diff --git a/webui2/src/App.tsx b/webui2/src/App.tsx
index 3f8dcf795a618d45affc702be754fcfb3726502b..fdb288d1e660c9d5686cadb5e88ad29fe963364b 100644
--- a/webui2/src/App.tsx
+++ b/webui2/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 import { createRouter, RouterProvider } from "@tanstack/react-router";
 
+import { preloadQuery } from "@/lib/apollo";
+
 import { routeTree } from "./routeTree.gen";
 
 const router = createRouter({
   routeTree,
   defaultPreload: "intent",
   scrollRestoration: true,
+  context: { preloadQuery },
 });
 
 declare module "@tanstack/react-router" {
diff --git a/webui2/src/routes/$repo.tsx b/webui2/src/routes/$repo.tsx
index 77cd795d8ba5d770bea08291e828df410b4c9135..8eaac5c9d2457e7291396cca9cb49ee6b9408728 100644
--- a/webui2/src/routes/$repo.tsx
+++ b/webui2/src/routes/$repo.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,28 @@
 import { createFileRoute } from "@tanstack/react-router";
 
+import {
+  type ValidLabelsQuery,
+  ValidLabelsDocument,
+  type AllIdentitiesQuery,
+  AllIdentitiesDocument,
+} from "@/__generated__/graphql";
 import { RepoShell } from "@/lib/repo";
 
 export const Route = createFileRoute("/$repo")({
   component: RepoShell,
+  beforeLoad: ({ params: { repo }, context: { preloadQuery } }) => {
+    // Normalize the repo slug: "_" means the default (null) repo
+    const ref = repo === "_" ? null : repo;
+
+    // Preload labels and identities shared by all child routes (issue list,
+    // bug detail, etc.). These are stable across filter/page changes.
+    const labelsRef = preloadQuery<ValidLabelsQuery>(ValidLabelsDocument, {
+      variables: { ref },
+    });
+    const identitiesRef = preloadQuery<AllIdentitiesQuery>(AllIdentitiesDocument, {
+      variables: { ref },
+    });
+
+    return { ref, labelsRef, identitiesRef };
+  },
 });
diff --git a/webui2/src/routes/$repo/commit/$hash.tsx b/webui2/src/routes/$repo/commit/$hash.tsx
index 4aafd19c179001607505562aeb9a5de63b2804f6..930c26411b760c5048ee147a5ae5209d72adc270 100644
--- a/webui2/src/routes/$repo/commit/$hash.tsx
+++ b/webui2/src/routes/$repo/commit/$hash.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import { ArrowLeft, GitCommit } from "lucide-react";
 
 import { FileDiffView } from "@/components/code/FileDiffView";
 import { Skeleton } from "@/components/ui/skeleton";
-import { preloadQuery } from "@/lib/apollo";
 import { useRepo } from "@/lib/repo";
 
 const COMMIT_QUERY = gql`
@@ -57,9 +56,9 @@ interface CommitQueryData {
 export const Route = createFileRoute("/$repo/commit/$hash")({
   component: RouteComponent,
   pendingComponent: CommitPageSkeleton,
-  loader: async ({ params: { repo, hash } }) => {
+  loader: async ({ context: { preloadQuery, ref }, params: { hash } }) => {
     const commitRef = preloadQuery<CommitQueryData>(COMMIT_QUERY, {
-      variables: { repo: repo === "_" ? null : repo, hash },
+      variables: { repo: ref, hash },
     });
     return { commitRef: await preloadQuery.toPromise(commitRef) };
   },
diff --git a/webui2/src/routes/$repo/index.tsx b/webui2/src/routes/$repo/index.tsx
index 96ea0aec4fa9f0f1cac2c4e7109b9c068fa20d59..dea0dec7896dcc733e7de503d61c36a4b8239b2d 100644
--- a/webui2/src/routes/$repo/index.tsx
+++ b/webui2/src/routes/$repo/index.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import { RefSelector } from "@/components/code/RefSelector";
 import { Markdown } from "@/components/content/Markdown";
 import { ButtonLink } from "@/components/ui/button-link";
 import { Skeleton } from "@/components/ui/skeleton";
-import { preloadQuery } from "@/lib/apollo";
 import { useRepo } from "@/lib/repo";
 
 const REFS_QUERY = gql`
@@ -126,9 +125,9 @@ export const Route = createFileRoute("/$repo/")({
   component: RouteComponent,
   pendingComponent: CodePageSkeleton,
   validateSearch: (search) => v.parse(codePageSearchSchema, search),
-  loader: async ({ params: { repo } }) => {
+  loader: async ({ context: { preloadQuery, ref } }) => {
     const refsRef = preloadQuery<RefsQueryData>(REFS_QUERY, {
-      variables: { repo: repo === "_" ? null : repo },
+      variables: { repo: ref },
     });
     return { refsRef: await preloadQuery.toPromise(refsRef) };
   },
diff --git a/webui2/src/routes/$repo/issues/$id.tsx b/webui2/src/routes/$repo/issues/$id.tsx
index 33b675e481f954388c3c1ad3e6005ae9189a3e55..54668672b26cd2de681ca9e77c27db3fbebb0b4f 100644
--- a/webui2/src/routes/$repo/issues/$id.tsx
+++ b/webui2/src/routes/$repo/issues/$id.tsx
@@ -3,12 +3,7 @@ import { createFileRoute, Link } from "@tanstack/react-router";
 import { formatDistanceToNow } from "date-fns";
 import { ArrowLeft } from "lucide-react";
 
-import {
-  type BugDetailQuery,
-  BugDetailDocument,
-  type ValidLabelsQuery,
-  ValidLabelsDocument,
-} from "@/__generated__/graphql";
+import { type BugDetailQuery, BugDetailDocument } from "@/__generated__/graphql";
 import { CommentBox } from "@/components/bugs/CommentBox";
 import { LabelEditor } from "@/components/bugs/LabelEditor";
 import { StatusBadge } from "@/components/bugs/StatusBadge";
@@ -17,24 +12,16 @@ import { TitleEditor } from "@/components/bugs/TitleEditor";
 import { Avatar, AvatarFallback, AvatarImage } from "@/components/ui/avatar";
 import { Separator } from "@/components/ui/separator";
 import { Skeleton } from "@/components/ui/skeleton";
-import { preloadQuery } from "@/lib/apollo";
 import { useRepo } from "@/lib/repo";
 
 export const Route = createFileRoute("/$repo/issues/$id")({
   component: RouteComponent,
   pendingComponent: BugDetailSkeleton,
-  loader: async ({ params: { repo, id } }) => {
-    const ref = repo === "_" ? null : repo;
+  loader: async ({ context: { preloadQuery, ref }, params: { id } }) => {
     const bugDetailRef = preloadQuery<BugDetailQuery>(BugDetailDocument, {
       variables: { ref, prefix: id },
     });
-    const labelsRef = preloadQuery<ValidLabelsQuery>(ValidLabelsDocument, {
-      variables: { ref },
-    });
-    return {
-      bugDetailRef: await preloadQuery.toPromise(bugDetailRef),
-      labelsRef: await preloadQuery.toPromise(labelsRef),
-    };
+    return { bugDetailRef: await preloadQuery.toPromise(bugDetailRef) };
   },
 });
 
@@ -42,7 +29,8 @@ export const Route = createFileRoute("/$repo/issues/$id")({
 // comments and events, and a sidebar with labels and participants.
 function RouteComponent() {
   const repo = useRepo();
-  const { bugDetailRef, labelsRef } = Route.useLoaderData();
+  const { bugDetailRef } = Route.useLoaderData();
+  const { labelsRef } = Route.useRouteContext();
   const { data } = useReadQuery(bugDetailRef);
   const { data: labelsData } = useReadQuery(labelsRef);
   const validLabels = labelsData?.repository?.validLabels.nodes ?? [];
diff --git a/webui2/src/routes/$repo/issues/index.tsx b/webui2/src/routes/$repo/issues/index.tsx
index 5e7c770df947fddfefd665e025eb7022553f23eb..b8a941b2433ecbc95a861b9c3dce4652d30e363c 100644
--- a/webui2/src/routes/$repo/issues/index.tsx
+++ b/webui2/src/routes/$repo/issues/index.tsx
@@ -4,14 +4,7 @@ import { CircleDot, CircleCheck, ChevronLeft, ChevronRight } from "lucide-react"
 import { useState } from "react";
 import * as v from "valibot";
 
-import {
-  type BugListQuery,
-  BugListDocument,
-  type ValidLabelsQuery,
-  ValidLabelsDocument,
-  type AllIdentitiesQuery,
-  AllIdentitiesDocument,
-} from "@/__generated__/graphql";
+import { type BugListQuery, BugListDocument } from "@/__generated__/graphql";
 import { BugRow } from "@/components/bugs/BugRow";
 import { IssueFilters } from "@/components/bugs/IssueFilters";
 import type { SortValue } from "@/components/bugs/IssueFilters";
@@ -19,7 +12,6 @@ import { QueryInput } from "@/components/bugs/QueryInput";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { ButtonLink } from "@/components/ui/button-link";
 import { Skeleton } from "@/components/ui/skeleton";
-import { preloadQuery } from "@/lib/apollo";
 import { useRepo } from "@/lib/repo";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
@@ -33,8 +25,7 @@ export const Route = createFileRoute("/$repo/issues/")({
   pendingComponent: BugListSkeleton,
   validateSearch: (search) => v.parse(issuesSearchSchema, search),
   loaderDeps: ({ search: { q, after } }) => ({ q, after }),
-  loader: async ({ params: { repo }, deps: { q, after } }) => {
-    const ref = repo === "_" ? null : repo;
+  loader: async ({ context: { preloadQuery, ref }, deps: { q, after } }) => {
     const parsed = parseQueryString(q);
     const baseQuery = buildBaseQuery(parsed.labels, parsed.author, parsed.freeText);
     const bugListRef = preloadQuery<BugListQuery>(BugListDocument, {
@@ -47,17 +38,7 @@ export const Route = createFileRoute("/$repo/issues/")({
         after: after || undefined,
       },
     });
-    const labelsRef = preloadQuery<ValidLabelsQuery>(ValidLabelsDocument, {
-      variables: { ref },
-    });
-    const identitiesRef = preloadQuery<AllIdentitiesQuery>(AllIdentitiesDocument, {
-      variables: { ref },
-    });
-    return {
-      bugListRef: await preloadQuery.toPromise(bugListRef),
-      labelsRef: await preloadQuery.toPromise(labelsRef),
-      identitiesRef: await preloadQuery.toPromise(identitiesRef),
-    };
+    return { bugListRef: await preloadQuery.toPromise(bugListRef) };
   },
 });
 
@@ -84,7 +65,8 @@ function RouteComponent() {
   // Draft is the text input value — starts from URL, only committed on submit
   const [draft, setDraft] = useState(q);
 
-  const { bugListRef, labelsRef, identitiesRef } = Route.useLoaderData();
+  const { bugListRef } = Route.useLoaderData();
+  const { labelsRef, identitiesRef } = Route.useRouteContext();
   const { data } = useReadQuery(bugListRef);
   const { data: labelsData } = useReadQuery(labelsRef);
   const { data: identitiesData } = useReadQuery(identitiesRef);
diff --git a/webui2/src/routes/__root.tsx b/webui2/src/routes/__root.tsx
index be549dea3884f041b6b92c7e410f691389944fa2..30a7f77da9489da2fc6af9ede63bb18e85c07b73 100644
--- a/webui2/src/routes/__root.tsx
+++ b/webui2/src/routes/__root.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
-import { createRootRoute, useRouter } from "@tanstack/react-router";
+import { createRootRouteWithContext, useRouter } from "@tanstack/react-router";
 import { AlertTriangle } from "lucide-react";
 
 import { Shell } from "@/components/layout/Shell";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { ButtonLink } from "@/components/ui/button-link";
+import type { preloadQuery } from "@/lib/apollo";
 
-export const Route = createRootRoute({
+export interface RouterContext {
+  preloadQuery: typeof preloadQuery;
+}
+
+export const Route = createRootRouteWithContext<RouterContext>()({
   component: Shell,
   errorComponent: ErrorPage,
 });
diff --git a/webui2/src/routes/index.tsx b/webui2/src/routes/index.tsx
index e684a35c97fee6a824bb8766b3532d2cbf892e20..8a38c6e1dffd260aac7789566effe345bd97d298 100644
--- a/webui2/src/routes/index.tsx
+++ b/webui2/src/routes/index.tsx
@@ -7,11 +7,10 @@ import { GitFork, FolderOpen, AlertCircle } from "lucide-react";
 import { useEffect } from "react";
 
 import { type RepositoriesQuery, RepositoriesDocument } from "@/__generated__/graphql";
-import { preloadQuery } from "@/lib/apollo";
 
 export const Route = createFileRoute("/")({
   component: RouteComponent,
-  loader: async () => {
+  loader: async ({ context: { preloadQuery } }) => {
     const repositoriesRef = preloadQuery<RepositoriesQuery>(RepositoriesDocument);
     return { repositoriesRef: await preloadQuery.toPromise(repositoriesRef) };
   },