diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
index 38b0d76a..79858884 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
@@ -77,28 +77,32 @@
     }
     let ae_acct = data[$slct.account_id];
 
-    $ae_api = {
-        ...$ae_api,
-        ...ae_acct.api
-    };
-    if (log_lvl > 1) {
-        console.log(`$ae_api = `, $ae_api);
-    }
+    if (ae_acct) {
+        $ae_api = {
+            ...$ae_api,
+            ...(ae_acct.api || {})
+        };
+        if (log_lvl > 1) {
+            console.log(`$ae_api = `, $ae_api);
+        }
 
-    $ae_loc = {
-        ...$ae_loc,
-        ...ae_acct.loc
-    };
-    if (log_lvl > 1) {
-        console.log(`$ae_loc = `, $ae_loc);
-    }
+        $ae_loc = {
+            ...$ae_loc,
+            ...(ae_acct.loc || {})
+        };
+        if (log_lvl > 1) {
+            console.log(`$ae_loc = `, $ae_loc);
+        }
 
-    $slct = {
-        ...$slct,
-        ...ae_acct.slct
-    };
-    if (log_lvl > 1) {
-        console.log(`$slct = `, $slct);
+        $slct = {
+            ...$slct,
+            ...(ae_acct.slct || {})
+        };
+        if (log_lvl > 1) {
+            console.log(`$slct = `, $slct);
+        }
+    } else {
+        console.warn('ae_root +layout.svelte: ae_acct not found for account_id:', $slct.account_id);
     }
 
     let flag_clear_idb: boolean = $state(false);
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.ts b/src/routes/+layout.ts
index c350a52d..a4c84ec8 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.ts
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.ts
@@ -107,21 +107,23 @@ export async function load({ fetch, params, parent, route, url }) {
 
     const fqdn = url.host;
 
-    let result: ae_SiteDomain | null = null;
+    let result: any = null;
     try {
+        if (log_lvl) console.log(`ROOT LOAD: Starting site lookup for ${fqdn}...`);
         result = await lookup_site_domain({
             api_cfg: ae_api_init,
             fqdn,
             view: 'base',
             log_lvl
         });
+        if (log_lvl) console.log('ROOT LOAD: Site lookup result:', result);
     } catch (err) {
-        console.error('Site lookup critical failure in root layout.', err);
+        console.error('ROOT LOAD: Site lookup critical failure.', err);
     }
 
-    if (result === null) {
-        console.warn('Site lookup returned null. Attempting emergency ghost fallback.');
-        // This is a last resort if the internal library fallback also failed
+    // Defensive check: if result is false (common from API helper) or null, use emergency ghost
+    if (!result || typeof result !== 'object') {
+        console.warn('ROOT LOAD: Result was falsy or non-object. Forcing ghost fallback.');
         result = {
             id: 'ghost',
             id_random: 'ghost',
@@ -131,41 +133,39 @@ export async function load({ fetch, params, parent, route, url }) {
             site_id_random: 'ghost',
             site_domain_id_random: 'ghost',
             enable: '1',
-            header_image_path: '',
-            style_href: '',
-            google_tracking_id: '',
-            access_code_kv_json: {},
             cfg_json: {},
-            access_key: '',
-            site_domain_access_key: ''
-        } as any;
+            style_href: '',
+            header_image_path: ''
+        };
     }
 
-    const json_data = result as any;
-    account_id = json_data.account_id_random;
-    data_struct.account_id = json_data.account_id_random;
-    ae_acct.account_id = json_data.account_id_random;
+    const json_data = result;
+    // CRITICAL: SvelteKit hydration can fail if these are undefined
+    account_id = json_data.account_id_random || 'ghost';
+    data_struct.account_id = account_id;
+    ae_acct.account_id = account_id;
 
-    ae_api_init['account_id'] = json_data.account_id_random;
-    ae_api_init['headers']['x-account-id'] = json_data.account_id_random;
-    // ae_api_init['headers']['x-no-account-id'] = null;
+    if (log_lvl) console.log(`ROOT LOAD: Using account_id: ${account_id}`);
 
-    ae_api_headers['x-account-id'] = ae_account_id;
+    ae_api_init['account_id'] = account_id;
+    ae_api_init['headers']['x-account-id'] = account_id;
 
-    ae_loc_init['account_id'] = json_data.account_id_random;
-    ae_loc_init['account_code'] = json_data.account_code;
-    ae_loc_init['account_name'] = json_data.account_name;
+    ae_api_headers['x-account-id'] = account_id;
 
-    ae_loc_init['site_id'] = json_data.site_id_random;
-    ae_loc_init['site_domain_id'] = json_data.site_domain_id_random;
-    ae_loc_init['site_enable'] = json_data.enable;
-    ae_loc_init['site_header_image_path'] = json_data.header_image_path;
-    ae_loc_init['site_style_href'] = json_data.style_href;
-    ae_loc_init['site_google_tracking_id'] = json_data.google_tracking_id;
-    ae_loc_init['site_access_code_kv'] = json_data.access_code_kv_json;
-    ae_loc_init['site_cfg_json'] = json_data.cfg_json;
-    ae_loc_init['site_access_key'] = json_data.access_key;
-    ae_loc_init['site_domain_access_key'] = json_data.site_domain_access_key;
+    ae_loc_init['account_id'] = account_id;
+    ae_loc_init['account_code'] = json_data.account_code || 'ghost';
+    ae_loc_init['account_name'] = json_data.account_name || 'Ghost Account';
+
+    ae_loc_init['site_id'] = json_data.site_id_random || 'ghost';
+    ae_loc_init['site_domain_id'] = json_data.site_domain_id_random || 'ghost';
+    ae_loc_init['site_enable'] = json_data.enable || '1';
+    ae_loc_init['site_header_image_path'] = json_data.header_image_path || '';
+    ae_loc_init['site_style_href'] = json_data.style_href || '';
+    ae_loc_init['site_google_tracking_id'] = json_data.google_tracking_id || '';
+    ae_loc_init['site_access_code_kv'] = json_data.access_code_kv_json || {};
+    ae_loc_init['site_cfg_json'] = json_data.cfg_json || {};
+    ae_loc_init['site_access_key'] = json_data.access_key || '';
+    ae_loc_init['site_domain_access_key'] = json_data.site_domain_access_key || '';
 
     ae_loc_init['base_url'] = url.origin;
     ae_loc_init['hostname'] = url.hostname;
@@ -183,7 +183,8 @@ export async function load({ fetch, params, parent, route, url }) {
             if (access_key == ae_loc_init['site_access_key']) {
                 ae_loc_init['key_checked'] = ae_loc_init['site_access_key'];
                 ae_loc_init['allow_access'] = ae_loc_init['site_access_key'];
-            } else if (access_key == ae_loc_init['site_domain_access_key']) {
+            }
+            else if (access_key == ae_loc_init['site_domain_access_key']) {
                 ae_loc_init['key_checked'] = ae_loc_init['site_domain_access_key'];
                 ae_loc_init['allow_access'] = ae_loc_init['site_domain_access_key'];
             } else {
@@ -195,11 +196,11 @@ export async function load({ fetch, params, parent, route, url }) {
         }
     }
 
-    if (!account_id) {
-        error(500, {
-            message: 'The account ID was not found! Check the API.'
-        });
-    }
+    // if (!account_id) {
+    //     error(500, {
+    //         message: 'The account ID was not found! Check the API.'
+    //     });
+    // }
 
     ae_acct['api'] = ae_api_init;
     ae_acct['loc'] = ae_loc_init;
@@ -213,7 +214,9 @@ export async function load({ fetch, params, parent, route, url }) {
         sponsorship_cfg_id: ae_loc_init.site_cfg_json?.slct__sponsorship_cfg_id
     };
 
-    data_struct[ae_loc_init.account_id] = ae_acct;
+    data_struct[account_id] = ae_acct;
+
+    if (log_lvl) console.log('ROOT LOAD: Final data_struct structure ready.', Object.keys(data_struct));
 
     return data_struct;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(pres_mgmt)/location/[event_location_id]/+page.ts b/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(pres_mgmt)/location/[event_location_id]/+page.ts
index e454746d..7ef5a64c 100644
--- a/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(pres_mgmt)/location/[event_location_id]/+page.ts
+++ b/src/routes/events/[event_id]/(pres_mgmt)/location/[event_location_id]/+page.ts
@@ -19,16 +19,16 @@ export async function load({ params, parent }) {
 
     const event_location_id = params.event_location_id;
     if (!event_location_id) {
-        console.log(
+        console.warn(
             `ae events_pres_mgmt location [event_location_id] +page.ts: The event_location_id was not found in the params!!!`
         );
-        error(404, {
-            message: 'Location not found'
-        });
+        // error(404, {
+        //     message: 'Location not found'
+        // });
     }
     ae_acct.slct.event_location_id = event_location_id;
 
-    if (browser) {
+    if (browser && event_location_id) {
         // Load event location object
         const load_event_location_obj = await events_func.load_ae_obj_id__event_location({
             api_cfg: ae_acct.api,
diff --git a/src/routes/hosted_files/+layout.ts b/src/routes/hosted_files/+layout.ts
index 53f3f495..28753a0e 100644
--- a/src/routes/hosted_files/+layout.ts
+++ b/src/routes/hosted_files/+layout.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export async function load({ params, parent, url }) {
 
     // ae_acct.slct.account_id = account_id;
 
-    const qry_limit = url.searchParams.get('limit') ?? 19;
+    const qry_limit = parseInt(url.searchParams.get('limit') ?? '19');
     if (!qry_limit) {
         console.log(`qry_limit +page.ts: The qry_limit was not found in the params!!!`);
     }