diff --git a/FuelBoard/ContentView.swift b/FuelBoard/ContentView.swift
index b1a130e..700b440 100644
--- a/FuelBoard/ContentView.swift
+++ b/FuelBoard/ContentView.swift
@@ -486,12 +486,12 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             ZStack(alignment: .top) {
                 rootTabView
                 if let banner = activeBanner {
-                    // Floating just below the nav bar: overlays content (never
-                    // pushes it) and stays clear of the iOS 26 nav/toolbar
-                    // Liquid Glass chrome so a tap on the banner can't also
-                    // trigger the control behind it.
+                    // Floating near the top of the screen, over the nav area —
+                    // overlays content (never pushes it) and sits above the
+                    // main content so it doesn't cover or block the list/pill
+                    // beneath it.
                     floatingBanner(banner)
-                        .padding(.top, geo.safeAreaInsets.top + 52)
+                        .padding(.top, geo.safeAreaInsets.top + 10)
                         .transition(.asymmetric(
                             insertion: .move(edge: .top).combined(with: .opacity),
                             // Slide up + fade on dismiss/timeout (one style for all).
diff --git a/FuelBoard/OnboardingView.swift b/FuelBoard/OnboardingView.swift
index 94fb3fe..3b75ffe 100644
--- a/FuelBoard/OnboardingView.swift
+++ b/FuelBoard/OnboardingView.swift
@@ -245,19 +245,27 @@ struct OnboardingView: View {
             ) {
                 if prompter.locationDenied {
                     openSettings()
+                } else if prompter.locationGranted {
+                    page = 2  // already decided — just move on
                 } else {
-                    // The prompt fires on LEAVING this page (onChange(of:
-                    // page), forward advance only) — the description is on
-                    // screen until the user moves on.
-                    page = 2
+                    // Fire the system prompt NOW, while this page is still on
+                    // screen (after it's been read) and BEFORE advancing — so
+                    // the prompt never covers the next page's animation. Auto-
+                    // advance on grant moves us on once the user responds;
+                    // denying leaves the page's "Open Settings" path.
+                    prompter.requestLocation()
                 }
             }
         case 2:
             primaryButton(
                 prompter.notificationsDenied ? "Continue without alerts" : (prompter.notificationsGranted ? "Continue" : "Allow Notifications")
             ) {
-                // Prompt fires on leaving this page (same rule as Location).
-                page = 3
+                if prompter.notificationsDenied || prompter.notificationsGranted {
+                    page = 3  // decided either way — move on
+                } else {
+                    // Same rule as Location: prompt now, before advancing.
+                    prompter.requestNotifications()
+                }
             }
         case 3:
             // No permission on this page — prices need none. Straight on.
diff --git a/Shared/FuelHistory.swift b/Shared/FuelHistory.swift
index 77114b6..67197bc 100644
--- a/Shared/FuelHistory.swift
+++ b/Shared/FuelHistory.swift
@@ -216,10 +216,18 @@ enum FuelHistoryStore {
     // MARK: Network
 
     /// The mirror pointer — used for the empty-state hint ("first snapshot
-    /// landed …"). Non-fatal: nil just means no hint.
-    static func fetchLatest(base: URL = mirrorBase,
+    /// landed …"). Non-fatal: nil just means no hint. Deliberately bypasses
+    /// the HTTP cache (reloadIgnoringLocalCacheData) so an OFFLINE fetch
+    /// really fails instead of silently re-serving a cached pointer as a
+    /// success — otherwise "no network" would look like fresh data and the
+    /// offline banner would never fire. A short timeout surfaces the failure
+    /// (and the banner) quickly on a connected-but-dead network.
+    static func fetchLatest(base: URL = mirrorBase, timeout: TimeInterval = 10,
                             session: URLSession = .shared) async -> MirrorLatest? {
-        guard let (data, response) = try? await session.data(from: latestFileURL(base: base)),
+        var req = URLRequest(url: latestFileURL(base: base))
+        req.cachePolicy = .reloadIgnoringLocalCacheData
+        req.timeoutInterval = timeout
+        guard let (data, response) = try? await session.data(for: req),
               (response as? HTTPURLResponse)?.statusCode == 200,
               let latest = try? JSONDecoder().decode(MirrorLatest.self, from: data) else {
             return nil
diff --git a/Shared/MirrorFuelProvider.swift b/Shared/MirrorFuelProvider.swift
index e81b477..32184b2 100644
--- a/Shared/MirrorFuelProvider.swift
+++ b/Shared/MirrorFuelProvider.swift
@@ -96,9 +96,13 @@ struct MirrorFuelProvider: FuelPriceProviding {
         if Self.canReuseCache(cachedDay: cache?.day, latestDay: day), let cached = cache?.data {
             data = cached
         } else {
-            let (fetched, response) = try await URLSession.shared.data(
-                from: FuelHistoryStore.historyFileURL(day: day, base: baseURL)
-            )
+            // Bypass the HTTP cache + short timeout: an offline refresh must
+            // FAIL (→ offline banner), never re-serve a stale cached dump as
+            // a "successful" live fetch.
+            var req = URLRequest(url: FuelHistoryStore.historyFileURL(day: day, base: baseURL))
+            req.cachePolicy = .reloadIgnoringLocalCacheData
+            req.timeoutInterval = 10
+            let (fetched, response) = try await URLSession.shared.data(for: req)
             guard (response as? HTTPURLResponse)?.statusCode == 200 else {
                 throw FuelProviderError.mirrorUnavailable
             }