diff --git a/artifacts/tx-os/src/pages/executive-meetings.tsx b/artifacts/tx-os/src/pages/executive-meetings.tsx
index d916f884..5a00ed3f 100644
--- a/artifacts/tx-os/src/pages/executive-meetings.tsx
+++ b/artifacts/tx-os/src/pages/executive-meetings.tsx
@@ -349,7 +349,9 @@ const ROW_COLOR_OPTIONS: { key: string; bg: string; border: string; label: strin
 const COLS_STORAGE_KEY = "em-schedule-cols-v1";
 const ROW_COLORS_STORAGE_KEY = "em-schedule-row-colors-v1";
 const HIGHLIGHT_STORAGE_KEY = "em-current-meeting-highlight-v1";
-const EDIT_MODE_STORAGE_KEY = "em-schedule-edit-mode-v1";
+// #484: edit-mode is intentionally NOT persisted. It always starts off
+// when the Meetings page mounts so users never come back to a stuck
+// half-open editor state after navigating away.
 
 type HighlightPrefs = { enabled: boolean; color: string };
 const DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_PREFS: HighlightPrefs = {
@@ -1075,46 +1077,24 @@ function ScheduleSection({
   // (no edit affordances). When a user with edit permission flips it on,
   // every per-cell editor and per-row action (merge, color swatch, drag
   // handle, add/delete row, inline edit, column drag, column resize) is
-  // re-enabled. We persist the user's last choice in localStorage so the
-  // toggle survives reloads + date changes, but we *also* always start in
-  // view mode for users without permission so they never see a stale "on"
-  // state from a previous session where they had access. Hydrating the
-  // localStorage value happens inside an effect to keep SSR-safe and to
-  // avoid reading from a non-mutator's namespace.
+  // re-enabled.
   //
-  // The storage key is namespaced by the current user's id so a shared
-  // browser profile can't leak one editor's last toggle state into the
-  // next account that signs in. When userId is null (no /me yet) we
-  // fall back to view mode without touching storage.
-  const editModeStorageKey = useMemo(
-    () => (userId != null ? `${EDIT_MODE_STORAGE_KEY}:${userId}` : null),
-    [userId],
-  );
+  // #484: the toggle is NOT persisted. Every fresh page mount — whether
+  // from a reload or from navigating back to Meetings from another app —
+  // starts in view mode so the user never returns to a stuck half-open
+  // editor state. The in-memory state still flips normally during a
+  // single visit. We also force back to false the moment a user loses
+  // mutate permission so they never see a stale "on".
   const [editMode, setEditModeState] = useState<boolean>(false);
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!canMutate || !editModeStorageKey) {
-      setEditModeState(false);
-      return;
-    }
-    try {
-      const raw = window.localStorage.getItem(editModeStorageKey);
-      setEditModeState(raw === "true");
-    } catch {
-      // localStorage may be unavailable (private mode); fall through to
-      // the default false.
-    }
-  }, [canMutate, editModeStorageKey]);
+    if (!canMutate) setEditModeState(false);
+  }, [canMutate]);
   const setEditMode = useCallback(
     (next: boolean) => {
-      if (!canMutate || !editModeStorageKey) return;
+      if (!canMutate) return;
       setEditModeState(next);
-      try {
-        window.localStorage.setItem(editModeStorageKey, next ? "true" : "false");
-      } catch {
-        // Persistence is best-effort; the in-memory state still flips.
-      }
     },
-    [canMutate, editModeStorageKey],
+    [canMutate],
   );
   // Anything the user can mutate must AND with editMode. We pass this
   // derived flag down to every row + cell so they don't each have to
diff --git a/artifacts/tx-os/tests/executive-meetings-edit-toggle.spec.mjs b/artifacts/tx-os/tests/executive-meetings-edit-toggle.spec.mjs
index b5cf7bab..80c827c4 100644
--- a/artifacts/tx-os/tests/executive-meetings-edit-toggle.spec.mjs
+++ b/artifacts/tx-os/tests/executive-meetings-edit-toggle.spec.mjs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ async function loginViaUi(page, username, password) {
   ]);
 }
 
-test("Schedule: Edit toggle hides editing affordances by default and reveals them when on", async ({
+test("Schedule: Edit toggle hides editing affordances by default, reveals them when on, and resets to view mode on reload / re-navigation (#484)", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
   await page.addInitScript(() => {
@@ -24,27 +24,7 @@ test("Schedule: Edit toggle hides editing affordances by default and reveals the
   });
 
   await loginViaUi(page, "admin", "admin123");
-  // Make sure we always start the test in view mode regardless of any
-  // previously-persisted toggle state from another run. We clear AFTER
-  // login so the cleanup isn't undone by the initScript on every nav.
   await page.goto("/executive-meetings");
-  // The toggle's storage key is namespaced per-user
-  // (`em-schedule-edit-mode-v1:<userId>`), so we wipe every entry that
-  // starts with the base key to make sure we begin in view mode no
-  // matter who admin's userId resolves to in this run.
-  await page.evaluate(() => {
-    try {
-      const keys = Object.keys(window.localStorage);
-      for (const k of keys) {
-        if (k.startsWith("em-schedule-edit-mode-v1")) {
-          window.localStorage.removeItem(k);
-        }
-      }
-    } catch {
-      /* ignore */
-    }
-  });
-  await page.reload();
 
   // Toggle is rendered (admin has edit permission), and starts in
   // pressed=false / view mode.
@@ -68,16 +48,30 @@ test("Schedule: Edit toggle hides editing affordances by default and reveals the
   // The "+ Add meeting" row button is back.
   await expect(page.getByTestId("em-add-row-button")).toBeVisible();
 
-  // Persist + survive a reload: the toggle should still be on.
+  // #484: edit mode is intentionally NOT persisted. Reloading the
+  // page must drop the toggle back to view mode.
   await page.reload();
   const toggleAfterReload = page.getByTestId("em-edit-mode-toggle");
-  await expect(toggleAfterReload).toHaveAttribute("aria-pressed", "true");
-  await expect(page.getByTestId("em-add-row-button")).toBeVisible();
-
-  // Toggle back off — affordances disappear again.
-  await toggleAfterReload.click();
   await expect(toggleAfterReload).toHaveAttribute("aria-pressed", "false");
   await expect(page.getByTestId("em-add-row-button")).toHaveCount(0);
+
+  // #484: navigating away to another app and coming back also resets
+  // the toggle (the page unmounts on route change).
+  await toggleAfterReload.click();
+  await expect(toggleAfterReload).toHaveAttribute("aria-pressed", "true");
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await page.goto("/executive-meetings");
+  const toggleAfterRenav = page.getByTestId("em-edit-mode-toggle");
+  await expect(toggleAfterRenav).toHaveAttribute("aria-pressed", "false");
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("em-add-row-button")).toHaveCount(0);
+
+  // Within a single visit the toggle still works normally.
+  await toggleAfterRenav.click();
+  await expect(toggleAfterRenav).toHaveAttribute("aria-pressed", "true");
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("em-add-row-button")).toBeVisible();
+  await toggleAfterRenav.click();
+  await expect(toggleAfterRenav).toHaveAttribute("aria-pressed", "false");
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("em-add-row-button")).toHaveCount(0);
 });
 
 test("Schedule: turning edit mode OFF cancels any open inline editor and discards the draft", async ({