diff --git a/src/app/api/auth/verify-email/status/route.ts b/src/app/api/auth/verify-email/status/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4980cf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/api/auth/verify-email/status/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
+import { auth } from "@/auth";
+import { prisma } from "@/lib/db";
+
+export async function GET() {
+  const session = await auth();
+  if (!session?.user?.id) {
+    return NextResponse.json({ error: "Unauthorized" }, { status: 401 });
+  }
+
+  const user = await prisma.user.findUnique({
+    where: { id: session.user.id },
+    select: { emailVerified: true },
+  });
+
+  if (!user) {
+    return NextResponse.json({ error: "User not found" }, { status: 404 });
+  }
+
+  return NextResponse.json({ verified: !!user.emailVerified });
+}
diff --git a/src/components/layout/email-verification-banner.tsx b/src/components/layout/email-verification-banner.tsx
index fddba07..8dc68af 100644
--- a/src/components/layout/email-verification-banner.tsx
+++ b/src/components/layout/email-verification-banner.tsx
@@ -1,17 +1,62 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { useSession } from "next-auth/react";
 import { Mail, X, Loader2 } from "lucide-react";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 
+type Status = "loading" | "verified" | "unverified";
+
 export function EmailVerificationBanner() {
-  const { data: session } = useSession();
+  const { data: session, status: sessionStatus, update } = useSession();
   const [dismissed, setDismissed] = useState(false);
   const [sending, setSending] = useState(false);
   const [sent, setSent] = useState(false);
+  const [status, setStatus] = useState<Status>("loading");
 
-  if (!session?.user || session.user.isEmailVerified || dismissed) {
+  // Authoritative check against the DB. The JWT cookie can be stale (e.g.
+  // user verified their email in another tab, or was auto-verified by the
+  // invite flow on an existing session), so we confirm with the server
+  // before ever showing the banner. If the DB disagrees with the session,
+  // we also trigger a session update so the banner hides immediately on
+  // subsequent renders without requiring a full sign-out.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (sessionStatus !== "authenticated") return;
+
+    let cancelled = false;
+    (async () => {
+      try {
+        const res = await fetch("/api/auth/verify-email/status", {
+          cache: "no-store",
+        });
+        if (!res.ok) {
+          if (!cancelled) setStatus("unverified");
+          return;
+        }
+        const data = (await res.json()) as { verified: boolean };
+        if (cancelled) return;
+        setStatus(data.verified ? "verified" : "unverified");
+        if (data.verified && session?.user && !session.user.isEmailVerified) {
+          void update();
+        }
+      } catch {
+        if (!cancelled) setStatus("unverified");
+      }
+    })();
+
+    return () => {
+      cancelled = true;
+    };
+  }, [sessionStatus, session?.user, update]);
+
+  if (
+    sessionStatus !== "authenticated" ||
+    !session?.user ||
+    session.user.isEmailVerified ||
+    status === "loading" ||
+    status === "verified" ||
+    dismissed
+  ) {
     return null;
   }