diff --git a/.build/Dockerfile b/.build/Dockerfile
index 1806c4c..2b83f38 100644
--- a/.build/Dockerfile
+++ b/.build/Dockerfile
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ ENV VITE_MAP_ZOOM=__VITE_MAP_ZOOM__
 ENV VITE_DISABLED_TABS=__VITE_DISABLED_TABS__
 ENV VITE_ENABLED_THEMES=__VITE_ENABLED_THEMES__
 ENV VITE_APP_NAME=__VITE_APP_NAME__
+ENV VITE_SKIP_SPLASH=__VITE_SKIP_SPLASH__
 RUN npm run build
 
 FROM caddy:2-alpine
diff --git a/.build/docker-entrypoint.sh b/.build/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 4cf2325..a08b8e5 100644
--- a/.build/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/.build/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ MAP_ZOOM="${VITE_MAP_ZOOM:-}"
 # Optional branding/customization — empty means default behaviour (all tabs, hidden themes hidden).
 DISABLED_TABS="${VITE_DISABLED_TABS:-}"
 ENABLED_THEMES="${VITE_ENABLED_THEMES:-}"
+SKIP_SPLASH="${VITE_SKIP_SPLASH:-}"
 # APP_NAME is substituted verbatim; avoid '&' and '|' (sed replacement metachar and delimiter).
 APP_NAME="${VITE_APP_NAME:-BEACON}"
 
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ find /srv -name '*.js' -exec sed -i \
   -e "s|__VITE_DISABLED_TABS__|${DISABLED_TABS}|g" \
   -e "s|__VITE_ENABLED_THEMES__|${ENABLED_THEMES}|g" \
   -e "s|__VITE_APP_NAME__|${APP_NAME}|g" \
+  -e "s|__VITE_SKIP_SPLASH__|${SKIP_SPLASH}|g" \
   {} +
 
 exec "$@"
diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 69075ed..91b7213 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -22,3 +22,6 @@
 
 # Custom top-left app name (default: BEACON). Avoid the & and | characters.
 # VITE_APP_NAME=Beacon - MeshMapper
+
+# Skip the once-per-session load splash. Unset = shown.
+# VITE_SKIP_SPLASH=true
diff --git a/docker/.env.example b/docker/.env.example
index 32f0f0a..1ae20a3 100644
--- a/docker/.env.example
+++ b/docker/.env.example
@@ -22,3 +22,6 @@ VITE_ENABLED_THEMES=
 
 # Custom app name shown in the top-left wordmark. Default: BEACON. Avoid the & and | characters.
 VITE_APP_NAME=
+
+# Skip the once-per-session load splash. Set to true to skip; leave empty to show it.
+VITE_SKIP_SPLASH=
diff --git a/docker/docker-compose.yml b/docker/docker-compose.yml
index 840b255..2efed27 100644
--- a/docker/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker/docker-compose.yml
@@ -24,4 +24,6 @@ services:
       - VITE_DISABLED_TABS=${VITE_DISABLED_TABS:-}
       - VITE_ENABLED_THEMES=${VITE_ENABLED_THEMES:-}
       - VITE_APP_NAME=${VITE_APP_NAME:-BEACON}
+      # Skip the once-per-session load splash; unset = shown
+      - VITE_SKIP_SPLASH=${VITE_SKIP_SPLASH:-}
     restart: unless-stopped
diff --git a/src/components/SplashScreen.tsx b/src/components/SplashScreen.tsx
index 6230e23..20a1be1 100644
--- a/src/components/SplashScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SplashScreen.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 // Page-load splash: pulsing BEACON wordmark over a themed backdrop, shown once
-// per browser session, then faded out and removed from the DOM.
+// per browser session, then faded out and removed from the DOM. Set VITE_SKIP_SPLASH
+// to skip it entirely for a deployment.
 //
 // To remove the splash entirely: delete this file and remove its import +
 // <SplashScreen /> line from src/App.tsx. Nothing else references it.
 
 import { useState, useEffect } from "react";
 import { BeaconLogo } from "./BeaconLogo";
+import { SKIP_SPLASH } from "../lib/constants";
 
 const SPLASH_KEY = "beacon-splash-shown";
 const VISIBLE_MS = 2000;
@@ -15,6 +17,7 @@ export function SplashScreen() {
   // Synchronous gate: decided before first paint so StrictMode's double-mount
   // (and any same-session reload) never re-shows it.
   const [render, setRender] = useState(() => {
+    if (SKIP_SPLASH) return false;
     try {
       if (typeof sessionStorage === "undefined") return false;
       return sessionStorage.getItem(SPLASH_KEY) !== "1";
diff --git a/src/lib/constants.ts b/src/lib/constants.ts
index 35666cc..40e0881 100644
--- a/src/lib/constants.ts
+++ b/src/lib/constants.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ export function filterEnabledTabs(tabs: readonly string[], disabledRaw: string |
   return tabs.filter((t) => !disabled.has(t.toLowerCase()));
 }
 
+// Truthy env flag: "1"/"true"/"yes"/"on" (case-insensitive). Anything else — empty, unset, or an
+// un-substituted sentinel — is false, so the gated behaviour only turns on when explicitly asked for.
+export function parseEnvBool(raw: string | undefined): boolean {
+  return ["1", "true", "yes", "on"].includes((raw ?? "").trim().toLowerCase());
+}
+
 // The themes offered in the picker. When VITE_ENABLED_THEMES lists ids it's an EXCLUSIVE allowlist —
 // only those show (e.g. a branded deployment that wants just its own themes). Otherwise every
 // non-hidden theme shows and `hidden` ones (like the MeshMapper pair) stay out.
@@ -55,3 +61,6 @@ export const ENABLED_THEME_IDS = new Set(
 // "||" (not "??") so an empty sed substitution falls back to the default too.
 export const APP_NAME = import.meta.env.VITE_APP_NAME || "BEACON";
 export const GITHUB_URL = "https://github.com/MeshCore-Beacon";
+
+// Skip the once-per-session load splash entirely (e.g. an embedded/branded deployment).
+export const SKIP_SPLASH = parseEnvBool(import.meta.env.VITE_SKIP_SPLASH);
diff --git a/tests/lib/constants.test.ts b/tests/lib/constants.test.ts
index 57f2955..328fdd6 100644
--- a/tests/lib/constants.test.ts
+++ b/tests/lib/constants.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
-import { TABS, parseEnvList, filterEnabledTabs, selectableThemes } from "../../src/lib/constants";
+import { TABS, parseEnvList, filterEnabledTabs, parseEnvBool, selectableThemes } from "../../src/lib/constants";
 
 describe("parseEnvList", () => {
   it("returns [] for undefined or empty", () => {
@@ -37,6 +37,16 @@ describe("filterEnabledTabs", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("parseEnvBool", () => {
+  it("is true for common truthy strings (case-insensitive)", () => {
+    for (const v of ["1", "true", "TRUE", "Yes", "on", " on "]) expect(parseEnvBool(v)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("is false for unset, empty, sentinel, or other values", () => {
+    for (const v of [undefined, "", "0", "false", "no", "__VITE_SKIP_SPLASH__"]) expect(parseEnvBool(v)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("selectableThemes", () => {
   const THEMES = [
     { id: "neutral-blue", name: "Neutral Blue" },