diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1e1c8b65..908d643e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Upcoming Release
+- **refactor!**: shift to eager loading for a robust, fail-fast startup.
+
 ## 1.0.1 - 2025-10-17
 
 - **chore**: A new migration ensures that existing user preference documents are updated to include the savedFilters field, initialized as an empty array.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 69247054..4b2a4585 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@ Click on any category to explore.
 
 ---
 
+### ✨ Eager Loading & Fail-Fast Startup
+- **Robust Initialization:** The server now initializes all critical dependencies (database connection, migrations, seeding) *before* it starts accepting any requests.
+- **Fail-Fast by Design:** If any part of the startup process fails (e.g., the database is down), the server will immediately exit with a clear error.
+> **Your Advantage:** This eliminates startup race conditions and ensures the server is either fully operational or not running at all. It provides a highly predictable and stable production environment, preventing the server from running in a broken state.
+
+---
+
 ### 🔌 Robust Dependency Injection
 - **Testable & Modular:** A centralized dependency injection system makes the entire application highly modular and easy to test.
 - **Swappable Implementations:** Easily swap out core components—like the database (MongoDB), email provider (SendGrid), or storage services—without rewriting your business logic.
diff --git a/bin/main.dart b/bin/main.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab59661a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/main.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+// ignore_for_file: avoid_print
+
+import 'dart:async';
+import 'dart:io';
+
+import 'package:dart_frog/dart_frog.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_news_app_api_server_full_source_code/src/config/app_dependencies.dart';
+import 'package:logging/logging.dart';
+
+// Import the generated server entrypoint to access `buildRootHandler`.
+import '../.dart_frog/server.dart' as dart_frog;
+
+/// The main entrypoint for the application.
+///
+/// This custom entrypoint implements an "eager loading" strategy. It ensures
+/// that all critical application dependencies are initialized *before* the
+/// HTTP server starts listening for requests.
+///
+/// If any part of the dependency initialization fails (e.g., database
+/// connection, migrations), the process will log a fatal error and exit,
+/// preventing the server from running in a broken state. This is a robust,
+/// "fail-fast" approach.
+Future<void> main(List<String> args) async {
+  // Use a local logger for startup-specific messages.
+  // This is also the ideal place to configure the root logger for the entire
+  // application, as it's guaranteed to run only once at startup.
+  Logger.root.level = Level.ALL;
+  Logger.root.onRecord.listen((record) {
+    final message = StringBuffer()
+      ..write('${record.level.name}: ${record.time}: ${record.loggerName}: ')
+      ..writeln(record.message);
+
+    if (record.error != null) {
+      message.writeln('  ERROR: ${record.error}');
+    }
+    if (record.stackTrace != null) {
+      message.writeln('  STACK TRACE: ${record.stackTrace}');
+    }
+
+    // Write the log message atomically to stdout.
+    stdout.write(message.toString());
+  });
+
+  final log = Logger('EagerEntrypoint');
+  HttpServer? server;
+
+  Future<void> shutdown([String? signal]) async {
+    log.info('Received ${signal ?? 'signal'}. Shutting down gracefully...');
+    // Stop accepting new connections.
+    await server?.close();
+    // Dispose all application dependencies.
+    await AppDependencies.instance.dispose();
+    log.info('Shutdown complete.');
+    exit(0);
+  }
+
+  // Listen for termination signals.
+  ProcessSignal.sigint.watch().listen((_) => shutdown('SIGINT'));
+  // SIGTERM is not supported on Windows. Attempting to listen to it will throw.
+  if (!Platform.isWindows) {
+    ProcessSignal.sigterm.watch().listen((_) => shutdown('SIGTERM'));
+  }
+
+  try {
+    log.info('EAGER_INIT: Initializing application dependencies...');
+
+    // Eagerly initialize all dependencies. If this fails, it will throw.
+    await AppDependencies.instance.init();
+
+    log.info('EAGER_INIT: Dependencies initialized successfully.');
+    log.info('EAGER_INIT: Starting Dart Frog server...');
+
+    // Start the server directly without the hot reload wrapper.
+    final address = InternetAddress.anyIPv6;
+    final port = int.tryParse(Platform.environment['PORT'] ?? '8080') ?? 8080;
+    
+    // Explicitly cast the handler to resolve the type ambiguity.
+    final handler = dart_frog.buildRootHandler() as Handler;
+    server = await serve(handler, address, port);
+    log.info(
+      'Server listening on http://${server.address.host}:${server.port}',
+    );
+  } catch (e, s) {
+    log.severe('EAGER_INIT: FATAL: Failed to start server.', e, s);
+    // Log directly to stderr and flush to ensure the message is captured
+    // before the process exits, which is crucial for debugging startup errors.
+    stderr.writeln('EAGER_INIT: FATAL: Failed to start server. Error: $e\nStack Trace: $s');
+    await stderr.flush();
+    // Exit the process if initialization fails.
+    exit(1);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/src/config/app_dependencies.dart b/lib/src/config/app_dependencies.dart
index 3de4fdca..828b9d26 100644
--- a/lib/src/config/app_dependencies.dart
+++ b/lib/src/config/app_dependencies.dart
@@ -40,11 +40,11 @@ class AppDependencies {
   /// Provides access to the singleton instance.
   static AppDependencies get instance => _instance;
 
-  bool _isInitialized = false;
-  Object? _initializationError;
-  StackTrace? _initializationStackTrace;
   final _log = Logger('AppDependencies');
 
+  // A flag to track if initialization has started, for safe disposal.
+  bool _initStarted = false;
+
   // --- Late-initialized fields for all dependencies ---
 
   // Database
@@ -78,217 +78,206 @@ class AppDependencies {
 
   /// Initializes all application dependencies.
   ///
-  /// This method is idempotent; it will only run the initialization logic once.
+  /// This method is now designed to be called once at application startup
+  /// by the eager-loading entrypoint (`bin/main.dart`). It will throw an
+  /// exception if any part of the initialization fails, which will be caught
+  /// by the entrypoint to terminate the server process.
   Future<void> init() async {
-    // If initialization previously failed, re-throw the original error.
-    if (_initializationError != null) {
-      return Future.error(_initializationError!, _initializationStackTrace);
-    }
-
-    if (_isInitialized) return;
-
+    _initStarted = true;
     _log.info('Initializing application dependencies...');
 
-    try {
-      // 1. Initialize Database Connection
-      _mongoDbConnectionManager = MongoDbConnectionManager();
-      await _mongoDbConnectionManager.init(EnvironmentConfig.databaseUrl);
-      _log.info('MongoDB connection established.');
+    // 1. Initialize Database Connection
+    _mongoDbConnectionManager = MongoDbConnectionManager();
+    await _mongoDbConnectionManager.init(EnvironmentConfig.databaseUrl);
+    _log.info('MongoDB connection established.');
 
-      // 2. Initialize and Run Database Migrations
-      databaseMigrationService = DatabaseMigrationService(
-        db: _mongoDbConnectionManager.db,
-        log: Logger('DatabaseMigrationService'),
-        migrations:
-            allMigrations, // From lib/src/database/migrations/all_migrations.dart
-      );
-      await databaseMigrationService.init();
-      _log.info('Database migrations applied.');
+    // 2. Initialize and Run Database Migrations
+    databaseMigrationService = DatabaseMigrationService(
+      db: _mongoDbConnectionManager.db,
+      log: Logger('DatabaseMigrationService'),
+      migrations:
+          allMigrations, // From lib/src/database/migrations/all_migrations.dart
+    );
+    await databaseMigrationService.init();
+    _log.info('Database migrations applied.');
 
-      // 3. Seed Database
-      // This runs AFTER migrations to ensure the schema is up-to-date.
-      final seedingService = DatabaseSeedingService(
-        db: _mongoDbConnectionManager.db,
-        log: Logger('DatabaseSeedingService'),
-      );
-      await seedingService.seedInitialData();
-      _log.info('Database seeding complete.');
+    // 3. Seed Database
+    // This runs AFTER migrations to ensure the schema is up-to-date.
+    final seedingService = DatabaseSeedingService(
+      db: _mongoDbConnectionManager.db,
+      log: Logger('DatabaseSeedingService'),
+    );
+    await seedingService.seedInitialData();
+    _log.info('Database seeding complete.');
 
-      // 4. Initialize Data Clients (MongoDB implementation)
-      final headlineClient = DataMongodb<Headline>(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        modelName: 'headlines',
-        fromJson: Headline.fromJson,
-        toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
-        searchableFields: ['title'],
-        logger: Logger('DataMongodb<Headline>'),
-      );
-      final topicClient = DataMongodb<Topic>(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        modelName: 'topics',
-        fromJson: Topic.fromJson,
-        toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
-        searchableFields: ['name'],
-        logger: Logger('DataMongodb<Topic>'),
-      );
-      final sourceClient = DataMongodb<Source>(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        modelName: 'sources',
-        fromJson: Source.fromJson,
-        toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
-        searchableFields: ['name'],
-        logger: Logger('DataMongodb<Source>'),
-      );
-      final countryClient = DataMongodb<Country>(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        modelName: 'countries',
-        fromJson: Country.fromJson,
-        toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
-        searchableFields: ['name'],
-        logger: Logger('DataMongodb<Country>'),
-      );
-      final languageClient = DataMongodb<Language>(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        modelName: 'languages',
-        fromJson: Language.fromJson,
-        toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
-        logger: Logger('DataMongodb<Language>'),
-      );
-      final userClient = DataMongodb<User>(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        modelName: 'users',
-        fromJson: User.fromJson,
-        toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
-        logger: Logger('DataMongodb<User>'),
-      );
-      final userAppSettingsClient = DataMongodb<UserAppSettings>(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        modelName: 'user_app_settings',
-        fromJson: UserAppSettings.fromJson,
-        toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
-        logger: Logger('DataMongodb<UserAppSettings>'),
-      );
-      final userContentPreferencesClient = DataMongodb<UserContentPreferences>(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        modelName: 'user_content_preferences',
-        fromJson: UserContentPreferences.fromJson,
-        toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
-        logger: Logger('DataMongodb<UserContentPreferences>'),
-      );
-      final remoteConfigClient = DataMongodb<RemoteConfig>(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        modelName: 'remote_configs',
-        fromJson: RemoteConfig.fromJson,
-        toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
-        logger: Logger('DataMongodb<RemoteConfig>'),
-      );
+    // 4. Initialize Data Clients (MongoDB implementation)
+    final headlineClient = DataMongodb<Headline>(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      modelName: 'headlines',
+      fromJson: Headline.fromJson,
+      toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
+      searchableFields: ['title'],
+      logger: Logger('DataMongodb<Headline>'),
+    );
+    final topicClient = DataMongodb<Topic>(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      modelName: 'topics',
+      fromJson: Topic.fromJson,
+      toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
+      searchableFields: ['name'],
+      logger: Logger('DataMongodb<Topic>'),
+    );
+    final sourceClient = DataMongodb<Source>(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      modelName: 'sources',
+      fromJson: Source.fromJson,
+      toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
+      searchableFields: ['name'],
+      logger: Logger('DataMongodb<Source>'),
+    );
+    final countryClient = DataMongodb<Country>(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      modelName: 'countries',
+      fromJson: Country.fromJson,
+      toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
+      searchableFields: ['name'],
+      logger: Logger('DataMongodb<Country>'),
+    );
+    final languageClient = DataMongodb<Language>(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      modelName: 'languages',
+      fromJson: Language.fromJson,
+      toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
+      logger: Logger('DataMongodb<Language>'),
+    );
+    final userClient = DataMongodb<User>(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      modelName: 'users',
+      fromJson: User.fromJson,
+      toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
+      logger: Logger('DataMongodb<User>'),
+    );
+    final userAppSettingsClient = DataMongodb<UserAppSettings>(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      modelName: 'user_app_settings',
+      fromJson: UserAppSettings.fromJson,
+      toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
+      logger: Logger('DataMongodb<UserAppSettings>'),
+    );
+    final userContentPreferencesClient = DataMongodb<UserContentPreferences>(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      modelName: 'user_content_preferences',
+      fromJson: UserContentPreferences.fromJson,
+      toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
+      logger: Logger('DataMongodb<UserContentPreferences>'),
+    );
+    final remoteConfigClient = DataMongodb<RemoteConfig>(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      modelName: 'remote_configs',
+      fromJson: RemoteConfig.fromJson,
+      toJson: (item) => item.toJson(),
+      logger: Logger('DataMongodb<RemoteConfig>'),
+    );
 
-      // 4. Initialize Repositories
-      headlineRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: headlineClient);
-      topicRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: topicClient);
-      sourceRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: sourceClient);
-      countryRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: countryClient);
-      languageRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: languageClient);
-      userRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: userClient);
-      userAppSettingsRepository = DataRepository(
-        dataClient: userAppSettingsClient,
-      );
-      userContentPreferencesRepository = DataRepository(
-        dataClient: userContentPreferencesClient,
-      );
-      remoteConfigRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: remoteConfigClient);
-      // Configure the HTTP client for SendGrid.
-      // The HttpClient's AuthInterceptor will use the tokenProvider to add
-      // the 'Authorization: Bearer <SENDGRID_API_KEY>' header.
-      final sendGridApiBase =
-          EnvironmentConfig.sendGridApiUrl ?? 'https://api.sendgrid.com';
-      final sendGridHttpClient = HttpClient(
-        baseUrl: '$sendGridApiBase/v3',
-        tokenProvider: () async => EnvironmentConfig.sendGridApiKey,
-        logger: Logger('EmailSendgridClient'),
-      );
+    // 4. Initialize Repositories
+    headlineRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: headlineClient);
+    topicRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: topicClient);
+    sourceRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: sourceClient);
+    countryRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: countryClient);
+    languageRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: languageClient);
+    userRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: userClient);
+    userAppSettingsRepository = DataRepository(
+      dataClient: userAppSettingsClient,
+    );
+    userContentPreferencesRepository = DataRepository(
+      dataClient: userContentPreferencesClient,
+    );
+    remoteConfigRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: remoteConfigClient);
+    // Configure the HTTP client for SendGrid.
+    // The HttpClient's AuthInterceptor will use the tokenProvider to add
+    // the 'Authorization: Bearer <SENDGRID_API_KEY>' header.
+    final sendGridApiBase =
+        EnvironmentConfig.sendGridApiUrl ?? 'https://api.sendgrid.com';
+    final sendGridHttpClient = HttpClient(
+      baseUrl: '$sendGridApiBase/v3',
+      tokenProvider: () async => EnvironmentConfig.sendGridApiKey,
+      logger: Logger('EmailSendgridClient'),
+    );
 
-      // Initialize the SendGrid email client with the dedicated HTTP client.
-      final emailClient = EmailSendGrid(
-        httpClient: sendGridHttpClient,
-        log: Logger('EmailSendgrid'),
-      );
+    // Initialize the SendGrid email client with the dedicated HTTP client.
+    final emailClient = EmailSendGrid(
+      httpClient: sendGridHttpClient,
+      log: Logger('EmailSendgrid'),
+    );
 
-      emailRepository = EmailRepository(emailClient: emailClient);
+    emailRepository = EmailRepository(emailClient: emailClient);
 
-      final localAdClient = DataMongodb<LocalAd>(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        modelName: 'local_ads',
-        fromJson: LocalAd.fromJson,
-        toJson: LocalAd.toJson,
-        searchableFields: ['title'],
-        logger: Logger('DataMongodb<LocalAd>'),
-      );
-      localAdRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: localAdClient);
+    final localAdClient = DataMongodb<LocalAd>(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      modelName: 'local_ads',
+      fromJson: LocalAd.fromJson,
+      toJson: LocalAd.toJson,
+      searchableFields: ['title'],
+      logger: Logger('DataMongodb<LocalAd>'),
+    );
+    localAdRepository = DataRepository(dataClient: localAdClient);
 
-      // 5. Initialize Services
-      tokenBlacklistService = MongoDbTokenBlacklistService(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        log: Logger('MongoDbTokenBlacklistService'),
-      );
-      authTokenService = JwtAuthTokenService(
-        userRepository: userRepository,
-        blacklistService: tokenBlacklistService,
-        log: Logger('JwtAuthTokenService'),
-      );
-      verificationCodeStorageService = MongoDbVerificationCodeStorageService(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        log: Logger('MongoDbVerificationCodeStorageService'),
-      );
-      permissionService = const PermissionService();
-      authService = AuthService(
-        userRepository: userRepository,
-        authTokenService: authTokenService,
-        verificationCodeStorageService: verificationCodeStorageService,
-        permissionService: permissionService,
-        emailRepository: emailRepository,
-        userAppSettingsRepository: userAppSettingsRepository,
-        userContentPreferencesRepository: userContentPreferencesRepository,
-        log: Logger('AuthService'),
-      );
-      dashboardSummaryService = DashboardSummaryService(
-        headlineRepository: headlineRepository,
-        topicRepository: topicRepository,
-        sourceRepository: sourceRepository,
-      );
-      userPreferenceLimitService = DefaultUserPreferenceLimitService(
-        remoteConfigRepository: remoteConfigRepository,
-        permissionService: permissionService,
-        log: Logger('DefaultUserPreferenceLimitService'),
-      );
-      rateLimitService = MongoDbRateLimitService(
-        connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
-        log: Logger('MongoDbRateLimitService'),
-      );
-      countryQueryService = CountryQueryService(
-        countryRepository: countryRepository,
-        log: Logger('CountryQueryService'),
-        cacheDuration: EnvironmentConfig.countryServiceCacheDuration,
-      );
+    // 5. Initialize Services
+    tokenBlacklistService = MongoDbTokenBlacklistService(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      log: Logger('MongoDbTokenBlacklistService'),
+    );
+    authTokenService = JwtAuthTokenService(
+      userRepository: userRepository,
+      blacklistService: tokenBlacklistService,
+      log: Logger('JwtAuthTokenService'),
+    );
+    verificationCodeStorageService = MongoDbVerificationCodeStorageService(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      log: Logger('MongoDbVerificationCodeStorageService'),
+    );
+    permissionService = const PermissionService();
+    authService = AuthService(
+      userRepository: userRepository,
+      authTokenService: authTokenService,
+      verificationCodeStorageService: verificationCodeStorageService,
+      permissionService: permissionService,
+      emailRepository: emailRepository,
+      userAppSettingsRepository: userAppSettingsRepository,
+      userContentPreferencesRepository: userContentPreferencesRepository,
+      log: Logger('AuthService'),
+    );
+    dashboardSummaryService = DashboardSummaryService(
+      headlineRepository: headlineRepository,
+      topicRepository: topicRepository,
+      sourceRepository: sourceRepository,
+    );
+    userPreferenceLimitService = DefaultUserPreferenceLimitService(
+      remoteConfigRepository: remoteConfigRepository,
+      permissionService: permissionService,
+      log: Logger('DefaultUserPreferenceLimitService'),
+    );
+    rateLimitService = MongoDbRateLimitService(
+      connectionManager: _mongoDbConnectionManager,
+      log: Logger('MongoDbRateLimitService'),
+    );
+    countryQueryService = CountryQueryService(
+      countryRepository: countryRepository,
+      log: Logger('CountryQueryService'),
+      cacheDuration: EnvironmentConfig.countryServiceCacheDuration,
+    );
 
-      _isInitialized = true;
-      _log.info('Application dependencies initialized successfully.');
-    } catch (e, s) {
-      _log.severe('Failed to initialize application dependencies', e, s);
-      _initializationError = e;
-      _initializationStackTrace = s;
-      rethrow;
-    }
+    _log.info('Application dependencies initialized successfully.');
   }
 
   /// Disposes of resources, such as closing the database connection.
   Future<void> dispose() async {
-    if (!_isInitialized) return;
-    await _mongoDbConnectionManager.close();
+    if (_initStarted) {
+      await _mongoDbConnectionManager.close();
+    }
     tokenBlacklistService.dispose();
     rateLimitService.dispose();
     countryQueryService.dispose(); // Dispose the new service
-    _isInitialized = false;
     _log.info('Application dependencies disposed.');
   }
 }
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index 0f189132..5058e820 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -54,3 +54,7 @@ dev_dependencies:
   mocktail: ^1.0.3
   test: ^1.25.5
   very_good_analysis: ^9.0.0
+
+executables:
+  # Defines the custom entrypoint for eager loading.
+  main: main
diff --git a/routes/_middleware.dart b/routes/_middleware.dart
index e21a84c9..e4ef0d4f 100644
--- a/routes/_middleware.dart
+++ b/routes/_middleware.dart
@@ -22,38 +22,12 @@ import 'package:mongo_dart/mongo_dart.dart';
 // --- Middleware Definition ---
 final _log = Logger('RootMiddleware');
 
-// A flag to ensure the logger is only configured once for the application's
-// entire lifecycle.
-bool _loggerConfigured = false;
-
 Handler middleware(Handler handler) {
   // This is the root middleware for the entire API. It's responsible for
   // providing all shared dependencies to the request context.
   // The order of `.use()` calls is important: the last one in the chain
   // runs first.
 
-  // This check ensures that the logger is configured only once.
-  if (!_loggerConfigured) {
-    Logger.root.level = Level.ALL;
-    Logger.root.onRecord.listen((record) {
-      // A more detailed logger that includes the error and stack trace.
-      // ignore: avoid_print
-      print(
-        '${record.level.name}: ${record.time}: ${record.loggerName}: '
-        '${record.message}',
-      );
-      if (record.error != null) {
-        // ignore: avoid_print
-        print('  ERROR: ${record.error}');
-      }
-      if (record.stackTrace != null) {
-        // ignore: avoid_print
-        print('  STACK TRACE: ${record.stackTrace}');
-      }
-    });
-    _loggerConfigured = true;
-  }
-
   return handler
       // --- Core Middleware ---
       // These run after all dependencies have been provided.
@@ -74,17 +48,17 @@ Handler middleware(Handler handler) {
       })
       // --- Dependency Provider ---
       // This is the outermost middleware. It runs once per request, before any
-      // other middleware. It's responsible for initializing and providing all
-      // dependencies for the request.
+      // other middleware. It's responsible for providing all dependencies,
+      // which are guaranteed to be pre-initialized by the eager-loading
+      // entrypoint (`bin/main.dart`), to the request context.
       .use((handler) {
         return (context) async {
-          // 1. Ensure all dependencies are initialized (idempotent).
-          _log.info('Ensuring all application dependencies are initialized...');
-          await AppDependencies.instance.init();
-          _log.info('Dependencies are ready.');
-
-          // 2. Provide all dependencies to the inner handler.
+          // Provide all dependencies to the inner handler.
+          // The AppDependencies instance is a singleton that has already been
+          // initialized at application startup.
           final deps = AppDependencies.instance;
+          _log.finer('Providing pre-initialized dependencies to context.');
+
           return handler
               .use(
                 provider<DataOperationRegistry>((_) => DataOperationRegistry()),