diff --git a/app/modules/core/routes/api/store_menu.py b/app/modules/core/routes/api/store_menu.py
index f6dad459..22bf5053 100644
--- a/app/modules/core/routes/api/store_menu.py
+++ b/app/modules/core/routes/api/store_menu.py
@@ -95,8 +95,10 @@ async def get_rendered_store_menu(
     # Get the store from the JWT token's store context
     store = store_service.get_store_by_id(db, current_user.token_store_id)
 
-    # Resolve the store's platform via service layer
-    platform_id = menu_service.get_store_primary_platform_id(db, store.id)
+    # Platform from JWT (set at login from URL context), fall back to DB for old tokens
+    platform_id = current_user.token_platform_id
+    if platform_id is None:
+        platform_id = menu_service.get_store_primary_platform_id(db, store.id)
 
     # Get filtered menu with platform visibility and store_code interpolation
     menu = menu_service.get_menu_for_rendering(
diff --git a/app/modules/core/static/admin/js/init-alpine.js b/app/modules/core/static/admin/js/init-alpine.js
index 2e774abc..7702c3aa 100644
--- a/app/modules/core/static/admin/js/init-alpine.js
+++ b/app/modules/core/static/admin/js/init-alpine.js
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ function data() {
           // Initialize openSections for new sections (default: first section open)
           if (this.openSections[section.id] === undefined) {
             // Default: first section open, rest closed
-            this.openSections[section.id] = (sections.indexOf(section) === 0);
+            this.openSections[section.id] = true;
           }
         }
         console.debug('Menu config loaded:', this.visibleMenuItems.size, 'items');
diff --git a/app/modules/core/static/merchant/js/init-alpine.js b/app/modules/core/static/merchant/js/init-alpine.js
index c52a7dfb..aa7f4c8a 100644
--- a/app/modules/core/static/merchant/js/init-alpine.js
+++ b/app/modules/core/static/merchant/js/init-alpine.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  */
 
 // Use centralized logger (guarded: log-config.js loads with defer, so it may not be ready yet)
-const merchantLog = (window.LogConfig && window.LogConfig.log) || console.log;
+const merchantLog = (window.LogConfig && window.LogConfig.log) || console;
 
 console.log('[MERCHANT INIT-ALPINE] Loading...');
 
diff --git a/app/modules/core/static/store/js/init-alpine.js b/app/modules/core/static/store/js/init-alpine.js
index 33a8d335..81dadf4b 100644
--- a/app/modules/core/static/store/js/init-alpine.js
+++ b/app/modules/core/static/store/js/init-alpine.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  */
 
 // Use centralized logger (guarded: log-config.js loads with defer, so it may not be ready yet)
-const storeLog = (window.LogConfig && window.LogConfig.log) || console.log;
+const storeLog = (window.LogConfig && window.LogConfig.log) || console;
 
 console.log('[STORE INIT-ALPINE] Loading...');
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ function data() {
 
             this.menuLoading = true;
             try {
-                this.menuData = await apiClient.get('/store/core/menu/render/store');
+                this.menuData = await apiClient.get('/store/menu/render/store');
                 // Initialize section open state from response
                 for (const section of (this.menuData?.sections || [])) {
                     if (this.openSections[section.id] === undefined) {
diff --git a/app/modules/tenancy/routes/api/store_auth.py b/app/modules/tenancy/routes/api/store_auth.py
index d0628dfa..7f4a3750 100644
--- a/app/modules/tenancy/routes/api/store_auth.py
+++ b/app/modules/tenancy/routes/api/store_auth.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ from app.modules.tenancy.models.user_password_reset_token import (
     UserPasswordResetToken,  # noqa: API-007
 )
 from app.modules.tenancy.services.user_auth_service import user_auth_service
+from middleware.platform_context import get_current_platform
 from middleware.store_context import get_current_store
 from models.schema.auth import LogoutResponse, StoreUserResponse, UserContext, UserLogin
 
@@ -110,12 +111,19 @@ def store_login(
         f"for store {store.store_code} as {store_role}"
     )
 
+    # Get platform from URL context (middleware-detected)
+    platform = get_current_platform(request)
+    platform_id = platform.id if platform else None
+    platform_code = platform.code if platform else None
+
     # Create store-scoped access token with store information
     token_data = auth_service.auth_manager.create_access_token(
         user=user,
         store_id=store.id,
         store_code=store.store_code,
         store_role=store_role,
+        platform_id=platform_id,
+        platform_code=platform_code,
     )
 
     # Set HTTP-only cookie for browser navigation
diff --git a/app/templates/admin/partials/sidebar.html b/app/templates/admin/partials/sidebar.html
index 9ca7a027..cc141919 100644
--- a/app/templates/admin/partials/sidebar.html
+++ b/app/templates/admin/partials/sidebar.html
@@ -88,7 +88,11 @@
                 </a>
             </li>
         </ul>
-        <p class="px-6 py-3 text-xs text-gray-400">Loading menu...</p>
+        <div class="px-6 mt-4">
+            <p class="text-xs text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500">
+                Menu unavailable. Showing default items only.
+            </p>
+        </div>
     </div>
 </div>
 {% endmacro %}
diff --git a/app/templates/merchant/partials/sidebar.html b/app/templates/merchant/partials/sidebar.html
index 5323a6eb..9090c33d 100644
--- a/app/templates/merchant/partials/sidebar.html
+++ b/app/templates/merchant/partials/sidebar.html
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
         </template>
     </div>
 
-    <!-- Fallback: static dashboard link (if menu API fails) -->
+    <!-- Fallback: static dashboard link + warning (if menu API fails) -->
     <div x-show="!menuLoading && !menuData" x-cloak>
         <ul class="mt-6">
             <li class="relative px-6 py-3">
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@
                 </a>
             </li>
         </ul>
+        <div class="px-6 mt-4">
+            <p class="text-xs text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500">
+                Menu unavailable. Showing default items only.
+            </p>
+        </div>
     </div>
 </div>
 {% endmacro %}
diff --git a/app/templates/store/partials/sidebar.html b/app/templates/store/partials/sidebar.html
index 8e1df7bd..c910af79 100644
--- a/app/templates/store/partials/sidebar.html
+++ b/app/templates/store/partials/sidebar.html
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
         </template>
     </div>
 
-    <!-- Fallback: static dashboard link (if menu API fails) -->
+    <!-- Fallback: static dashboard link + warning (if menu API fails) -->
     <div x-show="!menuLoading && !menuData" x-cloak>
         <ul class="mt-6">
             <li class="relative px-6 py-3">
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@
                 </a>
             </li>
         </ul>
+        <div class="px-6 mt-4">
+            <p class="text-xs text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-500">
+                Menu unavailable. Showing default items only.
+            </p>
+        </div>
     </div>
 
     <!-- Quick Actions (static, outside dynamic menu) -->