diff --git a/src/renderer/hooks/useOnlineStatus.test.ts b/src/renderer/hooks/useOnlineStatus.test.ts
index db8f819d6..16189caa4 100644
--- a/src/renderer/hooks/useOnlineStatus.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/hooks/useOnlineStatus.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ describe('renderer/hooks/useOnlineStatus.ts', () => {
     act(() => {
       onlineManager.setOnline(true);
     });
+    Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'onLine', { value: true, configurable: true });
   });
 
   it('reflects the online manager status', () => {
@@ -32,6 +33,16 @@ describe('renderer/hooks/useOnlineStatus.ts', () => {
     expect(result.current).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  it('reports offline on the very first render, before any effect runs', () => {
+    // `queryClient.ts` syncs onlineManager from the browser at import time,
+    // so a cold start while offline must not paint one frame as online.
+    onlineManager.setOnline(false);
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useOnlineStatus());
+
+    expect(result.current).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it('re-probes online state when the system wakes', () => {
     act(() => {
       onlineManager.setOnline(false);
diff --git a/src/renderer/hooks/useOnlineStatus.ts b/src/renderer/hooks/useOnlineStatus.ts
index d99717ded..2110ee37c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/hooks/useOnlineStatus.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/hooks/useOnlineStatus.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { onlineManager } from '@tanstack/react-query';
  * pause/resume behaviour.
  */
 export function useOnlineStatus(): boolean {
-  const [isOnline, setIsOnline] = useState(true);
+  const [isOnline, setIsOnline] = useState(() => onlineManager.isOnline());
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const handle = () => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/utils/api/queryClient.test.ts b/src/renderer/utils/api/queryClient.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c050c273e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/utils/api/queryClient.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import { onlineManager } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+
+import { syncOnlineManagerWithBrowser } from './queryClient';
+
+describe('renderer/utils/api/queryClient.ts', () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    onlineManager.setOnline(true);
+    Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'onLine', { value: true, configurable: true });
+  });
+
+  describe('syncOnlineManagerWithBrowser', () => {
+    it('corrects onlineManager to offline when the device is offline', () => {
+      onlineManager.setOnline(true);
+      Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'onLine', { value: false, configurable: true });
+
+      syncOnlineManagerWithBrowser();
+
+      expect(onlineManager.isOnline()).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('corrects onlineManager to online when the device is online', () => {
+      onlineManager.setOnline(false);
+      Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'onLine', { value: true, configurable: true });
+
+      syncOnlineManagerWithBrowser();
+
+      expect(onlineManager.isOnline()).toBe(true);
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/renderer/utils/api/queryClient.ts b/src/renderer/utils/api/queryClient.ts
index 0dd974e9b..b1162d05f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/utils/api/queryClient.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/utils/api/queryClient.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,23 @@
-import { QueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { onlineManager, QueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 
 import { Constants } from '../../constants';
 
+/**
+ * Set TanStack Query's online state from the browser's actual network state.
+ *
+ * `onlineManager` initializes to `online: true` regardless of reality, and
+ * self-corrects only once the browser fires a native online/offline event.
+ * Browsers emit those on transitions only, so a device already offline when
+ * Gitify launches never gets one.
+ */
+export function syncOnlineManagerWithBrowser(): void {
+  onlineManager.setOnline(navigator.onLine);
+}
+
+// Runs at import, before the client below exists and therefore before any
+// query can fire, so a cold start while offline pauses rather than fetches.
+syncOnlineManagerWithBrowser();
+
 /**
  * TanStack Query client for all API state.
  *