diff --git a/lib/providers/bank_provider.dart b/lib/providers/bank_provider.dart
index 08e0c81..87067fa 100644
--- a/lib/providers/bank_provider.dart
+++ b/lib/providers/bank_provider.dart
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ class BankController extends ChangeNotifier {
   final IngtrakApi _api;
   final StorageService? _storage;
 
+  /// Fired after a successful live balance + transactions fetch.
+  ///
+  /// Used by [SyncController] to reconcile with PocketBase so a bank refresh
+  /// cannot leave the device behind the cloud (or wipe cloud-only history).
+  VoidCallback? onAfterSuccessfulLoad;
+
   ConnectStatus _status = ConnectStatus.disconnected;
   BankBalance? _balance;
   List<BankTransaction> _remoteTransactions = const [];
@@ -193,6 +199,7 @@ class BankController extends ChangeNotifier {
     _error = null;
     notifyListeners();
 
+    var loadedLive = false;
     try {
       try {
         _status = await _api.fetchStatus();
@@ -209,7 +216,7 @@ class BankController extends ChangeNotifier {
       // have a local snapshot. Never wipe local txs because status said
       // "unlinked" — only a 409 from balance/transactions clears them.
       if (_status.linked || hasData) {
-        await _loadLinkedData();
+        loadedLive = await _loadLinkedData();
         await _persistCache();
       }
     } on IngtrakApiException catch (error, stackTrace) {
@@ -230,16 +237,24 @@ class BankController extends ChangeNotifier {
       _isLoading = false;
       notifyListeners();
     }
+
+    if (loadedLive) {
+      onAfterSuccessfulLoad?.call();
+    }
   }
 
-  Future<void> _loadLinkedData() async {
+  /// Returns true when balance + transactions were fetched successfully.
+  Future<bool> _loadLinkedData() async {
     try {
       final results = await Future.wait([
         _api.fetchBalance(),
         _api.fetchTransactions(),
       ]);
       _balance = results[0] as BankBalance;
-      _remoteTransactions = results[1] as List<BankTransaction>;
+      final apiTxs = results[1] as List<BankTransaction>;
+      // Bank API is ~89 days. Prefer API rows for overlaps, but keep any
+      // cloud/CSV history that the API window does not include.
+      _remoteTransactions = mergeTransactions(apiTxs, _remoteTransactions);
       if (!_status.linked) {
         _status = ConnectStatus(
           status: 'linked',
@@ -257,6 +272,7 @@ class BankController extends ChangeNotifier {
       _invalidateMerged();
       await _persistImported();
       _error = null;
+      return true;
     } on IngtrakApiException catch (error) {
       if (error.isNotLinked) {
         // Confirmed unlinked by data endpoints — clear remote only.
@@ -272,6 +288,7 @@ class BankController extends ChangeNotifier {
         // Keep previous balance/txs if refresh of data fails.
         _error = 'Using saved data · ${error.message}';
       }
+      return false;
     }
   }
 
@@ -349,11 +366,19 @@ class BankController extends ChangeNotifier {
         state: state ?? _pendingState,
       );
       _pendingState = null;
+      var loadedLive = false;
       if (_status.linked) {
-        await _loadLinkedData();
+        loadedLive = await _loadLinkedData();
         await _persistCache();
       }
-      return _status.linked;
+      final linked = _status.linked;
+      // Notify before cloud reconcile so UI can leave the connecting state.
+      _isLoading = false;
+      notifyListeners();
+      if (loadedLive) {
+        onAfterSuccessfulLoad?.call();
+      }
+      return linked;
     } on IngtrakApiException catch (error, stackTrace) {
       _error = error.message;
       debugPrint('BankController.completeWithCode failed: $error\n$stackTrace');
@@ -363,13 +388,16 @@ class BankController extends ChangeNotifier {
       debugPrint('BankController.completeWithCode failed: $error\n$stackTrace');
       return false;
     } finally {
-      _isLoading = false;
-      notifyListeners();
+      if (_isLoading) {
+        _isLoading = false;
+        notifyListeners();
+      }
     }
   }
 
   @override
   void dispose() {
+    onAfterSuccessfulLoad = null;
     _api.close();
     super.dispose();
   }
diff --git a/lib/providers/sync_provider.dart b/lib/providers/sync_provider.dart
index 6ebcba6..72e1b65 100644
--- a/lib/providers/sync_provider.dart
+++ b/lib/providers/sync_provider.dart
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class SyncController extends ChangeNotifier {
     _wasLoggedIn = auth.isLoggedIn;
     _meta.onPersisted = _schedulePush;
     _auth.addListener(_onAuthChanged);
+    _bank.onAfterSuccessfulLoad = _onBankDataLoaded;
     if (_auth.isLoggedIn) {
       unawaited(syncNow());
     }
@@ -188,6 +189,33 @@ class SyncController extends ChangeNotifier {
     }
   }
 
+  /// Bank pull-to-refresh / reconnect finished — reconcile with PocketBase.
+  ///
+  /// Always runs a full sync when logged in so (1) new API txs are pushed and
+  /// (2) any cloud-only history the bank window lacks is pulled back.
+  void _onBankDataLoaded() {
+    if (!_auth.isLoggedIn) return;
+    unawaited(syncNow());
+  }
+
+  /// If the server has more bank txs than this device, sync now.
+  Future<void> syncIfBehindServer() async {
+    if (!_auth.isLoggedIn || _syncing) return;
+    try {
+      final remoteCount =
+          await PbSyncService(_auth.client).countTransactions();
+      if (remoteCount > _bank.transactions.length) {
+        debugPrint(
+          'SyncController: behind server '
+          '(local=${_bank.transactions.length} remote=$remoteCount) — syncing',
+        );
+        await syncNow();
+      }
+    } catch (error, stackTrace) {
+      debugPrint('SyncController.syncIfBehindServer failed: $error\n$stackTrace');
+    }
+  }
+
   void _schedulePush() {
     if (!_auth.isLoggedIn) return;
     _pushDebounce?.cancel();
@@ -329,6 +357,7 @@ class SyncController extends ChangeNotifier {
     _progressHold?.cancel();
     _uiNotifyThrottle?.cancel();
     _auth.removeListener(_onAuthChanged);
+    _bank.onAfterSuccessfulLoad = null;
     _meta.onPersisted = null;
     super.dispose();
   }
diff --git a/lib/screens/main_shell.dart b/lib/screens/main_shell.dart
index 42ab80d..69cce8c 100644
--- a/lib/screens/main_shell.dart
+++ b/lib/screens/main_shell.dart
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 library;
 
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:provider/provider.dart';
 
+import '../providers/sync_provider.dart';
 import '../widgets/shell_tab_scope.dart';
 import 'home_screen.dart';
 import 'look_ahead_screen.dart';
@@ -24,6 +26,15 @@ class _MainShellState extends State<MainShell> {
     LookAheadScreen(),
   ];
 
+  @override
+  void initState() {
+    super.initState();
+    WidgetsBinding.instance.addPostFrameCallback((_) {
+      if (!mounted) return;
+      context.read<SyncController>().syncIfBehindServer();
+    });
+  }
+
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
     return ShellTabScope(
diff --git a/lib/services/pb_sync_service.dart b/lib/services/pb_sync_service.dart
index a9076e9..ebd92f9 100644
--- a/lib/services/pb_sync_service.dart
+++ b/lib/services/pb_sync_service.dart
@@ -335,6 +335,22 @@ class PbSyncService {
     );
   }
 
+  /// Cheap remote count for stale detection (1 row, with totals).
+  Future<int> countTransactions() async {
+    final userId = _userId;
+    final filter = 'user="$userId"';
+    final result = await _withTimeout(
+      _pb.collection('transactions').getList(
+            page: 1,
+            perPage: 1,
+            filter: filter,
+            skipTotal: false,
+          ),
+      label: 'transactions count',
+    );
+    return result.totalItems;
+  }
+
   /// Pulls the full bank transaction list for the signed-in user.
   Future<List<BankTransaction>> pullTransactions({
     void Function(double progress)? onProgress,
diff --git a/test/pb_sync_merge_test.dart b/test/pb_sync_merge_test.dart
index 1e37974..86cd29d 100644
--- a/test/pb_sync_merge_test.dart
+++ b/test/pb_sync_merge_test.dart
@@ -97,4 +97,40 @@ void main() {
     ]));
     expect(merged.first.date, '2024-01-03');
   });
+
+  test('bank API merge keeps cloud-only txs outside the API window', () {
+    const cloudOnly = BankTransaction(
+      date: '2020-06-01',
+      description: 'Old cloud tx',
+      amount: -20,
+      currency: 'EUR',
+      pending: false,
+    );
+    const recentShared = BankTransaction(
+      date: '2026-09-01',
+      description: 'Recent Shop',
+      amount: -5,
+      currency: 'EUR',
+      pending: false,
+    );
+    const apiOnly = BankTransaction(
+      date: '2026-09-02',
+      description: 'New API tx',
+      amount: -3,
+      currency: 'EUR',
+      pending: false,
+    );
+
+    // Same order as BankController._loadLinkedData: API first, then existing.
+    final afterRefresh = mergeBankTransactionLists(
+      [recentShared, apiOnly],
+      [cloudOnly, recentShared],
+    );
+
+    expect(afterRefresh.length, 3);
+    expect(
+      afterRefresh.map((t) => t.description),
+      containsAll(['Old cloud tx', 'Recent Shop', 'New API tx']),
+    );
+  });
 }