diff --git a/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index e55b0a2..e3956e2 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
             android:name=".MainActivity"
             android:exported="true"
             android:launchMode="singleTop"
-            android:taskAffinity=""
             android:theme="@style/LaunchTheme"
             android:configChanges="orientation|keyboardHidden|keyboard|screenSize|smallestScreenSize|locale|layoutDirection|fontScale|screenLayout|density|uiMode"
             android:hardwareAccelerated="true"
diff --git a/lib/main.dart b/lib/main.dart
index 96aff49..2db330c 100644
--- a/lib/main.dart
+++ b/lib/main.dart
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ final appInitializationProvider = FutureProvider<void>((ref) async {
   final backgroundService = ref.read(backgroundUpdateServiceProvider);
   unawaited(backgroundService.initialize());
 
-  unawaited(ref.read(deepLinkServiceProvider).initialize());
+  await ref.read(deepLinkServiceProvider).initialize();
 
   await _attemptAutoSignIn(ref);
 });
diff --git a/lib/router.dart b/lib/router.dart
index 8c01ffa..7e486ed 100644
--- a/lib/router.dart
+++ b/lib/router.dart
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import 'package:zapstore/screens/search_screen.dart';
 import 'package:zapstore/screens/updates_screen.dart';
 import 'package:zapstore/screens/profile_screen.dart';
 import 'package:zapstore/services/package_manager/package_manager.dart';
-import 'package:zapstore/services/deep_link_resolver.dart';
 import 'package:zapstore/services/updates_service.dart';
 
 /// Root paths for each navigation branch (used for back navigation handling)
@@ -117,10 +116,9 @@ final routerProvider = Provider<GoRouter>((ref) {
   final router = GoRouter(
     navigatorKey: rootNavigatorKey,
     initialLocation: '/search',
-    // Intercept deep link URIs that GoRouter cannot match as paths.
-    // This fires before any route is rendered, eliminating the GoException
-    // flash when the app is launched via market:// or https://zapstore.dev.
-    redirect: (context, state) => resolveDeepLinkPath(state.uri),
+    onException: (context, state, router) {
+      router.go('/search');
+    },
     routes: [
       // Single stateful shell route that handles everything
       StatefulShellRoute.indexedStack(
diff --git a/lib/services/deep_link_resolver.dart b/lib/services/deep_link_resolver.dart
index 2fe4a1e..d98a21d 100644
--- a/lib/services/deep_link_resolver.dart
+++ b/lib/services/deep_link_resolver.dart
@@ -4,19 +4,20 @@ import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
 /// the URI is not a recognized deep link.
 ///
 /// Handles:
-/// - `https://zapstore.dev/apps/{id}`
+/// - `https://zapstore.dev/apps/{id}` (full URI from app_links)
+/// - `/apps/{id}` (path-only, as seen by GoRouter's onException)
 /// - `market://details?id=com.example.app`
 /// - `market://search?q=search+query`
 String? resolveDeepLinkPath(Uri uri) {
-  // https://zapstore.dev/apps/<id>
-  if (uri.scheme == 'https' &&
-      uri.host == 'zapstore.dev' &&
-      uri.pathSegments.length == 2 &&
-      uri.pathSegments[0] == 'apps') {
-    final id = uri.pathSegments[1];
-    if (id.isNotEmpty) {
-      debugPrint('App link: app ID = $id');
-      return '/search/app/$id';
+  // https://zapstore.dev/apps/<id>  OR  bare /apps/<id> from GoRouter
+  if (uri.pathSegments.length == 2 && uri.pathSegments[0] == 'apps') {
+    final isFullUri = uri.scheme == 'https' && uri.host == 'zapstore.dev';
+    final isBarePath = uri.host.isEmpty;
+    if (isFullUri || isBarePath) {
+      final id = uri.pathSegments[1];
+      if (id.isNotEmpty) {
+        return '/search/app/$id';
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -25,7 +26,6 @@ String? resolveDeepLinkPath(Uri uri) {
     if (uri.host == 'details' || uri.path == '/details') {
       final id = uri.queryParameters['id'];
       if (id != null && id.isNotEmpty) {
-        debugPrint('Market intent: app ID = $id');
         return '/search/app/$id';
       }
     }
diff --git a/lib/services/deep_link_service.dart b/lib/services/deep_link_service.dart
index 418bf65..37f900f 100644
--- a/lib/services/deep_link_service.dart
+++ b/lib/services/deep_link_service.dart
@@ -22,13 +22,15 @@ class DeepLinkService {
 
   /// Initialize the service - call once after app is ready.
   ///
-  /// The initial launch URI is not re-processed here because GoRouter's
-  /// top-level redirect already maps it to the correct path before any
-  /// screen renders. Only links received while the app is running are handled.
+  /// Handles both the cold-launch URI (the link that opened the app) and
+  /// links received while the app is already running.
   Future<void> initialize() async {
     if (_initialized) return;
     _initialized = true;
 
+    final initialUri = await _appLinks.getInitialLink();
+    _handleUri(initialUri);
+
     _subscription = _appLinks.uriLinkStream.listen(_handleUri);
   }