diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 764c8cf..88e0bf0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -190,6 +190,8 @@ contexts:
 | `assume_role` | Assume a role from a base profile | `profile`, `role_arn` |
 | `sso` | Use AWS IAM Identity Center / SSO, reusing a valid AWS CLI SSO cache and prompting for login only when needed | `profile`, `sso_start_url`, and for concrete contexts `sso_account_id`, `sso_role_name` |
 
+TUI startup is passive for SSO contexts: it loads the context picker without launching `aws sso login`. SSO login is prompted when you explicitly select or set up an SSO context, or when an AWS-backed workflow needs credentials.
+
 Optional context fields:
 
 | Field | Meaning |
diff --git a/internal/app/app.go b/internal/app/app.go
index 97035e4..869c162 100644
--- a/internal/app/app.go
+++ b/internal/app/app.go
@@ -271,6 +271,10 @@ type updateAvailableMsg struct {
 	method  update.InstallMethod
 }
 
+var appLoadCallerIdentityFn = func(m Model) tea.Cmd {
+	return m.loadCallerIdentity()
+}
+
 func (m Model) checkForUpdate() tea.Cmd {
 	return func() tea.Msg {
 		method := update.DetectInstallMethod()
@@ -280,7 +284,22 @@ func (m Model) checkForUpdate() tea.Cmd {
 }
 
 func (m Model) Init() tea.Cmd {
-	return tea.Batch(m.loadContexts(), m.checkForUpdate(), m.loadCallerIdentity())
+	return tea.Batch(m.loadContexts(), m.checkForUpdate(), m.loadStartupCallerIdentity())
+}
+
+func (m Model) loadStartupCallerIdentity() tea.Cmd {
+	return func() tea.Msg {
+		if m.cfg == nil {
+			return callerIdentityMsg{}
+		}
+		if m.cfg.AuthType == config.AuthTypeSSO {
+			check, err := contextCheckSSOSessionFn(m.cfg)
+			if err != nil || check.LoginRequired {
+				return callerIdentityMsg{}
+			}
+		}
+		return appLoadCallerIdentityFn(m)()
+	}
 }
 
 func (m Model) loadCallerIdentity() tea.Cmd {
diff --git a/internal/app/app_test.go b/internal/app/app_test.go
index b4acb12..992db36 100644
--- a/internal/app/app_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/app_test.go
@@ -151,6 +151,149 @@ func TestLoadingSpinnerTickUpdatesOnlyOnLoadingScreen(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestStartupCallerIdentitySkipsInteractiveSSOLoginWhenCacheMissing(t *testing.T) {
+	origCheck := contextCheckSSOSessionFn
+	origLoad := appLoadCallerIdentityFn
+	defer func() {
+		contextCheckSSOSessionFn = origCheck
+		appLoadCallerIdentityFn = origLoad
+	}()
+
+	checkCalled := false
+	loadCalled := false
+	contextCheckSSOSessionFn = func(cfg *config.Config) (awsservice.SSOSessionCheck, error) {
+		checkCalled = true
+		return awsservice.SSOSessionCheck{
+			StartURL:      cfg.SSOStartURL,
+			LoginRequired: true,
+		}, nil
+	}
+	appLoadCallerIdentityFn = func(Model) tea.Cmd {
+		loadCalled = true
+		return func() tea.Msg {
+			return callerIdentityMsg{identity: &awsservice.CallerIdentity{Account: "123456789012"}}
+		}
+	}
+
+	m := New(&config.Config{
+		AuthType:    config.AuthTypeSSO,
+		SSOStartURL: "https://example.awsapps.com/start",
+		Region:      "us-east-1",
+	}, "", "dev")
+
+	msg := m.loadStartupCallerIdentity()()
+	if _, ok := msg.(callerIdentityMsg); !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected callerIdentityMsg, got %T", msg)
+	}
+	if !checkCalled {
+		t.Fatal("expected startup to check SSO cache")
+	}
+	if loadCalled {
+		t.Fatal("expected startup to skip identity loading when SSO login is required")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStartupCallerIdentitySkipsInteractiveSSOLoginWhenSessionCheckFails(t *testing.T) {
+	origCheck := contextCheckSSOSessionFn
+	origLoad := appLoadCallerIdentityFn
+	defer func() {
+		contextCheckSSOSessionFn = origCheck
+		appLoadCallerIdentityFn = origLoad
+	}()
+
+	checkCalled := false
+	loadCalled := false
+	contextCheckSSOSessionFn = func(cfg *config.Config) (awsservice.SSOSessionCheck, error) {
+		checkCalled = true
+		return awsservice.SSOSessionCheck{}, os.ErrNotExist
+	}
+	appLoadCallerIdentityFn = func(Model) tea.Cmd {
+		loadCalled = true
+		return func() tea.Msg {
+			return callerIdentityMsg{identity: &awsservice.CallerIdentity{Account: "123456789012"}}
+		}
+	}
+
+	m := New(&config.Config{
+		AuthType:    config.AuthTypeSSO,
+		SSOStartURL: "https://example.awsapps.com/start",
+		Region:      "us-east-1",
+	}, "", "dev")
+
+	msg := m.loadStartupCallerIdentity()()
+	if _, ok := msg.(callerIdentityMsg); !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected callerIdentityMsg, got %T", msg)
+	}
+	if !checkCalled {
+		t.Fatal("expected startup to check SSO cache")
+	}
+	if loadCalled {
+		t.Fatal("expected startup to skip identity loading when SSO session check fails")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStartupCallerIdentityLoadsSSOIdentityWhenCacheValid(t *testing.T) {
+	origCheck := contextCheckSSOSessionFn
+	origLoad := appLoadCallerIdentityFn
+	defer func() {
+		contextCheckSSOSessionFn = origCheck
+		appLoadCallerIdentityFn = origLoad
+	}()
+
+	contextCheckSSOSessionFn = func(cfg *config.Config) (awsservice.SSOSessionCheck, error) {
+		return awsservice.SSOSessionCheck{StartURL: cfg.SSOStartURL}, nil
+	}
+	appLoadCallerIdentityFn = func(Model) tea.Cmd {
+		return func() tea.Msg {
+			return callerIdentityMsg{identity: &awsservice.CallerIdentity{Account: "123456789012"}}
+		}
+	}
+
+	m := New(&config.Config{
+		AuthType:    config.AuthTypeSSO,
+		SSOStartURL: "https://example.awsapps.com/start",
+		Region:      "us-east-1",
+	}, "", "dev")
+
+	msg := m.loadStartupCallerIdentity()()
+	identityMsg, ok := msg.(callerIdentityMsg)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected callerIdentityMsg, got %T", msg)
+	}
+	if identityMsg.identity == nil || identityMsg.identity.Account != "123456789012" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected loaded identity, got %#v", identityMsg.identity)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestStartupCallerIdentityStillLoadsNonSSOIdentity(t *testing.T) {
+	origLoad := appLoadCallerIdentityFn
+	defer func() {
+		appLoadCallerIdentityFn = origLoad
+	}()
+
+	loadCalled := false
+	appLoadCallerIdentityFn = func(Model) tea.Cmd {
+		loadCalled = true
+		return func() tea.Msg {
+			return callerIdentityMsg{identity: &awsservice.CallerIdentity{Account: "123456789012"}}
+		}
+	}
+
+	m := New(&config.Config{
+		AuthType: config.AuthTypeCredential,
+		Profile:  "default",
+		Region:   "us-east-1",
+	}, "", "dev")
+
+	msg := m.loadStartupCallerIdentity()()
+	if _, ok := msg.(callerIdentityMsg); !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected callerIdentityMsg, got %T", msg)
+	}
+	if !loadCalled {
+		t.Fatal("expected non-SSO startup identity loading to continue")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestListIndexHelpersWrapAndClamp(t *testing.T) {
 	if got := previousListIndex(0, 3); got != 2 {
 		t.Fatalf("expected previous from first to wrap to 2, got %d", got)