diff --git a/frontend/__tests__/onboarding.test.tsx b/frontend/__tests__/onboarding.test.tsx
index 6447492c..5e4e3fa3 100644
--- a/frontend/__tests__/onboarding.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/__tests__/onboarding.test.tsx
@@ -34,7 +34,11 @@ import {
   ONBOARDING_KEY_STEP,
 } from "@/hooks/useOnboardingTour";
 import OnboardingTour, { TOUR_STEPS, STEP_COUNT } from "@/components/OnboardingTour";
-import { STORAGE_KEY as ONBOARDING_STATE_STORAGE_KEY } from "@/lib/onboardingState";
+import {
+  getTourProgress,
+  ONBOARDING_STATE_VERSION,
+  STORAGE_KEY as ONBOARDING_STATE_STORAGE_KEY,
+} from "@/lib/onboardingState";
 
 // ── Mock useWallet (transitively pulls in lib/wallet.ts -> @finchippay/sdk,
 // which isn't resolvable in this workspace's test environment) ──────────────
@@ -233,6 +237,7 @@ describe("useOnboardingTour hook", () => {
     });
 
     expect(localStorage.getItem(ONBOARDING_KEY_DISMISSED)).toBe("true");
+    expect(getTourProgress().dismissed).toBe(true);
 
     // A fresh hook instantiation should not auto-start
     const { result: result2 } = renderHook(() => useOnboardingTour());
@@ -258,9 +263,23 @@ describe("useOnboardingTour hook", () => {
     });
 
     expect(localStorage.getItem(ONBOARDING_KEY_COMPLETED)).toBe("true");
+    expect(getTourProgress().completedAt).toEqual(expect.any(Number));
     expect(result.current.stepIndex).toBe(0);
   });
 
+  it("does not re-trigger after dismissal when the hook remounts", async () => {
+    const { result, unmount } = renderHook(() => useOnboardingTour());
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isRunning).toBe(true));
+    act(() => result.current.dismissForever());
+    unmount();
+
+    const { result: remounted } = renderHook(() => useOnboardingTour());
+    await waitFor(() => expect(remounted.current.isDismissed).toBe(true));
+    expect(remounted.current.isRunning).toBe(false);
+    expect(getTourProgress().dismissed).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   // 7. Step progression — nextStep advances correctly, prevStep decrements
   it("advances and regresses steps correctly", async () => {
     const { result } = renderHook(() => useOnboardingTour());
@@ -367,6 +386,68 @@ describe("OnboardingTour component", () => {
     };
   }
 
+  describe("persisted onboarding state", () => {
+    beforeEach(clearStorage);
+    afterEach(clearStorage);
+
+    it("migrates a valid legacy payload to the versioned schema", () => {
+      localStorage.setItem(
+        ONBOARDING_STATE_STORAGE_KEY,
+        JSON.stringify({
+          completedSteps: [0, 2],
+          completed: "true",
+          lastSeen: 123,
+          featureVersions: { welcome: "true" },
+        }),
+      );
+
+      expect(getTourProgress()).toEqual({
+        version: ONBOARDING_STATE_VERSION,
+        completedSteps: [0, 2],
+        completed: true,
+        completedAt: null,
+        dismissed: false,
+        lastSeen: 123,
+        featureVersions: { welcome: true },
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("resets malformed persisted state to defaults", () => {
+      localStorage.setItem(ONBOARDING_STATE_STORAGE_KEY, "{not-json");
+
+      expect(getTourProgress()).toEqual({
+        version: ONBOARDING_STATE_VERSION,
+        completedSteps: [],
+        completed: false,
+        completedAt: null,
+        dismissed: false,
+        lastSeen: 0,
+        featureVersions: {},
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("drops unknown steps and resets unsupported schema versions", () => {
+      localStorage.setItem(
+        ONBOARDING_STATE_STORAGE_KEY,
+        JSON.stringify({
+          version: ONBOARDING_STATE_VERSION,
+          completedSteps: [-1, 0, 4, 5, 99, 4],
+          completed: false,
+          lastSeen: "invalid",
+          featureVersions: {},
+        }),
+      );
+      expect(getTourProgress().completedSteps).toEqual([0, 4]);
+
+      localStorage.setItem(
+        ONBOARDING_STATE_STORAGE_KEY,
+        JSON.stringify({ version: ONBOARDING_STATE_VERSION + 1 }),
+      );
+      expect(getTourProgress().completed).toBe(false);
+      expect(localStorage.getItem(ONBOARDING_STATE_STORAGE_KEY)).toBeNull();
+    });
+  });
+
   it("renders nothing when tour is not running and not resumable", () => {
     const { container } = render(<OnboardingTour tour={makeTourState()} />);
     expect(container).toBeEmptyDOMElement();
@@ -435,16 +516,16 @@ describe("OnboardingTour component", () => {
     expect(prevStep).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
-  it("calls skipTour and setStepIndex when Joyride fires a skip action", () => {
-    const skipTour = jest.fn();
+  it("calls dismissForever and setStepIndex when Joyride fires a skip action", () => {
+    const dismissForever = jest.fn();
     const setStepIndex = jest.fn();
     render(
       <OnboardingTour
-        tour={makeTourState({ isRunning: true, skipTour, setStepIndex })}
+        tour={makeTourState({ isRunning: true, dismissForever, setStepIndex })}
       />
     );
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByTestId("joyride-skip"));
-    expect(skipTour).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(dismissForever).toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(setStepIndex).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
diff --git a/frontend/components/OnboardingTour.tsx b/frontend/components/OnboardingTour.tsx
index 3e52d5d1..30d5ca2f 100644
--- a/frontend/components/OnboardingTour.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/OnboardingTour.tsx
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ const LOCALE = {
   next: "Next",
   nextLabelWithProgress: "Next (Step {step} of {steps})",
   open: "Open",
-  skip: "Skip tour",
+  skip: "Skip and don't show again",
 };
 
 // ─── Joyride styles ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ export default function OnboardingTour({ tour: externalTour, isVisible, onComple
           tour.prevStep();
         } else if (action === "close" || action === "skip") {
           tour.setStepIndex(index);
-          tour.skipTour();
+          tour.dismissForever();
           onSkip?.();
           trackOnboardingEvent("onboarding_skipped");
         }
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ export default function OnboardingTour({ tour: externalTour, isVisible, onComple
           trackOnboardingEvent("onboarding_completed");
         } else if (isSkipped) {
           tour.setStepIndex(index);
-          tour.skipTour();
+          tour.dismissForever();
           onSkip?.();
           trackOnboardingEvent("onboarding_skipped");
         }
diff --git a/frontend/hooks/useOnboardingTour.ts b/frontend/hooks/useOnboardingTour.ts
index 6301e2da..c4cd6494 100644
--- a/frontend/hooks/useOnboardingTour.ts
+++ b/frontend/hooks/useOnboardingTour.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@
  */
 
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from "react";
+import {
+  getTourProgress,
+  markTourComplete,
+  markTourDismissed,
+} from "@/lib/onboardingState";
 
 // ─── localStorage keys ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -100,8 +105,9 @@ export function useOnboardingTour(): OnboardingTourState {
 
   // ── Hydrate from localStorage once the component mounts ──────────────────
   useEffect(() => {
-    const completed = readBool(ONBOARDING_KEY_COMPLETED);
-    const dismissed = readBool(ONBOARDING_KEY_DISMISSED);
+    const progress = getTourProgress();
+    const completed = progress.completed || progress.completedAt !== null || readBool(ONBOARDING_KEY_COMPLETED);
+    const dismissed = progress.dismissed || readBool(ONBOARDING_KEY_DISMISSED);
     const savedStep = readInt(ONBOARDING_KEY_STEP, 0);
 
     setIsCompleted(completed);
@@ -138,6 +144,7 @@ export function useOnboardingTour(): OnboardingTourState {
         const next = prev + 1;
         if (next >= total) {
           // Finished.
+          markTourComplete();
           writeBool(ONBOARDING_KEY_COMPLETED, true);
           writeInt(ONBOARDING_KEY_STEP, 0);
           setIsCompleted(true);
@@ -167,6 +174,7 @@ export function useOnboardingTour(): OnboardingTourState {
   }, []);
 
   const completeTour = useCallback(() => {
+    markTourComplete();
     writeBool(ONBOARDING_KEY_COMPLETED, true);
     writeInt(ONBOARDING_KEY_STEP, 0);
     setIsCompleted(true);
@@ -176,6 +184,7 @@ export function useOnboardingTour(): OnboardingTourState {
   }, []);
 
   const dismissForever = useCallback(() => {
+    markTourDismissed();
     writeBool(ONBOARDING_KEY_DISMISSED, true);
     setIsDismissed(true);
     setIsRunning(false);
diff --git a/frontend/lib/onboardingState.ts b/frontend/lib/onboardingState.ts
index 5fa630eb..c114dd72 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/onboardingState.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/onboardingState.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,20 @@
 import { useState } from "react";
 
 export const STORAGE_KEY = "finchippay:onboarding";
+export const ONBOARDING_STATE_VERSION = 1;
+export const ONBOARDING_STEP_COUNT = 5;
 
 export interface OnboardingProgress {
+  /** Schema version used to safely evolve persisted onboarding data. */
+  version: number;
   /** Indices of steps that the user has completed */
   completedSteps: number[];
   /** Whether the entire tour was completed */
   completed: boolean;
+  /** Timestamp when the entire tour was completed, or null when incomplete */
+  completedAt: number | null;
+  /** Whether the user permanently dismissed the tour */
+  dismissed: boolean;
   /** Timestamp of the last interaction */
   lastSeen: number;
   /** Feature‑specific version flags to avoid showing stale announcements */
@@ -23,15 +31,85 @@ function saveProgress(progress: OnboardingProgress): void {
   } catch {}
 }
 
+const EMPTY_PROGRESS: OnboardingProgress = {
+  version: ONBOARDING_STATE_VERSION,
+  completedSteps: [],
+  completed: false,
+  completedAt: null,
+  dismissed: false,
+  lastSeen: 0,
+  featureVersions: {},
+};
+
+function defaultProgress(): OnboardingProgress {
+  return { ...EMPTY_PROGRESS, completedSteps: [], featureVersions: {} };
+}
+
+function coerceBoolean(value: unknown): boolean {
+  return value === true || value === "true";
+}
+
+function validateProgress(value: unknown): OnboardingProgress | null {
+  if (!value || typeof value !== "object" || Array.isArray(value)) return null;
+
+  const raw = value as Record<string, unknown>;
+  if (raw.version !== undefined && raw.version !== ONBOARDING_STATE_VERSION) return null;
+
+  const completedSteps = Array.isArray(raw.completedSteps)
+    ? [...new Set(raw.completedSteps.filter(
+        (step): step is number =>
+          typeof step === "number" &&
+          Number.isInteger(step) &&
+          step >= 0 &&
+          step < ONBOARDING_STEP_COUNT,
+      ))].sort((a, b) => a - b)
+    : [];
+  const featureVersions =
+    raw.featureVersions &&
+    typeof raw.featureVersions === "object" &&
+    !Array.isArray(raw.featureVersions)
+      ? Object.fromEntries(
+          Object.entries(raw.featureVersions as Record<string, unknown>).map(
+            ([key, seen]) => [key, coerceBoolean(seen)],
+          ),
+        )
+      : {};
+
+  return {
+    version: ONBOARDING_STATE_VERSION,
+    completedSteps,
+    completed: coerceBoolean(raw.completed),
+    completedAt:
+      typeof raw.completedAt === "number" && Number.isFinite(raw.completedAt)
+        ? raw.completedAt
+        : null,
+    dismissed: coerceBoolean(raw.dismissed),
+    lastSeen:
+      typeof raw.lastSeen === "number" && Number.isFinite(raw.lastSeen)
+        ? raw.lastSeen
+        : 0,
+    featureVersions,
+  };
+}
+
 export function getTourProgress(): OnboardingProgress {
   if (typeof window === "undefined") {
-    return { completedSteps: [], completed: false, lastSeen: 0, featureVersions: {} };
+    return defaultProgress();
   }
   try {
     const raw = localStorage.getItem(STORAGE_KEY);
-    if (raw) return JSON.parse(raw);
+    if (raw) {
+      const parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
+      const progress = validateProgress(parsed);
+      if (progress) {
+        // Persist valid legacy data in the current schema after migration.
+        if (parsed.version !== ONBOARDING_STATE_VERSION) saveProgress(progress);
+        return progress;
+      }
+      localStorage.removeItem(STORAGE_KEY);
+    }
   } catch {}
-  return { completedSteps: [], completed: false, lastSeen: 0, featureVersions: {} };
+  return defaultProgress();
 }
 
 export function markStepComplete(stepIndex: number): void {
@@ -46,6 +124,14 @@ export function markStepComplete(stepIndex: number): void {
 export function markTourComplete(): void {
   const progress = getTourProgress();
   progress.completed = true;
+  progress.completedAt = Date.now();
+  progress.lastSeen = Date.now();
+  saveProgress(progress);
+}
+
+export function markTourDismissed(): void {
+  const progress = getTourProgress();
+  progress.dismissed = true;
   progress.lastSeen = Date.now();
   saveProgress(progress);
 }
@@ -53,12 +139,15 @@ export function markTourComplete(): void {
 export function resetTour(): void {
   if (typeof window === "undefined") return;
   localStorage.removeItem(STORAGE_KEY);
+  localStorage.removeItem("finchippay:onboarding:completed");
+  localStorage.removeItem("finchippay:onboarding:dismissed");
+  localStorage.removeItem("finchippay:onboarding:step");
 }
 
 /** Return true if the tour should be shown for the given feature version. */
 export function shouldShowTour(featureVersion: string): boolean {
   const progress = getTourProgress();
-  if (progress.completed) return false;
+  if (progress.completed || progress.dismissed || progress.completedAt !== null) return false;
   if (progress.featureVersions[featureVersion]) return false;
   return true;
 }
@@ -91,6 +180,10 @@ export function useOnboarding() {
       markTourComplete();
       refresh();
     },
+    markTourDismissed: () => {
+      markTourDismissed();
+      refresh();
+    },
     resetTour: () => {
       resetTour();
       refresh();