diff --git a/GameList.Tests/StateTests.cs b/GameList.Tests/StateTests.cs
index 8c60511..5e70c77 100644
--- a/GameList.Tests/StateTests.cs
+++ b/GameList.Tests/StateTests.cs
@@ -213,6 +213,10 @@ public class StateTests
         var anon = factory.CreateClient();
         var unauthorized = await anon.GetAsync("/api/state");
         Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.Unauthorized, unauthorized.StatusCode);
+        var unauthorizedJson = await unauthorized.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<JsonElement>();
+        Assert.Equal("Unauthorized", unauthorizedJson.GetProperty("title").GetString());
+        Assert.Equal("Unauthorized", unauthorizedJson.GetProperty("detail").GetString());
+        Assert.Equal("Unauthorized", unauthorizedJson.GetProperty("error").GetString());
 
         var client = factory.CreateClientWithCookies();
         await client.RegisterAsync("counting");
diff --git a/Program.cs b/Program.cs
index 61d38b6..ffc5532 100644
--- a/Program.cs
+++ b/Program.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ using GameList.Data;
 using GameList.Endpoints;
 using GameList.Infrastructure;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Authentication.Cookies;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.DataProtection;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.HttpOverrides;
 using Microsoft.Data.Sqlite;
@@ -54,16 +55,8 @@ builder.Services.AddAuthentication(CookieAuthenticationDefaults.AuthenticationSc
     options.ExpireTimeSpan = TimeSpan.FromDays(30);
     options.Events = new CookieAuthenticationEvents
     {
-        OnRedirectToLogin = ctx =>
-        {
-            ctx.Response.StatusCode = StatusCodes.Status401Unauthorized;
-            return Task.CompletedTask;
-        },
-        OnRedirectToAccessDenied = ctx =>
-        {
-            ctx.Response.StatusCode = StatusCodes.Status401Unauthorized;
-            return Task.CompletedTask;
-        }
+        OnRedirectToLogin = ctx => WriteUnauthorizedChallengeAsync(ctx.HttpContext),
+        OnRedirectToAccessDenied = ctx => WriteUnauthorizedChallengeAsync(ctx.HttpContext)
     };
 });
 
@@ -139,6 +132,26 @@ static ForwardedHeadersOptions BuildForwardedHeadersOptions(IConfiguration confi
     return options;
 }
 
+static Task WriteUnauthorizedChallengeAsync(HttpContext context)
+{
+    context.Response.StatusCode = StatusCodes.Status401Unauthorized;
+    if (!context.Request.Path.StartsWithSegments("/api"))
+        return Task.CompletedTask;
+
+    if (context.Response.HasStarted)
+        return Task.CompletedTask;
+
+    context.Response.ContentType = "application/problem+json";
+    var problem = new ProblemDetails
+    {
+        Status = StatusCodes.Status401Unauthorized,
+        Title = "Unauthorized",
+        Detail = "Unauthorized"
+    };
+    problem.Extensions["error"] = "Unauthorized";
+    return context.Response.WriteAsJsonAsync(problem);
+}
+
 static void UpdateIndexMetaBase(IWebHostEnvironment env, string basePath)
 {
     try
diff --git a/REVIEW.md b/REVIEW.md
index a65778b..c04dc6c 100644
--- a/REVIEW.md
+++ b/REVIEW.md
@@ -11,11 +11,7 @@ Active maintainability risks (priority order):
 - Cross-feature coupling still exists via shared mutable state usage across UI/data modules (`wwwroot/js/ui.js:180`, `wwwroot/js/ui.js:401`, `wwwroot/js/ui.js:622`, `wwwroot/js/data.js:82`).
 - Impact: high regression surface and expensive refactors even after removing global `window` bridges.
 
-2. Unauthenticated 401 response shape is still framework-driven (Medium)
-- Endpoint and filter unauthorized responses are standardized when app logic executes (`Infrastructure/AdminOnlyFilter.cs:15`, `Infrastructure/PhaseRequirementFilter.cs:15`, `Endpoints/SuggestEndpoints.cs:18`), but anonymous challenge responses remain middleware-controlled (`GameList.Tests/StateTests.cs:214`).
-- Impact: clients must tolerate both app-produced problem payloads and framework challenge responses.
-
-3. Static analysis and frontend lint guardrails are still missing (Medium)
+2. Static analysis and frontend lint guardrails are still missing (Medium)
 - CI currently gates restore/build/test only (`.github/workflows/ci.yml:23`-`.github/workflows/ci.yml:29`).
 - Impact: style drift and low-signal warnings can enter the codebase undetected.
 
@@ -29,14 +25,6 @@ Active maintainability risks (priority order):
 - Effort / Risk: `L / Med`.
 - Dependencies (if any): none.
 
-[P1] Unify client handling of unauthenticated 401 challenge responses
-- Problem: Severity `Medium`, Category `API/Contracts`. Fully unauthenticated requests can still bypass application-level problem shaping.
-- Evidence: challenge behavior is exercised in `GameList.Tests/StateTests.cs:214` while app-level unauthorized shaping is exercised in `GameList.Tests/AuthTests.cs:164`.
-- Recommendation: either customize cookie-auth challenge response to RFC7807 or explicitly codify dual-shape handling contract in API docs and frontend error layer.
-- Acceptance criteria (testable): single documented 401 contract path, with tests validating response shape and frontend behavior.
-- Effort / Risk: `M / Med`.
-- Dependencies (if any): none.
-
 [P2] Add static analysis and JS lint/format guardrails
 - Problem: Severity `Medium`, Category `Tooling`. CI does not enforce analyzers or JS lint/format checks.
 - Evidence: `.github/workflows/ci.yml:23`-`.github/workflows/ci.yml:29`.
@@ -56,9 +44,8 @@ Active maintainability risks (priority order):
 ## C) Suggested execution order
 
 1. Decompose `ui.js` by feature and keep orchestration thin.
-2. Normalize/declare unauthenticated 401 contract behavior.
-3. Add analyzers + JS lint gates in CI.
-4. Externalize i18n/FAQ assets.
+2. Add analyzers + JS lint gates in CI.
+3. Externalize i18n/FAQ assets.
 
 ## D) Guardrails