diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 7eb409a4..836e5722 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ npm run skills:generate  # Regenerate agent_atom_registry seed after editing an
 ## Architecture
 
 - **Journal entry lifecycle**: `createDraftEntry()` → `commitEntry()` (atomic voucher via `commit_journal_entry` RPC); `createJournalEntry()` does both. Everything accounting-shaped routes through this engine.
-- **Tenancy**: every business table has `company_id`. Active company resolves in `lib/supabase/middleware.ts`: `gnubok-company-id` cookie → `user_preferences.active_company_id` → first membership. RLS uses `user_company_ids()`; queries still filter by `company_id` explicitly (defense in depth: service-role paths have no RLS).
+- **Tenancy**: every business table has `company_id`. Active company resolves in `lib/supabase/middleware.ts` from `user_preferences.active_company_id` (authoritative: RLS reads the same value via `current_active_company_id()`), falling back to first non-archived membership. The `gnubok-company-id` cookie is written as a hint for legacy read paths but deliberately no longer read: letting it override the DB would desync Next.js from RLS. RLS uses `user_company_ids()`; queries still filter by `company_id` explicitly (defense in depth: service-role paths have no RLS).
 - **Auth**: Supabase email+password + TOTP MFA, enforced **application-side**, not in RLS. `NEXT_PUBLIC_REQUIRE_MFA=true` on hosted; `NEXT_PUBLIC_SELF_HOSTED=true` disables MFA. API routes wrap `withRouteContext`: it is the only path that enforces MFA, so never hand-roll `supabase.auth.getUser()` in a route.
 - **Events**: `lib/events/bus.ts` is a module-level singleton. Any route that emits events must call `ensureInitialized()` (`lib/init.ts`) at module level: otherwise extension handlers are never wired and events silently go nowhere.
 - **Supabase clients**: browser `client.ts`, server `createClient()`, service role `createServiceClient()`, cookieless service role `createServiceClientNoCookies()` (lives in `lib/auth/api-keys.ts`; for API-key/MCP paths). Paginate with `fetchAllRows()`: PostgREST silently caps at 1000 rows.
diff --git a/DECISIONS.md b/DECISIONS.md
index 8ecb550b..058be807 100644
--- a/DECISIONS.md
+++ b/DECISIONS.md
@@ -206,3 +206,6 @@ One line per decision: `[YYYY-MM-DD] <decision>: <why>`. Appended by agents and
 [2026-07-15] Issue #735 result-appropriation: did NOT run the mass 2099-to-2098 backfill. Prod audit showed the script read the FROZEN opening-balance 2099, not the CURRENT posted balance: 202 of 360 planned periods already carried their own disposition (mostly via SIE import) and 43 would have double-moved equity (worst case tens of MSEK on a single company), while periods without an OB entry fabricated balances via the cumulative-history fallback. Posted ONE verified entry for the reporting company (unblocking their arsredovisning) and rewrote the script to a current-balance-safe backfill: eligibility decided from current posted 2099, explicit OB entry required, already-disposed and ambiguous periods skipped to a manual-review report. planResultAppropriation/generateResultAppropriation untouched (steady-state year-end path, covered by pg-real tests); the safety lives in the sweep.
 [2026-07-17] create_account now enforces first-digit vs account_type consistency (superRefine at the commit boundary + fail-fast in the MCP tool): class 8 legitimately allows both revenue and expense (financial items per the BAS catalog), classes 0/9 stay unconstrained (free-use per the BAS standard); prevents contradictory rows like 2999+expense whose derived account_class would misclassify balance sheet vs income statement. PR-review findings on set_voucher_note (posted-entry immutability, BFL 5:5 audit trail) were refuted, not fixed: the notes-only carve-out is migration 20260608120000's whole-row to_jsonb diff and audit_journal_entries already records old/new on every UPDATE.
 [2026-07-17] Assistenten settings opens on Kunskap (konteringskarta) instead of Minne; dropped the nested Kompetens/Minne tab row inside Kunskap: it duplicated the top-level tabs one row above.
+[2026-07-17] getActiveCompanyId now throws CompanyContextError('resolution_failed') on query failure instead of returning null (issue #1053): null was indistinguishable from "no companies" and every caller redirects that state to /onboarding, so a transient DB failure showed onboarded users the wizard. Chose throw-at-the-source over a degraded-flag return so all redirect sites are fixed at once; withRouteContext already try/catches the call. The Edge middleware copy keeps a degraded flag instead (middleware cannot throw usefully) and fails open.
+[2026-07-17] Amount-less invoice rows (quantity 0 and unit price 0) render as text rows on PDF/detail/review via shared isTextLikeLine() instead of printing "0 / 0,00 SEK / 0,00 SEK" (issue #1053): users write free-text lines through the article picker's "Egen rad (fri text)" product row, not only the dedicated textrad button. Display-only; booking and validation semantics untouched.
+[2026-07-17] Articles default sort is article_number (numeric-aware via Intl.Collator numeric, unnumbered last, name tiebreak) in both the register and the invoice editor picker, replacing name order (issue #1053): users number articles precisely to control listing order, matching Fortnox convention.
diff --git a/app/(dashboard)/articles/page.tsx b/app/(dashboard)/articles/page.tsx
index d46bff55..56270a30 100644
--- a/app/(dashboard)/articles/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(dashboard)/articles/page.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import { EmptyState } from '@/components/ui/empty-state'
 import { PageHeader } from '@/components/ui/page-header'
 import { ReportExportMenu } from '@/components/reports/ReportExportMenu'
 import { formatCurrency } from '@/lib/utils'
+import { compareArticles } from '@/lib/articles/sort'
 import Link from 'next/link'
 import { useCompany } from '@/contexts/CompanyContext'
 import { useCanWrite } from '@/lib/hooks/use-can-write'
@@ -76,9 +77,10 @@ function ArticlesPageInner() {
 
   const sortParam = searchParams.get('sort')
   const dirParam = searchParams.get('dir')
+  // Default to the user's own article numbering (numeric-aware), issue #1053.
   const sortColumn: SortColumn = (SORTABLE_COLUMNS as ReadonlyArray<string>).includes(sortParam ?? '')
     ? (sortParam as SortColumn)
-    : 'name'
+    : 'article_number'
   const sortDir: SortDir = dirParam === 'desc' ? 'desc' : 'asc'
 
   const updateSort = useCallback(
@@ -193,7 +195,7 @@ function ArticlesPageInner() {
           cmp = compareStrings(a.name || '', b.name || '')
           break
         case 'article_number':
-          cmp = compareStrings(a.article_number || '', b.article_number || '')
+          cmp = compareArticles(a, b)
           break
         case 'type':
           cmp = compareStrings(a.type || '', b.type || '')
diff --git a/app/(dashboard)/invoices/[id]/page.tsx b/app/(dashboard)/invoices/[id]/page.tsx
index 9f36f7c2..9579a60f 100644
--- a/app/(dashboard)/invoices/[id]/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(dashboard)/invoices/[id]/page.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { Separator } from '@/components/ui/separator'
 import { useToast } from '@/components/ui/use-toast'
 import { formatCurrency, formatDate, cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { getVatTreatmentLabel } from '@/lib/invoices/vat-rules'
-import { invoiceDisplayNumber } from '@/lib/invoices/display'
+import { invoiceDisplayNumber, isTextLikeLine } from '@/lib/invoices/display'
 import { getDisplayTotal } from '@/lib/invoices/rounding'
 import { isEditableInvoiceDraft } from '@/lib/invoices/is-editable-draft'
 import { creditNoteNeedsJournalEntry } from '@/lib/invoices/issue-credit-note'
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ export default function InvoiceDetailPage({ params }: { params: Promise<{ id: st
                   numeric columns; a blank one renders as a spacer. */}
               <div className="hidden sm:block space-y-4">
                 {invoice.items.map((item) =>
-                  item.line_type === 'text' ? (
+                  isTextLikeLine(item) ? (
                     <div key={item.id} className="grid grid-cols-12 gap-4 text-sm">
                       <div className="col-span-12 text-muted-foreground">{item.description || ' '}</div>
                     </div>
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ export default function InvoiceDetailPage({ params }: { params: Promise<{ id: st
               {/* Items, mobile cards */}
               <div className="sm:hidden space-y-2">
                 {invoice.items.map((item) =>
-                  item.line_type === 'text' ? (
+                  isTextLikeLine(item) ? (
                     <p key={item.id} className="text-sm text-muted-foreground px-1">{item.description || ' '}</p>
                   ) : (
                     <div key={item.id} className="border rounded-lg p-3 text-sm space-y-1.5">
diff --git a/app/(dashboard)/page.tsx b/app/(dashboard)/page.tsx
index b45798b7..30536fb3 100644
--- a/app/(dashboard)/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(dashboard)/page.tsx
@@ -29,16 +29,20 @@ export default async function DashboardPage() {
   const rawCompanyId = cookieStore.get('gnubok-company-id')?.value
     ?? await getActiveCompanyId(supabase, user.id)
 
-  // Validate the cookie/preference points to a company the user can access
+  // Validate the cookie/preference points to a company the user can access.
+  // Only a positive "no membership row" clears it: a FAILED query means the
+  // membership is unknown, and treating that as absent bounced onboarded
+  // users to the wizard on transient failures (issue #1053). RLS still
+  // guards every downstream query if the cookie is stale.
   let companyId = rawCompanyId
   if (companyId) {
-    const { data: membership } = await supabase
+    const { data: membership, error: membershipError } = await supabase
       .from('company_members')
       .select('company_id')
       .eq('company_id', companyId)
       .eq('user_id', user.id)
       .maybeSingle()
-    if (!membership) companyId = null
+    if (!membership && !membershipError) companyId = null
   }
 
   if (!companyId) {
@@ -54,7 +58,7 @@ export default async function DashboardPage() {
 
   // Fetch all data in parallel
   const [
-    { data: settings },
+    settingsRes,
     { count: customerCount },
     { count: invoiceCount },
     { count: receiptCount },
@@ -71,7 +75,7 @@ export default async function DashboardPage() {
     worklist,
     suggestedMatches,
   ] = await Promise.all([
-    supabase.from('company_settings').select('*').eq('company_id', companyId).single(),
+    supabase.from('company_settings').select('*').eq('company_id', companyId).maybeSingle(),
     supabase.from('customers').select('*', { count: 'exact', head: true }).eq('company_id', companyId),
     supabase.from('invoices').select('*', { count: 'exact', head: true }).eq('company_id', companyId),
     supabase.from('receipts').select('*', { count: 'exact', head: true }).eq('company_id', companyId),
@@ -100,6 +104,15 @@ export default async function DashboardPage() {
     listSuggestedMatches(supabase, companyId, 5),
   ])
 
+  // A FAILED settings read must not masquerade as "onboarding not done":
+  // that sent fully onboarded users back to the wizard on a transient query
+  // failure (issue #1053). Throw to the error boundary (retryable) and only
+  // redirect on a genuinely incomplete or missing settings row.
+  const { data: settings, error: settingsError } = settingsRes
+  if (settingsError) {
+    throw new Error(`company_settings fetch failed: ${settingsError.message}`)
+  }
+
   // If onboarding is not complete, redirect to onboarding
   if (!settings?.onboarding_complete) {
     redirect('/onboarding')
diff --git a/components/invoices/InvoiceEditor.tsx b/components/invoices/InvoiceEditor.tsx
index 84c0103a..09a0e736 100644
--- a/components/invoices/InvoiceEditor.tsx
+++ b/components/invoices/InvoiceEditor.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import { Tabs, TabsList, TabsTrigger } from '@/components/ui/tabs'
 import { useToast } from '@/components/ui/use-toast'
 import { formatCurrency } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { getVatRules, getAvailableVatRates } from '@/lib/invoices/vat-rules'
+import { sortArticles } from '@/lib/articles/sort'
 import { getAmountToPay } from '@/lib/invoices/rounding'
 import { Dialog, DialogContent, DialogHeader, DialogTitle, DialogDescription, DialogFooter } from '@/components/ui/dialog'
 import { Loader2, Plus, Trash2, ArrowLeft, Send, Eye, Landmark, Lock, AlertTriangle, MoreVertical, CalendarClock, Tags, Copy } from 'lucide-react'
@@ -479,8 +480,9 @@ export default function InvoiceEditor(props: InvoiceEditorProps = { mode: 'creat
       .select('id, article_number, name, unit, price_excl_vat, vat_rate, revenue_account, currency')
       .eq('company_id', company.id)
       .eq('active', true)
-      .order('name')
-    setArticles((data ?? []) as ArticleOption[])
+    // Numeric-aware order by article number ('2' before '10', unnumbered last):
+    // the picker should follow the user's own numbering, not the alphabet.
+    setArticles(sortArticles((data ?? []) as ArticleOption[]))
   }
 
   async function fetchRevenueAccounts() {
@@ -566,7 +568,7 @@ export default function InvoiceEditor(props: InvoiceEditorProps = { mode: 'creat
         throw new Error(getErrorMessage(result, { context: 'article', statusCode: response.status }))
       }
       const created = result.data as ArticleOption
-      setArticles((prev) => [...prev, created].sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name, 'sv')))
+      setArticles((prev) => sortArticles([...prev, created]))
       setValue(`items.${index}.article_id`, created.id, { shouldDirty: true })
       toast({ title: t('article_saved_title'), description: created.name })
     } catch (error) {
@@ -956,7 +958,7 @@ export default function InvoiceEditor(props: InvoiceEditorProps = { mode: 'creat
         title: ts('created_title'),
         description: ts('created_description', { number: data.external_invoice_number ?? '' }),
       })
-      router.push(`/invoices/${result.data.id}`)
+      router.replace(`/invoices/${result.data.id}`)
     } catch (error) {
       toast({
         title: ts('create_failed_title'),
@@ -1033,7 +1035,7 @@ export default function InvoiceEditor(props: InvoiceEditorProps = { mode: 'creat
     if (selectedCustomer?.email && createdInvoiceId && hasEmailSend) {
       setShowSendPrompt(true)
     } else if (createdInvoiceId) {
-      router.push(`/invoices/${createdInvoiceId}`)
+      router.replace(`/invoices/${createdInvoiceId}`)
     }
   }
 
@@ -1103,7 +1105,7 @@ export default function InvoiceEditor(props: InvoiceEditorProps = { mode: 'creat
       } else if (selectedCustomer?.email && hasEmailSend) {
         setShowSendPrompt(true)
       } else {
-        router.push(`/invoices/${result.data.id}`)
+        router.replace(`/invoices/${result.data.id}`)
       }
     } catch (error) {
       toast({
@@ -1162,7 +1164,10 @@ export default function InvoiceEditor(props: InvoiceEditorProps = { mode: 'creat
         title: t('toast_draft_saved_title'),
         description: t('toast_draft_saved_description'),
       })
-      router.push(`/invoices/${result.data.id}`)
+      // replace (here and in every post-save navigation): the editor page must
+      // drop out of history, or the detail page's back arrow reopens a fresh
+      // editor instead of returning to the list (issue #1053).
+      router.replace(`/invoices/${result.data.id}`)
     } catch (error) {
       toast({
         title: t('save_draft_failed_title'),
@@ -1220,7 +1225,7 @@ export default function InvoiceEditor(props: InvoiceEditorProps = { mode: 'creat
         title: t('toast_draft_updated_title'),
         description: t('toast_draft_updated_description'),
       })
-      router.push(`/invoices/${initial.id}`)
+      router.replace(`/invoices/${initial.id}`)
     } catch (error) {
       toast({
         title: t('update_failed_title'),
@@ -1259,7 +1264,7 @@ export default function InvoiceEditor(props: InvoiceEditorProps = { mode: 'creat
     } finally {
       setIsSending(false)
       setShowSendPrompt(false)
-      router.push(`/invoices/${createdInvoiceId}`)
+      router.replace(`/invoices/${createdInvoiceId}`)
     }
   }
 
@@ -2504,7 +2509,7 @@ export default function InvoiceEditor(props: InvoiceEditorProps = { mode: 'creat
       <Dialog open={showSendPrompt} onOpenChange={(open) => {
         if (!open && createdInvoiceId) {
           setShowSendPrompt(false)
-          router.push(`/invoices/${createdInvoiceId}`)
+          router.replace(`/invoices/${createdInvoiceId}`)
         }
       }}>
         <DialogContent>
@@ -2519,7 +2524,7 @@ export default function InvoiceEditor(props: InvoiceEditorProps = { mode: 'creat
               variant="outline"
               onClick={() => {
                 setShowSendPrompt(false)
-                if (createdInvoiceId) router.push(`/invoices/${createdInvoiceId}`)
+                if (createdInvoiceId) router.replace(`/invoices/${createdInvoiceId}`)
               }}
               disabled={isSending}
             >
diff --git a/components/invoices/InvoiceReviewContent.tsx b/components/invoices/InvoiceReviewContent.tsx
index 36e02fa7..f0e3f63b 100644
--- a/components/invoices/InvoiceReviewContent.tsx
+++ b/components/invoices/InvoiceReviewContent.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { Badge } from '@/components/ui/badge'
 import { Separator } from '@/components/ui/separator'
 import { formatCurrency, formatDate } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { getDisplayTotal } from '@/lib/invoices/rounding'
+import { isTextLikeLine } from '@/lib/invoices/display'
 import { itemHasAccrual } from '@/lib/bookkeeping/accruals/account-suggestions'
 import type { Customer, Currency } from '@/types'
 
@@ -73,10 +74,11 @@ export function InvoiceReviewContent({
     non_eu_business: t('customer_type_non_eu_business'),
   }
 
-  // Calculate per-rate VAT breakdown (free-text rows carry no amounts).
+  // Calculate per-rate VAT breakdown (free-text and amount-less rows carry
+  // no amounts and must not seed an empty rate group).
   const vatByRate = new Map<number, number>()
   for (const item of items) {
-    if (item.line_type === 'text') continue
+    if (isTextLikeLine(item)) continue
     const rate = item.vat_rate ?? 0
     const lineTotal = item.quantity * item.unit_price
     const lineVat = Math.round(lineTotal * rate / 100 * 100) / 100
@@ -131,7 +133,7 @@ export function InvoiceReviewContent({
           </thead>
           <tbody>
             {items.map((item, index) =>
-              item.line_type === 'text' ? (
+              isTextLikeLine(item) ? (
                 <tr key={index} className="border-b last:border-0">
                   <td className="py-2 text-muted-foreground" colSpan={showVatColumn ? 6 : 5}>
                     {item.description || ' '}
@@ -170,7 +172,7 @@ export function InvoiceReviewContent({
       </div>
       <div className="sm:hidden space-y-2">
         {items.map((item, index) =>
-          item.line_type === 'text' ? (
+          isTextLikeLine(item) ? (
             <p key={index} className="text-sm text-muted-foreground px-1">{item.description || ' '}</p>
           ) : (
             <div key={index} className="border rounded-lg p-3 text-sm space-y-1.5">
diff --git a/lib/articles/__tests__/sort.test.ts b/lib/articles/__tests__/sort.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7addecf7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/articles/__tests__/sort.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+import { compareArticles, sortArticles } from '@/lib/articles/sort'
+
+describe('sortArticles', () => {
+  it('orders by article number numerically, not alphabetically', () => {
+    const sorted = sortArticles([
+      { article_number: '10', name: 'Tio' },
+      { article_number: '2', name: 'Två' },
+      { article_number: '1', name: 'Ett' },
+    ])
+    expect(sorted.map((a) => a.article_number)).toEqual(['1', '2', '10'])
+  })
+
+  it('reproduces issue #1053: numbered register no longer sorts by name', () => {
+    const sorted = sortArticles([
+      { article_number: '2', name: 'Delbehandling' },
+      { article_number: '4', name: 'Fotvårdsremiss 85+' },
+      { article_number: '5', name: 'Fotvårdsremiss ej frikort' },
+      { article_number: '3', name: 'Fotvårdsremiss frikort' },
+      { article_number: '1', name: 'Medicinsk fotvård' },
+    ])
+    expect(sorted.map((a) => a.article_number)).toEqual(['1', '2', '3', '4', '5'])
+  })
+
+  it('puts articles without a number last, sorted by name', () => {
+    const sorted = sortArticles([
+      { article_number: null, name: 'Zeta' },
+      { article_number: '7', name: 'Sju' },
+      { article_number: null, name: 'Alfa' },
+      { article_number: undefined, name: 'Beta' },
+    ])
+    expect(sorted.map((a) => a.name)).toEqual(['Sju', 'Alfa', 'Beta', 'Zeta'])
+  })
+
+  it('treats blank article numbers as unnumbered', () => {
+    const sorted = sortArticles([
+      { article_number: '  ', name: 'Blank' },
+      { article_number: '1', name: 'Ett' },
+    ])
+    expect(sorted.map((a) => a.name)).toEqual(['Ett', 'Blank'])
+  })
+
+  it('breaks ties on equal numbers by name', () => {
+    const sorted = sortArticles([
+      { article_number: '1', name: 'B' },
+      { article_number: '1', name: 'A' },
+    ])
+    expect(sorted.map((a) => a.name)).toEqual(['A', 'B'])
+  })
+
+  it('handles alphanumeric numbers with embedded digits', () => {
+    const sorted = sortArticles([
+      { article_number: 'A10', name: 'x' },
+      { article_number: 'A2', name: 'y' },
+    ])
+    expect(sorted.map((a) => a.article_number)).toEqual(['A2', 'A10'])
+  })
+
+  it('does not mutate the input array', () => {
+    const input = [
+      { article_number: '2', name: 'b' },
+      { article_number: '1', name: 'a' },
+    ]
+    sortArticles(input)
+    expect(input.map((a) => a.article_number)).toEqual(['2', '1'])
+  })
+
+  it('compareArticles is exported for column sorters', () => {
+    expect(compareArticles({ article_number: '2', name: 'x' }, { article_number: '10', name: 'y' })).toBeLessThan(0)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/lib/articles/sort.ts b/lib/articles/sort.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ae7af359
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/articles/sort.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/**
+ * Canonical ordering for article lists and pickers: by article number with
+ * numeric-aware comparison ('2' before '10'), articles without a number last,
+ * name as tie-breaker. Users number their articles to control this order
+ * (issue #1053), so a plain string sort ('10' < '2') or name sort breaks it.
+ */
+
+interface SortableArticle {
+  article_number?: string | null
+  name: string
+}
+
+const numberCollator = new Intl.Collator('sv', { numeric: true, sensitivity: 'base' })
+
+export function compareArticles(a: SortableArticle, b: SortableArticle): number {
+  const aNum = a.article_number?.trim()
+  const bNum = b.article_number?.trim()
+  if (aNum && bNum) {
+    const byNumber = numberCollator.compare(aNum, bNum)
+    if (byNumber !== 0) return byNumber
+  } else if (aNum) {
+    return -1
+  } else if (bNum) {
+    return 1
+  }
+  return numberCollator.compare(a.name, b.name)
+}
+
+export function sortArticles<T extends SortableArticle>(articles: T[]): T[] {
+  return [...articles].sort(compareArticles)
+}
diff --git a/lib/company/__tests__/context.test.ts b/lib/company/__tests__/context.test.ts
index 8117bf54..b768ce8a 100644
--- a/lib/company/__tests__/context.test.ts
+++ b/lib/company/__tests__/context.test.ts
@@ -183,6 +183,52 @@ describe('getActiveCompanyId', () => {
 
     expect(await getActiveCompanyId(supabase as never, 'user-1')).toBeNull()
   })
+
+  // A failed query must throw, never read as "no companies": callers redirect
+  // the null state to the onboarding wizard, and a transient failure was
+  // enough to show onboarding to a fully onboarded user (issue #1053).
+  it('throws resolution_failed when the preferences query fails', async () => {
+    const { supabase } = buildSupabase({
+      user_preferences: { maybeSingle: { data: null, error: { message: 'fetch failed' } } },
+      company_members: { maybeSingle: { data: { company_id: 'company-1' } } },
+    })
+
+    const err = await getActiveCompanyId(supabase as never, 'user-1').catch((e) => e)
+
+    expect(err).toBeInstanceOf(CompanyContextError)
+    expect(err.code).toBe('resolution_failed')
+  })
+
+  it('throws resolution_failed when the membership query fails', async () => {
+    const { supabase } = buildSupabase({
+      user_preferences: { maybeSingle: { data: null } },
+      company_members: { maybeSingle: { data: null, error: { message: 'timeout' } } },
+    })
+
+    const err = await getActiveCompanyId(supabase as never, 'user-1').catch((e) => e)
+
+    expect(err).toBeInstanceOf(CompanyContextError)
+    expect(err.code).toBe('resolution_failed')
+  })
+
+  it('throws instead of silently switching company when preference validation fails', async () => {
+    const { supabase } = buildSupabase({
+      user_preferences: { maybeSingle: { data: { active_company_id: 'company-2' } } },
+      company_members: {
+        maybeSingle: [
+          { data: { company_id: 'company-1' } }, // first membership (parallel fetch)
+          { data: null, error: { message: 'connection reset' } }, // validation FAILS
+        ],
+      },
+    })
+
+    const err = await getActiveCompanyId(supabase as never, 'user-1').catch((e) => e)
+
+    // Falling back to company-1 here would silently flip a consultant onto
+    // the wrong company's books.
+    expect(err).toBeInstanceOf(CompanyContextError)
+    expect(err.code).toBe('resolution_failed')
+  })
 })
 
 describe('getCompanyDisplayName', () => {
diff --git a/lib/company/context.ts b/lib/company/context.ts
index 0adfd9e7..4c13c2cc 100644
--- a/lib/company/context.ts
+++ b/lib/company/context.ts
@@ -8,12 +8,14 @@ const COMPANY_COOKIE = 'gnubok-company-id'
 /**
  * Thrown by setActiveCompany so callers can tell a permissions problem
  * ('not_member') apart from a failed/unverified database write
- * ('persist_failed') and surface the right message to the user.
+ * ('persist_failed'), and by getActiveCompanyId when a resolution query
+ * fails ('resolution_failed': the active company is unknown right now,
+ * which is NOT the same as the user having no companies).
  */
 export class CompanyContextError extends Error {
   constructor(
     message: string,
-    readonly code: 'not_member' | 'persist_failed'
+    readonly code: 'not_member' | 'persist_failed' | 'resolution_failed'
   ) {
     super(message)
     this.name = 'CompanyContextError'
@@ -32,7 +34,10 @@ export class CompanyContextError extends Error {
  * Having Next.js and RLS both read from `user_preferences` keeps them
  * perfectly in sync.
  *
- * Returns null if the user has no non-archived companies.
+ * Returns null only when the user positively has no non-archived companies.
+ * Throws CompanyContextError('resolution_failed') when a query fails: a
+ * transient failure must never read as "no companies", because callers
+ * redirect that state to the onboarding wizard (issue #1053).
  */
 export async function getActiveCompanyId(
   supabase: SupabaseClient,
@@ -46,7 +51,7 @@ export async function getActiveCompanyId(
   // every dashboard layout render, so the sequential version was pure
   // wall-clock cost. Mirrors resolveCompanyForMiddleware, minus the
   // write-back (read paths shouldn't write).
-  const [{ data: prefs }, { data: firstCompany }] = await Promise.all([
+  const [prefsRes, firstRes] = await Promise.all([
     supabase
       .from('user_preferences')
       .select('active_company_id')
@@ -62,6 +67,17 @@ export async function getActiveCompanyId(
       .maybeSingle(),
   ])
 
+  const resolutionError = prefsRes.error ?? firstRes.error
+  if (resolutionError) {
+    throw new CompanyContextError(
+      `Active company resolution failed: ${resolutionError.message}`,
+      'resolution_failed'
+    )
+  }
+
+  const prefs = prefsRes.data
+  const firstCompany = firstRes.data
+
   if (prefs?.active_company_id) {
     if (firstCompany && prefs.active_company_id === firstCompany.company_id) {
       return firstCompany.company_id
@@ -70,7 +86,7 @@ export async function getActiveCompanyId(
     // Preference points at a different company than the first membership:
     // validate it still resolves to a non-archived company the user is a
     // member of before trusting it.
-    const { data: membership } = await supabase
+    const { data: membership, error: membershipError } = await supabase
       .from('company_members')
       .select('company_id, companies!inner(archived_at)')
       .eq('company_id', prefs.active_company_id)
@@ -78,6 +94,15 @@ export async function getActiveCompanyId(
       .is('companies.archived_at', null)
       .maybeSingle()
 
+    // Falling back to the first membership on a FAILED validation would
+    // silently switch a multi-company user's active company: fail loudly.
+    if (membershipError) {
+      throw new CompanyContextError(
+        `Active company validation failed: ${membershipError.message}`,
+        'resolution_failed'
+      )
+    }
+
     if (membership) return membership.company_id
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/invoices/__tests__/display.test.ts b/lib/invoices/__tests__/display.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..093db3b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/invoices/__tests__/display.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
+import { isTextLikeLine } from '@/lib/invoices/display'
+
+describe('isTextLikeLine', () => {
+  it('is true for explicit text rows regardless of amounts', () => {
+    expect(isTextLikeLine({ line_type: 'text', quantity: 0, unit_price: 0 })).toBe(true)
+    expect(isTextLikeLine({ line_type: 'text', quantity: 2, unit_price: 100 })).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('is true for product rows with no amounts (issue #1053 free-text line)', () => {
+    expect(isTextLikeLine({ line_type: 'product', quantity: 0, unit_price: 0 })).toBe(true)
+    expect(isTextLikeLine({ quantity: 0, unit_price: 0 })).toBe(true)
+    expect(isTextLikeLine({ quantity: null, unit_price: null })).toBe(true)
+    expect(isTextLikeLine({})).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('is false as soon as the row carries a quantity or a price', () => {
+    expect(isTextLikeLine({ line_type: 'product', quantity: 1, unit_price: 0 })).toBe(false)
+    expect(isTextLikeLine({ line_type: 'product', quantity: 0, unit_price: 250 })).toBe(false)
+    expect(isTextLikeLine({ line_type: 'product', quantity: 0, unit_price: -250 })).toBe(false)
+    expect(isTextLikeLine({ quantity: 3, unit_price: 99.5 })).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/lib/invoices/display.ts b/lib/invoices/display.ts
index 5b7589ba..6a9f7aba 100644
--- a/lib/invoices/display.ts
+++ b/lib/invoices/display.ts
@@ -16,3 +16,19 @@ export function invoiceDisplayNumber(invoice: {
 }): string {
   return invoice.invoice_number ?? invoice.external_invoice_number ?? INVOICE_NUMBER_DRAFT_LABEL
 }
+
+/**
+ * True when an invoice line should render as a pure text row: description
+ * only, no quantity/unit/price/amount columns. Explicit text rows
+ * (line_type 'text') always qualify; so do product rows carrying no amounts
+ * at all (quantity and unit price both zero/absent). Users write free-text
+ * lines via the article picker's "Egen rad (fri text)" and leave antal/pris
+ * at zero; printing "0 / 0,00 SEK / 0,00 SEK" on those is noise (issue #1053).
+ */
+export function isTextLikeLine(item: {
+  line_type?: 'product' | 'text' | null
+  quantity?: number | null
+  unit_price?: number | null
+}): boolean {
+  return item.line_type === 'text' || (!item.quantity && !item.unit_price)
+}
diff --git a/lib/invoices/pdf-template.tsx b/lib/invoices/pdf-template.tsx
index 5dc645bc..b311ca4e 100644
--- a/lib/invoices/pdf-template.tsx
+++ b/lib/invoices/pdf-template.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
 import type { Invoice, InvoiceItem, Customer, CompanySettings, InvoiceDocumentType } from '@/types'
 import { generateOcrReference } from '@/lib/bankgiro/luhn'
 import { getAmountToPay } from '@/lib/invoices/rounding'
+import { isTextLikeLine } from '@/lib/invoices/display'
 
 type PdfLang = 'sv' | 'en'
 
@@ -657,7 +658,9 @@ export function InvoicePDF({ invoice, customer, items, company, originalInvoiceN
 
   // Free-text / blank rows carry no amounts: exclude them from every VAT
   // calculation. They still render as their own row in the line-items table.
-  const billableItems = items.filter((item) => item.line_type !== 'text')
+  // Amount-less product rows count as text too (isTextLikeLine), so they
+  // neither print zeros nor seed an empty per-rate VAT group.
+  const billableItems = items.filter((item) => !isTextLikeLine(item))
 
   // Check if items have mixed VAT rates
   const hasPerLineVat = billableItems.some((item) => item.vat_rate !== undefined && item.vat_rate !== null)
@@ -857,7 +860,7 @@ export function InvoicePDF({ invoice, customer, items, company, originalInvoiceN
 
             {/* Table rows */}
             {items.map((item, index) =>
-              item.line_type === 'text' ? (
+              isTextLikeLine(item) ? (
                 // Free-text / blank row: description spans the full width, no
                 // numeric columns. An empty description renders as a spacer.
                 <View key={index} style={styles.tableRow}>
diff --git a/lib/supabase/middleware.ts b/lib/supabase/middleware.ts
index ccb6bcdc..50869f13 100644
--- a/lib/supabase/middleware.ts
+++ b/lib/supabase/middleware.ts
@@ -174,7 +174,11 @@ export async function updateSession(request: NextRequest) {
   // Resolve the active company at most once per request: both the MFA
   // enrollment gate and the company-context block below need it, and the
   // resolution costs DB round trips.
-  let resolvedCompany: { companyId: string | null; locale: string | null } | null = null
+  let resolvedCompany: {
+    companyId: string | null
+    locale: string | null
+    degraded: boolean
+  } | null = null
   const resolveCompanyOnce = async () =>
     (resolvedCompany ??= await resolveCompanyForMiddleware(supabase, user.id, request))
 
@@ -206,11 +210,12 @@ export async function updateSession(request: NextRequest) {
 
   // Company context resolution
   const cookieCompanyId = request.cookies.get('gnubok-company-id')?.value
-  const { companyId, locale: dbLocale } = await resolveCompanyOnce()
+  const { companyId, locale: dbLocale, degraded } = await resolveCompanyOnce()
 
   // If the cookie pointed at a company we can no longer resolve (e.g.
-  // archived), clear it so the browser stops sending it.
-  if (cookieCompanyId && cookieCompanyId !== companyId) {
+  // archived), clear it so the browser stops sending it. Never on degraded
+  // resolution: a transient query failure must not wipe a valid cookie.
+  if (!degraded && cookieCompanyId && cookieCompanyId !== companyId) {
     supabaseResponse.cookies.set('gnubok-company-id', '', { path: '/', maxAge: 0 })
   }
 
@@ -219,7 +224,7 @@ export async function updateSession(request: NextRequest) {
   // without forcing every RSC render to query the database itself.
   const cookieLocale = request.cookies.get(LOCALE_COOKIE)?.value
   const effectiveLocale = isLocale(dbLocale) ? dbLocale : DEFAULT_LOCALE
-  if (cookieLocale !== effectiveLocale) {
+  if (!degraded && cookieLocale !== effectiveLocale) {
     supabaseResponse.cookies.set(LOCALE_COOKIE, effectiveLocale, {
       path: '/',
       sameSite: 'lax',
@@ -246,6 +251,15 @@ export async function updateSession(request: NextRequest) {
       return supabaseResponse
     }
 
+    // Degraded resolution (a query FAILED, as opposed to returning no rows)
+    // means the user's companies are unknown, not absent. Fail open: pass
+    // the request through and let the layout's own resolution retry or
+    // surface an error. Redirecting here showed fully onboarded users the
+    // onboarding wizard again on a transient failure (issue #1053).
+    if (degraded) {
+      return supabaseResponse
+    }
+
     // Enrichment lives in the user-keyed `bankid_enrichment` table (migration
     // 20260506160000), it cannot live in extension_data, which is
     // company-scoped, and the user has no company yet on this path.
@@ -299,13 +313,13 @@ async function resolveCompanyForMiddleware(
   supabase: ReturnType<typeof createServerClient>,
   userId: string,
   _request: NextRequest
-): Promise<{ companyId: string | null; locale: string | null }> {
+): Promise<{ companyId: string | null; locale: string | null; degraded: boolean }> {
   // 1. user_preferences (authoritative) + first membership, fetched in
   // parallel: the fallback query result doubles as validation when the
   // preferred company happens to be the first membership, which is the
   // common single-company case, so most requests pay one round trip
   // instead of two sequential ones.
-  const [{ data: prefs }, { data: firstCompany }] = await Promise.all([
+  const [prefsRes, firstRes] = await Promise.all([
     supabase
       .from('user_preferences')
       .select('active_company_id, locale')
@@ -321,14 +335,28 @@ async function resolveCompanyForMiddleware(
       .maybeSingle(),
   ])
 
+  const prefs = prefsRes.data
+  const firstCompany = firstRes.data
   const locale = (prefs?.locale as string | undefined) ?? null
 
+  // A FAILED query (as opposed to one returning no rows) means the user's
+  // companies are unknown right now, not absent: flag it so the caller
+  // fails open instead of redirecting to onboarding or clearing cookies
+  // (issue #1053). Middleware cannot throw usefully, hence a flag.
+  if (prefsRes.error || firstRes.error) {
+    console.error(
+      '[middleware] company resolution query failed',
+      prefsRes.error ?? firstRes.error
+    )
+    return { companyId: null, locale, degraded: true }
+  }
+
   if (prefs?.active_company_id) {
     if (prefs.active_company_id === firstCompany?.company_id) {
-      return { companyId: firstCompany.company_id, locale }
+      return { companyId: firstCompany.company_id, locale, degraded: false }
     }
 
-    const { data: membership } = await supabase
+    const { data: membership, error: membershipError } = await supabase
       .from('company_members')
       .select('company_id, companies!inner(archived_at)')
       .eq('company_id', prefs.active_company_id)
@@ -336,11 +364,18 @@ async function resolveCompanyForMiddleware(
       .is('companies.archived_at', null)
       .maybeSingle()
 
-    if (membership) return { companyId: membership.company_id, locale }
+    // A failed validation must not silently switch the user onto their
+    // first membership (wrong company for consultants): degrade instead.
+    if (membershipError) {
+      console.error('[middleware] company preference validation failed', membershipError)
+      return { companyId: null, locale, degraded: true }
+    }
+
+    if (membership) return { companyId: membership.company_id, locale, degraded: false }
   }
 
   // 2. Fallback: first non-archived membership (already fetched above)
-  if (!firstCompany) return { companyId: null, locale }
+  if (!firstCompany) return { companyId: null, locale, degraded: false }
 
   // Write the fallback back to user_preferences so future RLS lookups
   // see the same active company without needing this fallback scan.
@@ -358,5 +393,5 @@ async function resolveCompanyForMiddleware(
     console.error('[middleware] active company write-back failed', writeBackError)
   }
 
-  return { companyId: firstCompany.company_id, locale }
+  return { companyId: firstCompany.company_id, locale, degraded: false }
 }