diff --git a/frontend/index.html b/frontend/index.html
index 7cffd1b..a6c1bbc 100644
--- a/frontend/index.html
+++ b/frontend/index.html
@@ -20,8 +20,14 @@
     <script>
       // Start critical data fetches before React loads — shaves ~1-2s off startup.
       // React hooks consume the promises via window.__prefetch.
+      var j = function(r) { return r.json(); };
       window.__prefetch = {
-        unreads: fetch('/api/read-state/unreads').then(function(r) { return r.json(); }),
+        config: fetch('/api/radio/config').then(j),
+        settings: fetch('/api/settings').then(j),
+        channels: fetch('/api/channels').then(j),
+        contacts: fetch('/api/contacts?limit=1000&offset=0').then(j),
+        unreads: fetch('/api/read-state/unreads').then(j),
+        undecryptedCount: fetch('/api/packets/undecrypted/count').then(j),
       };
     </script>
     <script type="module" src="/src/main.tsx"></script>
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index b2f1d94..200a232 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   Suspense,
 } from 'react';
 import { api } from './api';
+import { takePrefetch } from './prefetch';
 import { useWebSocket } from './useWebSocket';
 import {
   useRepeaterMode,
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ export function App() {
   // Fetch radio config (not sent via WebSocket)
   const fetchConfig = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
-      const data = await api.getRadioConfig();
+      const data = await (takePrefetch('config') ?? api.getRadioConfig());
       setConfig(data);
     } catch (err) {
       console.error('Failed to fetch config:', err);
@@ -318,7 +319,7 @@ export function App() {
   // Fetch app settings
   const fetchAppSettings = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
-      const data = await api.getSettings();
+      const data = await (takePrefetch('settings') ?? api.getSettings());
       setAppSettings(data);
       // Initialize in-memory cache with server data
       initLastMessageTimes(data.last_message_times ?? {});
@@ -330,7 +331,7 @@ export function App() {
   // Fetch undecrypted packet count
   const fetchUndecryptedCount = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
-      const data = await api.getUndecryptedPacketCount();
+      const data = await (takePrefetch('undecryptedCount') ?? api.getUndecryptedPacketCount());
       setUndecryptedCount(data.count);
     } catch (err) {
       console.error('Failed to fetch undecrypted count:', err);
@@ -340,7 +341,7 @@ export function App() {
   // Fetch all contacts, paginating if >1000
   const fetchAllContacts = useCallback(async (): Promise<Contact[]> => {
     const pageSize = 1000;
-    const first = await api.getContacts(pageSize, 0);
+    const first = await (takePrefetch('contacts') ?? api.getContacts(pageSize, 0));
     if (first.length < pageSize) return first;
     let all = [...first];
     let offset = pageSize;
@@ -360,7 +361,7 @@ export function App() {
     fetchUndecryptedCount();
 
     // Fetch contacts and channels via REST (parallel, faster than WS serial push)
-    api.getChannels().then(setChannels).catch(console.error);
+    (takePrefetch('channels') ?? api.getChannels()).then(setChannels).catch(console.error);
     fetchAllContacts()
       .then((data) => {
         setContacts(data);
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useUnreadCounts.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useUnreadCounts.ts
index efb3c96..b4bb06a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useUnreadCounts.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useUnreadCounts.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,7 @@ import {
   type ConversationTimes,
 } from '../utils/conversationState';
 import type { Channel, Contact, Conversation, Message, UnreadCounts } from '../types';
-
-// Consume the prefetched unreads promise started in index.html (if available).
-// This lets the fetch run while React JS is still downloading/parsing.
-const prefetchedUnreads: Promise<UnreadCounts> | undefined = (
-  window as unknown as { __prefetch?: { unreads?: Promise<UnreadCounts> } }
-).__prefetch?.unreads;
+import { takePrefetch } from '../prefetch';
 
 export interface UseUnreadCountsResult {
   unreadCounts: Record<string, number>;
@@ -63,8 +58,9 @@ export function useUnreadCounts(
   const contactsLen = contacts.length;
   const prevLens = useRef({ channels: 0, contacts: 0 });
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (prefetchedUnreads) {
-      prefetchedUnreads.then(applyUnreads).catch(() => fetchUnreads());
+    const prefetched = takePrefetch('unreads');
+    if (prefetched) {
+      prefetched.then(applyUnreads).catch(() => fetchUnreads());
     } else {
       fetchUnreads();
     }
diff --git a/frontend/src/prefetch.ts b/frontend/src/prefetch.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d437852
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/prefetch.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/**
+ * Consume prefetched API promises started in index.html before React loaded.
+ *
+ * Each key is consumed at most once — the first caller gets the promise,
+ * subsequent callers get undefined and should fall back to a normal fetch.
+ */
+
+import type { AppSettings, Channel, Contact, RadioConfig, UnreadCounts } from './types';
+
+interface PrefetchMap {
+  config?: Promise<RadioConfig>;
+  settings?: Promise<AppSettings>;
+  channels?: Promise<Channel[]>;
+  contacts?: Promise<Contact[]>;
+  unreads?: Promise<UnreadCounts>;
+  undecryptedCount?: Promise<{ count: number }>;
+}
+
+const store: PrefetchMap = (window as unknown as { __prefetch?: PrefetchMap }).__prefetch ?? {};
+
+/** Take a prefetched promise (consumed once, then gone). */
+export function takePrefetch<K extends keyof PrefetchMap>(key: K): PrefetchMap[K] {
+  const p = store[key];
+  delete store[key];
+  return p;
+}