diff --git a/backend/src/auth/routes.ts b/backend/src/auth/routes.ts
index 81a62337..71e7ad97 100644
--- a/backend/src/auth/routes.ts
+++ b/backend/src/auth/routes.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 import type { FastifyInstance, FastifyReply, FastifyRequest } from "fastify";
 import { createHash, randomBytes, timingSafeEqual } from "node:crypto";
-import type { AuthenticationConfigProvider, LoadedAuthConfig, OidcAuthenticationConfig, Role } from "./types.js";
+import type {
+  AuthenticationConfigProvider,
+  LoadedAuthConfig,
+  OidcAuthenticationConfig,
+  OidcStateRecord,
+  OidcTransactionTransport,
+  Role,
+} from "./types.js";
 import type { LocalUserRecord, LocalUserRegistry } from "./local-registry.js";
 import { OidcStateCapacityError, type AuthSessionStore } from "./session-store.js";
 import { rolesToPermissions } from "./config.js";
@@ -9,6 +16,7 @@ import { requirePermission, isPrincipalContext } from "./authorization.js";
 import { deriveCsrfToken } from "./csrf.js";
 import { verifyWithDummy } from "./password.js";
 import type { OidcProtocol } from "./oidc-client.js";
+import { parseConfiguredTransportUrl } from "./url-policy.js";
 
 const TEN_MINUTES_MS = 10 * 60 * 1000;
 const REMEMBER_COOKIE_SECONDS = 2_592_000;
@@ -18,10 +26,20 @@ const MAX_LIMIT_ENTRIES = 10_000;
 const MAX_OIDC_INITIATIONS_PER_ADDRESS = 20;
 const MAX_OIDC_CALLBACK_QUERY_LENGTH = 4096;
 const OIDC_CALLBACK_PATH = "/api/auth/oidc/callback";
-const OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE = "__Host-thothii_oidc_tx";
 const OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE_SECONDS = TEN_MINUTES_MS / 1000;
 const OIDC_VALUE_PATTERN = /^[A-Za-z0-9_-]{43}$/;
 
+interface OidcTransactionCookieProfile {
+  transport: OidcTransactionTransport;
+  name: string;
+  secure: boolean;
+}
+
+const OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE_PROFILES: Readonly<Record<OidcTransactionTransport, OidcTransactionCookieProfile>> = {
+  https: { transport: "https", name: "__Host-thothii_oidc_tx", secure: true },
+  loopback_http: { transport: "loopback_http", name: "thothii_oidc_tx", secure: false },
+};
+
 export interface AuthRouteDependencies {
   authMode: "local" | "oidc" | "upstream" | "none" | "mock";
   authentication?: AuthenticationConfigProvider;
@@ -224,8 +242,11 @@ export function registerAuthRoutes(app: FastifyInstance, deps: AuthRouteDependen
     if (!oidcInitiationLimiter.consume(boundedAddress(request.ip))) return loginLimited(reply);
     const loaded = captureAuthConfigSnapshot(request, deps.authentication);
     const configured = currentOidcConfig(loaded, deps);
-    if (!configured || !deps.sessionStore) {
-      clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply);
+    const transactionProfile = configured === undefined
+      ? undefined
+      : oidcTransactionCookieProfile(configured.loaded);
+    if (!configured || !transactionProfile || !deps.sessionStore) {
+      clearOidcTransactionCookies(reply);
       return unavailable(reply);
     }
     const nonce = randomOidcValue();
@@ -239,18 +260,20 @@ export function registerAuthRoutes(app: FastifyInstance, deps: AuthRouteDependen
         authConfigRevision: configured.loaded.revision,
         issuer: configured.config.oidc.issuer,
         browserTransactionDigest: oidcTransactionDigest(browserTransaction).toString("hex"),
+        browserTransactionTransport: transactionProfile.transport,
       });
       try {
         const location = await configured.protocol.authorizationUrl({ state: created.state, nonce, codeVerifier });
-        reply.setCookie(OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE, browserTransaction, oidcTransactionCookieOptions());
+        clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply, otherOidcTransactionCookieProfile(transactionProfile));
+        reply.setCookie(transactionProfile.name, browserTransaction, oidcTransactionCookieOptions(transactionProfile));
         return reply.redirect(location.href);
       } catch {
         await deps.sessionStore.consumeOidcState(created.state).catch(() => undefined);
-        clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply);
+        clearOidcTransactionCookies(reply, transactionProfile);
         return unavailable(reply);
       }
     } catch (error) {
-      clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply);
+      clearOidcTransactionCookies(reply, transactionProfile);
       if (error instanceof OidcStateCapacityError) return loginLimited(reply);
       return unavailable(reply);
     }
@@ -258,20 +281,31 @@ export function registerAuthRoutes(app: FastifyInstance, deps: AuthRouteDependen
 
   app.get("/auth/oidc/callback", async (request, reply) => {
     const loaded = captureAuthConfigSnapshot(request, deps.authentication);
-    clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply);
     const callback = oidcCallbackUrl(request, loaded?.value.publicUrl);
-    if (!deps.sessionStore || !callback.state) return oidcCallbackFailed(reply);
-    let state;
+    if (!deps.sessionStore || !callback.state) {
+      clearOidcTransactionCookies(reply);
+      return oidcCallbackFailed(reply);
+    }
+    let state: OidcStateRecord | undefined;
     try {
       state = await deps.sessionStore.consumeOidcState(callback.state);
     } catch {
+      clearOidcTransactionCookies(reply);
       return oidcCallbackFailed(reply);
     }
+    const stateTransactionProfile = oidcTransactionCookieProfileForTransport(state?.browserTransactionTransport);
+    clearOidcTransactionCookies(reply, stateTransactionProfile);
     const configured = currentOidcConfig(loaded, deps);
-    if (!callback.currentUrl || !configured || !state || state.returnTo !== "/"
-      || !oidcTransactionMatches(request.cookies[OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE], state.browserTransactionDigest)
+    const configuredTransactionProfile = configured === undefined
+      ? undefined
+      : oidcTransactionCookieProfile(configured.loaded);
+    const transaction = readOidcTransactionCookie(request, stateTransactionProfile);
+    const transactionMatches = oidcTransactionMatches(transaction, state?.browserTransactionDigest ?? "");
+    if (!callback.currentUrl || !configured || !configuredTransactionProfile || !state || !stateTransactionProfile
+      || state.returnTo !== "/" || !transactionMatches
       || state.authConfigRevision !== configured.loaded.revision
-      || state.issuer !== configured.config.oidc.issuer) {
+      || state.issuer !== configured.config.oidc.issuer
+      || stateTransactionProfile.transport !== configuredTransactionProfile.transport) {
       return oidcCallbackFailed(reply);
     }
     try {
@@ -432,25 +466,91 @@ function oidcTransactionMatches(value: string | undefined, expectedDigest: strin
   return canonical && expectedCanonical && matches;
 }
 
-function oidcTransactionCookieOptions() {
+function oidcTransactionCookieProfile(loaded: LoadedAuthConfig): OidcTransactionCookieProfile | undefined {
+  try {
+    if (loaded.value.mode !== "oidc") return undefined;
+    const publicUrl = parseConfiguredTransportUrl(loaded.value.publicUrl, {
+      allowLoopbackHttp: true,
+      originOnly: true,
+    });
+    if (!publicUrl) return undefined;
+    if (publicUrl.protocol === "https:") return OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE_PROFILES.https;
+    if (publicUrl.protocol === "http:") return OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE_PROFILES.loopback_http;
+    return undefined;
+  } catch {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
+function oidcTransactionCookieProfileForTransport(
+  transport: OidcTransactionTransport | undefined,
+): OidcTransactionCookieProfile | undefined {
+  return transport === "https" || transport === "loopback_http"
+    ? OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE_PROFILES[transport]
+    : undefined;
+}
+
+function otherOidcTransactionCookieProfile(
+  profile: OidcTransactionCookieProfile,
+): OidcTransactionCookieProfile {
+  return profile.transport === "https"
+    ? OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE_PROFILES.loopback_http
+    : OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE_PROFILES.https;
+}
+
+function oidcTransactionCookieOptions(profile: OidcTransactionCookieProfile) {
   return {
     httpOnly: true,
     sameSite: "lax" as const,
     path: "/",
-    secure: true,
+    secure: profile.secure,
     maxAge: OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE_SECONDS,
   };
 }
 
-function clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply: FastifyReply): void {
-  reply.clearCookie(OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE, {
+function clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply: FastifyReply, profile: OidcTransactionCookieProfile): void {
+  reply.clearCookie(profile.name, {
     httpOnly: true,
     sameSite: "lax",
     path: "/",
-    secure: true,
+    secure: profile.secure,
   });
 }
 
+function clearOidcTransactionCookies(reply: FastifyReply, preferred?: OidcTransactionCookieProfile): void {
+  if (preferred) {
+    clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply, preferred);
+    clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply, otherOidcTransactionCookieProfile(preferred));
+    return;
+  }
+  clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply, OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE_PROFILES.https);
+  clearOidcTransactionCookie(reply, OIDC_TRANSACTION_COOKIE_PROFILES.loopback_http);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Browser parsers choose one duplicate cookie value differently. Parse just our two fixed names
+ * from the raw header and reject duplicates or a cross-transport sibling before hashing.
+ */
+function readOidcTransactionCookie(
+  request: FastifyRequest,
+  expected: OidcTransactionCookieProfile | undefined,
+): string | undefined {
+  const raw = request.headers.cookie;
+  if (!expected || typeof raw !== "string" || raw.length > 4096 || Array.isArray(raw)) return undefined;
+  let transactionCookies = 0;
+  let expectedCookies = 0;
+  let expectedValue: string | undefined;
+  for (const part of raw.split(";")) {
+    const match = /^\s*(__Host-thothii_oidc_tx|thothii_oidc_tx)(?:=([^;]*))?\s*$/.exec(part);
+    if (!match) continue;
+    transactionCookies += 1;
+    if (match[1] !== expected.name) continue;
+    expectedCookies += 1;
+    expectedValue = match[2];
+  }
+  return transactionCookies === 1 && expectedCookies === 1 ? expectedValue : undefined;
+}
+
 function oidcCallbackUrl(
   request: FastifyRequest,
   publicUrl: string | undefined,
diff --git a/backend/src/auth/session-store.ts b/backend/src/auth/session-store.ts
index 91bbea47..60aab608 100644
--- a/backend/src/auth/session-store.ts
+++ b/backend/src/auth/session-store.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,13 @@ import type { Stats } from "node:fs";
 import { dirname, isAbsolute, join, normalize } from "node:path";
 import { z } from "zod";
 import type { PrincipalContext } from "./principal.js";
-import type { AuthSessionRecord, OidcStateRecord, Permission, Role } from "./types.js";
+import type {
+  AuthSessionRecord,
+  OidcStateRecord,
+  OidcTransactionTransport,
+  Permission,
+  Role,
+} from "./types.js";
 import {
   createWindowsAuthStorageBridge,
   type WindowsAuthStorageBridge,
@@ -42,6 +48,9 @@ const OIDC_STATE_TTL_MS = 10 * 60 * 1000;
 const OIDC_STATE_CAPACITY = 64;
 const MAX_OIDC_STORAGE_ENTRIES = OIDC_STATE_CAPACITY * 3;
 const MAX_SESSION_PRUNE_ENTRIES = 512;
+// A separate scan ceiling bounds directory-walk CPU and the duplicate-detection set without
+// reviving the former 512-record availability ceiling.
+const MAX_SESSION_DIRECTORY_PAGE_SCAN_ENTRIES = 16_384;
 const TOUCH_INTERVAL_MS = 5 * 60 * 1000;
 const CSRF_CONTEXT = Buffer.from("thothii-csrf-v1", "utf8");
 const EMPTY_HKDF_SALT = Buffer.alloc(0);
@@ -76,6 +85,7 @@ export interface OidcStateCreateInput {
   authConfigRevision: string;
   issuer: string;
   browserTransactionDigest: string;
+  browserTransactionTransport: OidcTransactionTransport;
 }
 
 export interface CreatedOidcState {
@@ -149,6 +159,11 @@ interface DirectoryIdentity {
   mode?: number;
 }
 
+interface DirectoryScanIdentity extends DirectoryIdentity {
+  mtimeMs: number;
+  ctimeMs: number;
+}
+
 interface TrustedFile<T> {
   value: T;
   identity: FileIdentity;
@@ -160,6 +175,11 @@ interface StorageDirectories {
   oidc: string;
 }
 
+interface SessionDirectoryPage {
+  entries: string[];
+  more: boolean;
+}
+
 const text = z.string().min(1).max(512).refine((value) => !/[\u0000-\u001f\u007f]/.test(value));
 const timestamp = z.string().length(24).refine((value) => {
   const parsed = Date.parse(value);
@@ -207,6 +227,9 @@ const oidcStateRecordSchema = z.strictObject({
   authConfigRevision: z.string().regex(/^[a-f0-9]{64}$/),
   issuer: z.string().min(1).max(2048).refine((value) => !/\p{Cc}/u.test(value)),
   browserTransactionDigest: z.string().regex(/^[a-f0-9]{64}$/),
+  // Existing ten-minute records from before this field was introduced can be consumed and
+  // rejected by the route. New records always receive the required input field below.
+  browserTransactionTransport: z.enum(["https", "loopback_http"]).optional(),
   capacitySlot: z.number().int().min(0).max(OIDC_STATE_CAPACITY - 1).optional(),
   createdAt: timestamp,
   expiresAt: timestamp,
@@ -254,6 +277,7 @@ const oidcStateInputSchema = z.strictObject({
   authConfigRevision: z.string().regex(/^[a-f0-9]{64}$/),
   issuer: z.string().min(1).max(2048).refine((value) => !/\p{Cc}/u.test(value)),
   browserTransactionDigest: z.string().regex(/^[a-f0-9]{64}$/),
+  browserTransactionTransport: z.enum(["https", "loopback_http"]),
 });
 
 function sameFileIdentity(left: FileIdentity, right: FileIdentity): boolean {
@@ -265,6 +289,10 @@ function sameDirectoryIdentity(left: DirectoryIdentity, right: DirectoryIdentity
   return left.dev === right.dev && left.ino === right.ino && left.uid === right.uid && left.mode === right.mode;
 }
 
+function sameDirectoryScanIdentity(left: DirectoryScanIdentity, right: DirectoryScanIdentity): boolean {
+  return sameDirectoryIdentity(left, right) && left.mtimeMs === right.mtimeMs && left.ctimeMs === right.ctimeMs;
+}
+
 function isNotFound(error: unknown): boolean {
   return (error as NodeJS.ErrnoException | undefined)?.code === "ENOENT";
 }
@@ -340,6 +368,15 @@ function directoryIdentity(path: string): DirectoryIdentity {
   };
 }
 
+function directoryScanIdentity(path: string): DirectoryScanIdentity {
+  const identity = directoryIdentity(path);
+  const info = lstatSync(path) as Stats;
+  if (!info.isDirectory() || info.isSymbolicLink() || info.dev !== identity.dev || info.ino !== identity.ino
+    || info.uid !== identity.uid || (info.mode & 0o7777) !== identity.mode
+    || !Number.isFinite(info.mtimeMs) || !Number.isFinite(info.ctimeMs)) throw invalid();
+  return { ...identity, mtimeMs: info.mtimeMs, ctimeMs: info.ctimeMs };
+}
+
 function privateDirectory(path: string): void {
   let created = false;
   try {
@@ -403,6 +440,71 @@ function boundedDirectoryNames(directory: string, maximumEntries: number): strin
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Return the next lexical page without retaining a complete directory listing. Every direct
+ * child is structurally validated during the bounded scan, so an unsafe entry cannot hide after
+ * a full page of ordinary sessions.
+ */
+function boundedSessionDirectoryPage(
+  directory: string,
+  after: string | undefined,
+  maximumEntries: number,
+): SessionDirectoryPage {
+  if (!Number.isInteger(maximumEntries) || maximumEntries < 1
+    || (after !== undefined && !DIGEST_FILENAME_PATTERN.test(after))) throw invalid();
+  let handle: ReturnType<typeof opendirSync> | undefined;
+  try {
+    const before = directoryScanIdentity(directory);
+    handle = opendirSync(directory);
+    const seen = new Set<string>();
+    const selected: string[] = [];
+    let scanned = 0;
+    while (true) {
+      const entry = handle.readSync();
+      if (entry === null) {
+        handle.closeSync();
+        handle = undefined;
+        if (!sameDirectoryScanIdentity(before, directoryScanIdentity(directory))) throw invalid();
+        selected.sort((left, right) => left < right ? -1 : left > right ? 1 : 0);
+        const more = selected.length > maximumEntries;
+        return { entries: more ? selected.slice(0, maximumEntries) : selected, more };
+      }
+      scanned += 1;
+      if (scanned > MAX_SESSION_DIRECTORY_PAGE_SCAN_ENTRIES) throw invalid();
+      const filename = entry.name;
+      if (!DIGEST_FILENAME_PATTERN.test(filename) || seen.has(filename)) throw invalid();
+      seen.add(filename);
+      let info: Stats;
+      try {
+        info = lstatSync(filePath(directory, filename)) as Stats;
+      } catch (error) {
+        throw invalid();
+      }
+      fileIdentity(info);
+      if (after !== undefined && filename <= after) continue;
+      appendBoundedSessionFilename(selected, filename, maximumEntries + 1);
+    }
+  } catch {
+    throw invalid();
+  } finally {
+    if (handle !== undefined) {
+      try { handle.closeSync(); } catch { /* the operation is already fail-closed */ }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function appendBoundedSessionFilename(names: string[], filename: string, maximumEntries: number): void {
+  if (names.length < maximumEntries) {
+    names.push(filename);
+    return;
+  }
+  let greatest = 0;
+  for (let index = 1; index < names.length; index += 1) {
+    if (names[index] > names[greatest]) greatest = index;
+  }
+  if (filename < names[greatest]) names[greatest] = filename;
+}
+
 function openDirectory(directory: string): number | undefined {
   if (process.platform === "win32") return undefined;
   return openSync(directory, constants.O_RDONLY | (constants.O_DIRECTORY ?? 0)
@@ -835,12 +937,65 @@ export function createFileAuthSessionStore(
   const windowsStorage = process.platform === "win32"
     ? options.windowsStorageBridge ?? createWindowsAuthStorageBridge()
     : undefined;
+  let sessionPruneCursor: string | undefined;
 
   function requiredWindowsStorage(): WindowsAuthStorageBridge {
     if (windowsStorage === undefined) throw invalid();
     return windowsStorage;
   }
 
+  async function ordinarySessionPage(after: string | undefined): Promise<SessionDirectoryPage> {
+    if (process.platform !== "win32") {
+      return boundedSessionDirectoryPage(storageDirectories(root).sessions, after, MAX_SESSION_PRUNE_ENTRIES);
+    }
+    const page = await requiredWindowsStorage().listPage(root, "sessions", after, MAX_SESSION_PRUNE_ENTRIES);
+    if (!page || !Array.isArray(page.entries) || typeof page.more !== "boolean") throw invalid();
+    return { entries: page.entries.map((entry) => entry.name), more: page.more };
+  }
+
+  function nextSessionPruneCursor(page: SessionDirectoryPage, after: string | undefined): string | undefined {
+    if (!Array.isArray(page.entries) || typeof page.more !== "boolean"
+      || page.entries.length > MAX_SESSION_PRUNE_ENTRIES) throw invalid();
+    const seen = new Set<string>();
+    let previous = after;
+    for (const filename of page.entries) {
+      if (!DIGEST_FILENAME_PATTERN.test(filename) || seen.has(filename)
+        || (previous !== undefined && filename <= previous)) throw invalid();
+      seen.add(filename);
+      previous = filename;
+    }
+    if (!page.more) return undefined;
+    if (page.entries.length !== MAX_SESSION_PRUNE_ENTRIES || previous === undefined || previous === after) throw invalid();
+    return previous;
+  }
+
+  async function pruneOrdinarySessions(nowMs: number): Promise<number> {
+    const after = sessionPruneCursor;
+    const page = await ordinarySessionPage(after);
+    const next = nextSessionPruneCursor(page, after);
+    let removed = 0;
+    if (process.platform === "win32") {
+      const bridge = requiredWindowsStorage();
+      for (const filename of page.entries) {
+        const contents = await bridge.read(root, "sessions", filename);
+        if (!contents) continue;
+        const record = parseWindowsRecord(contents, MAX_SESSION_RECORD_BYTES, parseSessionRecord);
+        if (sessionExpired(record, nowMs) && await bridge.remove(root, "sessions", filename)) removed += 1;
+      }
+    } else {
+      const directory = storageDirectories(root).sessions;
+      for (const filename of page.entries) {
+        await withLock(lockKey(root, "sessions", filename), async () => {
+          const trusted = readTrusted(directory, filename, MAX_SESSION_RECORD_BYTES, parseSessionRecord);
+          if (trusted && sessionExpired(trusted.value, nowMs)
+            && removeTrusted(directory, filename, trusted.identity)) removed += 1;
+        });
+      }
+    }
+    sessionPruneCursor = next;
+    return removed;
+  }
+
   async function oidcStorageEntries(): Promise<string[]> {
     const entries = process.platform === "win32"
       ? (await requiredWindowsStorage().list(root, "oidc", MAX_OIDC_STORAGE_ENTRIES)).map((entry) => entry.name)
@@ -1239,6 +1394,7 @@ export function createFileAuthSessionStore(
           authConfigRevision: validated.authConfigRevision,
           issuer: validated.issuer,
           browserTransactionDigest: validated.browserTransactionDigest,
+          browserTransactionTransport: validated.browserTransactionTransport,
           capacitySlot,
           createdAt: isoAt(nowMs),
           expiresAt: isoAt(expiresMs),
@@ -1284,32 +1440,10 @@ export function createFileAuthSessionStore(
 
   async function prune(now = new Date()): Promise<number> {
     const nowMs = dateMilliseconds(now);
-    if (process.platform === "win32") {
-      const bridge = requiredWindowsStorage();
-      const sessionEntries = await bridge.list(root, "sessions", MAX_SESSION_PRUNE_ENTRIES);
-      if (sessionEntries.length > MAX_SESSION_PRUNE_ENTRIES) throw invalid();
-      let removed = 0;
-      for (const entry of sessionEntries) {
-        if (!DIGEST_FILENAME_PATTERN.test(entry.name)) throw invalid();
-        const contents = await bridge.read(root, "sessions", entry.name);
-        if (!contents) continue;
-        const record = parseWindowsRecord(contents, MAX_SESSION_RECORD_BYTES, parseSessionRecord);
-        if (sessionExpired(record, nowMs) && await bridge.remove(root, "sessions", entry.name)) removed += 1;
-      }
-      return removed + await pruneOidcStates(nowMs);
-    }
-    const directories = storageDirectories(root);
-    let removed = 0;
-    const sessionEntries = boundedDirectoryNames(directories.sessions, MAX_SESSION_PRUNE_ENTRIES);
-    for (const filename of sessionEntries) {
-      if (!DIGEST_FILENAME_PATTERN.test(filename)) throw invalid();
-      await withLock(lockKey(root, "sessions", filename), async () => {
-        const trusted = readTrusted(directories.sessions, filename, MAX_SESSION_RECORD_BYTES, parseSessionRecord);
-        if (trusted && sessionExpired(trusted.value, nowMs)
-          && removeTrusted(directories.sessions, filename, trusted.identity)) removed += 1;
-      });
-    }
-    return removed + await pruneOidcStates(nowMs);
+    // Cursor advancement is process-local, so concurrent timer/manual invocations must not
+    // observe the same page and strand a later page forever.
+    return await withLock(lockKey(root, "sessions", "maintenance"), async () =>
+      (await pruneOrdinarySessions(nowMs)) + (await pruneOidcStates(nowMs)));
   }
 
   return {
diff --git a/backend/src/auth/types.ts b/backend/src/auth/types.ts
index 55ec5cf2..88292315 100644
--- a/backend/src/auth/types.ts
+++ b/backend/src/auth/types.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ export interface AuthenticationConfigProvider {
   current(): LoadedAuthConfig;
 }
 
+/** The only browser transport modes accepted for an OIDC transaction cookie. */
+export type OidcTransactionTransport = "https" | "loopback_http";
+
 /** Durable, server-side representation of an opaque browser session. */
 export interface AuthSessionRecord {
   version: 1;
@@ -82,6 +85,8 @@ export interface OidcStateRecord {
   authConfigRevision: string;
   issuer: string;
   browserTransactionDigest: string;
+  /** Optional only to safely consume and reject a short-lived pre-transport legacy state. */
+  browserTransactionTransport?: OidcTransactionTransport;
   capacitySlot?: number;
   createdAt: string;
   expiresAt: string;
diff --git a/backend/src/auth/windows-auth-storage.ts b/backend/src/auth/windows-auth-storage.ts
index 4c42a8bc..36720739 100644
--- a/backend/src/auth/windows-auth-storage.ts
+++ b/backend/src/auth/windows-auth-storage.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ export interface WindowsAuthStorageEntry {
   modifiedUnixMs: number;
 }
 
+export interface WindowsAuthStoragePage {
+  entries: WindowsAuthStorageEntry[];
+  more: boolean;
+}
+
 /** Internal adapter boundary for the file-session store's native Windows path. */
 export interface WindowsAuthStorageBridge {
   create(root: string, directory: WindowsAuthStorageDirectory, filename: string, contents: Buffer): Promise<boolean>;
@@ -35,6 +40,12 @@ export interface WindowsAuthStorageBridge {
     directory: WindowsAuthStorageDirectory,
     maximumEntries?: number,
   ): Promise<WindowsAuthStorageEntry[]>;
+  listPage(
+    root: string,
+    directory: "sessions",
+    afterName: string | undefined,
+    maximumEntries: number,
+  ): Promise<WindowsAuthStoragePage>;
   claimConsume(root: string, filename: string): Promise<Buffer | undefined>;
   readClaim(root: string, filename: string): Promise<Buffer | undefined>;
   removeClaim(root: string, filename: string): Promise<boolean>;
@@ -92,6 +103,7 @@ const responseSchema = z.strictObject({
     name: z.string().max(128),
     modifiedUnixMs: z.number().int().safe().nonnegative(),
   })).max(MAX_ENTRIES).optional(),
+  more: z.boolean().optional(),
 });
 
 type BridgeResponse = z.infer<typeof responseSchema>;
@@ -104,6 +116,8 @@ interface BridgeRequest {
   filename?: string;
   contentBase64?: string;
   maximumEntries?: number;
+  afterName?: string;
+  continuation?: true;
 }
 
 function directoryMaximum(directory: WindowsAuthStorageDirectory): number {
@@ -159,8 +173,15 @@ function encodedRequest(request: BridgeRequest): Buffer {
     if (request.filename !== undefined || request.contentBase64 !== undefined) throw invalid();
     if (request.maximumEntries !== undefined && (!Number.isInteger(request.maximumEntries)
       || request.maximumEntries < 1 || request.maximumEntries > MAX_ENTRIES)) throw invalid();
+    if (request.continuation === true) {
+      if (request.directory !== "sessions" || (request.afterName !== undefined && !DIGEST_FILENAME.test(request.afterName))) {
+        throw invalid();
+      }
+    } else if (request.afterName !== undefined || request.continuation !== undefined) {
+      throw invalid();
+    }
   } else {
-    if (request.maximumEntries !== undefined) throw invalid();
+    if (request.maximumEntries !== undefined || request.afterName !== undefined || request.continuation !== undefined) throw invalid();
     if (request.filename === undefined) throw invalid();
     const allowClaim = request.operation === "remove" && request.directory === "oidc";
     const allowOidcSlot = request.directory === "oidc"
@@ -311,6 +332,22 @@ function contentFrom(response: BridgeResponse, maximum: number): Buffer | undefi
   return canonicalBase64(response.contentBase64, maximum);
 }
 
+function listedEntries(
+  response: BridgeResponse,
+  directory: WindowsAuthStorageDirectory,
+  maximumEntries: number,
+): WindowsAuthStorageEntry[] {
+  if (response.entries === undefined || response.entries.length > maximumEntries) throw invalid();
+  const names = new Set<string>();
+  for (const entry of response.entries) {
+    if (!DIGEST_FILENAME.test(entry.name) && !(directory === "oidc"
+      && (CLAIM_FILENAME.test(entry.name) || OIDC_SLOT_FILENAME.test(entry.name)))) throw invalid();
+    if (names.has(entry.name)) throw invalid();
+    names.add(entry.name);
+  }
+  return response.entries.map((entry) => ({ name: entry.name, modifiedUnixMs: entry.modifiedUnixMs }));
+}
+
 export function createWindowsAuthStorageBridge(options: WindowsAuthStorageBridgeOptions = {}): WindowsAuthStorageBridge {
   const executable = safeThtExecutable(options.thtExecutable);
   const invoke = options.invoke ?? ((invocation: WindowsAuthStorageInvocation) => invokeTht(
@@ -368,13 +405,32 @@ export function createWindowsAuthStorageBridge(options: WindowsAuthStorageBridge
         directory,
         maximumEntries,
       });
-      if (response.entries === undefined) throw invalid();
-      if (response.entries.length > maximumEntries) throw invalid();
-      for (const entry of response.entries) {
-        if (!DIGEST_FILENAME.test(entry.name) && !(directory === "oidc"
-          && (CLAIM_FILENAME.test(entry.name) || OIDC_SLOT_FILENAME.test(entry.name)))) throw invalid();
+      if (response.more !== undefined) throw invalid();
+      return listedEntries(response, directory, maximumEntries);
+    },
+    async listPage(root, directory, afterName, maximumEntries) {
+      if (directory !== "sessions" || !Number.isInteger(maximumEntries)
+        || maximumEntries < 1 || maximumEntries > MAX_ENTRIES
+        || (afterName !== undefined && !DIGEST_FILENAME.test(afterName))) throw invalid();
+      const response = await request({
+        version: PROTOCOL_VERSION,
+        operation: "list",
+        root,
+        directory,
+        maximumEntries,
+        continuation: true,
+        ...(afterName === undefined ? {} : { afterName }),
+      });
+      if (response.more === undefined) throw invalid();
+      const entries = listedEntries(response, directory, maximumEntries);
+      let previous = afterName;
+      for (const entry of entries) {
+        if (previous !== undefined && entry.name <= previous) throw invalid();
+        previous = entry.name;
       }
-      return response.entries.map((entry) => ({ name: entry.name, modifiedUnixMs: entry.modifiedUnixMs }));
+      if (response.more && entries.length !== maximumEntries) throw invalid();
+      if (response.more && (previous === undefined || previous === afterName)) throw invalid();
+      return { entries, more: response.more };
     },
     async claimConsume(root, filename) {
       return contentFrom(await request(recordRequest("claim-consume", root, "oidc", filename)), MAX_OIDC_BYTES);
diff --git a/backend/test/auth-routes-oidc.test.ts b/backend/test/auth-routes-oidc.test.ts
index f433939b..cd169633 100644
--- a/backend/test/auth-routes-oidc.test.ts
+++ b/backend/test/auth-routes-oidc.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const state = "s".repeat(43);
 const nonce = "n".repeat(43);
 const verifier = "v".repeat(43);
 const transactionCookieName = "__Host-thothii_oidc_tx";
+const loopbackTransactionCookieName = "thothii_oidc_tx";
 const createdApps: Array<ReturnType<typeof Fastify>> = [];
 
 function setCookieHeaders(response: { headers: Record<string, string | string[] | undefined> }): string[] {
@@ -19,15 +20,42 @@ function setCookieHeaders(response: { headers: Record<string, string | string[]
   return header === undefined ? [] : Array.isArray(header) ? header : [header];
 }
 
-function transactionCookie(response: { headers: Record<string, string | string[] | undefined> }): string | undefined {
+function transactionCookie(
+  response: { headers: Record<string, string | string[] | undefined> },
+  name = transactionCookieName,
+): string | undefined {
   return setCookieHeaders(response)
-    .find((header) => header.startsWith(`${transactionCookieName}=`))
+    .find((header) => header.startsWith(`${name}=`) && !header.includes("Max-Age=0"))
     ?.split(";", 1)[0];
 }
 
-function expectTransactionCleared(response: { headers: Record<string, string | string[] | undefined> }): void {
-  expect(setCookieHeaders(response).some((header) =>
-    header.startsWith(`${transactionCookieName}=`) && header.includes("Max-Age=0"))).toBe(true);
+function expectTransactionCleared(
+  response: { headers: Record<string, string | string[] | undefined> },
+  name = transactionCookieName,
+  secure = true,
+): void {
+  const header = setCookieHeaders(response).find((candidate) =>
+    candidate.startsWith(`${name}=`) && candidate.includes("Max-Age=0"));
+  expect(header).toBeDefined();
+  expect(header).toContain("HttpOnly");
+  expect(header).toContain("SameSite=Lax");
+  expect(header).toContain("Path=/");
+  expect(header).not.toContain("Domain=");
+  if (secure) expect(header).toContain("Secure");
+  else expect(header).not.toContain("Secure");
+}
+
+function expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(
+  response: { headers: Record<string, string | string[] | undefined> },
+  activeName: string,
+  activeSecure: boolean,
+): void {
+  expectTransactionCleared(response, activeName, activeSecure);
+  expectTransactionCleared(
+    response,
+    activeName === transactionCookieName ? loopbackTransactionCookieName : transactionCookieName,
+    activeName !== transactionCookieName,
+  );
 }
 
 function config(overrides: Partial<LoadedAuthConfig["value"]> = {}): LoadedAuthConfig {
@@ -58,6 +86,7 @@ function stateRecord(extra: Partial<OidcStateRecord> = {}): OidcStateRecord {
     version: 1, nonce, codeVerifier: verifier, returnTo: "/",
     authConfigRevision: revision, issuer,
     browserTransactionDigest: "b".repeat(64),
+    browserTransactionTransport: "https",
     createdAt: "2030-01-01T00:00:00.000Z", expiresAt: "2030-01-01T00:10:00.000Z",
     ...extra,
   } as OidcStateRecord;
@@ -106,6 +135,8 @@ function fixture(options: {
       });
       (record as OidcStateRecord & { browserTransactionDigest: string }).browserTransactionDigest =
         input.browserTransactionDigest as string;
+      (record as OidcStateRecord & { browserTransactionTransport?: string }).browserTransactionTransport =
+        input.browserTransactionTransport as string | undefined ?? "https";
       if (options.stateReturnTo) (record as { returnTo: string }).returnTo = options.stateReturnTo;
       storedState = record;
       return { state, record: storedState };
@@ -149,7 +180,10 @@ afterEach(async () => {
 
 async function beginOidcLogin(subject: ReturnType<typeof fixture>) {
   const response = await subject.app.inject({ method: "GET", url: "/auth/oidc/login" });
-  return { response, cookie: transactionCookie(response) };
+  return {
+    response,
+    cookie: transactionCookie(response) ?? transactionCookie(response, loopbackTransactionCookieName),
+  };
 }
 
 async function finishOidcLogin(
@@ -208,12 +242,16 @@ test("creates digest-only bound state, maps exact groups, creates a cookie sessi
   expect(subject.stateInputs[0]).toMatchObject({
     returnTo: "/", authConfigRevision: revision, issuer,
     browserTransactionDigest: expect.stringMatching(/^[a-f0-9]{64}$/),
+    browserTransactionTransport: "https",
   });
   expect(cookie).toMatch(new RegExp(`^${transactionCookieName}=[A-Za-z0-9_-]{43}$`));
-  expect(setCookieHeaders(start).join("\n")).toContain("HttpOnly");
-  expect(setCookieHeaders(start).join("\n")).toContain("SameSite=Lax");
-  expect(setCookieHeaders(start).join("\n")).toContain("Secure");
-  expect(setCookieHeaders(start).join("\n")).toContain("Path=/");
+  const issued = setCookieHeaders(start)
+    .find((header) => header.startsWith(`${transactionCookieName}=`) && !header.includes("Max-Age=0"));
+  expect(issued).toContain("HttpOnly");
+  expect(issued).toContain("SameSite=Lax");
+  expect(issued).toContain("Secure");
+  expect(issued).toContain("Path=/");
+  expect(issued).not.toContain("Domain=");
   expect(JSON.stringify(subject.stateInputs)).not.toContain(cookie?.split("=", 2)[1] ?? "missing-cookie");
 
   const callback = await subject.app.inject({
@@ -226,7 +264,7 @@ test("creates digest-only bound state, maps exact groups, creates a cookie sessi
   expect(setCookieHeaders(callback).join("\n")).toContain("HttpOnly");
   expect(setCookieHeaders(callback).join("\n")).toContain("SameSite=Lax");
   expect(setCookieHeaders(callback).join("\n")).toContain("Secure");
-  expectTransactionCleared(callback);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(callback, transactionCookieName, true);
   expect(subject.callbacks[0]?.href).toBe(`https://thothii.example.test/api/auth/oidc/callback?code=good&state=${state}`);
   expect(subject.creates).toHaveLength(1);
   expect(subject.creates[0]).toMatchObject({
@@ -242,12 +280,103 @@ test("creates digest-only bound state, maps exact groups, creates a cookie sessi
   expect(JSON.stringify(subject.creates)).not.toContain("refresh-token-must-not-leak");
 });
 
+test.each([
+  "http://127.42.0.1:8787",
+  "http://[::1]:8787",
+])("uses the non-prefixed, non-Secure transaction cookie for literal loopback OIDC %s", async (publicUrl) => {
+  const subject = fixture({ loaded: config({ publicUrl }) });
+  const { response: start, cookie } = await beginOidcLogin(subject);
+
+  expect(start.statusCode).toBe(302);
+  expect(subject.stateInputs[0]).toMatchObject({ browserTransactionTransport: "loopback_http" });
+  expect(cookie).toMatch(new RegExp(`^${loopbackTransactionCookieName}=[A-Za-z0-9_-]{43}$`));
+  const issued = setCookieHeaders(start).find((header) => header.startsWith(`${loopbackTransactionCookieName}=`));
+  expect(issued).toContain("HttpOnly");
+  expect(issued).toContain("SameSite=Lax");
+  expect(issued).toContain("Path=/");
+  expect(issued).not.toContain("Secure");
+  expect(issued).not.toContain("Domain=");
+
+  const callback = await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie);
+  expect(callback.statusCode).toBe(302);
+  expect(subject.callbacks[0]?.href).toBe(`${publicUrl}/api/auth/oidc/callback?code=good&state=${state}`);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(callback, loopbackTransactionCookieName, false);
+});
+
+test("uses the consumed state transport to reject cross-mode and shadowed transaction cookies", async () => {
+  const subject = fixture({ loaded: config({ publicUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8787" }) });
+  const { cookie } = await beginOidcLogin(subject);
+  expect(cookie).toBeDefined();
+
+  const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, [
+    cookie,
+    `${transactionCookieName}=${"x".repeat(43)}`,
+  ].join("; "));
+
+  expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
+  expect(subject.callbacks).toEqual([]);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, loopbackTransactionCookieName, false);
+});
+
+test("rejects a transaction presented only under the wrong transport cookie name", async () => {
+  const subject = fixture();
+  const { cookie } = await beginOidcLogin(subject);
+  const wrongTransportCookie = cookie?.replace(transactionCookieName, loopbackTransactionCookieName);
+
+  const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, wrongTransportCookie);
+
+  expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
+  expect(subject.callbacks).toEqual([]);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, transactionCookieName, true);
+});
+
+test("rejects duplicate same-mode transaction cookies instead of trusting a parser-selected value", async () => {
+  const subject = fixture();
+  const { cookie } = await beginOidcLogin(subject);
+  expect(cookie).toBeDefined();
+
+  const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, [
+    cookie,
+    `${transactionCookieName}=${"x".repeat(43)}`,
+  ].join("; "));
+
+  expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
+  expect(subject.callbacks).toEqual([]);
+  expect(subject.stateWasConsumed()).toBe(true);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, transactionCookieName, true);
+});
+
+test("pins the callback transaction transport to its captured configuration snapshot", async () => {
+  const subject = fixture({ loaded: config({ publicUrl: "http://127.42.0.1:8787" }) });
+  const { cookie } = await beginOidcLogin(subject);
+  subject.setConfig(config({ publicUrl: "https://thothii.example.test" }));
+
+  const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie);
+
+  expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
+  expect(subject.callbacks).toEqual([]);
+  expect(subject.stateWasConsumed()).toBe(true);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, loopbackTransactionCookieName, false);
+});
+
+test("clears the state-pinned loopback transaction variant after a terminal callback failure", async () => {
+  const subject = fixture({
+    loaded: config({ publicUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8787" }),
+    callbackFailure: true,
+  });
+  const { cookie } = await beginOidcLogin(subject);
+  const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie);
+
+  expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, loopbackTransactionCookieName, false);
+});
+
 test("consumes state on callback failure and refuses replay", async () => {
   const subject = fixture({ callbackFailure: true });
   const { cookie } = await beginOidcLogin(subject);
   const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie);
   expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
-  expectTransactionCleared(failed);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, transactionCookieName, true);
   const replay = await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie);
   expect(replay.statusCode).toBe(401);
   expect(subject.callbacks).toHaveLength(1);
@@ -260,6 +389,7 @@ test("consumes state when the protocol becomes unavailable before callback", asy
   const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie);
   expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
   expect(subject.stateWasConsumed()).toBe(true);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, transactionCookieName, true);
 });
 
 test("rejects a consumed state with a non-root return target", async () => {
@@ -269,6 +399,7 @@ test("rejects a consumed state with a non-root return target", async () => {
   expect(callback.statusCode).toBe(401);
   expect(subject.callbacks).toEqual([]);
   expect(subject.creates).toEqual([]);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(callback, transactionCookieName, true);
 });
 
 test("rejects an OIDC state when its configuration revision changes before callback", async () => {
@@ -278,6 +409,7 @@ test("rejects an OIDC state when its configuration revision changes before callb
   const callback = await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie);
   expect(callback.statusCode).toBe(401);
   expect(subject.callbacks).toEqual([]);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(callback, transactionCookieName, true);
 });
 
 test("rejects an OIDC state when its issuer changes before callback", async () => {
@@ -310,7 +442,7 @@ test("rejects a callback from a different browser and clears the transaction coo
 
   const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, `${transactionCookieName}=${"x".repeat(43)}`);
   expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
-  expectTransactionCleared(failed);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, transactionCookieName, true);
   expect(subject.stateWasConsumed()).toBe(true);
   expect(subject.creates).toEqual([]);
 
@@ -328,7 +460,7 @@ test.each([
   const { cookie } = await beginOidcLogin(subject);
   const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie, query);
   expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
-  expectTransactionCleared(failed);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, transactionCookieName, true);
   expect(subject.stateWasConsumed()).toBe(true);
   expect(subject.callbacks).toEqual([]);
 
@@ -345,7 +477,7 @@ test("boundedly burns a canonical state from an oversized callback URL", async (
   const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie, oversized);
 
   expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
-  expectTransactionCleared(failed);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, transactionCookieName, true);
   expect(subject.stateWasConsumed()).toBe(true);
   expect(subject.callbacks).toEqual([]);
   expect((await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie)).statusCode).toBe(401);
@@ -358,11 +490,19 @@ test("rejects an empty direct groups claim without creating a session cookie", a
   const { cookie } = await beginOidcLogin(subject);
   const callback = await finishOidcLogin(subject, cookie);
   expect(callback.statusCode).toBe(401);
-  expectTransactionCleared(callback);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(callback, transactionCookieName, true);
   expect(subject.creates).toEqual([]);
   expect(setCookieHeaders(callback).join("\n")).not.toContain("opaque-session-token");
 });
 
+test("clears both transaction variants when the callback state cannot be consumed", async () => {
+  const subject = fixture();
+  const failed = await finishOidcLogin(subject, `${transactionCookieName}=${"x".repeat(43)}`);
+
+  expect(failed.statusCode).toBe(401);
+  expectBothTransactionVariantsCleared(failed, transactionCookieName, true);
+});
+
 test("uses one captured instant for token TTL derivation and session creation", async () => {
   const tokenExpiresAt = new Date(Date.now() + 120_000);
   const subject = fixture({ identity: {
diff --git a/backend/test/auth-session-store.test.ts b/backend/test/auth-session-store.test.ts
index 7560bdd6..cc3e22c4 100644
--- a/backend/test/auth-session-store.test.ts
+++ b/backend/test/auth-session-store.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   renameSync,
   rmSync,
   symlinkSync,
+  utimesSync,
   unlinkSync,
   writeFileSync,
 } from "node:fs";
@@ -84,9 +85,14 @@ function oidcInput(nonce: string, codeVerifier: string) {
     authConfigRevision: revision,
     issuer: "https://issuer.example.test",
     browserTransactionDigest: "b".repeat(64),
+    browserTransactionTransport: "https" as const,
   };
 }
 
+function sessionFilename(index: number): string {
+  return `${index.toString(16).padStart(64, "0")}.json`;
+}
+
 afterEach(() => {
   fsHooks.afterRead = undefined;
   fsHooks.afterWrite = undefined;
@@ -334,6 +340,104 @@ describe("file-backed auth session store", () => {
     expect(existsSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "oidc", oidc.state))).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  test.skipIf(process.platform === "win32")("allows startup maintenance past 512 live records and keeps OIDC available", async () => {
+    const storageRoot = root();
+    const store = validStore(storageRoot);
+    const liveSeed = await create(store, { idleTtlMs: 30 * 60_000, absoluteTtlMs: 30 * 60_000 });
+    const liveContents = readFileSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", liveSeed.token));
+    unlinkSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", liveSeed.token));
+    const expiredSeed = await create(store, { idleTtlMs: 60_000, absoluteTtlMs: 60_000 });
+    const expiredContents = readFileSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", expiredSeed.token));
+    unlinkSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", expiredSeed.token));
+
+    for (let index = 0; index < 512; index += 1) {
+      writeFileSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", sessionFilename(index)), liveContents, { mode: 0o600 });
+    }
+    const expiredName = sessionFilename(512);
+    writeFileSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", expiredName), expiredContents, { mode: 0o600 });
+
+    await expect(store.prune(new Date(base.getTime() + 2 * 60_000))).resolves.toBe(0);
+    expect(existsSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", expiredName))).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", sessionFilename(0)))).toBe(true);
+    await expect(store.createOidcState(oidcInput("n".repeat(43), "v".repeat(43)), base))
+      .resolves.toMatchObject({ record: { nonce: "n".repeat(43) } });
+
+    await expect(store.prune(new Date(base.getTime() + 2 * 60_000))).resolves.toBe(1);
+    expect(existsSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", expiredName))).toBe(false);
+    expect(existsSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", sessionFilename(0)))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test.skipIf(process.platform === "win32")("serializes concurrent continuation passes without stranding a later page", async () => {
+    const storageRoot = root();
+    const store = validStore(storageRoot);
+    const liveSeed = await create(store, { idleTtlMs: 30 * 60_000, absoluteTtlMs: 30 * 60_000 });
+    const liveContents = readFileSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", liveSeed.token));
+    unlinkSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", liveSeed.token));
+    const expiredSeed = await create(store, { idleTtlMs: 60_000, absoluteTtlMs: 60_000 });
+    const expiredContents = readFileSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", expiredSeed.token));
+    unlinkSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", expiredSeed.token));
+    for (let index = 0; index < 512; index += 1) {
+      writeFileSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", sessionFilename(index)), liveContents, { mode: 0o600 });
+    }
+    const expiredName = sessionFilename(512);
+    writeFileSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", expiredName), expiredContents, { mode: 0o600 });
+
+    await expect(Promise.all([
+      store.prune(new Date(base.getTime() + 2 * 60_000)),
+      store.prune(new Date(base.getTime() + 2 * 60_000)),
+    ])).resolves.toEqual([0, 1]);
+    expect(existsSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", expiredName))).toBe(false);
+    expect(existsSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", sessionFilename(0)))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test.skipIf(process.platform === "win32")("fails closed on an unsafe ordinary record beyond the first continuation page", async () => {
+    const storageRoot = root();
+    const store = validStore(storageRoot);
+    const seed = await create(store, { idleTtlMs: 30 * 60_000, absoluteTtlMs: 30 * 60_000 });
+    const contents = readFileSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", seed.token));
+    unlinkSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", seed.token));
+    for (let index = 0; index < 512; index += 1) {
+      writeFileSync(join(storageRoot, "sessions", sessionFilename(index)), contents, { mode: 0o600 });
+    }
+    symlinkSync(join(storageRoot, "missing-target"), join(storageRoot, "sessions", sessionFilename(512)));
+
+    await expect(store.prune(new Date(base.getTime() + 2 * 60_000)))
+      .rejects.toThrow("auth_session_store_invalid");
+  });
+
+  test.skipIf(process.platform === "win32")("fails closed if the ordinary-session directory changes during a page scan", async () => {
+    const storageRoot = root();
+    const store = validStore(storageRoot);
+    const seed = await create(store, { idleTtlMs: 30 * 60_000, absoluteTtlMs: 30 * 60_000 });
+    const contents = readFileSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", seed.token));
+    unlinkSync(digestPath(storageRoot, "sessions", seed.token));
+    const filename = sessionFilename(0);
+    const sessionsDirectory = join(storageRoot, "sessions");
+    writeFileSync(join(sessionsDirectory, filename), contents, { mode: 0o600 });
+    fsHooks.beforeLstat = (path) => {
+      if (path !== join(sessionsDirectory, filename)) return false;
+      const changed = new Date(base.getTime() + 60 * 60_000);
+      utimesSync(sessionsDirectory, changed, changed);
+      return true;
+    };
+
+    await expect(store.prune(new Date(base.getTime() + 2 * 60_000)))
+      .rejects.toThrow("auth_session_store_invalid");
+  });
+
+  test("persists the OIDC transaction transport as consumed state metadata", async () => {
+    const storageRoot = root();
+    const store = validStore(storageRoot);
+    const created = await store.createOidcState({
+      ...oidcInput("n".repeat(43), "v".repeat(43)),
+      browserTransactionTransport: "loopback_http",
+    });
+
+    await expect(store.consumeOidcState(created.state)).resolves.toMatchObject({
+      browserTransactionTransport: "loopback_http",
+    });
+  });
+
   test("creates bounded OIDC state records that expire and are single-use", async () => {
     const storageRoot = root();
     const store = validStore(storageRoot);
@@ -347,6 +451,7 @@ describe("file-backed auth session store", () => {
         nonce: "n".repeat(43), codeVerifier: "v".repeat(43), returnTo: "/",
         authConfigRevision: revision, issuer: "https://issuer.example.test",
         browserTransactionDigest: "b".repeat(64),
+        browserTransactionTransport: "https",
       });
     await expect(store.consumeOidcState(created.state)).resolves.toBeUndefined();
 
@@ -740,6 +845,19 @@ describe("file-backed auth session store", () => {
           .filter((entry) => entry.startsWith(`${directory}/`))
           .map((entry) => ({ name: entry.slice(directory.length + 1), modifiedUnixMs: base.getTime() }));
       },
+      listPage: async (_root: string, directory: string, after: string | undefined, maximumEntries: number) => {
+        calls.push("list");
+        if (directory !== "sessions") throw new Error("only ordinary sessions use continuation pages");
+        const names = [...records.keys()]
+          .filter((entry) => entry.startsWith("sessions/"))
+          .map((entry) => entry.slice("sessions/".length))
+          .filter((name) => after === undefined || name > after)
+          .sort();
+        return {
+          entries: names.slice(0, maximumEntries).map((name) => ({ name, modifiedUnixMs: base.getTime() })),
+          more: names.length > maximumEntries,
+        };
+      },
       claimConsume: async (_root: string, filename: string) => {
         calls.push("claim-consume");
         const entry = key("oidc", filename);
@@ -778,6 +896,75 @@ describe("file-backed auth session store", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  test("continues Windows ordinary-session maintenance with a strict 512-record page cursor", async () => {
+    const records = new Map<string, Buffer>();
+    const pages: Array<{ after: string | undefined; maximumEntries: number }> = [];
+    const key = (directory: string, filename: string) => `${directory}/${filename}`;
+    const bridge = {
+      create: async (_root: string, directory: string, filename: string, contents: Buffer) => {
+        const entry = key(directory, filename);
+        if (records.has(entry)) return false;
+        records.set(entry, Buffer.from(contents));
+        return true;
+      },
+      read: async (_root: string, directory: string, filename: string) => {
+        const value = records.get(key(directory, filename));
+        return value === undefined ? undefined : Buffer.from(value);
+      },
+      remove: async (_root: string, directory: string, filename: string) => records.delete(key(directory, filename)),
+      list: async (_root: string, directory: string) => {
+        if (directory === "sessions") throw new Error("ordinary maintenance must use a continuation page");
+        return [];
+      },
+      listPage: async (_root: string, directory: string, after: string | undefined, maximumEntries: number) => {
+        if (directory !== "sessions") throw new Error("only ordinary sessions use continuation pages");
+        pages.push({ after, maximumEntries });
+        const names = [...records.keys()]
+          .filter((entry) => entry.startsWith("sessions/"))
+          .map((entry) => entry.slice("sessions/".length))
+          .filter((name) => after === undefined || name > after)
+          .sort();
+        return {
+          entries: names.slice(0, maximumEntries).map((name) => ({ name, modifiedUnixMs: base.getTime() })),
+          more: names.length > maximumEntries,
+        };
+      },
+    };
+    const originalPlatform = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "platform");
+    if (!originalPlatform) throw new Error("platform descriptor unavailable");
+    Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { configurable: true, value: "win32" });
+    try {
+      const store = createFileAuthSessionStore("C:\\ProgramData\\ThothII\\auth", {
+        currentAuthConfigRevision: () => revision,
+        findLocalUser: async () => validLocalUser,
+      }, { windowsStorageBridge: bridge as never });
+      await create(store, { idleTtlMs: 30 * 60_000, absoluteTtlMs: 30 * 60_000 });
+      const liveContents = [...records.values()][0];
+      records.clear();
+      const expiredSeed = await create(store, { idleTtlMs: 60_000, absoluteTtlMs: 60_000 });
+      const expiredContents = [...records.values()][0];
+      records.clear();
+      if (!liveContents || !expiredContents) throw new Error("seed records missing");
+      for (let index = 0; index < 512; index += 1) {
+        records.set(key("sessions", sessionFilename(index)), Buffer.from(liveContents));
+      }
+      const expiredName = sessionFilename(512);
+      records.set(key("sessions", expiredName), Buffer.from(expiredContents));
+
+      await expect(store.prune(new Date(base.getTime() + 2 * 60_000))).resolves.toBe(0);
+      expect(records.has(key("sessions", expiredName))).toBe(true);
+      await expect(store.prune(new Date(base.getTime() + 2 * 60_000))).resolves.toBe(1);
+      expect(records.has(key("sessions", expiredName))).toBe(false);
+      expect(records.has(key("sessions", sessionFilename(0)))).toBe(true);
+      expect(pages).toEqual([
+        { after: undefined, maximumEntries: 512 },
+        { after: sessionFilename(511), maximumEntries: 512 },
+      ]);
+    } finally {
+      Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", originalPlatform);
+    }
+  });
+
   test("starts OIDC on Windows without listing more than 256 ordinary session records", async () => {
     const records = new Map<string, Buffer>();
     for (let index = 0; index < 300; index += 1) {
@@ -863,6 +1050,8 @@ describe("file-backed auth session store", () => {
           directory: "sessions" | "oidc";
           filename?: string;
           contentBase64?: string;
+          continuation?: boolean;
+          afterName?: string;
         };
         const entry = request.filename === undefined ? undefined : key(request.directory, request.filename);
         switch (request.operation) {
@@ -877,6 +1066,17 @@ describe("file-backed auth session store", () => {
           case "remove":
             return response({ removed: entry !== undefined && records.delete(entry) });
           case "list":
+            if (request.continuation === true) {
+              const names = [...records.keys()]
+                .filter((value) => value.startsWith(`${request.directory}/`))
+                .map((value) => value.slice(request.directory.length + 1))
+                .filter((name) => request.afterName === undefined || name > request.afterName)
+                .sort();
+              return response({
+                entries: names.slice(0, 512).map((name) => ({ name, modifiedUnixMs: base.getTime() })),
+                more: names.length > 512,
+              });
+            }
             return response({
               // Raw lower-camel entry objects, exactly as authstorage's Go response emits them.
               entries: [...records.keys()]
@@ -909,11 +1109,19 @@ describe("file-backed auth session store", () => {
   test("prunes empty Windows directories through the required Go entries array", async () => {
     const bridge = createWindowsAuthStorageBridge({
       thtExecutable: "C:\\tht.exe",
-      invoke: async () => ({
-        code: 0,
-        stdout: Buffer.from('{"version":1,"ok":true,"entries":[]}\n'),
-        stderr: Buffer.alloc(0),
-      }),
+      invoke: async ({ input }) => {
+        const request = JSON.parse(input.toString("utf8")) as { continuation?: boolean };
+        return {
+          code: 0,
+          stdout: Buffer.from(`${JSON.stringify({
+            version: 1,
+            ok: true,
+            entries: [],
+            ...(request.continuation === true ? { more: false } : {}),
+          })}\n`),
+          stderr: Buffer.alloc(0),
+        };
+      },
     });
     const originalPlatform = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(process, "platform");
     if (!originalPlatform) throw new Error("platform descriptor unavailable");
@@ -936,7 +1144,12 @@ describe("file-backed auth session store", () => {
     const bridge = createWindowsAuthStorageBridge({
       thtExecutable: "C:\\tht.exe",
       invoke: async ({ input }) => {
-        const request = JSON.parse(input.toString("utf8")) as { operation: string; directory: string; filename?: string };
+        const request = JSON.parse(input.toString("utf8")) as {
+          operation: string;
+          directory: string;
+          filename?: string;
+          continuation?: boolean;
+        };
         const response = (value: Record<string, unknown>) => ({
           code: 0,
           stdout: Buffer.from(`${JSON.stringify({ version: 1, ok: true, ...value })}\n`),
@@ -947,6 +1160,7 @@ describe("file-backed auth session store", () => {
             entries: request.directory === "oidc"
               ? [{ name: claim, modifiedUnixMs: base.getTime() }]
               : [],
+            ...(request.continuation === true ? { more: false } : {}),
           });
         }
         if (request.operation === "remove" && request.directory === "oidc" && request.filename === claim) {
diff --git a/backend/test/fixtures/oidc-state-creator.mts b/backend/test/fixtures/oidc-state-creator.mts
index 58acd0db..895cdfaf 100644
--- a/backend/test/fixtures/oidc-state-creator.mts
+++ b/backend/test/fixtures/oidc-state-creator.mts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ process.once("message", async (message) => {
           authConfigRevision: "a".repeat(64),
           issuer: "https://issuer.example.test",
           browserTransactionDigest: "b".repeat(64),
+          browserTransactionTransport: "https",
         }, now);
         created += 1;
       } catch (error) {
diff --git a/backend/test/windows-auth-storage.test.ts b/backend/test/windows-auth-storage.test.ts
index 434d7f78..20dfa3d6 100644
--- a/backend/test/windows-auth-storage.test.ts
+++ b/backend/test/windows-auth-storage.test.ts
@@ -215,6 +215,58 @@ describe("Windows auth-storage bridge", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  test("uses a strict, bounded continuation page for ordinary Windows session maintenance", async () => {
+    const invoke = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      code: 0,
+      stdout: Buffer.from(`{"version":1,"ok":true,"entries":[{"name":"${filename}","modifiedUnixMs":1}],"more":false}\n`),
+      stderr: Buffer.alloc(0),
+    }));
+    const bridge = createWindowsAuthStorageBridge({ thtExecutable: "C:\\tht.exe", invoke }) as unknown as {
+      listPage(root: string, directory: "sessions", after: string | undefined, maximumEntries: number): Promise<{
+        entries: Array<{ name: string; modifiedUnixMs: number }>;
+        more: boolean;
+      }>;
+    };
+
+    await expect(bridge.listPage(root, "sessions", "0".repeat(64) + ".json", 512)).resolves.toEqual({
+      entries: [{ name: filename, modifiedUnixMs: 1 }],
+      more: false,
+    });
+    expect(JSON.parse(invoke.mock.calls[0][0].input.toString("utf8"))).toMatchObject({
+      operation: "list",
+      directory: "sessions",
+      maximumEntries: 512,
+      continuation: true,
+      afterName: "0".repeat(64) + ".json",
+    });
+  });
+
+  test("rejects ambiguous ordinary-session continuation responses", async () => {
+    const after = "f".repeat(64) + ".json";
+    const low = "a".repeat(64) + ".json";
+    const high = "b".repeat(64) + ".json";
+    const cases = [
+      { label: "missing more marker", body: { entries: [{ name: filename, modifiedUnixMs: 1 }] } },
+      { label: "more without a full page", body: { entries: [{ name: filename, modifiedUnixMs: 1 }], more: true } },
+      { label: "non-progressing name", body: { entries: [{ name: low, modifiedUnixMs: 1 }], more: false } },
+      { label: "duplicate names", body: { entries: [{ name: high, modifiedUnixMs: 1 }, { name: high, modifiedUnixMs: 2 }], more: false } },
+    ];
+
+    for (const { body } of cases) {
+      const bridge = createWindowsAuthStorageBridge({
+        thtExecutable: "C:\\tht.exe",
+        invoke: async () => ({
+          code: 0,
+          stdout: Buffer.from(`${JSON.stringify({ version: 1, ok: true, ...body })}\n`),
+          stderr: Buffer.alloc(0),
+        }),
+      }) as unknown as {
+        listPage(root: string, directory: "sessions", afterName: string | undefined, maximumEntries: number): Promise<unknown>;
+      };
+      await expect(bridge.listPage(root, "sessions", after, 512)).rejects.toThrow("auth_session_store_invalid");
+    }
+  });
+
   test("accepts a bounded ordinary-session page larger than the legacy 256-entry limit", async () => {
     const entries = Array.from({ length: 300 }, (_unused, index) => ({
       name: `${index.toString(16).padStart(64, "0")}.json`,
diff --git a/tools/tht/internal/authstorage/storage.go b/tools/tht/internal/authstorage/storage.go
index d5a7034e..6b18fffa 100644
--- a/tools/tht/internal/authstorage/storage.go
+++ b/tools/tht/internal/authstorage/storage.go
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ type request struct {
 	Filename       string `json:"filename,omitempty"`
 	ContentBase64  string `json:"contentBase64,omitempty"`
 	MaximumEntries int    `json:"maximumEntries,omitempty"`
+	AfterName      string `json:"afterName,omitempty"`
+	Continuation   bool   `json:"continuation,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type response struct {
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ type response struct {
 	Claimed       bool                            `json:"claimed,omitempty"`
 	ContentBase64 string                          `json:"contentBase64,omitempty"`
 	Entries       *[]safeio.PrivateDirectoryEntry `json:"entries,omitempty"`
+	More          *bool                           `json:"more,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // Run accepts exactly one strict JSON request on stdin and emits exactly one JSON response on
@@ -143,6 +146,19 @@ func execute(input request) (response, error) {
 		if limit == 0 {
 			limit = defaultMaximumEntries
 		}
+		if input.Continuation {
+			page, err := safeio.ListCanonicalPrivateDirectoryPage(
+				directory,
+				limit,
+				input.AfterName,
+				digestFilename.MatchString,
+			)
+			if err != nil {
+				return response{}, errInvalid
+			}
+			more := page.More
+			return response{Version: protocolVersion, OK: true, Entries: &page.Entries, More: &more}, nil
+		}
 		entries, err := safeio.ListCanonicalPrivateDirectory(directory, limit)
 		if err != nil {
 			return response{}, errInvalid
@@ -182,17 +198,20 @@ func execute(input request) (response, error) {
 func validOperationShape(input request) bool {
 	noContents := input.ContentBase64 == ""
 	noMaximumEntries := input.MaximumEntries == 0
+	noAfterName := input.AfterName == ""
+	noContinuation := !input.Continuation
 	switch input.Operation {
 	case "create", "replace":
-		return noMaximumEntries && (digestFilename.MatchString(input.Filename) || (input.Operation == "create" && input.Directory == "oidc" && oidcSlotFilename.MatchString(input.Filename)))
+		return noMaximumEntries && noAfterName && noContinuation && (digestFilename.MatchString(input.Filename) || (input.Operation == "create" && input.Directory == "oidc" && oidcSlotFilename.MatchString(input.Filename)))
 	case "read":
-		return noContents && noMaximumEntries && (digestFilename.MatchString(input.Filename) || (input.Directory == "oidc" && oidcSlotFilename.MatchString(input.Filename)))
+		return noContents && noMaximumEntries && noAfterName && noContinuation && (digestFilename.MatchString(input.Filename) || (input.Directory == "oidc" && oidcSlotFilename.MatchString(input.Filename)))
 	case "remove":
-		return noContents && noMaximumEntries && (digestFilename.MatchString(input.Filename) || (input.Directory == "oidc" && (claimFilename.MatchString(input.Filename) || oidcSlotFilename.MatchString(input.Filename))))
+		return noContents && noMaximumEntries && noAfterName && noContinuation && (digestFilename.MatchString(input.Filename) || (input.Directory == "oidc" && (claimFilename.MatchString(input.Filename) || oidcSlotFilename.MatchString(input.Filename))))
 	case "list":
-		return input.Filename == "" && noContents && input.MaximumEntries >= 0 && input.MaximumEntries <= maximumEntries
+		return input.Filename == "" && noContents && input.MaximumEntries >= 0 && input.MaximumEntries <= maximumEntries &&
+			((noContinuation && noAfterName) || (input.Continuation && input.Directory == "sessions" && input.MaximumEntries >= 1 && (noAfterName || digestFilename.MatchString(input.AfterName))))
 	case "claim-consume", "read-claim", "remove-claim":
-		return input.Directory == "oidc" && noContents && noMaximumEntries && digestFilename.MatchString(input.Filename)
+		return input.Directory == "oidc" && noContents && noMaximumEntries && noAfterName && noContinuation && digestFilename.MatchString(input.Filename)
 	default:
 		return false
 	}
diff --git a/tools/tht/internal/authstorage/storage_test.go b/tools/tht/internal/authstorage/storage_test.go
index bbb1cae1..dcf8f1cf 100644
--- a/tools/tht/internal/authstorage/storage_test.go
+++ b/tools/tht/internal/authstorage/storage_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,34 @@ func TestProtocolListUsesACallerSuppliedBound(t *testing.T) {
 	runRejected(t, request{Version: 1, Operation: "read", Root: root, Directory: "sessions", Filename: filename, MaximumEntries: 1})
 }
 
+func TestProtocolListPaginatesOrdinarySessionRecords(t *testing.T) {
+	root := filepath.Join(privateTestRoot(t), "auth")
+	for index := 0; index < 513; index++ {
+		filename := fmt.Sprintf("%064x.json", index)
+		runRequest(t, request{Version: 1, Operation: "create", Root: root, Directory: "sessions", Filename: filename, ContentBase64: base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte("record"))})
+	}
+
+	first := runRequest(t, request{Version: 1, Operation: "list", Root: root, Directory: "sessions", MaximumEntries: 512, Continuation: true})
+	if first.Entries == nil || len(*first.Entries) != 512 || first.More == nil || !*first.More {
+		t.Fatalf("first continuation page = %#v", first)
+	}
+	second := runRequest(t, request{
+		Version:        1,
+		Operation:      "list",
+		Root:           root,
+		Directory:      "sessions",
+		MaximumEntries: 512,
+		Continuation:   true,
+		AfterName:      (*first.Entries)[511].Name,
+	})
+	if second.Entries == nil || len(*second.Entries) != 1 || second.More == nil || *second.More || (*second.Entries)[0].Name != fmt.Sprintf("%064x.json", 512) {
+		t.Fatalf("second continuation page = %#v", second)
+	}
+
+	runRejected(t, request{Version: 1, Operation: "list", Root: root, Directory: "oidc", MaximumEntries: 1, Continuation: true, AfterName: fmt.Sprintf("%064x.json", 0)})
+	runRejected(t, request{Version: 1, Operation: "list", Root: root, Directory: "sessions", MaximumEntries: 1, Continuation: true, AfterName: "../unsafe.json"})
+}
+
 func TestProtocolCreatesReadsReplacesListsAndRemovesPrivateRecord(t *testing.T) {
 	root := filepath.Join(privateTestRoot(t), "auth")
 	filename := "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.json"
@@ -215,6 +243,7 @@ func TestProtocolRejectsBoundsReparseAndUnexpectedStorageNames(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	runRejected(t, request{Version: 1, Operation: "list", Root: root, Directory: "sessions"})
+	runRejected(t, request{Version: 1, Operation: "list", Root: root, Directory: "sessions", MaximumEntries: 1, Continuation: true})
 
 	outer := privateTestRoot(t)
 	linkedRoot := filepath.Join(outer, "linked-auth")
diff --git a/tools/tht/internal/safeio/files.go b/tools/tht/internal/safeio/files.go
index e61a3357..01ce24ce 100644
--- a/tools/tht/internal/safeio/files.go
+++ b/tools/tht/internal/safeio/files.go
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ import (
 
 var ErrUnsafeFile = errors.New("unsafe file")
 
+// Pagination must never allocate or iterate indefinitely over a hostile private directory. This
+// is deliberately independent from an auth record page: it permits many bounded pages while
+// putting a fixed upper bound on one sorted keyset scan.
+const maximumPrivateDirectoryPageScanEntries = 16384
+
 // EnsurePrivateDirectory creates only the final canonical directory with the platform's
 // owner-only protection, or validates an existing directory has that protection.
 func EnsurePrivateDirectory(path string) error {
@@ -86,6 +91,28 @@ type PrivateDirectoryEntry struct {
 	ModifiedUnixMs int64  `json:"modifiedUnixMs"`
 }
 
+// PrivateDirectoryPage is one lexically ordered, keyset-paginated directory page. More is true
+// only when the page is full and another validated entry follows AfterName.
+type PrivateDirectoryPage struct {
+	Entries []PrivateDirectoryEntry
+	More    bool
+}
+
+func privateDirectoryScanSnapshot(path string) (os.FileInfo, error) {
+	if err := ValidatePrivateDirectory(path); err != nil {
+		return nil, ErrUnsafeFile
+	}
+	info, err := os.Lstat(path)
+	if err != nil || !info.IsDir() || info.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
+		return nil, ErrUnsafeFile
+	}
+	return info, nil
+}
+
+func samePrivateDirectoryScanSnapshot(left, right os.FileInfo) bool {
+	return left != nil && right != nil && os.SameFile(left, right) && left.Mode() == right.Mode() && left.ModTime().Equal(right.ModTime())
+}
+
 // ListCanonicalPrivateDirectory lists regular, non-symlinked direct children from an owner-only
 // directory. It returns no content and bounds the number of entries before allocating output.
 func ListCanonicalPrivateDirectory(path string, maximumEntries int) ([]PrivateDirectoryEntry, error) {
@@ -125,6 +152,103 @@ func ListCanonicalPrivateDirectory(path string, maximumEntries int) ([]PrivateDi
 	return result, nil
 }
 
+// ListCanonicalPrivateDirectoryPage scans a private directory without materializing a complete
+// output listing, validates every encountered child, and keeps only the next bounded lexical page.
+// The caller supplies the filename grammar because safeio is intentionally storage-format agnostic.
+func ListCanonicalPrivateDirectoryPage(
+	path string,
+	maximumEntries int,
+	afterName string,
+	validName func(string) bool,
+) (PrivateDirectoryPage, error) {
+	if maximumEntries < 1 || maximumEntries > 4096 || validName == nil || (afterName != "" && !validName(afterName)) {
+		return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, ErrUnsafeFile
+	}
+	before, err := privateDirectoryScanSnapshot(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, err
+	}
+	directory, err := os.Open(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, ErrUnsafeFile
+	}
+	defer directory.Close()
+
+	seen := make(map[string]struct{}, maximumEntries+1)
+	selected := make([]PrivateDirectoryEntry, 0, maximumEntries+1)
+	scanned := 0
+	for {
+		entries, readErr := directory.ReadDir(1)
+		if readErr != nil && !errors.Is(readErr, io.EOF) {
+			return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, ErrUnsafeFile
+		}
+		if len(entries) == 0 {
+			break
+		}
+		if len(entries) != 1 {
+			return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, ErrUnsafeFile
+		}
+		scanned++
+		if scanned > maximumPrivateDirectoryPageScanEntries {
+			return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, ErrUnsafeFile
+		}
+		name := entries[0].Name()
+		if name == "" || strings.Contains(name, string(filepath.Separator)) || !validName(name) {
+			return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, ErrUnsafeFile
+		}
+		if _, duplicate := seen[name]; duplicate {
+			return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, ErrUnsafeFile
+		}
+		seen[name] = struct{}{}
+		entryPath := filepath.Join(path, name)
+		if err := ValidatePrivateRegular(entryPath); err != nil {
+			return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, ErrUnsafeFile
+		}
+		info, err := os.Lstat(entryPath)
+		if err != nil || !info.Mode().IsRegular() || info.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 || !hasSingleLink(info) {
+			return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, ErrUnsafeFile
+		}
+		if name > afterName {
+			selected = appendBoundedPrivateDirectoryEntry(selected, PrivateDirectoryEntry{
+				Name: name, ModifiedUnixMs: info.ModTime().UnixMilli(),
+			}, maximumEntries+1)
+		}
+		if errors.Is(readErr, io.EOF) {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	after, err := privateDirectoryScanSnapshot(path)
+	if err != nil || !samePrivateDirectoryScanSnapshot(before, after) {
+		return PrivateDirectoryPage{}, ErrUnsafeFile
+	}
+	sort.Slice(selected, func(left, right int) bool { return selected[left].Name < selected[right].Name })
+	more := len(selected) > maximumEntries
+	if more {
+		selected = selected[:maximumEntries]
+	}
+	return PrivateDirectoryPage{Entries: selected, More: more}, nil
+}
+
+func appendBoundedPrivateDirectoryEntry(
+	entries []PrivateDirectoryEntry,
+	entry PrivateDirectoryEntry,
+	maximumEntries int,
+) []PrivateDirectoryEntry {
+	if len(entries) < maximumEntries {
+		return append(entries, entry)
+	}
+	maximum := 0
+	for index := 1; index < len(entries); index++ {
+		if entries[index].Name > entries[maximum].Name {
+			maximum = index
+		}
+	}
+	if entry.Name < entries[maximum].Name {
+		entries[maximum] = entry
+	}
+	return entries
+}
+
 func WriteCanonicalNewFile(path string, contents []byte, mode os.FileMode) error {
 	return writeCanonicalNewFile(path, contents, mode, false)
 }
diff --git a/tools/tht/internal/safeio/files_test.go b/tools/tht/internal/safeio/files_test.go
index 6f32a7f3..c58607bf 100644
--- a/tools/tht/internal/safeio/files_test.go
+++ b/tools/tht/internal/safeio/files_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/aritmolab/thothii/tools/tht/internal/testsupport"
 )
@@ -125,3 +127,69 @@ func TestListCanonicalPrivateDirectoryBoundsAndSortsValidatedEntries(t *testing.
 		t.Fatalf("257-entry listing error = %v, want ErrUnsafeFile", err)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestListCanonicalPrivateDirectoryPageContinuesPastOneBoundedPage(t *testing.T) {
+	temporaryRoot, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(os.TempDir())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	root, err := os.MkdirTemp(temporaryRoot, "tht-safeio-page-")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = os.RemoveAll(root) })
+	if err := ProtectPrivateDirectory(root); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	validName := func(name string) bool {
+		return len(name) == len(fmt.Sprintf("%064x.json", 0)) && strings.HasSuffix(name, ".json")
+	}
+	for index := 0; index < 513; index++ {
+		path := filepath.Join(root, fmt.Sprintf("%064x.json", index))
+		if err := WriteCanonicalNewFile(path, []byte("record"), 0o600); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("WriteCanonicalNewFile(%d) error = %v", index, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	first, err := ListCanonicalPrivateDirectoryPage(root, 512, "", validName)
+	if err != nil || len(first.Entries) != 512 || !first.More || first.Entries[0].Name != fmt.Sprintf("%064x.json", 0) || first.Entries[511].Name != fmt.Sprintf("%064x.json", 511) {
+		t.Fatalf("first page = %#v error = %v", first, err)
+	}
+	second, err := ListCanonicalPrivateDirectoryPage(root, 512, first.Entries[511].Name, validName)
+	if err != nil || len(second.Entries) != 1 || second.More || second.Entries[0].Name != fmt.Sprintf("%064x.json", 512) {
+		t.Fatalf("second page = %#v error = %v", second, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestListCanonicalPrivateDirectoryPageRejectsInPlaceDirectoryMutation(t *testing.T) {
+	temporaryRoot, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(os.TempDir())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	root, err := os.MkdirTemp(temporaryRoot, "tht-safeio-page-")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = os.RemoveAll(root) })
+	if err := ProtectPrivateDirectory(root); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	filename := fmt.Sprintf("%064x.json", 0)
+	if err := WriteCanonicalNewFile(filepath.Join(root, filename), []byte("record"), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	changed := false
+	_, err = ListCanonicalPrivateDirectoryPage(root, 1, "", func(name string) bool {
+		if !changed {
+			changed = true
+			at := time.Unix(1_893_456_245, 0)
+			if changeErr := os.Chtimes(root, at, at); changeErr != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Chtimes() error = %v", changeErr)
+			}
+		}
+		return name == filename
+	})
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrUnsafeFile) {
+		t.Fatalf("unstable page error = %v, want ErrUnsafeFile", err)
+	}
+}