diff --git a/app/javascript/controllers/plaid_controller.js b/app/javascript/controllers/plaid_controller.js
index a12660f0a..e24031f77 100644
--- a/app/javascript/controllers/plaid_controller.js
+++ b/app/javascript/controllers/plaid_controller.js
@@ -10,11 +10,75 @@ export default class extends Controller {
   };
 
   connect() {
-    this.open();
+    this._connectionToken = (this._connectionToken ?? 0) + 1;
+    const connectionToken = this._connectionToken;
+    this.open(connectionToken).catch((error) => {
+      console.error("Failed to initialize Plaid Link", error);
+    });
   }
 
-  open() {
-    const handler = Plaid.create({
+  disconnect() {
+    this._handler?.destroy();
+    this._handler = null;
+    this._connectionToken = (this._connectionToken ?? 0) + 1;
+  }
+
+  waitForPlaid() {
+    if (typeof Plaid !== "undefined") {
+      return Promise.resolve();
+    }
+
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      let plaidScript = document.querySelector(
+        'script[src*="link-initialize.js"]'
+      );
+
+      // Reject if the CDN request stalls without firing load or error
+      const timeoutId = window.setTimeout(() => {
+        if (plaidScript) plaidScript.dataset.plaidState = "error";
+        reject(new Error("Timed out loading Plaid script"));
+      }, 10_000);
+
+      // Remove previously failed script so we can retry with a fresh element
+      if (plaidScript?.dataset.plaidState === "error") {
+        plaidScript.remove();
+        plaidScript = null;
+      }
+
+      if (!plaidScript) {
+        plaidScript = document.createElement("script");
+        plaidScript.src = "https://cdn.plaid.com/link/v2/stable/link-initialize.js";
+        plaidScript.async = true;
+        plaidScript.dataset.plaidState = "loading";
+        document.head.appendChild(plaidScript);
+      }
+
+      plaidScript.addEventListener("load", () => {
+        window.clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+        plaidScript.dataset.plaidState = "loaded";
+        resolve();
+      }, { once: true });
+      plaidScript.addEventListener("error", () => {
+        window.clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+        plaidScript.dataset.plaidState = "error";
+        reject(new Error("Failed to load Plaid script"));
+      }, { once: true });
+
+      // Re-check after attaching listeners in case the script loaded between
+      // the initial typeof check and listener attachment (avoids a permanently
+      // pending promise on retry flows).
+      if (typeof Plaid !== "undefined") {
+        window.clearTimeout(timeoutId);
+        resolve();
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+  async open(connectionToken = this._connectionToken) {
+    await this.waitForPlaid();
+    if (connectionToken !== this._connectionToken) return;
+
+    this._handler = Plaid.create({
       token: this.linkTokenValue,
       onSuccess: this.handleSuccess,
       onLoad: this.handleLoad,
@@ -22,7 +86,7 @@ export default class extends Controller {
       onEvent: this.handleEvent,
     });
 
-    handler.open();
+    this._handler.open();
   }
 
   handleSuccess = (public_token, metadata) => {
diff --git a/app/models/plaid_item/syncer.rb b/app/models/plaid_item/syncer.rb
index 74d66a58b..1f90f68c6 100644
--- a/app/models/plaid_item/syncer.rb
+++ b/app/models/plaid_item/syncer.rb
@@ -12,8 +12,16 @@ class PlaidItem::Syncer
     sync.update!(status_text: "Importing accounts from Plaid...") if sync.respond_to?(:status_text)
     plaid_item.import_latest_plaid_data
 
-    # Phase 2: Collect setup statistics
+    # Phase 2: Process the raw Plaid data and create/update internal domain objects
+    # This must happen before the linked/unlinked check because process_accounts
+    # is what creates Account and AccountProvider records for new PlaidAccounts.
+    sync.update!(status_text: "Processing accounts...") if sync.respond_to?(:status_text)
+    mark_import_started(sync)
+    plaid_item.process_accounts
+
+    # Phase 3: Collect setup statistics (now that accounts have been processed)
     sync.update!(status_text: "Checking account configuration...") if sync.respond_to?(:status_text)
+    plaid_item.plaid_accounts.reload
     collect_setup_stats(sync, provider_accounts: plaid_item.plaid_accounts)
 
     # Check for unlinked accounts and update pending_account_setup flag
@@ -25,14 +33,9 @@ class PlaidItem::Syncer
       plaid_item.update!(pending_account_setup: false) if plaid_item.respond_to?(:pending_account_setup=)
     end
 
-    # Phase 3: Process the raw Plaid data and updates internal domain objects
+    # Phase 4: Schedule balance calculations for linked accounts
     linked_accounts = plaid_item.plaid_accounts.select { |pa| pa.current_account.present? }
     if linked_accounts.any?
-      sync.update!(status_text: "Processing transactions...") if sync.respond_to?(:status_text)
-      mark_import_started(sync)
-      plaid_item.process_accounts
-
-      # Phase 4: Schedule balance calculations
       sync.update!(status_text: "Calculating balances...") if sync.respond_to?(:status_text)
       plaid_item.schedule_account_syncs(
         parent_sync: sync,
diff --git a/app/views/layouts/shared/_head.html.erb b/app/views/layouts/shared/_head.html.erb
index b96ce2c61..d908a5d0a 100644
--- a/app/views/layouts/shared/_head.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/layouts/shared/_head.html.erb
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 
   <%= combobox_style_tag %>
 
-  <%= yield :plaid_link %>
   <%= javascript_importmap_tags %>
   <%= render "layouts/dark_mode_check" %>
   <%= turbo_refreshes_with method: :morph, scroll: :preserve %>
diff --git a/app/views/plaid_items/_auto_link_opener.html.erb b/app/views/plaid_items/_auto_link_opener.html.erb
index b25884954..7e9c76950 100644
--- a/app/views/plaid_items/_auto_link_opener.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/plaid_items/_auto_link_opener.html.erb
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 <%# locals: (link_token:, region:, item_id:, is_update: false) %>
 
-<% content_for :plaid_link, flush: true do %>
-  <%= javascript_include_tag "https://cdn.plaid.com/link/v2/stable/link-initialize.js" %>
-<% end %>
-
 <%= tag.div data: {
               controller: "plaid",
               plaid_link_token_value: link_token,