diff --git a/frontend/scripts/file-manager-browser.mjs b/frontend/scripts/file-manager-browser.mjs
index 09fa42bd..abce2a3e 100644
--- a/frontend/scripts/file-manager-browser.mjs
+++ b/frontend/scripts/file-manager-browser.mjs
@@ -79,6 +79,22 @@ try {
     assert.equal(await page.getByText('projects', { exact: true }).count() > 0, true);
     assert.deepEqual(errors, []);
     console.log('PASS a slow listing for a folder the user left does not pull them back');
+
+    // Blocked site data: every localStorage access throws. The view prefs
+    // used to read it unguarded during render, which took the page down.
+    const blocked = await browser.newPage();
+    const blockedErrors = [];
+    blocked.on('pageerror', error => blockedErrors.push(error.message));
+    await blocked.addInitScript(() => {
+        Object.defineProperty(window, 'localStorage', {
+            configurable: true,
+            get() { throw new DOMException('The operation is insecure.', 'SecurityError'); },
+        });
+    });
+    await blocked.goto(`http://127.0.0.1:${server.httpServer.address().port}/fm-check`);
+    await blocked.getByText('projects', { exact: true }).first().waitFor();
+    assert.deepEqual(blockedErrors, []);
+    console.log('PASS the File Manager renders and browses with storage blocked');
 } finally {
     await browser?.close();
     await server.close();
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/usePersistentState.js b/frontend/src/hooks/usePersistentState.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6019a161
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/usePersistentState.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+
+// Storage can be unavailable (blocked site data, some private modes) and then
+// throws on access. A preference is a convenience: it must never crash a page.
+export function readStorage(key) {
+    try {
+        return localStorage.getItem(key);
+    } catch {
+        return null;
+    }
+}
+
+export function writeStorage(key, value) {
+    try {
+        localStorage.setItem(key, value);
+    } catch {
+        // Unavailable storage: the preference just isn't remembered.
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * useState mirrored into localStorage.
+ *
+ * @param {string} key storage key
+ * @param {(stored: string|null) => any} init builds the initial value from
+ *   the stored string (null when nothing is stored or storage is unavailable)
+ * @param {(value: any) => string} [serialize] must be stable (module-level),
+ *   it is an effect dependency
+ */
+export default function usePersistentState(key, init, serialize = String) {
+    const [value, setValue] = useState(() => init(readStorage(key)));
+    useEffect(() => {
+        writeStorage(key, serialize(value));
+    }, [key, value, serialize]);
+    return [value, setValue];
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/FileManager.jsx b/frontend/src/pages/FileManager.jsx
index fbd1dbc5..52293b85 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/FileManager.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/FileManager.jsx
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { useClipboard } from '@/hooks/useClipboard';
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import { useTopbarActions } from '@/hooks/useTopbarActions';
 import { errorReason } from '@/utils/errorMessage';
+import usePersistentState from '@/hooks/usePersistentState';
 
 // Demo rail shortcuts (Quick access) — one-click jumps to the paths people
 // actually visit on a ServerKit host. "Stack" starts at the default install
@@ -119,6 +120,17 @@ const STORAGE = {
     sortDir: 'serverkit-fm-sort-dir',
 };
 
+const serializeExpanded = (set) => JSON.stringify([...set]);
+const parseExpanded = (stored) => {
+    try {
+        return stored ? new Set(JSON.parse(stored)) : new Set();
+    } catch {
+        return new Set();
+    }
+};
+const isNarrowScreen = () => typeof window !== 'undefined'
+    && window.matchMedia('(max-width: 1024px)').matches;
+
 const FILTER_OPTIONS = [
     { id: 'all', labelKey: 'common.labels.all', label: 'All' },
     { id: 'folder', labelKey: 'app.fileManager.folders', label: 'Folders' },
@@ -252,27 +264,19 @@ function FileManager() {
     const dragCounter = useRef(0);
 
     // ─── view prefs ──────────────────────────────────────
-    const [viewMode, setViewMode] = useState(() => localStorage.getItem(STORAGE.viewMode) || 'list');
+    const [viewMode, setViewMode] = usePersistentState(STORAGE.viewMode, (v) => v || 'list');
     const gridSize = 'md';
-    const [sortBy, setSortBy] = useState(() => localStorage.getItem(STORAGE.sortBy) || 'name');
-    const [sortDir, setSortDir] = useState(() => localStorage.getItem(STORAGE.sortDir) || 'asc');
+    const [sortBy, setSortBy] = usePersistentState(STORAGE.sortBy, (v) => v || 'name');
+    const [sortDir, setSortDir] = usePersistentState(STORAGE.sortDir, (v) => v || 'asc');
     const [activeFilter, setActiveFilter] = useState('all');
 
     // ─── left sidebar ────────────────────────────────────
-    const [sidebarVisible, setSidebarVisible] = useState(() => {
-        if (typeof window !== 'undefined' && window.matchMedia('(max-width: 1024px)').matches) return false;
-        const v = localStorage.getItem(STORAGE.sidebar);
-        return v !== null ? v === 'true' : true;
-    });
-    const [treeCollapsed, setTreeCollapsed] = useState(() => localStorage.getItem(STORAGE.treeCollapsed) === 'true');
+    const [sidebarVisible, setSidebarVisible] = usePersistentState(
+        STORAGE.sidebar, (v) => (isNarrowScreen() ? false : v !== null ? v === 'true' : true));
+    const [treeCollapsed, setTreeCollapsed] = usePersistentState(STORAGE.treeCollapsed, (v) => v === 'true');
 
     // ─── folder tree state ───────────────────────────────
-    const [treeExpanded, setTreeExpanded] = useState(() => {
-        try {
-            const stored = localStorage.getItem(STORAGE.expanded);
-            return stored ? new Set(JSON.parse(stored)) : new Set();
-        } catch { return new Set(); }
-    });
+    const [treeExpanded, setTreeExpanded] = usePersistentState(STORAGE.expanded, parseExpanded, serializeExpanded);
     const [treeCache, setTreeCache] = useState(new Map());
     const [treeLoading, setTreeLoading] = useState(new Set());
 
@@ -295,16 +299,6 @@ function FileManager() {
 
     const toast = useToast();
 
-    // ─── persistence ─────────────────────────────────────
-    useEffect(() => { localStorage.setItem(STORAGE.sidebar, sidebarVisible); }, [sidebarVisible]);
-    useEffect(() => { localStorage.setItem(STORAGE.treeCollapsed, treeCollapsed); }, [treeCollapsed]);
-    useEffect(() => { localStorage.setItem(STORAGE.viewMode, viewMode); }, [viewMode]);
-    useEffect(() => { localStorage.setItem(STORAGE.sortBy, sortBy); }, [sortBy]);
-    useEffect(() => { localStorage.setItem(STORAGE.sortDir, sortDir); }, [sortDir]);
-    useEffect(() => {
-        localStorage.setItem(STORAGE.expanded, JSON.stringify([...treeExpanded]));
-    }, [treeExpanded]);
-
     useEffect(() => {
         const pathFromUrl = searchParams.get('path') || '/home';
         if (pathFromUrl !== currentPath) {
@@ -483,7 +477,7 @@ function FileManager() {
             }
         }
         setTreeExpanded((s) => { const n = new Set(s); n.add(path); return n; });
-    }, [treeExpanded, treeCache, fileApi]);
+    }, [treeExpanded, treeCache, fileApi, setTreeExpanded]);
 
     // Auto-expand the tree along the current path so the active row is visible.
     useEffect(() => {