diff --git a/src/components/LanguageToggle.tsx b/src/components/LanguageToggle.tsx
index 86088b5..1de656c 100644
--- a/src/components/LanguageToggle.tsx
+++ b/src/components/LanguageToggle.tsx
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export function LanguageToggle({ compact = false, inline = false, className, var
   }
 
   return (
-    <DropdownMenu>
+    <DropdownMenu onOpenChange={(open) => { if (!open) setQuery(''); }}>
       <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
         <Button
           variant={variant}
diff --git a/src/components/Layout.tsx b/src/components/Layout.tsx
index 6e5714a..7c3d89b 100644
--- a/src/components/Layout.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Layout.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { clearTranslationMemory } from '@/lib/translation';
 import { useCurrentUser } from '@/hooks/useCurrentUser';
 import { useTranslation } from '@/contexts/language';
 import { useLoggedInAccounts } from '@/hooks/useLoggedInAccounts';
+import { AuthDialogContext } from '@/contexts/authDialog';
 
 import {
   MapPin,
@@ -585,6 +586,7 @@ export function Layout({ children, noPadding }: LayoutProps) {
   const mainRef = useRef<HTMLElement>(null);
 
   return (
+    <AuthDialogContext.Provider value={{ openLogin: requestLogin, openSignup: requestSignup }}>
     <div className="min-h-screen bg-black text-white">
       {/* Skip-to-content — visually hidden until focused. A real <button> (not
           href="#main") because HashRouter treats the hash AS the route, so an
@@ -802,7 +804,7 @@ export function Layout({ children, noPadding }: LayoutProps) {
                 <Settings className="h-5 w-5" />
               </Button>
             </Link>
-            <LoginArea className="max-w-60" onLoginRequest={requestLogin} onSignupRequest={requestSignup} />
+            <LoginArea className="max-w-60" />
           </div>
         </div>
       </header>
@@ -843,7 +845,7 @@ export function Layout({ children, noPadding }: LayoutProps) {
               />
             )}
             <div className={cn(user && 'hidden')}>
-              <LoginArea compact className="flex flex-row gap-1" onLoginRequest={requestLogin} onSignupRequest={requestSignup} />
+              <LoginArea compact className="flex flex-row gap-1" />
             </div>
             
             <Sheet
@@ -1118,7 +1120,7 @@ export function Layout({ children, noPadding }: LayoutProps) {
                           <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground mb-4">
                             {t('chromeUi.loggedOutPrompt')}
                           </p>
-                          <LoginArea className="w-full justify-center" onLoginRequest={requestLogin} onSignupRequest={requestSignup} />
+                          <LoginArea className="w-full justify-center" />
                         </div>
                       </>
                     )}
@@ -1296,5 +1298,6 @@ export function Layout({ children, noPadding }: LayoutProps) {
       {/* Mirrors in-app activity to OS notifications — inert until opted in. */}
       <OsNotificationBridge />
     </div>
+    </AuthDialogContext.Provider>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/components/TripItineraryCard.tsx b/src/components/TripItineraryCard.tsx
index 864f650..4a01c75 100644
--- a/src/components/TripItineraryCard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/TripItineraryCard.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { useCreateSpotCollection } from '@/hooks/useSpotCollections';
 import { useToast } from '@/hooks/useToast';
 import { useTranslation } from '@/contexts/language';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
+import { sanitizeUrl } from '@/lib/sanitizeUrl';
 
 const KIND_ICON = {
   spot: MapPin,
@@ -117,6 +118,7 @@ export function TripItineraryCard({ itinerary }: { itinerary: Itinerary }) {
               <div className="space-y-1">
                 {day.stops.map((stop, i) => {
                   const Icon = KIND_ICON[stop.kind];
+                  const stopUrl = sanitizeUrl(stop.url);
                   const inner = (
                     <div className="flex items-start gap-1.5">
                       <Icon className="h-2.5 w-2.5 mt-0.5 flex-shrink-0 text-[#ccff00]/70" />
@@ -131,10 +133,10 @@ export function TripItineraryCard({ itinerary }: { itinerary: Itinerary }) {
                       </div>
                     </div>
                   );
-                  return stop.url ? (
+                  return stopUrl ? (
                     <a
                       key={i}
-                      href={stop.url}
+                      href={stopUrl}
                       target="_blank"
                       rel="noopener noreferrer"
                       className="block rounded px-1.5 py-1 hover:bg-[#ccff00]/5 transition-colors"
@@ -158,17 +160,23 @@ export function TripItineraryCard({ itinerary }: { itinerary: Itinerary }) {
             <Users className="h-2.5 w-2.5" /> {t('routeUi.localCrews')}
           </div>
           <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-1">
-            {itinerary.crews.map((c, i) => (
-              <a
-                key={i}
-                href={c.url}
-                target="_blank"
-                rel="noopener noreferrer"
-                className="text-[9px] px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded bg-white/5 text-gray-200 hover:bg-[#ccff00]/10 hover:text-[#ccff00] transition-colors"
-              >
-                👥 {c.name}
-              </a>
-            ))}
+            {itinerary.crews.map((c, i) => {
+              const crewUrl = sanitizeUrl(c.url);
+              const cls = 'text-[9px] px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded bg-white/5 text-gray-200 hover:bg-[#ccff00]/10 hover:text-[#ccff00] transition-colors';
+              return crewUrl ? (
+                <a
+                  key={i}
+                  href={crewUrl}
+                  target="_blank"
+                  rel="noopener noreferrer"
+                  className={cls}
+                >
+                  👥 {c.name}
+                </a>
+              ) : (
+                <span key={i} className={cls}>👥 {c.name}</span>
+              );
+            })}
           </div>
         </div>
       )}
diff --git a/src/components/auth/LoginArea.tsx b/src/components/auth/LoginArea.tsx
index 87735d1..13ec763 100644
--- a/src/components/auth/LoginArea.tsx
+++ b/src/components/auth/LoginArea.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { useLoggedInAccounts } from '@/hooks/useLoggedInAccounts';
 import { AccountSwitcher } from './AccountSwitcher';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
 import { useTranslation } from '@/contexts/language';
+import { useAuthDialog } from '@/contexts/authDialog';
 
 export interface LoginAreaProps {
   className?: string;
@@ -27,16 +28,19 @@ export interface LoginAreaProps {
 export function LoginArea({ className, compact, onLoginRequest, onSignupRequest }: LoginAreaProps) {
   const { currentUser } = useLoggedInAccounts();
   const { t } = useTranslation();
+  const authDialog = useAuthDialog();
   const [loginDialogOpen, setLoginDialogOpen] = useState(false);
   const [signupDialogOpen, setSignupDialogOpen] = useState(false);
 
-  const globalAuth = !!onLoginRequest && !!onSignupRequest;
+  const globalAuth = !!authDialog || (!!onLoginRequest && !!onSignupRequest);
   const openLogin = () => {
-    if (onLoginRequest) onLoginRequest();
+    if (authDialog) authDialog.openLogin();
+    else if (onLoginRequest) onLoginRequest();
     else setLoginDialogOpen(true);
   };
   const openSignup = () => {
-    if (onSignupRequest) onSignupRequest();
+    if (authDialog) authDialog.openSignup();
+    else if (onSignupRequest) onSignupRequest();
     else setSignupDialogOpen(true);
   };
 
@@ -57,6 +61,7 @@ export function LoginArea({ className, compact, onLoginRequest, onSignupRequest
             size="icon"
             className='h-9 w-9 rounded-full bg-[#ccff00] text-black hover:bg-[#ccff00]/90'
             title={t('settingsUi.loginArea.signUp')}
+            aria-label={t('settingsUi.loginArea.signUp')}
           >
             <UserPlus className='w-4 h-4' />
           </Button>
@@ -66,6 +71,7 @@ export function LoginArea({ className, compact, onLoginRequest, onSignupRequest
             size="icon"
             className="h-9 w-9 rounded-full border border-gray-600 hover:border-[#ff0040]"
             title={t('settingsUi.loginArea.logIn')}
+            aria-label={t('settingsUi.loginArea.logIn')}
           >
             <User className='w-4 h-4' />
           </Button>
diff --git a/src/components/auth/LoginDialog.tsx b/src/components/auth/LoginDialog.tsx
index 2caa40e..2ab66b7 100644
--- a/src/components/auth/LoginDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/auth/LoginDialog.tsx
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ export const LoginDialog: React.FC<LoginDialogProps> = ({ isOpen, onClose, onLog
 
   return (
     <Dialog open={isOpen} onOpenChange={onClose}>
-      <DialogContent className={cn("z-[2200] flex w-[calc(100%-1rem)] flex-col sm:max-w-md max-h-[calc(100dvh-2rem)] p-0 overflow-hidden rounded-2xl bg-black border-2 border-[#ff0040]/50")}>
+      <DialogContent onEscapeKeyDown={onClose} className={cn("z-[2200] flex w-[calc(100%-1rem)] flex-col sm:max-w-md max-h-[calc(100dvh-2rem)] p-0 overflow-hidden rounded-2xl bg-black border-2 border-[#ff0040]/50")}>
         <DialogHeader className={cn('px-5 pt-5 pb-3')}>
           <DialogTitle className="text-center font-black uppercase tracking-wide text-lg">
             {t('settingsUi.loginDialog.welcomeTitle')}
diff --git a/src/components/auth/SignupDialog.tsx b/src/components/auth/SignupDialog.tsx
index da8644a..db581df 100644
--- a/src/components/auth/SignupDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/auth/SignupDialog.tsx
@@ -375,6 +375,7 @@ const SignupDialog: React.FC<SignupDialogProps> = ({ isOpen, onClose, onComplete
   return (
     <Dialog open={isOpen} onOpenChange={onClose}>
       <DialogContent
+        onEscapeKeyDown={onClose}
         className={cn("z-[2200] w-[calc(100%-1rem)] sm:max-w-md max-h-[90vh] max-h-[90dvh] p-0 overflow-hidden rounded-2xl flex flex-col")}
       >
         <DialogHeader className={cn('px-4 sm:px-6 pt-4 sm:pt-6 pb-1 relative flex-shrink-0')}>
diff --git a/src/contexts/authDialog.ts b/src/contexts/authDialog.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93d58bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/contexts/authDialog.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { createContext, useContext } from 'react';
+
+export interface AuthDialogActions {
+  openLogin: () => void;
+  openSignup: () => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * App-wide auth dialog controls. `Layout` owns the dialogs so they survive the
+ * unmount of whichever `LoginArea` (or parent card/dialog) opened them — crucial
+ * because signup logs the user in immediately and many cards conditionally
+ * render their login prompt only while logged out.
+ */
+export const AuthDialogContext = createContext<AuthDialogActions | null>(null);
+
+export function useAuthDialog(): AuthDialogActions | null {
+  return useContext(AuthDialogContext);
+}