diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 860487c..37c2961 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2.7.1
+2.7.2
diff --git a/play-life-web/src/components/auth/AuthContext.jsx b/play-life-web/src/components/auth/AuthContext.jsx
index cc5d99e..f43af7d 100644
--- a/play-life-web/src/components/auth/AuthContext.jsx
+++ b/play-life-web/src/components/auth/AuthContext.jsx
@@ -11,6 +11,63 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true)
   const [error, setError] = useState(null)
 
+  const logout = useCallback(async () => {
+    const token = localStorage.getItem(TOKEN_KEY)
+    
+    if (token) {
+      try {
+        await fetch('/api/auth/logout', {
+          method: 'POST',
+          headers: {
+            'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
+            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
+          }
+        })
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.error('Logout error:', err)
+      }
+    }
+    
+    localStorage.removeItem(TOKEN_KEY)
+    localStorage.removeItem(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY)
+    localStorage.removeItem(USER_KEY)
+    setUser(null)
+  }, [])
+
+  const refreshToken = useCallback(async () => {
+    const refresh = localStorage.getItem(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY)
+    
+    if (!refresh) {
+      return false
+    }
+    
+    try {
+      const response = await fetch('/api/auth/refresh', {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: {
+          'Content-Type': 'application/json'
+        },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ refresh_token: refresh })
+      })
+      
+      if (!response.ok) {
+        return false
+      }
+      
+      const data = await response.json()
+      
+      localStorage.setItem(TOKEN_KEY, data.access_token)
+      localStorage.setItem(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY, data.refresh_token)
+      localStorage.setItem(USER_KEY, JSON.stringify(data.user))
+      setUser(data.user)
+      
+      return true
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('Refresh token error:', err)
+      return false
+    }
+  }, [])
+
   // Initialize from localStorage
   useEffect(() => {
     const initAuth = async () => {
@@ -20,14 +77,20 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
       if (token && savedUser) {
         try {
           setUser(JSON.parse(savedUser))
-          // Verify token is still valid
+          // Verify token is still valid with timeout
+          const controller = new AbortController()
+          const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 5000) // 5 second timeout
+          
           const response = await fetch('/api/auth/me', {
             headers: {
               'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
               'Content-Type': 'application/json'
-            }
+            },
+            signal: controller.signal
           })
           
+          clearTimeout(timeoutId)
+          
           if (response.ok) {
             const data = await response.json()
             setUser(data.user)
@@ -38,17 +101,32 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
             if (!refreshed) {
               logout()
             }
+          } else {
+            // For other errors (like 503, 502, network errors), don't clear auth
+            // Just log the error and keep the user logged in
+            console.warn('Auth check failed with status:', response.status, 'but keeping session')
           }
         } catch (err) {
-          console.error('Auth init error:', err)
-          logout()
+          // Network errors (e.g., backend not ready) should not clear auth
+          // Only clear if it's a real auth error
+          if (err.name === 'AbortError') {
+            // Timeout - backend might be starting up, keep auth state
+            console.warn('Auth check timeout, backend might be starting up. Keeping session.')
+          } else if (err.name === 'TypeError' && (err.message.includes('fetch') || err.message.includes('Failed to fetch'))) {
+            // Network error - backend might be starting up, keep auth state
+            console.warn('Network error during auth check, keeping session:', err.message)
+          } else {
+            // Other errors - might be auth related
+            console.error('Auth init error:', err)
+            // Don't automatically logout on unknown errors
+          }
         }
       }
       setLoading(false)
     }
     
     initAuth()
-  }, [])
+  }, [refreshToken, logout])
 
   const login = useCallback(async (email, password) => {
     setError(null)
@@ -108,63 +186,6 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
     }
   }, [])
 
-  const logout = useCallback(async () => {
-    const token = localStorage.getItem(TOKEN_KEY)
-    
-    if (token) {
-      try {
-        await fetch('/api/auth/logout', {
-          method: 'POST',
-          headers: {
-            'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`,
-            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
-          }
-        })
-      } catch (err) {
-        console.error('Logout error:', err)
-      }
-    }
-    
-    localStorage.removeItem(TOKEN_KEY)
-    localStorage.removeItem(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY)
-    localStorage.removeItem(USER_KEY)
-    setUser(null)
-  }, [])
-
-  const refreshToken = useCallback(async () => {
-    const refresh = localStorage.getItem(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY)
-    
-    if (!refresh) {
-      return false
-    }
-    
-    try {
-      const response = await fetch('/api/auth/refresh', {
-        method: 'POST',
-        headers: {
-          'Content-Type': 'application/json'
-        },
-        body: JSON.stringify({ refresh_token: refresh })
-      })
-      
-      if (!response.ok) {
-        return false
-      }
-      
-      const data = await response.json()
-      
-      localStorage.setItem(TOKEN_KEY, data.access_token)
-      localStorage.setItem(REFRESH_TOKEN_KEY, data.refresh_token)
-      localStorage.setItem(USER_KEY, JSON.stringify(data.user))
-      setUser(data.user)
-      
-      return true
-    } catch (err) {
-      console.error('Refresh token error:', err)
-      return false
-    }
-  }, [])
-
   const getToken = useCallback(() => {
     return localStorage.getItem(TOKEN_KEY)
   }, [])
@@ -182,21 +203,28 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
       headers['Authorization'] = `Bearer ${token}`
     }
     
-    let response = await fetch(url, { ...options, headers })
-    
-    // If 401, try to refresh token and retry
-    if (response.status === 401) {
-      const refreshed = await refreshToken()
-      if (refreshed) {
-        const newToken = localStorage.getItem(TOKEN_KEY)
-        headers['Authorization'] = `Bearer ${newToken}`
-        response = await fetch(url, { ...options, headers })
-      } else {
-        logout()
+    try {
+      let response = await fetch(url, { ...options, headers })
+      
+      // If 401, try to refresh token and retry
+      if (response.status === 401) {
+        const refreshed = await refreshToken()
+        if (refreshed) {
+          const newToken = localStorage.getItem(TOKEN_KEY)
+          headers['Authorization'] = `Bearer ${newToken}`
+          response = await fetch(url, { ...options, headers })
+        } else {
+          // Only logout if refresh failed (real auth error)
+          logout()
+        }
       }
+      
+      return response
+    } catch (err) {
+      // Network errors should not trigger logout
+      // Let the caller handle the error
+      throw err
     }
-    
-    return response
   }, [refreshToken, logout])
 
   const value = {