diff --git a/kitchenowl/lib/main.dart b/kitchenowl/lib/main.dart
index a49735e13..e3e04e2be 100644
--- a/kitchenowl/lib/main.dart
+++ b/kitchenowl/lib/main.dart
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import 'package:material_ui/material_ui.dart';
 import 'package:intl/intl_standalone.dart';
 // ignore: depend_on_referenced_packages
 import 'package:flutter_web_plugins/url_strategy.dart';
-import 'package:kitchenowl/cubits/auth_cubit.dart';
 import 'package:kitchenowl/services/api/api_service.dart';
 import 'package:kitchenowl/services/background_task.dart';
 import 'app.dart';
@@ -25,26 +24,40 @@ Future main() async {
 // [Android-only] This "Headless Task" is run when the Android app is terminated with `enableHeadless: true`
 @pragma('vm:entry-point')
 void backgroundFetchHeadlessTask(HeadlessTask task) async {
-  String taskId = task.taskId;
-  bool isTimeout = task.timeout;
+  await handleBackgroundFetchHeadlessTask(
+    task.taskId,
+    isTimeout: task.timeout,
+  );
+}
+
+@visibleForTesting
+Future<void> handleBackgroundFetchHeadlessTask(
+  String taskId, {
+  required bool isTimeout,
+  Future<void> Function()? runTask,
+  void Function()? dispose,
+  void Function(String)? finish,
+}) async {
+  final execute = runTask ?? BackgroundTask.runHeadless;
+  final cleanUp = dispose ?? () => ApiService.getInstance().dispose();
+  final complete = finish ??
+      (String completedTaskId) {
+        BackgroundFetch.finish(completedTaskId);
+      };
+
   if (isTimeout) {
     // This task has exceeded its allowed running-time.
     // You must stop what you're doing and immediately .finish(taskId)
     debugPrint("[BackgroundFetch] Headless task timed-out: $taskId");
-    BackgroundFetch.finish(taskId);
+    complete(taskId);
     return;
   }
   debugPrint('[BackgroundFetch] Headless event received.');
 
-  // setup
-  final AuthCubit authCubit = AuthCubit(reloadTokenBeforeRequest: true);
-
-  // fetch
-  await BackgroundTask.run(authCubit);
-
-  // teardown
-  ApiService.getInstance().dispose();
-  await authCubit.close();
-
-  BackgroundFetch.finish(taskId);
+  try {
+    await execute();
+  } finally {
+    cleanUp();
+    complete(taskId);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/kitchenowl/lib/services/background_task.dart b/kitchenowl/lib/services/background_task.dart
index 6671e14ff..6aebef6fe 100644
--- a/kitchenowl/lib/services/background_task.dart
+++ b/kitchenowl/lib/services/background_task.dart
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
+import 'package:kitchenowl/config.dart';
 import 'package:kitchenowl/cubits/auth_cubit.dart';
 import 'package:kitchenowl/models/household.dart';
+import 'package:kitchenowl/services/api/api_service.dart';
+import 'package:kitchenowl/services/storage/mem_storage.dart';
 import 'package:kitchenowl/services/storage/storage.dart';
 import 'package:kitchenowl/services/transaction_handler.dart';
 import 'package:kitchenowl/services/transactions/shoppinglist.dart';
+import 'package:package_info_plus/package_info_plus.dart';
 
 class BackgroundTask {
   static Future<void> run(AuthCubit authCubit) async {
@@ -19,4 +23,52 @@ class BackgroundTask {
       ]);
     }
   }
+
+  static Future<void> runHeadless() async {
+    final preferenceStorage = PreferenceStorage.getInstance();
+    final forcedOfflineMode =
+        await preferenceStorage.readBool(key: 'forcedOfflineMode') ?? false;
+    if (forcedOfflineMode) return;
+
+    Config.packageInfo = PackageInfo.fromPlatform();
+    final url =
+        await preferenceStorage.read(key: 'URL') ?? Config.defaultServer;
+    final secureStorage = SecureStorage.getInstance();
+    final token = await secureStorage.read(key: 'TOKEN');
+
+    ApiService.setTokenRotationHandler(
+      (token) => secureStorage.write(key: 'TOKEN', value: token),
+    );
+    ApiService.setTokenBeforeReauthHandler((token) {
+      if (token == null) return Future.value(token);
+      return secureStorage.read(key: 'TOKEN').then((value) => value ?? token);
+    });
+
+    await ApiService.connectTo(url, refreshToken: token);
+    if (!ApiService.getInstance().isAuthenticated()) return;
+
+    await Future.wait([
+      TransactionHandler.getInstance().runOpenTransactions(),
+      _refreshShoppingLists(preferenceStorage),
+    ]);
+  }
+
+  static Future<void> _refreshShoppingLists(
+    PreferenceStorage preferenceStorage,
+  ) async {
+    final householdId = await preferenceStorage.readInt(key: 'lastHouseholdId');
+    if (householdId == null) return;
+
+    final recentItemsCount =
+        await preferenceStorage.readInt(key: 'recentItemsCount') ?? 9;
+    final household = Household(id: householdId);
+    final shoppingLists = await ApiService.getInstance().getShoppingLists(
+      household,
+      recentItemlimit: recentItemsCount + 3,
+    );
+    if (shoppingLists != null) {
+      await MemStorage.getInstance()
+          .writeShoppingLists(household, shoppingLists);
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/kitchenowl/test/background_fetch_headless_task_test.dart b/kitchenowl/test/background_fetch_headless_task_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..23ad0f36b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kitchenowl/test/background_fetch_headless_task_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:kitchenowl/main.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  test('headless work completes before resources are released', () async {
+    final events = <String>[];
+
+    await handleBackgroundFetchHeadlessTask(
+      'test-task',
+      isTimeout: false,
+      runTask: () async {
+        events.add('started');
+        await Future<void>.delayed(Duration.zero);
+        events.add('completed');
+      },
+      dispose: () => events.add('disposed'),
+      finish: (_) => events.add('finished'),
+    );
+
+    expect(events, ['started', 'completed', 'disposed', 'finished']);
+  });
+
+  test('headless task is finished when background work fails', () async {
+    final events = <String>[];
+
+    await expectLater(
+      handleBackgroundFetchHeadlessTask(
+        'test-task',
+        isTimeout: false,
+        runTask: () async {
+          events.add('started');
+          throw StateError('sync failed');
+        },
+        dispose: () => events.add('disposed'),
+        finish: (_) => events.add('finished'),
+      ),
+      throwsStateError,
+    );
+
+    expect(events, ['started', 'disposed', 'finished']);
+  });
+
+  test('timed-out headless task finishes without starting new work', () async {
+    final events = <String>[];
+
+    await handleBackgroundFetchHeadlessTask(
+      'test-task',
+      isTimeout: true,
+      runTask: () async => events.add('started'),
+      dispose: () => events.add('disposed'),
+      finish: (_) => events.add('finished'),
+    );
+
+    expect(events, ['finished']);
+  });
+}