diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/Apps.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/Apps.vue
index 9e562a0e..1993cfc6 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/Apps.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/Apps.vue
@@ -646,37 +646,51 @@ function launchAppNow(id: string) {
   useAppLauncherStore().openSession(id)
 }
 
-async function maybeShowCredentialsBeforeLaunch(id: string): Promise<boolean> {
-  try {
-    const result = await rpcClient.call<AppCredentialsResponse>({
+// Per-app credentials memo: the pre-launch RPC could hold an Apps-tab launch
+// hostage for its full 5s timeout over the mesh (home-card launches skip this
+// gate entirely, which is why they always felt instant). First launch waits at
+// most LAUNCH_CRED_BUDGET_MS; the RPC keeps running in the background and its
+// answer is memoized, so every later launch of that app resolves instantly.
+const LAUNCH_CRED_BUDGET_MS = 1200
+const credentialsCache = new Map<string, AppCredentialsResponse | null>()
+
+function fetchCredentials(id: string): Promise<AppCredentialsResponse | null> {
+  return rpcClient
+    .call<AppCredentialsResponse>({
       method: 'package.credentials',
       params: { app_id: id },
       timeout: 5000,
     })
-    const credentials = resolveAppCredentials(id, result)
-    if (!credentials) return false
-    credentialModal.value = {
-      show: true,
-      appId: id,
-      title: credentials.title || `${packages.value[id]?.manifest.title || id} credentials`,
-      description: credentials.description || 'Use these credentials when the app asks you to sign in.',
-      credentials: credentials.credentials,
-      copied: '',
-    }
-    return true
-  } catch {
-    const credentials = resolveAppCredentials(id, null)
-    if (!credentials) return false
-    credentialModal.value = {
-      show: true,
-      appId: id,
-      title: credentials.title || `${packages.value[id]?.manifest.title || id} credentials`,
-      description: credentials.description || 'Use these credentials when the app asks you to sign in.',
-      credentials: credentials.credentials,
-      copied: '',
-    }
-    return true
+    .then((r) => {
+      credentialsCache.set(id, r)
+      return r
+    })
+    .catch(() => {
+      credentialsCache.set(id, null)
+      return null
+    })
+}
+
+async function maybeShowCredentialsBeforeLaunch(id: string): Promise<boolean> {
+  const result = credentialsCache.has(id)
+    ? credentialsCache.get(id) ?? null
+    : await Promise.race([
+        fetchCredentials(id),
+        // Budget exceeded → launch with the static fallback config; the
+        // in-flight RPC still lands in the cache for next time.
+        new Promise<null>((resolve) => setTimeout(() => resolve(null), LAUNCH_CRED_BUDGET_MS)),
+      ])
+  const credentials = resolveAppCredentials(id, result)
+  if (!credentials) return false
+  credentialModal.value = {
+    show: true,
+    appId: id,
+    title: credentials.title || `${packages.value[id]?.manifest.title || id} credentials`,
+    description: credentials.description || 'Use these credentials when the app asks you to sign in.',
+    credentials: credentials.credentials,
+    copied: '',
   }
+  return true
 }
 
 function closeCredentialModal() {