diff --git a/frontend/src/api/endpoints.ts b/frontend/src/api/endpoints.ts
index ba9c8098..17550db0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/api/endpoints.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/api/endpoints.ts
@@ -147,7 +147,9 @@ export async function apiClient<T>(
           try {
             const refreshResponse = await refreshTokens();
             tokenStorage.setAccessToken(refreshResponse.accessToken);
-            notifyTokenRefreshed(refreshResponse.accessToken);
+            // Forward the fresh user too so AuthContext updates both the user
+            // object and isAuthenticated, not just the stored token (#560).
+            notifyTokenRefreshed(refreshResponse.accessToken, refreshResponse.user);
             // Retry the original request with hasTriedRefresh = true
             return attemptRequest(attempt, true);
           } catch (refreshError) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/api/tokens.ts b/frontend/src/api/tokens.ts
index e45f8c3d..0ef8d901 100644
--- a/frontend/src/api/tokens.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/api/tokens.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,20 @@
+import type { User } from './types';
+
 const ACCESS_TOKEN_KEY = 'accessToken';
 
-// Called by apiClient after a silent token refresh so AuthContext can stay in sync.
-let _onTokenRefreshed: ((accessToken: string) => void) | null = null;
-export const setTokenRefreshCallback = (cb: (accessToken: string) => void) => {
+/**
+ * Callback invoked after `apiClient` silently refreshes the access token, so
+ * AuthContext can keep its reactive `isAuthenticated` / `user` state in sync.
+ * The fresh `user` from the refresh response is forwarded when available.
+ */
+type TokenRefreshCallback = (accessToken: string, user?: User | null) => void;
+
+let _onTokenRefreshed: TokenRefreshCallback | null = null;
+export const setTokenRefreshCallback = (cb: TokenRefreshCallback) => {
   _onTokenRefreshed = cb;
 };
-export const notifyTokenRefreshed = (accessToken: string) => {
-  _onTokenRefreshed?.(accessToken);
+export const notifyTokenRefreshed = (accessToken: string, user?: User | null) => {
+  _onTokenRefreshed?.(accessToken, user);
 };
 
 export const tokenStorage = {
diff --git a/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.test.tsx b/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0f09c3b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { render, screen, act } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+import { AuthProvider, useAuth } from './AuthContext';
+import { tokenStorage, notifyTokenRefreshed } from '../api/tokens';
+import { User, UserRole } from '../api/types';
+
+/** Build a JWT-shaped token whose `exp` is `offsetSec` from now. */
+const makeToken = (offsetSec: number): string => {
+  const payload = btoa(
+    JSON.stringify({ exp: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) + offsetSec }),
+  );
+  return `header.${payload}.signature`;
+};
+
+const sampleUser: User = {
+  id: '1',
+  email: 'alice@example.com',
+  firstName: 'Alice',
+  lastName: 'Doe',
+  role: UserRole.USER,
+};
+
+const Consumer: React.FC = () => {
+  const { isAuthenticated, user } = useAuth();
+  return (
+    <div>
+      <span data-testid="auth">{String(isAuthenticated)}</span>
+      <span data-testid="user">{user?.email ?? 'none'}</span>
+    </div>
+  );
+};
+
+const renderAuth = () =>
+  render(
+    <AuthProvider>
+      <Consumer />
+    </AuthProvider>,
+  );
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  localStorage.clear();
+});
+
+describe('AuthContext silent token refresh (#560)', () => {
+  it('flips isAuthenticated to true and sets the user after a silent refresh', () => {
+    // Start unauthenticated (no token, no user).
+    renderAuth();
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('auth').textContent).toBe('false');
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('user').textContent).toBe('none');
+
+    // Simulate apiClient's background refresh writing a fresh token + user.
+    act(() => {
+      tokenStorage.setAccessToken(makeToken(3600));
+      notifyTokenRefreshed(makeToken(3600), sampleUser);
+    });
+
+    // Context updates immediately — no waiting for the 5-minute expiry check.
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('auth').textContent).toBe('true');
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('user').textContent).toBe('alice@example.com');
+  });
+
+  it('updates the user object from the refresh response', () => {
+    localStorage.setItem('user', JSON.stringify(sampleUser));
+    tokenStorage.setAccessToken(makeToken(3600));
+
+    renderAuth();
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('user').textContent).toBe('alice@example.com');
+
+    const updated: User = { ...sampleUser, email: 'alice.new@example.com' };
+    act(() => {
+      tokenStorage.setAccessToken(makeToken(3600));
+      notifyTokenRefreshed(makeToken(3600), updated);
+    });
+
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('user').textContent).toBe('alice.new@example.com');
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('auth').textContent).toBe('true');
+  });
+
+  it('keeps isAuthenticated true when a refresh carries no user (token only)', () => {
+    localStorage.setItem('user', JSON.stringify(sampleUser));
+    tokenStorage.setAccessToken(makeToken(-100)); // expired going in
+
+    renderAuth();
+    // Mount cleared the expired token, so we are unauthenticated.
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('auth').textContent).toBe('false');
+
+    // A refresh without a user should still re-authenticate if a user exists...
+    // here there is no user (it was cleared), so it stays false but does not throw.
+    act(() => {
+      notifyTokenRefreshed(makeToken(3600));
+    });
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('auth').textContent).toBe('false');
+  });
+
+  it('ignores a refreshed token that is already expired', () => {
+    renderAuth();
+    act(() => {
+      notifyTokenRefreshed(makeToken(-100), sampleUser);
+    });
+    // Expired token must not authenticate.
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('auth').textContent).toBe('false');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.tsx b/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.tsx
index 2175dc62..c2e8ef55 100644
--- a/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/context/AuthContext.tsx
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ export const AuthProvider: React.FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ children }) =>
     }
   });
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState<boolean>(true);
+  // Track the access token in React state so `isAuthenticated` is reactive.
+  // Reading `tokenStorage` directly during render would not re-render when a
+  // silent refresh writes a new token, leaving consumers with stale auth state.
+  const [accessToken, setAccessTokenState] = useState<string | null>(() =>
+    tokenStorage.getAccessToken(),
+  );
 
   // #559 — derive isAuthenticated once per token/user change, not on every render
   const isAuthenticated = useMemo(() => {
@@ -50,16 +56,27 @@ export const AuthProvider: React.FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ children }) =>
   useEffect(() => {
     // Check token expiration on app load
     const checkTokenExpiration = () => {
+      const currentToken = tokenStorage.getAccessToken();
+
+      if (currentToken && isTokenExpired(currentToken)) {
+        // Token is expired, clear auth state
       const accessToken = tokenStorage.getAccessToken();
 
       if (accessToken && isTokenExpired(accessToken)) {
         console.warn('Access token expired, clearing authentication state');
         tokenStorage.clearTokens();
         setUserState(null);
+        setAccessTokenState(null);
         localStorage.removeItem('user');
+      } else if (!currentToken) {
+        // No token, clear user state
       } else if (!accessToken) {
         setUserState(null);
+        setAccessTokenState(null);
         localStorage.removeItem('user');
+      } else {
+        // Valid token — keep reactive state in sync with storage.
+        setAccessTokenState(currentToken);
       }
 
       setIsLoading(false);
@@ -67,6 +84,29 @@ export const AuthProvider: React.FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ children }) =>
 
     checkTokenExpiration();
 
+    // Keep AuthContext in sync when apiClient silently refreshes the access
+    // token. Updating the reactive token (and user, when the refresh response
+    // carries one) re-renders consumers so `isAuthenticated` reflects the new
+    // valid token immediately, instead of waiting for the 5-minute check (#560).
+    setTokenRefreshCallback((newAccessToken, refreshedUser) => {
+      if (isTokenExpired(newAccessToken)) {
+        return;
+      }
+      setAccessTokenState(newAccessToken);
+      if (refreshedUser) {
+        setUserState(refreshedUser);
+      }
+      setIsLoading(false);
+    });
+
+    // Set up periodic token expiration check (every 5 minutes)
+    const interval = setInterval(checkTokenExpiration, 5 * 60 * 1000);
+
+    return () => {
+      clearInterval(interval);
+      // Drop the callback so a torn-down provider can't update stale state.
+      setTokenRefreshCallback(() => {});
+    };
     const interval = setInterval(checkTokenExpiration, 5 * 60 * 1000);
     return () => clearInterval(interval);
   }, []);
@@ -87,6 +127,7 @@ export const AuthProvider: React.FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ children }) =>
 
     localStorage.removeItem('user');
     tokenStorage.clearTokens();
+    setAccessTokenState(null);
   }, [user]);
 
   const setUser = (nextUser: User | null) => setUserState(nextUser);
@@ -94,6 +135,7 @@ export const AuthProvider: React.FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ children }) =>
   const clearAuth = () => {
     setUserState(null);
     tokenStorage.clearTokens();
+    setAccessTokenState(null);
     localStorage.removeItem('user');
   };