diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/svelte5Utils.svelte.ts b/frontend/src/lib/svelte5Utils.svelte.ts
index aad16431cb..d688ec1502 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/svelte5Utils.svelte.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/svelte5Utils.svelte.ts
@@ -600,11 +600,21 @@ export function useLocalStorageValue<T>(
 		 * across long editing sessions.
 		 */
 		transformBeforePersist?: (val: T) => T
+		/**
+		 * Register a `$effect` that walks the stored value on every access and
+		 * persists when any nested field mutated. Required for callers that
+		 * mutate the value in place (`s.foo = bar`) rather than reassigning
+		 * via the setter. Setter-only callers (e.g. a flat string slot) should
+		 * leave this `false` — the `$effect` requires a Svelte effect scope,
+		 * so enabling it forces the hook to be called from inside a component.
+		 */
+		reactToNestedUpdates?: boolean
 	}
 ): { val: T; skipNextWriteOnce(): void; setWithoutPersist(newVal: T): void } {
 	const saveInitialValue = options?.saveInitialValue ?? true
 	const debounceMs = options?.debounce ?? 0
 	const transformBeforePersist = options?.transformBeforePersist
+	const reactToNestedUpdates = options?.reactToNestedUpdates ?? false
 	const serialize = (val: T) =>
 		typ === 'string' || typ === 'number' || typ === 'boolean' ? String(val) : JSON.stringify(val)
 	const deserialize = (val: string): T => {
@@ -672,17 +682,19 @@ export function useLocalStorageValue<T>(
 		pendingValue = undefined
 	}
 
-	$effect(() => {
-		readFieldsRecursively(s)
-		const next = s === undefined ? undefined : serialize(s)
-		if (next === lastSerialized) return
-		lastSerialized = next
-		if (skipNextWrite) {
-			skipNextWrite = false
-			return
-		}
-		schedulePersist(s)
-	})
+	if (reactToNestedUpdates) {
+		$effect(() => {
+			readFieldsRecursively(s)
+			const next = s === undefined ? undefined : serialize(s)
+			if (next === lastSerialized) return
+			lastSerialized = next
+			if (skipNextWrite) {
+				skipNextWrite = false
+				return
+			}
+			schedulePersist(s)
+		})
+	}
 
 	return {
 		get val() {
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/userDraft.svelte.ts b/frontend/src/lib/userDraft.svelte.ts
index 61134e2453..1e86707149 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/userDraft.svelte.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/userDraft.svelte.ts
@@ -765,7 +765,10 @@ function acquireEntry(
 		debounce: 500,
 		// Stamp `lastWrittenAt` at persist time so deep mutations also bump
 		// the GC clock (the setter doesn't re-run for those).
-		transformBeforePersist: stamp<unknown>
+		transformBeforePersist: stamp<unknown>,
+		// Form state writes the draft via deep mutations as well as setter
+		// assignments — both paths must persist.
+		reactToNestedUpdates: true
 	} as const
 	let stateRef: DraftState<unknown> | undefined
 	const destroyRoot = $effect.root(() => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/userDraftDbSyncer.svelte.ts b/frontend/src/lib/userDraftDbSyncer.svelte.ts
index 84c49fefc9..16fac47345 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/userDraftDbSyncer.svelte.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/userDraftDbSyncer.svelte.ts
@@ -67,57 +67,22 @@ type QueuedEntry = {
 	onDraftsRejected?: RejectedDraftsCallback
 }
 
-// `useLocalStorageValue` needs to run inside a Svelte effect scope to set up
-// its persist `$effect`. The module-level handle is lazily initialized on
-// first use so it gets a real scope (the calling component's) instead of
-// firing at import time where there's no scope.
-type LastSyncCell = {
-	val: string | undefined
-	skipNextWriteOnce(): void
-	setWithoutPersist(newVal: string | undefined): void
-}
-let lastSyncCell: LastSyncCell | undefined
-
-function readPersistedLastSync(): string | undefined {
-	if (typeof localStorage === 'undefined') return undefined
-	try {
-		const raw = localStorage.getItem(LAST_SYNC_KEY)
-		return raw ?? undefined
-	} catch {
-		return undefined
-	}
-}
-
-function writeLastSyncDirect(value: string | undefined): void {
-	if (typeof localStorage === 'undefined') return
-	try {
-		if (value === undefined) {
-			localStorage.removeItem(LAST_SYNC_KEY)
-		} else {
-			localStorage.setItem(LAST_SYNC_KEY, value)
-		}
-	} catch (e) {
-		console.error('UserDraftDbSyncer: failed to persist lastSync', e)
-	}
-}
+// Setter-only callers can use `useLocalStorageValue` at module scope by
+// disabling the nested-mutation `$effect`. The lastSync slot is a flat
+// string updated exclusively via `cell.val = ...`, so the effect is
+// unnecessary.
+const lastSyncCell = useLocalStorageValue<string | undefined>(LAST_SYNC_KEY, undefined, 'string', {
+	saveInitialValue: false
+})
 
 function getLastSync(): string | undefined {
-	if (lastSyncCell) return lastSyncCell.val
-	return readPersistedLastSync()
-}
-
-function setLastSync(value: string | undefined): void {
-	if (lastSyncCell) {
-		lastSyncCell.val = value
-	} else {
-		writeLastSyncDirect(value)
-	}
+	return lastSyncCell.val
 }
 
 function bumpLastSync(serverTimestamp: string): void {
-	const previous = getLastSync()
+	const previous = lastSyncCell.val
 	if (!previous || new Date(serverTimestamp).getTime() > new Date(previous).getTime()) {
-		setLastSync(serverTimestamp)
+		lastSyncCell.val = serverTimestamp
 	}
 }
 
@@ -211,29 +176,16 @@ export async function syncDrafts<V = unknown>(opts: SyncOptions<V>): Promise<voi
 }
 
 export const UserDraftDbSyncer = {
-	/**
-	 * Call inside a component (e.g. the root layout) to bind the persisted
-	 * `lastSync` cell to a Svelte effect scope. Without this the syncer
-	 * still works (it falls back to raw localStorage reads/writes) but the
-	 * value won't react across multiple tabs / SSR replays.
-	 */
-	mount(): void {
-		if (lastSyncCell) return
-		lastSyncCell = useLocalStorageValue<string | undefined>(LAST_SYNC_KEY, undefined, 'string', {
-			saveInitialValue: false
-		})
-	},
-
 	getLastSync,
 
 	/**
-	 * Test-only: clear the in-memory queue + lastSync cell so successive
+	 * Test-only: clear the in-memory queue + lastSync slot so successive
 	 * tests start with a clean slate.
 	 */
 	__resetForTesting(): void {
 		clearTimers()
 		queue.clear()
-		lastSyncCell = undefined
+		lastSyncCell.val = undefined
 	},
 
 	/**
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(logged)/+layout.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(logged)/+layout.svelte
index bcf6d717e2..4d6f6e77d5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(logged)/+layout.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/(root)/(logged)/+layout.svelte
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 	import CriticalAlertModal from '$lib/components/sidebar/CriticalAlertModal.svelte'
 	import ForkConflictModal from '$lib/components/ForkConflictModal.svelte'
 	import UserDraftConflictModal from '$lib/components/common/confirmationModal/UserDraftConflictModal.svelte'
-	import { UserDraftDbSyncer } from '$lib/userDraftDbSyncer.svelte'
 	import {
 		enterpriseLicense,
 		isPremiumStore,
@@ -101,11 +100,6 @@
 		goto('/user/login')
 	}
 
-	// Bind UserDraftDbSyncer's lastSync cell to this layout's Svelte scope.
-	// Without this it still works via raw localStorage reads, but the value
-	// isn't reactive across tabs.
-	UserDraftDbSyncer.mount()
-
 	function onQueryChangeUserSettings() {
 		if (userSettings && page.url.hash.startsWith(USER_SETTINGS_HASH)) {
 			const mcpMode = page.url.hash.includes('-mcp')