diff --git a/src/components/ToSModal/TosModal.tsx b/src/components/ToSModal/TosModal.tsx
index 22313fd1a2..d20906b2ac 100644
--- a/src/components/ToSModal/TosModal.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ToSModal/TosModal.tsx
@@ -27,11 +27,18 @@ export default function TosModal({
   onAccepted,
   slug,
   fieldKey,
+  hashFieldKey,
+  contentHash,
   showBackButton = true,
 }: {
   onAccepted: () => Promise<void>;
   slug: string;
   fieldKey: keyof SetUserSettingsInput;
+  // When provided (the main ToS-update flow), the accepted content hash is stored
+  // alongside the date so future re-prompts key on content, not the `lastmod` date.
+  // Other callers (e.g. Creator Program ToS) omit these and remain date-only.
+  hashFieldKey?: keyof SetUserSettingsInput;
+  contentHash?: string;
   showBackButton?: boolean;
 }) {
   const dialog = useDialogContext();
@@ -70,7 +77,10 @@ export default function TosModal({
     if (!acceptedCoC) return;
     setLoading(true);
 
-    updateUserSettings.mutate({ [fieldKey]: new Date() });
+    updateUserSettings.mutate({
+      [fieldKey]: new Date(),
+      ...(hashFieldKey && contentHash ? { [hashFieldKey]: contentHash } : {}),
+    });
 
     handleClose();
     await onAccepted();
diff --git a/src/hooks/useToSUpdateModal.ts b/src/hooks/useToSUpdateModal.ts
index e12d8f9518..8c9512fbc7 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useToSUpdateModal.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useToSUpdateModal.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import dynamic from 'next/dynamic';
 import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { dialogStore } from '~/components/Dialog/dialogStore';
 import { useCurrentUser } from '~/hooks/useCurrentUser';
+import { useAppContext } from '~/providers/AppProvider';
 import { trpc } from '~/utils/trpc';
 
 const TosModal = dynamic(() => import('~/components/ToSModal/TosModal'), {
@@ -10,55 +11,53 @@ const TosModal = dynamic(() => import('~/components/ToSModal/TosModal'), {
 
 export function useToSUpdateModal() {
   const currentUser = useCurrentUser();
-  const shownForVersion = useRef<Date | null>(null);
-
-  const queryUtils = trpc.useUtils();
-  // `content.checkTosUpdate` is SSR-seeded in AppProvider (an ancestor) as
-  // `initialData`. ToS lastmod only changes on a content deploy — never
-  // mid-session — so the per-load SSR snapshot is exactly as fresh as a live
-  // fetch. `staleTime: Infinity` keeps this observer from refetching the primed
-  // cache on mount, removing the per-bootstrap round-trip (the uncached
-  // server-side `readFile`). The accept flow's `setData` still patches
-  // `hasUpdate=false` regardless of staleTime.
-  const { data: tosUpdate } = trpc.content.checkTosUpdate.useQuery(undefined, {
+  // Static per-domain ToS metadata (current body hash + rollout baseline + field
+  // keys), delivered via SSR pageProps — no tRPC query. ToS content only changes
+  // on a deploy, so this is constant for the tab's lifetime; the modal can
+  // therefore only ever appear on a fresh load / new tab, never mid-session.
+  const { tosMeta } = useAppContext();
+  // The user's accepted-state side of the comparison. SSR-seeded in AppProvider,
+  // and patched by the accept flow's `setSettings` — so accepting closes the modal
+  // (hasUpdate recomputes to false) without any extra cache plumbing here.
+  const { data: settings } = trpc.user.getSettings.useQuery(undefined, {
     enabled: !!currentUser,
-    staleTime: Infinity,
-    gcTime: Infinity,
   });
+  // Dedup key: the content hash a modal was last shown for. Prevents re-triggering
+  // on re-render while the (forced, un-dismissable) modal is already open.
+  const shownForHash = useRef<string | null>(null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (
-      currentUser &&
-      tosUpdate?.hasUpdate &&
-      tosUpdate.lastmod &&
-      (!shownForVersion.current ||
-        shownForVersion.current.getTime() !== tosUpdate.lastmod.getTime())
-    ) {
-      shownForVersion.current = tosUpdate.lastmod;
+    if (!currentUser || !tosMeta || !settings) return;
 
-      dialogStore.trigger({
-        component: TosModal,
-        props: {
-          slug: 'tos',
-          fieldKey: tosUpdate.tosFieldKey || ('tosLastSeenDate' as const),
-          showBackButton: false,
-          onAccepted: async () => {
-            await currentUser.refresh();
-            // Use queryUtils to update the query data from trpc.content.checkTosUpdate
-            queryUtils.content.checkTosUpdate.setData(undefined, (old) =>
-              old
-                ? {
-                    ...old,
-                    hasUpdate: false,
-                    lastmod: tosUpdate.lastmod,
-                  }
-                : old
-            );
-          },
+    const { hash, baselineHash, fieldKey, hashFieldKey } = tosMeta;
+    const storedHashRaw = settings[hashFieldKey];
+    const storedHash = typeof storedHashRaw === 'string' ? storedHashRaw : undefined;
+
+    // Pure-hash trigger: re-prompt iff the current body hash differs from what the
+    // user accepted. Users with no stored hash default to the rollout baseline, so
+    // existing users are treated as having accepted the rollout text (no backfill,
+    // no mass re-prompt) and are only prompted once the body changes from it. Their
+    // first accept records a real hash. No date is consulted — a stray `lastmod`
+    // bump can't trigger, and a body change with no `lastmod` bump can't be missed.
+    const hasUpdate = (storedHash ?? baselineHash) !== hash;
+
+    if (!hasUpdate || shownForHash.current === hash) return;
+    shownForHash.current = hash;
+
+    dialogStore.trigger({
+      component: TosModal,
+      props: {
+        slug: 'tos',
+        fieldKey,
+        hashFieldKey,
+        contentHash: hash,
+        showBackButton: false,
+        onAccepted: async () => {
+          await currentUser.refresh();
         },
-      });
-    }
-  }, [currentUser, tosUpdate]);
+      },
+    });
+  }, [currentUser, tosMeta, settings]);
 
-  return { tosUpdate };
+  return { tosMeta };
 }
diff --git a/src/pages/_app.tsx b/src/pages/_app.tsx
index 994b5bfda1..b7f923268d 100644
--- a/src/pages/_app.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/_app.tsx
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ import { IsClientProvider } from '~/providers/IsClientProvider';
 import { ThemeProvider } from '~/providers/ThemeProvider';
 import type { UserContentSettings } from '~/server/schema/user.schema';
 import type { FeatureAccess } from '~/server/services/feature-flags.service';
-import type { CheckTosUpdateResult } from '~/server/services/content.service';
+import type { TosMeta } from '~/server/services/content.service';
 import type { AnnouncementsSeed } from '~/providers/announcements-seed';
 import type { BrowsingSettingsAddon } from '~/shared/constants/browsing-settings-addons';
 import type { ParsedCookies } from '~/shared/utils/cookies';
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ type CustomAppProps = {
   cookies: ParsedCookies;
   flags: FeatureAccess;
   userFeatureFlags?: FeatureAccess;
-  tosUpdate?: CheckTosUpdateResult;
+  tosMeta?: TosMeta;
   announcements?: AnnouncementsSeed;
   following?: number[];
   seed: number;
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ function MyApp(props: CustomAppProps) {
       cookies = parseCookies(getCookies()),
       flags,
       userFeatureFlags,
-      tosUpdate,
+      tosMeta,
       announcements,
       following,
       seed = Date.now(),
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ function MyApp(props: CustomAppProps) {
       seed={seed}
       canIndex={canIndex}
       settings={settings}
-      tosUpdate={tosUpdate}
+      tosMeta={tosMeta}
       announcements={announcements}
       following={following}
       region={region}
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ MyApp.getInitialProps = async (appContext: AppContext) => {
   // the documented failed-snapshot path without widening any downstream type.
   type SettingsBootstrap = {
     settings: UserContentSettings;
-    tosUpdate?: CheckTosUpdateResult;
+    tosMeta?: TosMeta;
     announcements?: AnnouncementsSeed;
     following?: number[];
     session: Session | null;
@@ -428,13 +428,13 @@ MyApp.getInitialProps = async (appContext: AppContext) => {
     );
     settingsBootstrap = {
       settings: undefined as unknown as UserContentSettings,
-      tosUpdate: undefined,
+      tosMeta: undefined,
       announcements: undefined,
       following: undefined,
       session: null,
     };
   }
-  const { settings, session, tosUpdate, announcements, following } = settingsBootstrap;
+  const { settings, session, tosMeta, announcements, following } = settingsBootstrap;
   // Pass these via the request so we can use them in SSR. Resolve the per-user
   // feature flags and the global (redis-cached, identical-for-all-users) browsing
   // setting addons in PARALLEL — neither depends on the other and both sit on
@@ -464,15 +464,14 @@ MyApp.getInitialProps = async (appContext: AppContext) => {
   //   (`user.getFeatureFlags`), a pure function of `settings.features` + the SSR
   //   host `flags`. Computed here via the SAME shared function the resolver uses
   //   (fs-free, safe in this client-bundled getInitialProps graph).
-  // - tosUpdate: the `content.checkTosUpdate` result — computed server-side in the
+  // - tosMeta: the static per-domain ToS metadata (lastmod + body hash + the
+  //   per-domain settings field keys) — resolved server-side in the
   //   `/api/user/settings` route above and delivered via that fetch, so we never
   //   import `content.service` (and its `fs/promises` read) into this graph.
-  //   ToS lastmod only changes on a content deploy (never mid-session), so a
-  //   per-load SSR snapshot is exactly as fresh as the per-load client fetch.
-  // Only seed when the SSR `/api/user/settings` snapshot actually succeeded; on
-  // the rare failed-snapshot path (`settings` undefined) leave the seed undefined
-  // so the client query self-heals via a real fetch (staleTime: Infinity would
-  // never refetch a seed). The settings route applies the same gate to tosUpdate.
+  //   ToS content only changes on a deploy (never mid-session). The show/hide
+  //   decision is computed client-side in `useToSUpdateModal` against the seeded
+  //   `user.getSettings`, so there is no tRPC query to seed here — `tosMeta` just
+  //   rides down through pageProps to AppProvider (its `lastmod` is revived there).
   let userFeatureFlags: FeatureAccess | undefined;
   if (session?.user && settings) {
     userFeatureFlags = computeUserFeatureFlagsOverlay(settings.features, flags);
@@ -505,7 +504,7 @@ MyApp.getInitialProps = async (appContext: AppContext) => {
       browsingSettingsAddons,
       flags,
       userFeatureFlags,
-      tosUpdate,
+      tosMeta,
       announcements,
       following,
       seed: Date.now(),
diff --git a/src/pages/api/user/settings.ts b/src/pages/api/user/settings.ts
index e6592e1e5a..a67a01cddf 100644
--- a/src/pages/api/user/settings.ts
+++ b/src/pages/api/user/settings.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { getUserContentSettings } from '~/server/services/user.service';
 import { PublicEndpoint } from '~/server/utils/endpoint-helpers';
 import { getServerAuthSession } from '~/server/auth/get-server-auth-session';
-import { checkTosUpdate } from '~/server/services/content.service';
+import { getTosMeta } from '~/server/services/content.service';
 import { getCurrentAnnouncements } from '~/server/services/announcement.service';
 import { getUserFollows } from '~/server/redis/caches';
 import { getRequestDomainColor } from '~/server/utils/server-domain';
@@ -13,23 +13,21 @@ export default PublicEndpoint(
       // Use the content-settings view so SSR initialData matches the tRPC
       // getSettings response shape (JSON settings + User-column toggles).
       const settings = await getUserContentSettings(session?.user?.id ?? -1);
-      // tosUpdate + announcements + following all only need (session, settings) —
-      // compute them concurrently to keep this hot per-bootstrap route off the
-      // critical path. announcements + following swallow their own errors
-      // (`.catch`) so they can never reject the Promise.all and drop the critical
-      // settings/session payload; tosUpdate can still throw to the outer catch
-      // (preserving prior behaviour).
+      // tosMeta + announcements + following are computed concurrently to keep this
+      // hot per-bootstrap route off the critical path. announcements + following
+      // swallow their own errors (`.catch`) so they can never reject the Promise.all
+      // and drop the critical settings/session payload; tosMeta (static, no user
+      // input) can still throw to the outer catch (preserving prior behaviour).
       const domainColor = getRequestDomainColor(req);
-      const [tosUpdate, announcements, following] = await Promise.all([
-        // Compute the `content.checkTosUpdate` result here (server-only API route)
-        // so `_app` getInitialProps can SSR-seed that query WITHOUT importing
+      const [tosMeta, announcements, following] = await Promise.all([
+        // Resolve the static per-domain ToS metadata here (server-only API route)
+        // so `_app` getInitialProps can deliver it WITHOUT importing
         // `content.service` — which pulls `fs/promises` into `_app`'s client-bundled
-        // graph and breaks the build. Domain fallback matches createContext's
-        // `getRequestDomainColor(req) ?? 'blue'` so the seed stays byte-identical to
-        // a live `checkTosUpdate` fetch.
-        session?.user
-          ? checkTosUpdate({ domainColor: domainColor ?? 'blue', userSettings: settings })
-          : Promise.resolve(undefined),
+        // graph and breaks the build. The show/hide decision is computed client-side
+        // against the seeded `user.getSettings`, so this is user-independent and we
+        // can resolve it for everyone (it's cheap + cached). Domain fallback matches
+        // createContext's `getRequestDomainColor(req) ?? 'blue'`.
+        getTosMeta({ domainColor: domainColor ?? 'blue' }),
         // SSR-seed the ambient `announcement.getAnnouncements` query (fires on every
         // bootstrap, anon + authed). Computed here — NOT in `_app` getInitialProps —
         // because `announcement.service` is server-only and importing it into `_app`
@@ -52,7 +50,7 @@ export default PublicEndpoint(
       ]);
       res.status(200).json({
         settings,
-        tosUpdate,
+        tosMeta,
         announcements,
         following,
         session: session?.user && Object.keys(session.user).length > 0 ? session : null,
diff --git a/src/providers/AppProvider.tsx b/src/providers/AppProvider.tsx
index 356df8a5fb..66b3265929 100644
--- a/src/providers/AppProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/providers/AppProvider.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import React, { createContext, useContext, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+import React, { createContext, useContext, useState } from 'react';
 import type { UserContentSettings } from '~/server/schema/user.schema';
-import type { CheckTosUpdateResult } from '~/server/services/content.service';
+import type { TosMeta } from '~/server/services/content.service';
 import type { RegionInfo } from '~/server/utils/region-blocking';
 import type { VerifiedBot } from '~/server/utils/bot-detection/verify-bot';
 import type { ColorDomain, ServerDomains } from '~/shared/constants/domain.constants';
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@ import { reviveAnnouncementsSeed } from '~/providers/announcements-seed';
 type AppProviderProps = {
   children: React.ReactNode;
   settings: UserContentSettings;
-  // SSR-computed `content.checkTosUpdate` result (logged-in only). Seeds the
-  // query so `useToSUpdateModal` never fires it on bootstrap.
-  tosUpdate?: CheckTosUpdateResult;
+  // Static per-domain ToS metadata (lastmod + body hash + settings field keys).
+  // Exposed via context; `useToSUpdateModal` compares it against the seeded
+  // `user.getSettings` to decide whether to show the ToS modal.
+  tosMeta?: TosMeta;
   // SSR-computed `announcement.getAnnouncements` result (anon + authed). Carried
   // down to `useGetAnnouncements`, which seeds the query under the client's
   // `useDomainColor()` key — this provider sits above FeatureFlagsProvider so it
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ type AppContext = {
   availableOAuthProviders: string[];
   verifiedBot: VerifiedBot | null;
   announcements?: AnnouncementsSeed;
+  tosMeta?: TosMeta;
 };
 const Context = createContext<AppContext | null>(null);
 export function useAppContext() {
@@ -71,32 +73,10 @@ export function useServerDomains(): Record<ColorDomain, string> {
     red: serverDomains.red?.primary ?? 'civitai.red',
   };
 }
-// Next pageProps stringify Dates; a live superjson tRPC response keeps them as
-// Date objects. Re-hydrate the Date-typed fields of the checkTosUpdate snapshot
-// so the SSR seed matches a live fetch (the modal hook calls `.getTime()`).
-const toDate = (v: unknown): Date | undefined =>
-  v == null ? undefined : v instanceof Date ? v : new Date(v as string | number);
-
-function reviveTosUpdate(tosUpdate?: CheckTosUpdateResult): CheckTosUpdateResult | undefined {
-  if (!tosUpdate) return undefined;
-  // `hasUpdate` is `true` (boolean) on the never-seen path, otherwise the
-  // `lastmod` Date when an update exists. Preserve booleans, revive date strings.
-  const hasUpdate =
-    typeof tosUpdate.hasUpdate === 'boolean' || tosUpdate.hasUpdate == null
-      ? tosUpdate.hasUpdate
-      : toDate(tosUpdate.hasUpdate);
-  return {
-    ...tosUpdate,
-    hasUpdate,
-    lastmod: toDate(tosUpdate.lastmod),
-    userLastSeen: toDate(tosUpdate.userLastSeen),
-  };
-}
-
 export function AppProvider({
   children,
   settings,
-  tosUpdate,
+  tosMeta,
   announcements,
   following,
   domain,
@@ -111,24 +91,6 @@ export function AppProvider({
   // for a logged-out user is a guaranteed 401. `initialData` still seeds the cache
   // for everyone; only the network fetch is suppressed when not logged in.
   trpc.user.getSettings.useQuery(undefined, { initialData: settings, enabled: isAuthed });
-  // Seed `content.checkTosUpdate` from the SSR snapshot so `useToSUpdateModal`
-  // (mounted deeper, in AppLayout) reads a primed cache and never fires the
-  // per-bootstrap fetch. ToS lastmod only changes on a content deploy, so this
-  // snapshot is exactly as fresh as a live fetch. `staleTime: Infinity` keeps
-  // the seeded observer from refetching; the accept flow's `setData` still
-  // patches `hasUpdate=false` regardless of staleTime.
-  //
-  // The SSR value travels via Next pageProps (plain JSON), which stringifies
-  // Dates — but a live tRPC fetch returns real Date objects (superjson) and the
-  // modal hook calls `.getTime()` on `lastmod`. Revive the Date fields so the
-  // seed is shape-identical to a live response.
-  const tosUpdateInitial = useMemo(() => reviveTosUpdate(tosUpdate), [tosUpdate]);
-  trpc.content.checkTosUpdate.useQuery(undefined, {
-    initialData: tosUpdateInitial,
-    enabled: !!tosUpdateInitial,
-    staleTime: Infinity,
-    gcTime: Infinity,
-  });
   // Seed `user.getFollowingUsers` (the followed-userId list) from the SSR
   // snapshot so the ambient follow/notify buttons read a primed cache and never
   // fire it on bootstrap. The list only changes via the user's own follow/
@@ -157,6 +119,9 @@ export function AppProvider({
     availableOAuthProviders,
     verifiedBot,
     announcements: reviveAnnouncementsSeed(announcements),
+    // All-string payload (current hash + baseline + field keys) — survives the
+    // pageProps JSON round-trip as-is, no revival needed.
+    tosMeta,
   }));
 
   return <Context.Provider value={state}>{children}</Context.Provider>;
diff --git a/src/server/controllers/user.controller.ts b/src/server/controllers/user.controller.ts
index 23d202a250..3e1076ff85 100644
--- a/src/server/controllers/user.controller.ts
+++ b/src/server/controllers/user.controller.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   SearchIndexUpdateQueueAction,
 } from '~/server/common/enums';
 import type { Context, ProtectedContext } from '~/server/createContext';
+import { getStaticContent } from '~/server/services/content.service';
 import { dbRead, dbWrite } from '~/server/db/client';
 import { onboardingCompletedCounter, onboardingErrorCounter } from '~/server/prom/client';
 import { getUserFollows } from '~/server/redis/caches';
@@ -327,17 +328,24 @@ export const completeOnboardingHandler = async ({
     const changed = onboarding !== ctx.user.onboarding;
 
     switch (input.step) {
-      case OnboardingSteps.TOS:
+      case OnboardingSteps.TOS: {
         const now = new Date();
+        // Store the accepted content hash alongside the date so a freshly-onboarded
+        // user is hash-backed immediately and immune to stray `lastmod` bumps.
+        const tos = await getStaticContent({ slug: ['tos'], ctx: { domain } as Context });
         await dbWrite.user.update({ where: { id }, data: { onboarding } });
         await setUserSetting(
           id,
-          domain === 'green' ? { tosGreenLastSeenDate: now } : { tosLastSeenDate: now }
+          domain === 'green'
+            ? { tosGreenLastSeenDate: now, tosGreenAcceptedHash: tos.hash }
+            : { tosLastSeenDate: now, tosAcceptedHash: tos.hash }
         );
         break;
+      }
       case OnboardingSteps.RedTOS: {
+        const tos = await getStaticContent({ slug: ['tos'], ctx: { domain } as Context });
         await dbWrite.user.update({ where: { id }, data: { onboarding } });
-        await setUserSetting(id, { tosRedLastSeenDate: new Date() });
+        await setUserSetting(id, { tosRedLastSeenDate: new Date(), tosRedAcceptedHash: tos.hash });
         break;
       }
       case OnboardingSteps.Profile: {
diff --git a/src/server/routers/content.router.ts b/src/server/routers/content.router.ts
index 2074ab3c27..a04c46695a 100644
--- a/src/server/routers/content.router.ts
+++ b/src/server/routers/content.router.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,8 @@
 import * as z from 'zod';
 import { CacheTTL } from '~/server/common/constants';
 import { cacheIt } from '~/server/middleware.trpc';
-import {
-  checkTosUpdate,
-  getMarkdownContent,
-  getStaticContent,
-} from '~/server/services/content.service';
-import { getUserSettings } from '~/server/services/user.service';
-import { protectedProcedure, publicProcedure, router } from '~/server/trpc';
+import { getMarkdownContent, getStaticContent } from '~/server/services/content.service';
+import { publicProcedure, router } from '~/server/trpc';
 import { TokenScope } from '~/shared/constants/token-scope.constants';
 
 const slugSchema = z.object({
@@ -30,11 +25,4 @@ export const contentRouter = router({
     .meta({ requiredScope: TokenScope.MediaRead })
     .input(z.object({ key: z.string() }))
     .query(({ input }) => getMarkdownContent(input)),
-  checkTosUpdate: protectedProcedure
-    .meta({ requiredScope: TokenScope.MediaRead })
-    .query(async ({ ctx }) => {
-      const userSettings = ctx.user ? await getUserSettings(ctx.user.id) : {};
-      // Shared computation — also used by the SSR seed in _app getInitialProps.
-      return checkTosUpdate({ domainColor: ctx.domain, userSettings });
-    }),
 });
diff --git a/src/server/schema/user.schema.ts b/src/server/schema/user.schema.ts
index 15a96fb9a4..597714c8ca 100644
--- a/src/server/schema/user.schema.ts
+++ b/src/server/schema/user.schema.ts
@@ -281,6 +281,11 @@ export const userSettingsSchema = z.object({
   tosLastSeenDate: z.date().optional(),
   tosGreenLastSeenDate: z.date().optional(),
   tosRedLastSeenDate: z.date().optional(),
+  // sha256 of the ToS body the user last accepted, per domain. Compared against
+  // the current body hash to decide whether to re-prompt (see useToSUpdateModal).
+  tosAcceptedHash: z.string().optional(),
+  tosGreenAcceptedHash: z.string().optional(),
+  tosRedAcceptedHash: z.string().optional(),
   preferredFiatCurrency: z.string().optional(),
 });
 
@@ -304,6 +309,9 @@ export const setUserSettingsInput = z.object({
   tosLastSeenDate: z.date().optional(),
   tosGreenLastSeenDate: z.date().optional(),
   tosRedLastSeenDate: z.date().optional(),
+  tosAcceptedHash: z.string().optional(),
+  tosGreenAcceptedHash: z.string().optional(),
+  tosRedAcceptedHash: z.string().optional(),
   preferredFiatCurrency: z.string().optional(),
 });
 
diff --git a/src/server/services/content.service.ts b/src/server/services/content.service.ts
index bd5f0871c7..8ef1d05eeb 100644
--- a/src/server/services/content.service.ts
+++ b/src/server/services/content.service.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { createHash } from 'crypto';
 import { readFile } from 'fs/promises';
 import { access } from 'fs/promises';
 import matter from 'gray-matter';
@@ -13,12 +14,24 @@ type StaticContentResult = {
   description: string;
   lastmod: Date | undefined;
   content: string;
+  // sha256 of the body ONLY (frontmatter excluded). This is the trigger signal
+  // for the ToS-update modal: it changes iff the terms text changes, so a stray
+  // `lastmod` bump (or any frontmatter edit) can't force a global re-accept.
+  hash: string;
 };
 
+// Hash the rendered body, not the raw file or re-serialized doc — gray-matter
+// has already stripped the frontmatter, so `lastmod`/`title` never feed the hash.
+// Normalize line endings + trailing whitespace so cosmetic/EOL churn is inert.
+function hashContent(content: string) {
+  const normalized = content.replace(/\r\n/g, '\n').trimEnd();
+  return createHash('sha256').update(normalized).digest('hex');
+}
+
 // Static-content files are bundled into the image and read-only at runtime — they
 // change only on deploy (new deploy = new process = fresh cache). `getStaticContent`
-// is now on the SSR critical path (ToS checks run in `_app` getInitialProps on every
-// logged-in full render via `checkTosUpdate`), so an uncached `readFile` + gray-matter
+// is now on the SSR critical path (ToS metadata is resolved on every full render
+// via `getTosMeta`), so an uncached `readFile` + gray-matter
 // parse per call is wasteful. Cache parsed results in-memory with a short TTL; keyed
 // by slug + domain so domain-specific variants (e.g. tos.green.md) don't collide. The
 // key set is bounded by the (small, fixed) number of static-content files × domains.
@@ -67,6 +80,7 @@ export async function getStaticContent({ slug, ctx }: { slug: string[]; ctx?: Co
         description: frontmatter.description as string,
         lastmod: frontmatter.lastmod ? new Date(frontmatter.lastmod) : undefined,
         content,
+        hash: hashContent(content),
       };
       staticContentCache.set(cacheKey, { value, expires: Date.now() + STATIC_CONTENT_TTL_MS });
       return value;
@@ -80,60 +94,75 @@ export async function getStaticContent({ slug, ctx }: { slug: string[]; ctx?: Co
 }
 
 // Map domain colors to ToS field names. Single source of truth shared by the
-// `content.checkTosUpdate` resolver and the SSR seed in _app getInitialProps.
+// `getTosMeta` resolver and the client-side comparison in `useToSUpdateModal`.
+// The date fields are written on accept for audit ("when did they last accept")
+// but no longer drive the show/hide decision — that's purely hash-based now.
 export const tosFieldMap = {
   green: 'tosGreenLastSeenDate',
   red: 'tosRedLastSeenDate',
   blue: 'tosLastSeenDate', // default
 } as const;
 
-export type CheckTosUpdateResult = {
-  // Matches the original resolver expression exactly: `!userTosLastSeen` is a
-  // boolean, the right branch is `Date | undefined` (truthy when an update
-  // exists). Consumers only read it for truthiness, so the union is preserved
-  // verbatim to keep the SSR seed byte-identical to a live fetch.
-  hasUpdate: boolean | Date | undefined;
-  lastmod: Date | undefined;
-  userLastSeen: Date | undefined;
-  domainColor: string | undefined;
-  tosFieldKey: (typeof tosFieldMap)[keyof typeof tosFieldMap];
+// Parallel map of the per-domain settings field that stores the content hash the
+// user last accepted. This is the ONLY trigger signal: re-prompt iff the current
+// body hash differs from the user's stored (or default-baseline) hash.
+export const tosHashFieldMap = {
+  green: 'tosGreenAcceptedHash',
+  red: 'tosRedAcceptedHash',
+  blue: 'tosAcceptedHash', // default
+} as const;
+
+// Body hashes of the ToS as of the hash-mechanism rollout. Used as the DEFAULT
+// "accepted hash" for any user who has none recorded — so existing users are
+// credited with having accepted the rollout text WITHOUT a data backfill, and are
+// re-prompted only once the body changes away from this baseline. (red has no
+// tos.red.md, so it falls back to tos.md → same hash as blue.)
+//
+// IMPORTANT: these must equal `hashContent(<deployed body>)` for each domain at
+// rollout. Regenerate (gray-matter body → CRLF→LF → trimEnd → sha256) ONLY if you
+// deliberately intend a body change to re-prompt the not-yet-hash-backed users.
+export const tosBaselineHashMap = {
+  green: '8dd1cc867cdd5f320ca139243c4533871f0e5a1dbd8c23df3770f77020a6b293',
+  red: '33d6e2d123ef60d6f7a3eb1b0988879a957b13a6b6fffe63bd35f2a7f0b4748a',
+  blue: '33d6e2d123ef60d6f7a3eb1b0988879a957b13a6b6fffe63bd35f2a7f0b4748a', // default
+} as const;
+
+// The static, per-domain ToS metadata the client needs to decide whether to show
+// the ToS modal. It depends ONLY on the deployed content + frozen baseline, never
+// on the user — the per-user comparison happens client-side against the already-
+// seeded `user.getSettings`. Every field is a plain string, so the object survives
+// the pageProps JSON round-trip with no revival needed.
+export type TosMeta = {
+  hash: string;
+  // The default accepted-hash for users with none stored (see tosBaselineHashMap).
+  baselineHash: string;
+  // The per-domain settings fields the client compares against (hash) and writes
+  // on accept (both). Resolved here so the client never imports the domain maps
+  // (and thus never pulls this fs-touching module into its bundle).
+  fieldKey: (typeof tosFieldMap)[keyof typeof tosFieldMap];
+  hashFieldKey: (typeof tosHashFieldMap)[keyof typeof tosHashFieldMap];
 };
 
 /**
- * Pure-ish computation of the `content.checkTosUpdate` result. Single source of
- * truth shared by the tRPC resolver and the SSR seed in _app getInitialProps so
- * the injected initialData byte-matches a live fetch.
+ * Resolve the static ToS metadata for a domain. Cheap and cached (rides the
+ * in-memory `getStaticContent` cache), and — unlike the old `checkTosUpdate` —
+ * takes no user settings: the modal's show/hide decision is computed client-side
+ * from the seeded `user.getSettings` against this metadata.
  *
  * @param domainColor the request's resolved domain color (green/red/blue)
- * @param userSettings the user's JSON settings (reads `tos*LastSeenDate`)
  */
-// Only the three ToS-last-seen fields are read here. Typed structurally so both
-// `UserSettingsSchema` (resolver) and `UserContentSettings` (SSR seed) — and the
-// `{}` no-settings case — are assignable without an index-signature cast.
-type TosUserSettings = Partial<
-  Record<(typeof tosFieldMap)[keyof typeof tosFieldMap], Date | string | null>
->;
-
-export async function checkTosUpdate({
+export async function getTosMeta({
   domainColor,
-  userSettings,
 }: {
   domainColor: string | undefined;
-  userSettings: TosUserSettings;
-}): Promise<CheckTosUpdateResult> {
+}): Promise<TosMeta> {
   const tos = await getStaticContent({ slug: ['tos'], ctx: { domain: domainColor } as Context });
-
-  const tosFieldKey = tosFieldMap[domainColor as keyof typeof tosFieldMap] || 'tosLastSeenDate';
-  const userTosLastSeenRaw = userSettings[tosFieldKey] as Date | string | undefined;
-  const userTosLastSeen = userTosLastSeenRaw ? new Date(userTosLastSeenRaw) : undefined;
-  const tosLastMod = tos.lastmod ? new Date(tos.lastmod) : undefined;
-
   return {
-    hasUpdate: !userTosLastSeen || (tosLastMod && tosLastMod > userTosLastSeen),
-    lastmod: tosLastMod,
-    userLastSeen: userTosLastSeen,
-    domainColor,
-    tosFieldKey,
+    hash: tos.hash,
+    baselineHash:
+      tosBaselineHashMap[domainColor as keyof typeof tosBaselineHashMap] || tosBaselineHashMap.blue,
+    fieldKey: tosFieldMap[domainColor as keyof typeof tosFieldMap] || 'tosLastSeenDate',
+    hashFieldKey: tosHashFieldMap[domainColor as keyof typeof tosHashFieldMap] || 'tosAcceptedHash',
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/preview-ssr-inject.spec.ts b/tests/preview-ssr-inject.spec.ts
index b01dde9847..8d9648440d 100644
--- a/tests/preview-ssr-inject.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/preview-ssr-inject.spec.ts
@@ -20,9 +20,10 @@ import { storageStatePath } from './preview-fixtures';
  *   1. `user.getFeatureFlags` is SSR-seeded: its value is present in
  *      `__NEXT_DATA__.props.pageProps.userFeatureFlags`, AND the client never
  *      fires `user.getFeatureFlags` on bootstrap.
- *   2. `content.checkTosUpdate` is SSR-seeded: its value is present in
- *      `__NEXT_DATA__.props.pageProps.tosUpdate`, AND the client never fires
- *      `content.checkTosUpdate` on bootstrap.
+ *   2. The static ToS metadata is SSR-delivered: it's present in
+ *      `__NEXT_DATA__.props.pageProps.tosMeta`, AND the client never fires a
+ *      `content.checkTosUpdate` request (that route no longer exists — the modal
+ *      decision is computed client-side from `tosMeta` + the seeded getSettings).
  *
  * The tRPC client is non-batched (src/utils/trpc.ts httpLink), so the procedure
  * name is in the request path — a substring match on the URL is a reliable
@@ -103,8 +104,8 @@ async function fetchTrpcQueryJson(
   const out = await page.evaluate(
     async ({ proc, inp }) => {
       // tRPC's non-batched httpLink puts a query's input in the `?input=` query
-      // string as the superjson envelope `{"json": <value>}`. Procedures with no
-      // input (getFeatureFlags/checkTosUpdate) omit it entirely.
+      // string as the superjson envelope `{"json": <value>}`. No-input procedures
+      // (e.g. getFeatureFlags) omit it entirely.
       const qs =
         typeof inp === 'undefined'
           ? ''
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ function assertAnnouncementsSeedEqualsLive(seed: unknown, live: unknown, label:
   }
 }
 
-test.describe('SSR-injected getFeatureFlags + checkTosUpdate (logged-in)', () => {
+test.describe('SSR-injected getFeatureFlags + ToS metadata (logged-in)', () => {
   test.use({ storageState: storageStatePath('mod') });
 
   test('both procedures are seeded into __NEXT_DATA__ and not fetched on bootstrap', async ({
@@ -170,14 +171,18 @@ test.describe('SSR-injected getFeatureFlags + checkTosUpdate (logged-in)', () =>
       'userFeatureFlags is an object'
     ).toBe(true);
 
-    // (b) SSR payload carries the checkTosUpdate snapshot (an object with the
-    //     resolver's return shape). hasUpdate may be true/false/a date — we only
-    //     assert the object is present.
-    const tosUpdate = await readPageProp(page, 'tosUpdate');
-    expect(tosUpdate.present, 'tosUpdate present in __NEXT_DATA__ pageProps').toBe(true);
+    // (b) SSR payload carries the static ToS metadata (lastmod + body hash +
+    //     per-domain field keys). The show/hide decision is computed client-side,
+    //     so we just assert the metadata object is present and carries a hash.
+    const tosMeta = await readPageProp(page, 'tosMeta');
+    expect(tosMeta.present, 'tosMeta present in __NEXT_DATA__ pageProps').toBe(true);
     expect(
-      typeof tosUpdate.value === 'object' && tosUpdate.value !== null,
-      'tosUpdate is an object'
+      typeof tosMeta.value === 'object' && tosMeta.value !== null,
+      'tosMeta is an object'
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      typeof (tosMeta.value as { hash?: unknown }).hash === 'string',
+      'tosMeta carries a content hash'
     ).toBe(true);
 
     // (c) The client never issues either now-SSR-injected procedure on bootstrap.
@@ -198,30 +203,29 @@ test.describe('SSR-injected getFeatureFlags + checkTosUpdate (logged-in)', () =>
     ).toHaveLength(0);
   });
 
-  // The core correctness property: the SSR-injected seed must be byte-identical
-  // to what a live resolver fetch returns. With `staleTime: Infinity` a wrong
-  // seed would never self-correct (until reload), so a divergence here means
-  // users are served wrong feature flags / ToS state. Both paths call the same
-  // shared fn (computeUserFeatureFlagsOverlay / checkTosUpdate) so this should
-  // hold by construction — this asserts it for a real authed user end-to-end.
-  test('SSR seed byte-equals a live fetch for both procedures', async ({ page }) => {
+  // The core correctness property for getFeatureFlags: the SSR-injected seed must
+  // be byte-identical to a live resolver fetch (with `staleTime: Infinity` a wrong
+  // seed would never self-correct until reload). ToS metadata has NO resolver
+  // anymore — it's static deploy data delivered via pageProps — so we assert its
+  // static shape instead of a live comparison.
+  test('feature-flag SSR seed byte-equals a live fetch; tosMeta carries static fields', async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
     await page.goto(AUTHED_LANDING, { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
 
     const seedFlags = await readPageProp(page, 'userFeatureFlags');
-    const seedTos = await readPageProp(page, 'tosUpdate');
+    const seedTos = await readPageProp(page, 'tosMeta');
     expect(seedFlags.present, 'userFeatureFlags seed present in __NEXT_DATA__').toBe(true);
-    expect(seedTos.present, 'tosUpdate seed present in __NEXT_DATA__').toBe(true);
+    expect(seedTos.present, 'tosMeta seed present in __NEXT_DATA__').toBe(true);
 
     const liveFlags = await fetchTrpcQueryJson(page, FEATURE_FLAGS_PROCEDURE);
-    const liveTos = await fetchTrpcQueryJson(page, TOS_PROCEDURE);
 
     // Normalize the wire-representation difference for "no value" fields: the SSR
     // seed crosses the wire via JSON.stringify (drops `undefined` keys) while the
     // live fetch uses superjson (encodes `undefined` as `null`). Both mean absent;
     // stripping null/undefined-valued keys compares the meaningful fields
     // apples-to-apples. `false`/0/'' are kept, so a real value-vs-absent
-    // divergence is still caught. (e.g. checkTosUpdate's unused `userLastSeen`:
-    // omitted in the seed, `null` in the live fetch — semantically identical.)
+    // divergence is still caught.
     const stripNullish = (o: unknown) =>
       o && typeof o === 'object'
         ? Object.fromEntries(
@@ -233,10 +237,20 @@ test.describe('SSR-injected getFeatureFlags + checkTosUpdate (logged-in)', () =>
       stripNullish(seedFlags.value),
       'user.getFeatureFlags SSR seed must byte-equal a live resolver fetch'
     ).toEqual(stripNullish(liveFlags));
-    expect(
-      stripNullish(seedTos.value),
-      'content.checkTosUpdate SSR seed must byte-equal a live resolver fetch'
-    ).toEqual(stripNullish(liveTos));
+
+    // tosMeta is static deploy data. Assert the fields the client relies on are
+    // present: current body hash + rollout baseline + the per-domain settings field
+    // keys it compares/writes.
+    const tos = seedTos.value as {
+      hash?: unknown;
+      baselineHash?: unknown;
+      fieldKey?: unknown;
+      hashFieldKey?: unknown;
+    };
+    expect(typeof tos.hash, 'tosMeta.hash is a string').toBe('string');
+    expect(typeof tos.baselineHash, 'tosMeta.baselineHash is a string').toBe('string');
+    expect(typeof tos.fieldKey, 'tosMeta.fieldKey is a string').toBe('string');
+    expect(typeof tos.hashFieldKey, 'tosMeta.hashFieldKey is a string').toBe('string');
   });
 });
 
@@ -404,11 +418,14 @@ test.describe('SSR-injected getFollowingUsers (logged-in)', () => {
  *      live (the toggle mutation's optimistic setData + invalidate refetch the
  *      seeded query — invalidate refetches regardless of staleTime).
  *  [ ] Opt-2 ToS-never-accepted: a user who has NEVER accepted the ToS still
- *      gets the ToS modal on first load (the `hasUpdate=true` when last-seen is
- *      undefined path), seeded from SSR rather than a client fetch.
+ *      gets the ToS modal on first load (no stored hash/date → `hasUpdate` true),
+ *      computed client-side from `tosMeta` + the SSR-seeded getSettings.
  *  [ ] Opt-2 ToS accept persists: accepting the ToS dismisses the modal (the
- *      accept flow's setData patches `hasUpdate=false`) and it stays dismissed
- *      on reload; the domain→field mapping is correct on green/red/blue hosts.
+ *      accept mutation patches the getSettings cache with the new hash, so the
+ *      hook recomputes `hasUpdate=false`) and it stays dismissed on reload; the
+ *      domain→field mapping is correct on green/red/blue hosts.
+ *  [ ] Opt-2 ToS no false-positive: a stray `lastmod` bump with NO body change
+ *      must NOT re-prompt a hash-backed user (the body hash is unchanged).
  *  [ ] Announcements render + dismiss: with an ACTIVE announcement, the banner
  *      renders from the SSR seed (now in the initial HTML) and dismissing it
  *      persists across navigation (the dismissed-ids zustand store is unchanged