diff --git a/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/BaseSidebarScreen.tsx b/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/BaseSidebarScreen.tsx
index ddb3207cdf2f1..eec9c3e01fdde 100644
--- a/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/BaseSidebarScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/BaseSidebarScreen.tsx
@@ -1,21 +1,49 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import {View} from 'react-native';
+import Onyx from 'react-native-onyx';
 import NavigationTabBar from '@components/Navigation/NavigationTabBar';
 import NAVIGATION_TABS from '@components/Navigation/NavigationTabBar/NAVIGATION_TABS';
 import TopBar from '@components/Navigation/TopBar';
+import OptionsListSkeletonView from '@components/OptionsListSkeletonView';
 import ScreenWrapper from '@components/ScreenWrapper';
+import useConfirmReadyToOpenApp from '@hooks/useConfirmReadyToOpenApp';
 import useLocalize from '@hooks/useLocalize';
+import useOnyx from '@hooks/useOnyx';
 import useResponsiveLayout from '@hooks/useResponsiveLayout';
 import useThemeStyles from '@hooks/useThemeStyles';
 import {isMobile} from '@libs/Browser';
+import ONYXKEYS from '@src/ONYXKEYS';
 import SidebarLinksData from './SidebarLinksData';
 
+// Once the app finishes loading for the first time, we never show the skeleton again
+// (even if isLoadingApp briefly flips back to true during a reconnect).
+// This uses a module-level variable + connectWithoutView instead of a ref because
+// a ref resets on unmount, so the skeleton would flash again when the component
+// remounts (e.g. navigating between tabs).
+let hasEverFinishedLoading = false;
+Onyx.connectWithoutView({
+    key: ONYXKEYS.IS_LOADING_APP,
+    callback: (value) => {
+        if (value !== false) {
+            return;
+        }
+        hasEverFinishedLoading = true;
+    },
+});
+
 function BaseSidebarScreen() {
     const styles = useThemeStyles();
     const {translate} = useLocalize();
     const {shouldUseNarrowLayout} = useResponsiveLayout();
     const shouldDisplayLHB = !shouldUseNarrowLayout;
 
+    const [isLoadingApp = true] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.IS_LOADING_APP);
+    const shouldShowSkeleton = isLoadingApp && !hasEverFinishedLoading;
+
+    // Must be called unconditionally so openApp() can proceed even when
+    // the skeleton is shown and SidebarLinksData has not mounted yet.
+    useConfirmReadyToOpenApp();
+
     return (
         <ScreenWrapper
             shouldEnableKeyboardAvoidingView={false}
@@ -30,9 +58,7 @@ function BaseSidebarScreen() {
                         shouldDisplaySearch={shouldUseNarrowLayout}
                         shouldDisplayHelpButton={shouldUseNarrowLayout}
                     />
-                    <View style={[styles.flex1]}>
-                        <SidebarLinksData insets={insets} />
-                    </View>
+                    <View style={[styles.flex1]}>{shouldShowSkeleton ? <OptionsListSkeletonView shouldAnimate /> : <SidebarLinksData insets={insets} />}</View>
                     {shouldDisplayLHB && <NavigationTabBar selectedTab={NAVIGATION_TABS.INBOX} />}
                 </>
             )}
diff --git a/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/SidebarLinks.tsx b/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/SidebarLinks.tsx
index ca50f7672fc14..e0a1128474b07 100644
--- a/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/SidebarLinks.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/SidebarLinks.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import type {ValueOf} from 'type-fest';
 import LHNOptionsList from '@components/LHNOptionsList/LHNOptionsList';
 import OptionsListSkeletonView from '@components/OptionsListSkeletonView';
 import useConfirmReadyToOpenApp from '@hooks/useConfirmReadyToOpenApp';
+import useOnyx from '@hooks/useOnyx';
 import useResponsiveLayout from '@hooks/useResponsiveLayout';
 import useStyleUtils from '@hooks/useStyleUtils';
 import useThemeStyles from '@hooks/useThemeStyles';
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ import Navigation from '@libs/Navigation/Navigation';
 import {cancelSpan} from '@libs/telemetry/activeSpans';
 import * as ReportActionContextMenu from '@pages/inbox/report/ContextMenu/ReportActionContextMenu';
 import CONST from '@src/CONST';
+import ONYXKEYS from '@src/ONYXKEYS';
 import ROUTES from '@src/ROUTES';
 import type {Report} from '@src/types/onyx';
 
@@ -24,9 +26,6 @@ type SidebarLinksProps = {
     /** List of options to display */
     optionListItems: Report[];
 
-    /** Whether the reports are loading. When false it means they are ready to be used. */
-    isLoading: OnyxEntry<boolean>;
-
     /** The chat priority mode */
     priorityMode?: OnyxEntry<ValueOf<typeof CONST.PRIORITY_MODE>>;
 
@@ -34,10 +33,11 @@ type SidebarLinksProps = {
     isActiveReport: (reportID: string) => boolean;
 };
 
-function SidebarLinks({insets, optionListItems, isLoading, priorityMode = CONST.PRIORITY_MODE.DEFAULT, isActiveReport}: SidebarLinksProps) {
+function SidebarLinks({insets, optionListItems, priorityMode = CONST.PRIORITY_MODE.DEFAULT, isActiveReport}: SidebarLinksProps) {
     const styles = useThemeStyles();
     const StyleUtils = useStyleUtils();
     const {shouldUseNarrowLayout} = useResponsiveLayout();
+    const [isLoadingReportData = true] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.IS_LOADING_REPORT_DATA);
 
     useConfirmReadyToOpenApp();
 
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ function SidebarLinks({insets, optionListItems, isLoading, priorityMode = CONST.
                     optionMode={viewMode}
                     onFirstItemRendered={setSidebarLoaded}
                 />
-                {!!isLoading && optionListItems?.length === 0 && (
+                {!!isLoadingReportData && optionListItems?.length === 0 && (
                     <View style={[StyleSheet.absoluteFillObject, styles.appBG, styles.mt3]}>
                         <OptionsListSkeletonView shouldAnimate />
                     </View>
diff --git a/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/SidebarLinksData.tsx b/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/SidebarLinksData.tsx
index b5b489af85a3b..c47562b8b2772 100644
--- a/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/SidebarLinksData.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/inbox/sidebar/SidebarLinksData.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ function SidebarLinksData({insets}: SidebarLinksDataProps) {
     const isFocused = useIsFocused();
     const styles = useThemeStyles();
     const {translate} = useLocalize();
-    const [isLoadingApp = true] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.IS_LOADING_APP);
     const [priorityMode = CONST.PRIORITY_MODE.DEFAULT] = useOnyx(ONYXKEYS.NVP_PRIORITY_MODE);
 
     const {orderedReports, currentReportID} = useSidebarOrderedReportsState('SidebarLinksData');
@@ -62,7 +61,6 @@ function SidebarLinksData({insets}: SidebarLinksDataProps) {
                 priorityMode={priorityMode ?? CONST.PRIORITY_MODE.DEFAULT}
                 // Data props:
                 isActiveReport={isActiveReport}
-                isLoading={isLoadingApp ?? false}
                 optionListItems={orderedReports}
             />
         </View>
diff --git a/tests/ui/GroupChatNameTests.tsx b/tests/ui/GroupChatNameTests.tsx
index c29b6f3434d04..110f33cb4cfaf 100644
--- a/tests/ui/GroupChatNameTests.tsx
+++ b/tests/ui/GroupChatNameTests.tsx
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ function signInAndGetApp(reportName = '', participantAccountIDs?: number[]): Pro
             // Simulate setting an unread report and personal details
             await act(async () => {
                 await Promise.all([
+                    Onyx.merge(ONYXKEYS.IS_LOADING_APP, false),
                     Onyx.merge(`${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT}${REPORT_ID}`, {
                         reportID: REPORT_ID,
                         reportName,
diff --git a/tests/ui/PaginationTest.tsx b/tests/ui/PaginationTest.tsx
index d2bebf6fca7ab..48326835cd7ab 100644
--- a/tests/ui/PaginationTest.tsx
+++ b/tests/ui/PaginationTest.tsx
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ async function signInAndGetApp(): Promise<void> {
 
     await act(async () => {
         await Promise.all([
+            Onyx.merge(ONYXKEYS.IS_LOADING_APP, false),
             // Simulate setting an unread report and personal details
             Onyx.merge(`${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT}${REPORT_ID}`, {
                 reportID: REPORT_ID,
diff --git a/tests/ui/SessionTest.tsx b/tests/ui/SessionTest.tsx
index 00221d6945fa5..6f3b64b28b4a5 100644
--- a/tests/ui/SessionTest.tsx
+++ b/tests/ui/SessionTest.tsx
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ describe('Deep linking', () => {
         jest.spyOn(AppActions, 'openApp').mockImplementation(async () => {
             const originalResult = await originalOpenApp();
             await Onyx.set(`${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT}${report.reportID}`, report);
+            await Onyx.merge(ONYXKEYS.IS_LOADING_APP, false);
             return originalResult;
         });
     });
diff --git a/tests/ui/UnreadIndicatorsTest.tsx b/tests/ui/UnreadIndicatorsTest.tsx
index c4fb2ce87997c..9f748bac66048 100644
--- a/tests/ui/UnreadIndicatorsTest.tsx
+++ b/tests/ui/UnreadIndicatorsTest.tsx
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ async function signInAndGetAppWithUnreadChat(): Promise<void> {
     };
 
     await Promise.all([
+        Onyx.merge(ONYXKEYS.IS_LOADING_APP, false),
         Onyx.merge(ONYXKEYS.PERSONAL_DETAILS_LIST, personalDetails),
         Onyx.merge(`${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT}${REPORT_ID}`, report),
         Onyx.merge(`${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT_ACTIONS}${REPORT_ID}`, reportActions),