diff --git a/src/login/login.ts b/src/login/login.ts
index f69f8206..c37d4224 100644
--- a/src/login/login.ts
+++ b/src/login/login.ts
@@ -126,6 +126,12 @@ export async function ensureLoadedPreferences (
   try {
     context = await ensureLoadedProfile(context)
 
+    if (!context.me || !context.publicProfile) {
+      context.preferencesFileError =
+        context.preferencesFileError || 'Not logged in, so preferences were not loaded.'
+      return context
+    }
+
     // console.log('back in Solid UI after logInLoadProfile', context)
     const preferencesFile = await loadPreferences(context.me as NamedNode)
     if (progressDisplay) {
@@ -134,10 +140,13 @@ export async function ensureLoadedPreferences (
     context.preferencesFile = preferencesFile
   } catch (err) {
     let m2: string
-    if (err instanceof UnauthorizedError) {
+    const errorMessage = err instanceof Error ? err.message : `${err}`
+    if (err instanceof UnauthorizedError || /(?:status:\s*401\b|unauthorized)/i.test(errorMessage)) {
       m2 =
-        'Oops — you are not authenticated (properly logged in), so SolidOS cannot read your preferences file. Try logging out and then logging back in.'
-      alert(m2)
+        'Not logged in, so preferences were not loaded.'
+      context.preferencesFileError = m2
+      debug.warn(m2)
+      return context
     } else if (err instanceof CrossOriginForbiddenError) {
       m2 = `Unauthorized: Assuming preference file blocked for origin ${window.location.origin}`
       context.preferencesFileError = m2
@@ -145,16 +154,19 @@ export async function ensureLoadedPreferences (
     } else if (err instanceof SameOriginForbiddenError) {
       m2 =
         'You are not authorized to read your preference file. This may be because you are using an untrusted web app.'
+      context.preferencesFileError = m2
       debug.warn(m2)
       return context
     } else if (err instanceof NotEditableError) {
       m2 =
         'You are not authorized to edit your preference file. This may be because you are using an untrusted web app.'
+      context.preferencesFileError = m2
       debug.warn(m2)
       return context
     } else if (err instanceof WebOperationError) {
       m2 =
         'You are not authorized to edit your preference file. This may be because you are using an untrusted web app.'
+      context.preferencesFileError = m2
       debug.warn(m2)
     } else if (err instanceof FetchError) {
       m2 = `Strange: Error ${err.status} trying to read your preference file.${err.message}`
@@ -177,20 +189,66 @@ export async function ensureLoadedPreferences (
 export async function ensureLoadedProfile (
   context: AuthenticationContext
 ): Promise<AuthenticationContext> {
+  const handleNotLoggedInProfile = (logMessage: (message: string) => void) => {
+    const notLoggedInMessage = 'Not logged in, so profile was not loaded.'
+    const notLoggedInMessageKey = 'not-logged-in-profile'
+    logMessage(notLoggedInMessage)
+    if (context.div && context.dom) {
+      const existingMessage = context.div.querySelector(
+        `[data-login-message="${notLoggedInMessageKey}"]`
+      )
+      if (!existingMessage) {
+        const errorBlock = widgets.errorMessageBlock(context.dom, notLoggedInMessage, 'white')
+        errorBlock.setAttribute('data-login-message', notLoggedInMessageKey)
+        context.div.appendChild(errorBlock)
+      }
+    }
+    return context
+  }
+
   if (context.publicProfile) {
     return context
   } // already done
+  let logInContext: AuthenticationContext | undefined
   try {
-    const logInContext = await ensureLoggedIn(context)
+    logInContext = await ensureLoggedIn(context)
+    if (!logInContext.me) {
+      const webId = authSession.info?.webId || await authn.checkUser()
+      if (webId) {
+        authn.saveUser(webId, logInContext)
+      }
+    }
     if (!logInContext.me) {
-      throw new Error('Could not log in')
+      return handleNotLoggedInProfile(debug.log)
     }
     context.publicProfile = await loadProfile(logInContext.me)
   } catch (err) {
+    const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : `${err}`
+    if (err instanceof UnauthorizedError || /(status:\s*401\b|unauthorized)/i.test(message)) {
+      return handleNotLoggedInProfile(debug.warn)
+    }
+    const loggedInUser = logInContext && logInContext.me
+    const isNonFatalProfileSideLoadFailure =
+      !!loggedInUser &&
+      (
+        err instanceof CrossOriginForbiddenError ||
+        err instanceof SameOriginForbiddenError ||
+        /status:\s*403\b|forbidden/i.test(message) ||
+        /cancel/i.test(message)
+      )
+    if (isNonFatalProfileSideLoadFailure) {
+      debug.warn(`Unable to load all profile-linked resources; continuing as logged in user: ${message}`)
+      context.publicProfile = loggedInUser!.doc()
+      return context
+    }
     if (context.div && context.dom) {
-      context.div.appendChild(widgets.errorMessageBlock(context.dom, err.message))
+      context.div.appendChild(widgets.errorMessageBlock(context.dom, message))
+    }
+    const loginError = new Error(`Can't log in: ${message}`) as Error & { cause?: unknown }
+    if (err instanceof Error) {
+      loginError.cause = err
     }
-    throw new Error(`Can't log in: ${err}`)
+    throw loginError
   }
   return context
 }
@@ -784,6 +842,13 @@ export function selectWorkspace (
 
   function displayOptions (context) {
     // console.log('displayOptions!', context)
+    if (!context.preferencesFile) {
+      say(
+        context.preferencesFileError || 'Preferences not available.'
+      )
+      return
+    }
+
     async function makeNewWorkspace (_event) {
       const row = table.appendChild(dom.createElement('tr'))
       const cell = row.appendChild(dom.createElement('td'))
@@ -1047,11 +1112,11 @@ export function newAppInstance (
  * and/or a developer
  */
 export async function getUserRoles (): Promise<Array<NamedNode>> {
-   const sessionInfo = authSession.info
+  const sessionInfo = authSession.info
   if (!sessionInfo?.isLoggedIn || !sessionInfo?.webId) {
     return []
   }
-  
+
   const currentUser = authn.currentUser()
   if (!currentUser) {
     return []