRenderBladeSeo)
         @include('partials.seo.head', ['seo' => $seo ?? null])
     @endif
@@ -242,13 +246,13 @@
 
 <!-- React Topbar mount point -->
 <div id="topbar-root"
-  @auth
+    @if($skinbaseCanUseSession && Auth::check())
     data-user-id="{{ Auth::id() }}"
     data-display-name="{{ Auth::user()->name ?? '' }}"
     data-username="{{ Auth::user()->username ?? '' }}"
     data-avatar-url="{{ \App\Support\AvatarUrl::forUser((int) Auth::id(), optional(Auth::user()->profile)->avatar_hash, 64) }}"
     data-upload-url="{{ Route::has('upload') ? route('upload') : '/upload' }}"
-  @endauth
+    @endif
 ></div>
 @include('layouts.nova.toolbar')
 <main class="flex-1 @yield('main-class', 'pt-16')">
@@ -259,9 +263,9 @@
 
 {{-- Toast notifications (Alpine) --}}
 @php
-    $toastMessage = session('status') ?? session('error') ?? null;
-    $toastType = session('error') ? 'error' : 'success';
-    $toastBorder = session('error') ? 'border-red-500' : 'border-green-500';
+    $toastMessage = $skinbaseCanUseSession ? (session('status') ?? session('error') ?? null) : null;
+    $toastType = $skinbaseCanUseSession && session('error') ? 'error' : 'success';
+    $toastBorder = $skinbaseCanUseSession && session('error') ? 'border-red-500' : 'border-green-500';
 @endphp
 @if($toastMessage)
     <div x-data="{show:true}" x-show="show" x-init="setTimeout(()=>show=false,4000)" x-cloak
@@ -269,7 +273,7 @@
         <div class="max-w-sm w-full rounded-lg shadow-lg overflow-hidden bg-nova-600 border {{ $toastBorder }}">
             <div class="px-4 py-3 flex items-start gap-3">
                 <div class="flex-shrink-0">
-                    @if(session('error'))
+                    @if($skinbaseCanUseSession && session('error'))
                         <svg class="w-6 h-6 text-red-200" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M18 12H6"/></svg>
                     @else
                         <svg class="w-6 h-6 text-green-200" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M5 13l4 4L19 7"/></svg>
diff --git a/resources/views/layouts/nova/toolbar.blade.php b/resources/views/layouts/nova/toolbar.blade.php
index 7ec9517c..d9e7cc4c 100644
--- a/resources/views/layouts/nova/toolbar.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/layouts/nova/toolbar.blade.php
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+@php
+    $skinbaseCanUseSession = ($skinbaseCanUseSession ?? false) === true;
+    $skinbaseToolbarUser = $skinbaseCanUseSession ? Auth::user() : null;
+    $skinbaseToolbarCanAuth = $skinbaseToolbarUser !== null;
+@endphp
+
 <header id="nova-toolbar" class="fixed inset-x-0 top-0 z-50 h-16 bg-black/40 backdrop-blur border-b border-white/10">
     <div class="mx-auto w-full h-full px-3 sm:px-4 flex items-center gap-2 sm:gap-3">
 
@@ -84,11 +90,11 @@
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('worlds.index') }}">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-globe w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Worlds
                     </a>
-                    @auth
+                    @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('discover.for-you') }}">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-wand-magic-sparkles w-4 text-center"></i>For You
                     </a>
-                    @endauth
+                    @endif
                 </div>
             </div>
 
@@ -169,11 +175,11 @@
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="/stories">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-microphone w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Creator Stories
                     </a>
-                    @auth
+                    @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('dashboard.following') }}">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-user-plus w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Following
                     </a>
-                    @endauth
+                    @endif
                 </div>
             </div>
 
@@ -189,7 +195,7 @@
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('community.activity') }}">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-wave-square w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Activity Feed
                     </a>
-                    @auth
+                    @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
                     <a class="flex items-center justify-between gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('dashboard.comments.received') }}">
                         <span class="flex items-center gap-3">
                             <i class="fa-solid fa-inbox w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Received Comments
@@ -198,7 +204,7 @@
                         <span class="rounded-full border border-cyan-400/25 bg-cyan-500/10 px-2 py-0.5 text-[11px] font-semibold text-cyan-200">{{ $receivedCommentsCount }}</span>
                         @endif
                     </a>
-                    @endauth
+                    @endif
                     <a class="flex items-center gap-3 px-4 py-2.5 text-sm hover:bg-white/5" href="/forum">
                         <i class="fa-solid fa-comments w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Forum
                     </a>
@@ -245,7 +251,7 @@
             </div>
         </div>
 
-        @auth
+        @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
             <!-- Notification icons -->
             <div class="hidden md:flex items-center gap-0.5 lg:gap-1 text-soft shrink-0">
                 <a href="{{ route('dashboard.favorites') }}"
@@ -462,7 +468,7 @@
                     </a>
                 </div>
             </details>
-        @endauth
+        @endif
     </div>
 </header>
 
@@ -470,9 +476,9 @@
 <div class="hidden fixed inset-x-0 top-16 bottom-0 z-40 overflow-y-auto overscroll-contain bg-nova border-b border-panel p-4 shadow-sb" id="mobileMenu">
     <div class="space-y-0.5 text-sm text-soft">
 
-        @guest
+        @if(! $skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
         <div class="my-2 border-t border-panel"></div>
-        @endguest
+        @endif
 
         <div class="pt-1">
             <button type="button" data-mobile-section-toggle aria-controls="mobileSectionDiscover" aria-expanded="true" class="w-full flex items-center justify-between py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg text-[11px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-widest text-sb-muted hover:bg-white/5">
@@ -533,10 +539,10 @@
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="/leaderboard"><i class="fa-solid fa-trophy w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Leaderboard</a>
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="/creators/rising"><i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-trend-up w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Rising Creators</a>
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="/stories"><i class="fa-solid fa-microphone w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Creator Stories</a>
-                @auth
+                @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('creator.stories.index') }}"><i class="fa-solid fa-rectangle-list w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>My Stories</a>
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('dashboard.following') }}"><i class="fa-solid fa-user-plus w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Following</a>
-                @endauth
+                @endif
             </div>
         </div>
 
@@ -547,9 +553,9 @@
             </button>
             <div id="mobileSectionCommunity" data-mobile-section-panel class="hidden mt-0.5 space-y-0.5">
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('community.activity') }}"><i class="fa-solid fa-wave-square w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Activity Feed</a>
-                @auth
+                @if($skinbaseToolbarCanAuth)
                 <a class="flex items-center justify-between gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="{{ route('dashboard.comments.received') }}"><span class="flex items-center gap-3"><i class="fa-solid fa-inbox w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Received Comments</span>@if(($receivedCommentsCount ?? 0) > 0)<span class="rounded-full border border-cyan-400/25 bg-cyan-500/10 px-2 py-0.5 text-[11px] font-semibold text-cyan-200">{{ $receivedCommentsCount }}</span>@endif</a>
-                @endauth
+                @endif
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="/forum"><i class="fa-solid fa-comments w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>Forum</a>
                 <a class="flex items-center gap-3 py-2.5 px-3 rounded-lg hover:bg-white/5" href="/news"><i class="fa-solid fa-newspaper w-4 text-center text-sb-muted"></i>News</a>
             </div>
diff --git a/resources/views/messages.blade.php b/resources/views/messages.blade.php
index 5095a7e1..d25cfd58 100644
--- a/resources/views/messages.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/messages.blade.php
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
 @section('title', 'Messages')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
 @endpush
 
 @section('content')
diff --git a/resources/views/moderation.blade.php b/resources/views/moderation.blade.php
index fc31f517..599eb4ac 100644
--- a/resources/views/moderation.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/moderation.blade.php
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @extends('layouts.nova')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
     @vite(['resources/js/moderation.jsx'])
     <style>
         body.page-moderation main { padding-top: 4rem; }
diff --git a/resources/views/settings.blade.php b/resources/views/settings.blade.php
index baeed669..cef8cab4 100644
--- a/resources/views/settings.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/settings.blade.php
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @extends('layouts.nova')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
     @vite(['resources/js/settings.jsx'])
     <style>
         body.page-settings main { padding-top: 4rem; }
diff --git a/resources/views/studio.blade.php b/resources/views/studio.blade.php
index ffa131cc..47065d3f 100644
--- a/resources/views/studio.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/studio.blade.php
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @extends('layouts.nova')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
     @vite(['resources/js/studio.jsx'])
     <style>
         body.page-studio main { padding-top: 2.3rem; }
diff --git a/resources/views/upload.blade.php b/resources/views/upload.blade.php
index 4b73d9ee..0d878006 100644
--- a/resources/views/upload.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/upload.blade.php
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 @extends('layouts.nova')
 
 @push('head')
+    @if(request()->hasSession() && ! request()->attributes->get('skinbase.session_skipped'))
     <meta name="csrf-token" content="{{ csrf_token() }}" />
+    @endif
 
     <script>
         window.SKINBASE_FLAGS = Object.assign({}, window.SKINBASE_FLAGS || {}, {
diff --git a/tests/Feature/Http/ConditionalPublicSessionsTest.php b/tests/Feature/Http/ConditionalPublicSessionsTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..125d4498
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/Http/ConditionalPublicSessionsTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace Tests\Feature\Http;
+
+use App\Models\User;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Config;
+use Tests\TestCase;
+
+class ConditionalPublicSessionsTest extends TestCase
+{
+    use RefreshDatabase;
+
+    protected function setUp(): void
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+
+        Config::set('skinbase-sessions.enabled', true);
+        Config::set('skinbase-sessions.debug_header', true);
+    }
+
+    public function test_anonymous_public_get_does_not_receive_session_cookie(): void
+    {
+        $response = $this->get('/');
+
+        $response->assertOk();
+        $response->assertHeader('X-Skinbase-Session', 'skipped');
+
+        $this->assertFalse($this->responseHasSessionCookie($response));
+    }
+
+    public function test_bot_public_get_does_not_receive_session_cookie(): void
+    {
+        $response = $this
+            ->withHeader('User-Agent', 'Googlebot/2.1')
+            ->get('/');
+
+        $response->assertOk();
+        $response->assertHeader('X-Skinbase-Session', 'skipped');
+
+        $this->assertFalse($this->responseHasSessionCookie($response));
+    }
+
+    public function test_login_page_still_starts_session(): void
+    {
+        $response = $this->get('/login');
+
+        $response->assertOk();
+        $response->assertHeader('X-Skinbase-Session', 'started');
+    }
+
+    public function test_dashboard_request_still_starts_session(): void
+    {
+        $response = $this->get('/dashboard');
+
+        $response->assertRedirect('/login');
+        $response->assertHeader('X-Skinbase-Session', 'started');
+    }
+
+    public function test_studio_request_still_starts_session(): void
+    {
+        $response = $this->get('/studio');
+
+        $response->assertRedirect('/login');
+        $response->assertHeader('X-Skinbase-Session', 'started');
+    }
+
+    public function test_settings_request_still_starts_session(): void
+    {
+        $response = $this->get('/settings/profile');
+
+        $response->assertRedirect('/login');
+        $response->assertHeader('X-Skinbase-Session', 'started');
+    }
+
+    public function test_messages_request_still_starts_session(): void
+    {
+        $response = $this->get('/messages');
+
+        $response->assertRedirect('/login');
+        $response->assertHeader('X-Skinbase-Session', 'started');
+    }
+
+    public function test_login_post_keeps_normal_session_behavior(): void
+    {
+        $response = $this->post('/login', [
+            'email' => 'missing@example.test',
+            'password' => 'not-the-right-password',
+        ]);
+
+        $response->assertRedirect();
+        $response->assertHeader('X-Skinbase-Session', 'started');
+    }
+
+    public function test_authenticated_user_keeps_session_on_public_page(): void
+    {
+        $user = User::factory()->create();
+        $sessionCookieName = (string) config('session.cookie');
+
+        $response = $this
+            ->withCookie($sessionCookieName, 'existing-session-cookie')
+            ->actingAs($user)
+            ->get('/');
+
+        $response->assertOk();
+        $response->assertHeader('X-Skinbase-Session', 'started');
+    }
+
+    private function responseHasSessionCookie($response): bool
+    {
+        $sessionCookieName = (string) config('session.cookie');
+
+        return collect($response->headers->getCookies())
+            ->contains(fn ($cookie): bool => $cookie->getName() === $sessionCookieName);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file