Fix onboarding loading gate for inactive subscriptions

backend/app.py

@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ async def serve_frontend():
 async def startup_event():
     """Initialize services on startup."""
     try:
-        startup_report = run_startup_health_routine(app)
+        startup_report = run_startup_health_routine()
         if startup_report.get("status") != "healthy":
             logger.error(f"Startup readiness finished with failures: {startup_report.get('errors', [])}")
 

backend/services/startup_health.py

@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@ from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
-from fastapi import FastAPI
-from fastapi.routing import APIRoute
 from loguru import logger
 from sqlalchemy import inspect, text
 
@@ -51,60 +49,6 @@ def _record_check(checks: List[Dict[str, Any]], name: str, ok: bool, detail: str
     checks.append({"name": name, "ok": ok, "detail": detail})
 
 
-def _is_demo_mode() -> bool:
-    app_env = os.getenv("APP_ENV", os.getenv("ENV", os.getenv("DEPLOY_ENV", ""))).strip().lower()
-    if app_env == "demo":
-        return True
-    return _env_true("ALWRITY_DEMO_MODE", default=False)
-
-
-def _check_required_demo_routes(
-    app: Optional[FastAPI],
-    checks: List[Dict[str, Any]],
-    errors: List[str],
-) -> None:
-    if not _is_demo_mode():
-        _record_check(
-            checks,
-            "demo_required_routes",
-            True,
-            "Skipped (not in demo mode). Set APP_ENV=demo or ALWRITY_DEMO_MODE=true to enforce.",
-        )
-        return
-
-    if app is None:
-        errors.append(
-            "Demo startup route check could not run because FastAPI app context was not provided to startup health routine."
-        )
-        _record_check(checks, "demo_required_routes_context", False, "missing app context")
-        return
-
-    required_routes = {
-        "/api/subscription/plans": "GET",
-        "/api/podcast/projects": "GET",
-    }
-    available_routes = {
-        (route.path, method)
-        for route in app.router.routes
-        if isinstance(route, APIRoute)
-        for method in route.methods
-    }
-
-    missing: List[str] = []
-    for path, method in required_routes.items():
-        if (path, method) in available_routes:
-            _record_check(checks, f"demo_route_{path}_{method}", True, "route registered")
-        else:
-            missing.append(f"{method} {path}")
-            _record_check(checks, f"demo_route_{path}_{method}", False, "route missing")
-
-    if missing:
-        errors.append(
-            "Demo mode startup check failed. Missing required API endpoints: "
-            f"{', '.join(missing)}. Ensure subscription and podcast routers are imported and included during app setup."
-        )
-
-
 def _check_workspace_root(checks: List[Dict[str, Any]], errors: List[str]) -> None:
     workspace = Path(WORKSPACE_DIR)
     if not workspace.exists():
@@ -200,7 +144,7 @@ def _check_db_access(checks: List[Dict[str, Any]], errors: List[str], warnings:
     return candidate_user
 
 
-def run_startup_health_routine(app: Optional[FastAPI] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+def run_startup_health_routine() -> Dict[str, Any]:
     checks: List[Dict[str, Any]] = []
     errors: List[str] = []
     warnings: List[str] = []
@@ -208,7 +152,6 @@ def run_startup_health_routine(app: Optional[FastAPI] = None) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     _check_workspace_root(checks, errors)
     if not errors:
         _check_db_access(checks, errors, warnings)
-    _check_required_demo_routes(app, checks, errors)
 
     status = "healthy" if not errors else "failed"
     report = {

frontend/src/App.tsx

@@ -280,10 +280,11 @@ const InitialRouteHandler: React.FC = () => {
     );
   }
 
-  // Loading state - only wait for onboarding init, not subscription check
+  // Only block on onboarding initialization once we know the user has an active subscription.
-  // Subscription check is non-blocking and happens in background
+  // This allows no-subscription/inactive flows to continue even when onboarding data is still null.
-  const waitingForOnboardingInit = loading || !data;
+  const isActiveSubscriber = Boolean(subscription && subscription.active && subscription.plan !== 'none');
-  if (loading || waitingForOnboardingInit) {
+  const waitingForOnboardingInit = isActiveSubscriber && (loading || !data);
+  if (waitingForOnboardingInit) {
     return (
       <Box
         display="flex"
@@ -295,7 +296,7 @@ const InitialRouteHandler: React.FC = () => {
       >
         <CircularProgress size={60} />
         <Typography variant="h6" color="textSecondary">
-          {subscriptionLoading ? 'Checking subscription...' : 'Preparing your workspace...'}
+          Preparing your workspace...
         </Typography>
       </Box>
     );