diff --git a/src/renderer/src/routes/ProjectsScreen.tsx b/src/renderer/src/routes/ProjectsScreen.tsx
index 2e9e5978..b83e4950 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/routes/ProjectsScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/routes/ProjectsScreen.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { remoteId, defaultWorkflow, useTeamWorkflowProcess } from '../crud';
 import { UnsavedContext } from '../context/UnsavedContext';
 import BigDialog from '../hoc/BigDialog';
 import { StepEditor } from '../components/StepEditor';
+import { useIsPapLike } from '../utils/useIsPapLike';
 
 interface ProjectBoxProps extends BoxProps {
   isMobile?: boolean;
@@ -32,14 +33,8 @@ export const ProjectsScreenInner: React.FC = () => {
   const navigate = useMyNavigate();
   const teamId = localStorage.getItem(localUserKey(LocalKey.team));
   const ctx = React.useContext(TeamContext);
-  const {
-    teamProjects,
-    personalProjects,
-    personalTeam,
-    teams,
-    teamDirectoryReady,
-    isAdmin,
-  } = ctx.state;
+  const { teamProjects, personalProjects, personalTeam, teams, isAdmin } =
+    ctx.state;
   const t: ICardsStrings = useSelector(cardsSelector, shallowEqual);
   const { pathname } = useLocation();
   const [plan] = useGlobal('plan');
@@ -74,11 +69,7 @@ export const ProjectsScreenInner: React.FC = () => {
   }, []);
 
   const isPersonal = teamId === personalTeam;
-  const isPapLike =
-    Boolean(personalTeam) &&
-    isPersonal &&
-    teams.length === 0 &&
-    teamDirectoryReady;
+  const isPapLike = useIsPapLike() && isPersonal;
   const projects = React.useMemo(
     () => (isPersonal ? personalProjects : teamId ? teamProjects(teamId) : []),
     [isPersonal, personalProjects, teamId, teamProjects]
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/routes/SwitchTeams.tsx b/src/renderer/src/routes/SwitchTeams.tsx
index ab335524..a8f5b691 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/routes/SwitchTeams.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/routes/SwitchTeams.tsx
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { useGlobal } from '../context/useGlobal';
 import { useTeamActions } from '../components/Team/useTeamActions';
 import { SharedContentCreatorDialog } from '../components/Team/SharedContentCreatorDialog';
 import StickyRedirect from '../components/StickyRedirect';
+import { useIsPapLike } from '../utils/useIsPapLike';
 
 interface ISettingsButtonProps {
   label: string;
@@ -404,16 +405,8 @@ export const SwitchTeamsGuard: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({
   children,
 }) => {
   const ctx = React.useContext(TeamContext);
-  const { teams, personalTeam, teamDirectoryReady } = ctx.state;
-  const [isOffline] = useGlobal('offline');
-  const [offlineOnly] = useGlobal('offlineOnly');
-  // When offline && !offlineOnly, getTeams() may be empty because shared teams
-  // without local projects are filtered out — not the same as true PAP-only.
-  const isPapLike =
-    Boolean(personalTeam) &&
-    teams.length === 0 &&
-    teamDirectoryReady &&
-    (!isOffline || offlineOnly);
+  const { personalTeam } = ctx.state;
+  const isPapLike = useIsPapLike();
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
     if (!isPapLike || !personalTeam) return;
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/utils/useIsPapLike.ts b/src/renderer/src/utils/useIsPapLike.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae1e614a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/utils/useIsPapLike.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { TeamContext } from '../context/TeamContext';
+import { useGlobal } from '../context/useGlobal';
+
+/**
+ * True when the signed-in user is Work-Alone-Offline / PAP-like
+ *
+ * Detect "Work Alone Offline" via the `offlineOnly` global — `teams.length
+ * === 0` alone is not enough as it is also true for a normal user who simply hasn't joined a team yet.
+ * And not `!offline` (an online first-time user is online but still needs Switch
+ * Teams / Add Team). `offlineOnly` is set at login for users with no remoteId
+ * (see Access.tsx) and is the single reliable signal.
+ */
+export const useIsPapLike = (): boolean => {
+  const ctx = React.useContext(TeamContext);
+  const { teams, personalTeam, teamDirectoryReady } = ctx.state;
+  const [offlineOnly] = useGlobal('offlineOnly');
+  return Boolean(
+    personalTeam && teams.length === 0 && teamDirectoryReady && offlineOnly
+  );
+};