diff --git a/src/browser/components/ChatInput/CreationControls.tsx b/src/browser/components/ChatInput/CreationControls.tsx
index e53b7bcd30..0fa829aa1e 100644
--- a/src/browser/components/ChatInput/CreationControls.tsx
+++ b/src/browser/components/ChatInput/CreationControls.tsx
@@ -164,11 +164,10 @@ function RuntimeButtonGroup(props: RuntimeButtonGroupProps) {
   const state = props.runtimeAvailabilityState;
   const availabilityMap = state?.status === "loaded" ? state.data : null;
 
-  // Hide only during loading (prevents flash), show on failed (allows fallback selection)
+  // Hide devcontainer only when confirmed missing (not during loading - would cause layout flash)
   const hideDevcontainer =
-    state?.status === "loading" ||
-    (availabilityMap?.devcontainer?.available === false &&
-      availabilityMap.devcontainer.reason === "No devcontainer.json found");
+    availabilityMap?.devcontainer?.available === false &&
+    availabilityMap.devcontainer.reason === "No devcontainer.json found";
 
   const runtimeOptions = hideDevcontainer
     ? RUNTIME_OPTIONS.filter((option) => option.value !== RUNTIME_MODE.DEVCONTAINER)
@@ -254,6 +253,8 @@ export function CreationControls(props: CreationControlsProps) {
   const availabilityMap =
     runtimeAvailabilityState.status === "loaded" ? runtimeAvailabilityState.data : null;
   const showTrunkBranchSelector = props.branches.length > 0 && runtimeMode !== RUNTIME_MODE.LOCAL;
+  // Show loading skeleton while branches are loading to avoid layout flash
+  const showBranchLoadingPlaceholder = !props.branchesLoaded && runtimeMode !== RUNTIME_MODE.LOCAL;
 
   // Centralized devcontainer selection logic
   const devcontainerSelection = resolveDevcontainerSelection({
@@ -493,25 +494,35 @@ export function CreationControls(props: CreationControlsProps) {
               />
             </div>
           )}
-
-          {/* SSH Host Input - hidden when Coder is enabled */}
-          {selectedRuntime.mode === "ssh" && !props.coderProps?.enabled && (
+          {/* Loading placeholder - reserves space while branches load to avoid layout flash */}
+          {showBranchLoadingPlaceholder && (
             <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
-              <label className="text-muted-foreground text-xs">host</label>
-              <input
-                type="text"
-                value={selectedRuntime.host}
-                onChange={(e) => onSelectedRuntimeChange({ mode: "ssh", host: e.target.value })}
-                placeholder="user@host"
-                disabled={props.disabled}
-                className={cn(
-                  "bg-bg-dark text-foreground border-border-medium focus:border-accent h-7 w-36 rounded-md border px-2 text-sm focus:outline-none disabled:opacity-50",
-                  props.runtimeFieldError === "ssh" && "border-red-500"
-                )}
-              />
+              <span className="text-muted-foreground text-xs">from</span>
+              <div className="bg-bg-dark/50 h-7 w-24 animate-pulse rounded-md" />
             </div>
           )}
 
+          {/* SSH Host Input - hidden when Coder is enabled or will be enabled after checking */}
+          {selectedRuntime.mode === "ssh" &&
+            !props.coderProps?.enabled &&
+            // Also hide when Coder is still checking but has saved config (will enable after check)
+            !(props.coderProps?.coderInfo === null && props.coderProps?.coderConfig) && (
+              <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+                <label className="text-muted-foreground text-xs">host</label>
+                <input
+                  type="text"
+                  value={selectedRuntime.host}
+                  onChange={(e) => onSelectedRuntimeChange({ mode: "ssh", host: e.target.value })}
+                  placeholder="user@host"
+                  disabled={props.disabled}
+                  className={cn(
+                    "bg-bg-dark text-foreground border-border-medium focus:border-accent h-7 w-36 rounded-md border px-2 text-sm focus:outline-none disabled:opacity-50",
+                    props.runtimeFieldError === "ssh" && "border-red-500"
+                  )}
+                />
+              </div>
+            )}
+
           {/* Runtime-specific config inputs */}
 
           {selectedRuntime.mode === "docker" && (
diff --git a/src/browser/components/ProjectMCPOverview.tsx b/src/browser/components/ProjectMCPOverview.tsx
index 0efa1c1f63..6cfe5e6edf 100644
--- a/src/browser/components/ProjectMCPOverview.tsx
+++ b/src/browser/components/ProjectMCPOverview.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import type { MCPServerInfo } from "@/common/types/mcp";
 import { useAPI } from "@/browser/contexts/API";
 import { useSettings } from "@/browser/contexts/SettingsContext";
 import { Button } from "@/browser/components/ui/button";
+import { getMCPServersKey } from "@/common/constants/storage";
+import { readPersistedState, updatePersistedState } from "@/browser/hooks/usePersistedState";
 
 interface ProjectMCPOverviewProps {
   projectPath: string;
@@ -16,7 +18,10 @@ export const ProjectMCPOverview: React.FC<ProjectMCPOverviewProps> = (props) =>
 
   const [loading, setLoading] = React.useState(false);
   const [error, setError] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
-  const [servers, setServers] = React.useState<Record<string, MCPServerInfo>>({});
+  // Initialize from localStorage cache to avoid flash
+  const [servers, setServers] = React.useState<Record<string, MCPServerInfo>>(() =>
+    readPersistedState<Record<string, MCPServerInfo>>(getMCPServersKey(projectPath), {})
+  );
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
     if (!api || settings.isOpen) return;
@@ -27,7 +32,10 @@ export const ProjectMCPOverview: React.FC<ProjectMCPOverviewProps> = (props) =>
       .list({ projectPath })
       .then((result) => {
         if (cancelled) return;
-        setServers(result ?? {});
+        const newServers = result ?? {};
+        setServers(newServers);
+        // Cache for next load
+        updatePersistedState(getMCPServersKey(projectPath), newServers);
         setError(null);
       })
       .catch((err) => {
diff --git a/src/browser/components/ProjectPage.tsx b/src/browser/components/ProjectPage.tsx
index 37ce343e72..400313cb01 100644
--- a/src/browser/components/ProjectPage.tsx
+++ b/src/browser/components/ProjectPage.tsx
@@ -17,10 +17,15 @@ import { ConfigureProvidersPrompt } from "./ConfigureProvidersPrompt";
 import { useProvidersConfig } from "@/browser/hooks/useProvidersConfig";
 import type { ProvidersConfigMap } from "@/common/orpc/types";
 import { AgentsInitBanner } from "./AgentsInitBanner";
-import { usePersistedState, updatePersistedState } from "@/browser/hooks/usePersistedState";
+import {
+  usePersistedState,
+  updatePersistedState,
+  readPersistedState,
+} from "@/browser/hooks/usePersistedState";
 import {
   getAgentIdKey,
   getAgentsInitNudgeKey,
+  getArchivedWorkspacesKey,
   getInputKey,
   getPendingScopeId,
   getProjectScopeId,
@@ -72,7 +77,10 @@ export const ProjectPage: React.FC<ProjectPageProps> = ({
   const { api } = useAPI();
   const chatInputRef = useRef<ChatInputAPI | null>(null);
   const pendingAgentsInitSendRef = useRef(false);
-  const [archivedWorkspaces, setArchivedWorkspaces] = useState<FrontendWorkspaceMetadata[]>([]);
+  // Initialize from localStorage cache to avoid flash when archived workspaces appear
+  const [archivedWorkspaces, setArchivedWorkspaces] = useState<FrontendWorkspaceMetadata[]>(() =>
+    readPersistedState<FrontendWorkspaceMetadata[]>(getArchivedWorkspacesKey(projectPath), [])
+  );
   const [showAgentsInitNudge, setShowAgentsInitNudge] = usePersistedState<boolean>(
     getAgentsInitNudgeKey(projectPath),
     false,
@@ -128,8 +136,13 @@ export const ProjectPage: React.FC<ProjectPageProps> = ({
 
   const syncArchivedState = useCallback(() => {
     const next = Array.from(archivedMapRef.current.values());
-    setArchivedWorkspaces((prev) => (archivedListsEqual(prev, next) ? prev : next));
-  }, []);
+    setArchivedWorkspaces((prev) => {
+      if (archivedListsEqual(prev, next)) return prev;
+      // Persist to localStorage for optimistic cache on next load
+      updatePersistedState(getArchivedWorkspacesKey(projectPath), next);
+      return next;
+    });
+  }, [projectPath]);
 
   // Fetch archived workspaces for this project on mount
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -289,8 +302,16 @@ export const ProjectPage: React.FC<ProjectPageProps> = ({
                         />
                       )}
                       {/* Configured providers bar - compact icon carousel */}
-                      {providersConfig && hasProviders && (
-                        <ConfiguredProvidersBar providersConfig={providersConfig} />
+                      {providersLoading ? (
+                        // Skeleton placeholder matching ConfiguredProvidersBar height
+                        <div className="flex items-center justify-center gap-2 py-1.5">
+                          <div className="bg-bg-dark/50 h-7 w-32 animate-pulse rounded" />
+                        </div>
+                      ) : (
+                        hasProviders &&
+                        providersConfig && (
+                          <ConfiguredProvidersBar providersConfig={providersConfig} />
+                        )
                       )}
                       {/* ChatInput for workspace creation - includes section selector */}
                       <ChatInput
diff --git a/src/browser/hooks/useDraftWorkspaceSettings.ts b/src/browser/hooks/useDraftWorkspaceSettings.ts
index 81f3855239..a0af9549e0 100644
--- a/src/browser/hooks/useDraftWorkspaceSettings.ts
+++ b/src/browser/hooks/useDraftWorkspaceSettings.ts
@@ -300,10 +300,11 @@ export function useDraftWorkspaceSettings(
 
   // When the user switches into SSH/Docker/Devcontainer mode, seed the field with the remembered config.
   // This avoids clearing the last values when the UI switches modes with an empty field.
+  // Skip on initial mount (prevMode === null) since useState initializer handles that case.
   const prevSelectedRuntimeModeRef = useRef<RuntimeMode | null>(null);
   useEffect(() => {
     const prevMode = prevSelectedRuntimeModeRef.current;
-    if (prevMode !== selectedRuntime.mode) {
+    if (prevMode !== null && prevMode !== selectedRuntime.mode) {
       if (selectedRuntime.mode === RUNTIME_MODE.SSH) {
         const needsHostRestore = !selectedRuntime.host.trim() && lastSshHost.trim();
         const needsCoderRestore =
diff --git a/src/common/constants/storage.ts b/src/common/constants/storage.ts
index d1753675ed..b4e2a3f123 100644
--- a/src/common/constants/storage.ts
+++ b/src/common/constants/storage.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,24 @@ export function getMCPTestResultsKey(projectPath: string): string {
   return `mcpTestResults:${projectPath}`;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get the localStorage key for cached archived workspaces per project
+ * Format: "archivedWorkspaces:{projectPath}"
+ * Stores: Array of workspace metadata objects (optimistic cache)
+ */
+export function getArchivedWorkspacesKey(projectPath: string): string {
+  return `archivedWorkspaces:${projectPath}`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the localStorage key for cached MCP servers per project
+ * Format: "mcpServers:{projectPath}"
+ * Stores: Record<serverName, MCPServerInfo> (optimistic cache)
+ */
+export function getMCPServersKey(projectPath: string): string {
+  return `mcpServers:${projectPath}`;
+}
+
 /**
  * Get the localStorage key for thinking level preference per scope (workspace/project).
  * Format: "thinkingLevel:{scopeId}"