diff --git a/src/routes/events/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/events/+layout.svelte
index f35ab385..7858cc77 100644
--- a/src/routes/events/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/events/+layout.svelte
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ function clear_sess() {
                     class="mx-1 inline-block text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400" />
                 <abbr title="Aether - Events Module" class="text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-400 font-semibold"> Æ Events </abbr>
             </span>
-            {#if !$ae_sess?.disable_sys_header}
+            {#if !$ae_sess?.disable_sys_header && $ae_loc.account_id}
                 <Element_data_store
                     ds_code="hub__site__appshell_header"
                     ds_type="html" />
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ function clear_sess() {
         </button>
     </div>
 
-    {#if !$ae_sess?.disable_sys_footer}
+    {#if !$ae_sess?.disable_sys_footer && $ae_loc.account_id}
         <footer
             class:hidden={yTop > 300}
             class:opacity-80={yTop < 250}
diff --git a/src/routes/idaa/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/idaa/+layout.svelte
index f8e349cf..2d9ed3a3 100644
--- a/src/routes/idaa/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/idaa/+layout.svelte
@@ -377,14 +377,20 @@ $effect(() => {
     </section>
 
     <!-- The footer for the IDAA section of the site -->
-    <section
-        class="module_footer footer_content lg:text-md xl:text-md flex min-h-7 px-1 py-0.5 text-sm text-slate-400 transition hover:text-slate-800 sm:text-sm 2xl:text-lg"
-        class:ae_debug={$ae_loc?.debug}>
-        <Element_data_store
-            ds_code="hub__site__appshell_footer"
-            ds_type="html"
-            class_li="grow flex flex-row justify-between" />
-    </section>
+    <!-- WHY the account_id guard: the outer IDAA layout renders before the inner (idaa) layout
+         completes Novi UUID verification. Without it, element_data_store fires immediately with
+         no account_id in the headers → 403. The footer is IDAA-specific content so it should
+         only load once the member's identity is established. -->
+    {#if $ae_loc.account_id}
+        <section
+            class="module_footer footer_content lg:text-md xl:text-md flex min-h-7 px-1 py-0.5 text-sm text-slate-400 transition hover:text-slate-800 sm:text-sm 2xl:text-lg"
+            class:ae_debug={$ae_loc?.debug}>
+            <Element_data_store
+                ds_code="hub__site__appshell_footer"
+                ds_type="html"
+                class_li="grow flex flex-row justify-between" />
+        </section>
+    {/if}
 </div>
 <!-- </AppShell> -->