diff --git a/crates/github/src/api.rs b/crates/github/src/api.rs
index 3a2fb827..05c20aa5 100644
--- a/crates/github/src/api.rs
+++ b/crates/github/src/api.rs
@@ -40,9 +40,31 @@ pub fn github_check_cli_status(app: AppHandle) -> Result<GitHubCliStatus, String
       .output()
       .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to execute gh command: {}", e))?;
 
+   // gh auth status reports results on stderr. On some versions, exit code 0
+   // is returned even when the token is expired or invalid (see cli/cli#8845).
+   // Parse stderr to look for authentication failure indicators instead of
+   // relying solely on the exit code.
+   let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+
    if output.status.success() {
-      Ok(GitHubCliStatus::Authenticated)
+      // Exit code 0, but verify the output actually confirms authentication.
+      // A successful auth status contains "Logged in to" on stderr.
+      if stderr.contains("Logged in to") {
+         Ok(GitHubCliStatus::Authenticated)
+      } else if stderr.contains("not logged in")
+         || stderr.contains("no authentications")
+         || stderr.contains("token is invalid")
+         || stderr.contains("Failed to log in")
+         || (stderr.contains("The token") && stderr.contains("is invalid"))
+      {
+         // Token exists but is invalid/expired — gh still exits 0 in some versions
+         Ok(GitHubCliStatus::NotAuthenticated)
+      } else {
+         // Exit code 0 with no recognizable failure — assume authenticated
+         Ok(GitHubCliStatus::Authenticated)
+      }
    } else {
+      // Non-zero exit code always means not authenticated
       Ok(GitHubCliStatus::NotAuthenticated)
    }
 }
diff --git a/src/features/file-system/controllers/file-operations.ts b/src/features/file-system/controllers/file-operations.ts
index 9885ca34..57ccc4ac 100644
--- a/src/features/file-system/controllers/file-operations.ts
+++ b/src/features/file-system/controllers/file-operations.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 import type { FileEntry } from "../types/app";
 import {
-  getSymlinkInfo,
   createDirectory as platformCreateDirectory,
   deletePath as platformDeletePath,
   readDirectory as platformReadDirectory,
   readFile as platformReadFile,
   writeFile as platformWriteFile,
 } from "./platform";
-import { useFileSystemStore } from "./store";
 import { shouldIgnore } from "./utils";
 
 export async function readFileContent(path: string): Promise<string> {
@@ -60,7 +58,6 @@ export async function deleteFileOrDirectory(path: string): Promise<void> {
 export async function readDirectoryContents(path: string): Promise<FileEntry[]> {
   try {
     const entries = await platformReadDirectory(path);
-    const workspaceRoot = useFileSystemStore.getState().rootFolderPath;
 
     const filteredEntries = (entries as any[]).filter((entry: any) => {
       const name = entry.name || "Unknown";
@@ -68,34 +65,19 @@ export async function readDirectoryContents(path: string): Promise<FileEntry[]>
       return !shouldIgnore(name, isDir);
     });
 
-    const entriesWithSymlinkInfo = await Promise.all(
-      filteredEntries.map(async (entry: any) => {
-        const entryPath = entry.path || `${path}/${entry.name}`;
-
-        try {
-          const symlinkInfo = await getSymlinkInfo(entryPath, workspaceRoot);
-
-          return {
-            name: entry.name || "Unknown",
-            path: entryPath,
-            isDir: symlinkInfo.is_symlink ? false : entry.is_dir || false,
-            children: undefined,
-            isSymlink: symlinkInfo.is_symlink,
-            symlinkTarget: symlinkInfo.target,
-          };
-        } catch (error) {
-          console.error(`Failed to get symlink info for ${entryPath}:`, error);
-          return {
-            name: entry.name || "Unknown",
-            path: entryPath,
-            isDir: entry.is_dir || false,
-            children: undefined,
-          };
-        }
-      }),
-    );
-
-    return entriesWithSymlinkInfo;
+    // Skip per-entry symlink resolution during initial directory read.
+    // Symlink info is resolved lazily when a file is opened (handleFileSelect)
+    // or a directory is expanded, avoiding hundreds of stat syscalls that
+    // cause significant lag on large projects (see #572).
+    return filteredEntries.map((entry: any) => {
+      const entryPath = entry.path || `${path}/${entry.name}`;
+      return {
+        name: entry.name || "Unknown",
+        path: entryPath,
+        isDir: entry.is_dir || false,
+        children: undefined,
+      };
+    });
   } catch (error) {
     throw new Error(`Failed to read directory ${path}: ${error}`);
   }
diff --git a/src/features/file-system/controllers/store.ts b/src/features/file-system/controllers/store.ts
index 9523ba47..06102fae 100644
--- a/src/features/file-system/controllers/store.ts
+++ b/src/features/file-system/controllers/store.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ import {
   createNewFile,
   deleteFileOrDirectory,
   readDirectoryContents,
-  readFileContent,
 } from "./file-operations";
 import {
   addFileToTree,
@@ -791,38 +790,6 @@ export const useFileSystemStore = createSelectors(
           );
           fileOpenBenchmark.finish(path, "binary-buffer-opened");
         } else {
-          if (!path.startsWith("remote://")) {
-            try {
-              const fileData = await readFile(resolvedPath);
-
-              if (isStaleRequest()) return;
-
-              if (isBinaryContent(fileData)) {
-                openBuffer(
-                  path,
-                  fileName,
-                  "",
-                  false,
-                  undefined,
-                  false,
-                  false,
-                  undefined,
-                  false,
-                  false,
-                  false,
-                  undefined,
-                  false,
-                  false,
-                  true,
-                );
-                fileOpenBenchmark.finish(path, "binary-sniff-buffer-opened");
-                return;
-              }
-            } catch (error) {
-              console.error("Failed to inspect file bytes before opening:", error);
-            }
-          }
-
           // Check if external editor is enabled for text files
           const { settings } = useSettingsStore.getState();
           const { openExternalEditorBuffer } = useBufferStore.getState().actions;
@@ -867,7 +834,38 @@ export const useFileSystemStore = createSelectors(
               filePath: remotePath,
             });
           } else {
-            content = await readFileContent(resolvedPath);
+            // Read file as binary first to perform binary sniffing without
+            // a separate read pass (avoids reading large files twice, see #572).
+            const fileData = await readFile(resolvedPath);
+            fileOpenBenchmark.mark(path, "file-read-bytes", `${fileData.length} bytes`);
+
+            if (isStaleRequest()) return;
+
+            if (isBinaryContent(fileData)) {
+              openBuffer(
+                path,
+                fileName,
+                "",
+                false,
+                undefined,
+                false,
+                false,
+                undefined,
+                false,
+                false,
+                false,
+                undefined,
+                false,
+                false,
+                true,
+              );
+              fileOpenBenchmark.finish(path, "binary-sniff-buffer-opened");
+              return;
+            }
+
+            // Decode the already-read bytes instead of reading the file again
+            const decoder = new TextDecoder("utf-8");
+            content = decoder.decode(fileData);
           }
           fileOpenBenchmark.mark(path, "file-read", `${content.length} chars`);
 
@@ -1914,6 +1912,14 @@ export const useFileSystemStore = createSelectors(
 
           useWorkspaceTabsStore.getState().setActiveProjectTab(projectId);
 
+          // Close old project's buffers BEFORE loading new project to prevent
+          // race conditions between session save and restore, and to ensure
+          // terminal PTY processes from the old workspace are cleaned up
+          // before new ones are spawned.
+          if (currentBufferIds.length > 0) {
+            bufferActions.closeBuffersBatch(currentBufferIds, true);
+          }
+
           if (remoteTabInfo) {
             const reconnected = await get().handleOpenRemoteProject(
               remoteTabInfo.connectionId,
@@ -2060,10 +2066,6 @@ export const useFileSystemStore = createSelectors(
             })();
           }
 
-          if (currentBufferIds.length > 0) {
-            bufferActions.closeBuffersBatch(currentBufferIds, true);
-          }
-
           set((state) => {
             state.isSwitchingProject = false;
           });