diff --git a/pkg/rancher-desktop/backend/k3sHelper.ts b/pkg/rancher-desktop/backend/k3sHelper.ts
index 9ec4e08188c..a28d563c148 100644
--- a/pkg/rancher-desktop/backend/k3sHelper.ts
+++ b/pkg/rancher-desktop/backend/k3sHelper.ts
@@ -1263,13 +1263,13 @@ export default class K3sHelper extends events.EventEmitter {
             extraEnv: [
               { name: 'CATTLE_FEATURES',
                 value: [
-                  'auth=false',
-                  'multi-cluster-management=false',
+                  'continuous-delivery=false',
                   'fleet=false',
                   'harvester=false',
-                  'continuous-delivery=false',
+                  'multi-cluster-management=false',
                   'rke1-ui=false',
                   'rke2=false',
+                  'uiextension=false',
                 ].join(',') },
             ]
           }),
diff --git a/pkg/rancher-desktop/preload/dashboard.ts b/pkg/rancher-desktop/preload/dashboard.ts
index 1b57a1c070e..b7c5707fad5 100644
--- a/pkg/rancher-desktop/preload/dashboard.ts
+++ b/pkg/rancher-desktop/preload/dashboard.ts
@@ -4,17 +4,16 @@ export default function initDashboard(): void {
   if (!document.location.href.startsWith('https://localhost/dashboard/')) {
     return;
   }
-  console.log('Will init dashboard!');
-  async function onNavigate(event: Event) {
-    console.log(`${ event.type }! -> ${ location.href }`);
-
+  // Navigation API is only available in Chrome-derived browsers like Electron.
+  // https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Navigation
+  (window as any).navigation.addEventListener('navigate', async function onNavigate() {
     const resp = await fetch('https://localhost/v3/users?me=true');
+    let loginSuccessful = false;
 
-    console.log(resp);
     if (resp.status === 401) {
-      // Need to login
       const token = await ipcRenderer.invoke('dashboard/get-csrf-token') ?? '';
-      await fetch("https://localhost/v3-public/localProviders/local?action=login", {
+      const loginURL = 'https://localhost/v3-public/localProviders/local?action=login';
+      const resp = await fetch(loginURL, {
         headers: {
           'Accept': "application/json",
           'Content-Type': "application/json",
@@ -29,25 +28,30 @@ export default function initDashboard(): void {
         method: "POST",
         credentials: "include"
       });
+      loginSuccessful = resp.ok;
     }
 
-    if (location.pathname === '/dashboard/auth/login') {
-      console.log('Logging in!');
-      /** Helper to evalute a singel XPath expression */
-      function $x<T extends Element>(expr: string) {
-        return document.evaluate(
-          expr,
-          document,
-          null,
-          XPathResult.FIRST_ORDERED_NODE_TYPE
-          ).singleNodeValue as T;
-      }
-      $x<HTMLInputElement>('//*[@id="username"]/descendant-or-self:input').value = 'admin';
-      $x<HTMLInputElement>('//*[@id="password"]/descendant-or-self:input').value = 'password';
-      $x<HTMLButtonElement>('//*[@id=submit]').click();
+    switch (location.pathname) {
+      case '/dashboard/auth/login':
+        // If we logged in, return to the page before the login form.
+        if (loginSuccessful) {
+          history.back();
+        }
+        return;
+      case '/dashboard/home':
+        // Whenever we go to home, replace with cluster explorer.
+        location.pathname = '/dashboard/c/local/explorer';
+        return;
     }
-  }
-  window.addEventListener('hashchange', onNavigate);
-  window.addEventListener('pageshow', onNavigate);
-  window.addEventListener('popstate', onNavigate);
+  });
+  window.addEventListener('load', function() {
+    const stylesheet = new CSSStyleSheet();
+    // Hide the extensions navigation button.
+    stylesheet.insertRule(`
+      .side-menu div:has(> a.option[href="/dashboard/c/local/uiplugins"]) {
+        display: none;
+      }
+    `);
+    document.adoptedStyleSheets.push(stylesheet);
+  });
 }
diff --git a/pkg/rancher-desktop/window/dashboard.ts b/pkg/rancher-desktop/window/dashboard.ts
index 42031545378..4c54559e0f3 100644
--- a/pkg/rancher-desktop/window/dashboard.ts
+++ b/pkg/rancher-desktop/window/dashboard.ts
@@ -12,12 +12,31 @@ const ipcMain = getIpcMainProxy(console);
 ipcMain.removeHandler('dashboard/get-csrf-token');
 ipcMain.handle('dashboard/get-csrf-token', async (event) => {
   const webContents = event.sender;
-  const cookies = await webContents.session.cookies.get({
-    url: webContents.getURL(),
-    name: 'CSRF',
-  });
-  return cookies?.[0].value ?? null;
-})
+  const url = new URL(webContents.getURL());
+  const cookies = webContents.session.cookies;
+
+  while (true) {
+    const existingCookies = await cookies.get({domain: url.hostname, name: 'CSRF'});
+    if (existingCookies.length > 0) {
+      console.log(`Got existing cookie: ${ existingCookies[0].value }`);
+      return existingCookies[0].value;
+    }
+
+    // Cookie does not exist yet; wait for a cookie with the correct name to be
+    // created, then try again (to match the hostname).
+    console.log('Waiting for cookie to show up');
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      function onCookieChange(_event: any, cookie: Electron.Cookie, _cause: any, removed: boolean) {
+        console.log(`Cookie change: ${ cookie.name } (${ removed })`);
+        if (!removed && cookie.name === 'CSRF') {
+          cookies.removeListener('changed', onCookieChange);
+          resolve();
+        }
+      }
+      cookies.addListener('changed', onCookieChange);
+    });
+  }
+});
 
 export function openDashboard() {
   const window = createWindow('dashboard', dashboardURL, {