diff --git a/.playwright-mcp/page-2026-03-19T11-19-05-308Z.png b/.playwright-mcp/page-2026-03-19T11-19-05-308Z.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..071c639
Binary files /dev/null and b/.playwright-mcp/page-2026-03-19T11-19-05-308Z.png differ
diff --git a/app/Http/Controllers/Auth/SocialiteController.php b/app/Http/Controllers/Auth/SocialiteController.php
index 899a4b6..93c197b 100644
--- a/app/Http/Controllers/Auth/SocialiteController.php
+++ b/app/Http/Controllers/Auth/SocialiteController.php
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 use App\Models\Role;
 use App\Models\User;
 use App\Services\ActivityLogger;
+use Illuminate\Database\QueryException;
 use Illuminate\Http\RedirectResponse;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 use Illuminate\Support\Arr;
@@ -100,41 +101,47 @@ private function processCallback(): RedirectResponse
 
         Log::info('[Azure SSO] Full Azure user dump', json_decode(json_encode($azureUser), true));
 
-        $user = User::query()->updateOrCreate(
-            ['username' => $azureUser->getEmail()],
-            [
-                'name' => $azureUser->getName(),
-                'email' => $azureUser->user['mail'] ?? $azureUser->getEmail(),
-                'azure_id' => $azureUser->getId(),
-                'photo' => $azureUser->getAvatar(),
-                'job_title' => Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'jobTitle'),
-                'department' => Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'department'),
-                'company_name' => Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'companyName'),
-                'phone' => Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'mobilePhone', Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'businessPhones.0')),
-                'email_verified_at' => now(),
-            ]
-        );
+        try {
+            $user = User::query()->updateOrCreate(
+                ['username' => $azureUser->getEmail()],
+                [
+                    'name' => $azureUser->getName(),
+                    'email' => $azureUser->user['mail'] ?? $azureUser->getEmail(),
+                    'azure_id' => $azureUser->getId(),
+                    'photo' => $azureUser->getAvatar(),
+                    'job_title' => Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'jobTitle'),
+                    'department' => Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'department'),
+                    'company_name' => Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'companyName'),
+                    'phone' => Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'mobilePhone', Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'businessPhones.0')),
+                    'email_verified_at' => now(),
+                ]
+            );
 
-        Log::info('[Azure SSO] Local user upserted', [
-            'user_id' => $user->id,
-            'email' => $user->email,
-            'was_recent' => $user->wasRecentlyCreated,
-            'role_id' => $user->role_id,
-        ]);
-
-        if ($user->role_id === null) {
-            $user->update(['role_id' => Role::where('name', 'user')->first()->id]);
-
-            Log::info('[Azure SSO] Default role assigned', [
+            Log::info('[Azure SSO] Local user upserted', [
                 'user_id' => $user->id,
+                'email' => $user->email,
+                'was_recent' => $user->wasRecentlyCreated,
                 'role_id' => $user->role_id,
             ]);
+
+            if ($user->role_id === null) {
+                $user->update(['role_id' => Role::where('name', 'user')->first()->id]);
+
+                Log::info('[Azure SSO] Default role assigned', [
+                    'user_id' => $user->id,
+                    'role_id' => $user->role_id,
+                ]);
+            }
+
+            auth()->login($user);
+
+            ActivityLogger::log('login', $user->id, metadata: ['email' => $user->email, 'firm_name' => Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'companyName')]);
+        } catch (QueryException $e) {
+            Log::error('[Azure SSO] Database error during user upsert', ['message' => $e->getMessage(), 'email' => $azureUser->getEmail()]);
+
+            return redirect('/')->with('error', 'Something went wrong during sign-in. Please try again or contact support.');
         }
 
-        auth()->login($user);
-
-        ActivityLogger::log('login', $user->id, metadata: ['email' => $user->email, 'firm_name' => Arr::get($azureUser->user, 'companyName')]);
-
         return redirect('/');
     }
 }
diff --git a/resources/js/Components/FlashNotification.vue b/resources/js/Components/FlashNotification.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c93138b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/js/Components/FlashNotification.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+<script setup>
+import { ref, watch, onUnmounted } from 'vue'
+import { usePage } from '@inertiajs/vue3'
+import { CheckCircleIcon, ExclamationTriangleIcon, XMarkIcon } from '@heroicons/vue/20/solid'
+
+const page = usePage()
+
+const visible = ref(false)
+const message = ref('')
+const type = ref('success') // 'success' | 'error'
+
+let autoDismissTimer = null
+
+function clearTimer() {
+  if (autoDismissTimer) {
+    clearTimeout(autoDismissTimer)
+    autoDismissTimer = null
+  }
+}
+
+function dismiss() {
+  visible.value = false
+  clearTimer()
+}
+
+function showFlash(flash) {
+  clearTimer()
+
+  if (flash?.error) {
+    message.value = flash.error
+    type.value = 'error'
+    visible.value = true
+    // Error messages stay until manually dismissed
+  } else if (flash?.success) {
+    message.value = flash.success
+    type.value = 'success'
+    visible.value = true
+    // Auto-dismiss success after 8 seconds
+    autoDismissTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+      visible.value = false
+    }, 8000)
+  } else {
+    visible.value = false
+  }
+}
+
+// Watch for flash prop changes on each Inertia page visit
+watch(
+  () => page.props.flash,
+  (flash) => showFlash(flash),
+  { immediate: true, deep: true }
+)
+
+onUnmounted(() => {
+  clearTimer()
+})
+</script>
+
+<template>
+  <Transition
+    enter-active-class="transition duration-300 ease-out"
+    enter-from-class="-translate-y-full opacity-0"
+    enter-to-class="translate-y-0 opacity-100"
+    leave-active-class="transition duration-200 ease-in"
+    leave-from-class="translate-y-0 opacity-100"
+    leave-to-class="-translate-y-full opacity-0"
+  >
+    <div
+      v-if="visible"
+      :class="[
+        'relative z-40 w-full shadow-lg',
+        type === 'error'
+          ? 'bg-rose-600'
+          : 'bg-emerald-600',
+      ]"
+      role="alert"
+      :aria-live="type === 'error' ? 'assertive' : 'polite'"
+    >
+      <div class="px-6 py-3 flex items-center gap-3 max-w-7xl mx-auto">
+        <!-- Icon -->
+        <component
+          :is="type === 'error' ? ExclamationTriangleIcon : CheckCircleIcon"
+          class="w-5 h-5 text-white/90 shrink-0"
+          aria-hidden="true"
+        />
+
+        <!-- Message -->
+        <p class="flex-1 text-sm font-medium text-white leading-snug">
+          {{ message }}
+        </p>
+
+        <!-- Dismiss button -->
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          class="ml-auto shrink-0 rounded p-1 text-white/70 hover:text-white hover:bg-white/10 transition-colors focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-white/40"
+          aria-label="Dismiss notification"
+          @click="dismiss"
+        >
+          <XMarkIcon class="w-4 h-4" />
+        </button>
+      </div>
+
+      <!-- Progress bar for success auto-dismiss -->
+      <div
+        v-if="type === 'success'"
+        class="absolute bottom-0 left-0 h-[2px] bg-white/30 animate-[shrink_8s_linear_forwards]"
+        style="width: 100%"
+      />
+    </div>
+  </Transition>
+</template>
+
+<style scoped>
+@keyframes shrink {
+  from { width: 100%; }
+  to { width: 0%; }
+}
+</style>
diff --git a/resources/js/Layouts/AppLayout.vue b/resources/js/Layouts/AppLayout.vue
index a9db670..50f0f89 100644
--- a/resources/js/Layouts/AppLayout.vue
+++ b/resources/js/Layouts/AppLayout.vue
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import { computed } from 'vue'
 import { usePage } from '@inertiajs/vue3'
 import PageHeader from '@/Components/PageHeader.vue'
+import FlashNotification from '@/Components/FlashNotification.vue'
 
 const page = usePage()
 
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ const pageTitle = computed(() => {
 <template>
   <div class="min-h-screen flex flex-col">
     <PageHeader :title="pageTitle" />
+    <FlashNotification />
 
     <!-- Growth symbol watermark -->
     <img