diff --git a/src/app/app.component.spec.ts b/src/app/app.component.spec.ts
index 159fbb38f04..628619bdc7a 100644
--- a/src/app/app.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/app.component.spec.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
 import { CommonModule } from '@angular/common';
-import { CUSTOM_ELEMENTS_SCHEMA } from '@angular/core';
+import {
+  ApplicationRef,
+  CUSTOM_ELEMENTS_SCHEMA,
+} from '@angular/core';
 import {
   ComponentFixture,
+  fakeAsync,
+  flush,
   inject,
   TestBed,
+  tick,
   waitForAsync,
 } from '@angular/core/testing';
 import {
@@ -19,6 +25,7 @@ import {
   TranslateLoader,
   TranslateModule,
 } from '@ngx-translate/core';
+import { BehaviorSubject } from 'rxjs';
 
 import { APP_CONFIG } from '../config/app-config.interface';
 import { environment } from '../environments/environment';
@@ -149,4 +156,88 @@ describe('App component', () => {
     });
 
   });
+
+  describe('removeSsrOverlayWhenStable', () => {
+    // The inline bootstrap script in src/index.html injects window.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay
+    // and AppComponent must call it exactly once when ApplicationRef.isStable first emits true.
+    let appRef: ApplicationRef;
+    let isStable$: BehaviorSubject<boolean>;
+    let originalRaF: typeof window.requestAnimationFrame;
+    let originalIsStable: PropertyDescriptor | undefined;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      appRef = TestBed.inject(ApplicationRef);
+      isStable$ = new BehaviorSubject<boolean>(false);
+      // Patch isStable to our controllable subject for this test only. Keep it configurable and
+      // remember the previous descriptor so afterEach can restore it - otherwise the override
+      // leaks onto the shared TestBed ApplicationRef instance and into later specs.
+      originalIsStable = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(appRef, 'isStable');
+      Object.defineProperty(appRef, 'isStable', { value: isStable$.asObservable(), configurable: true });
+
+      // Force rAF to a synchronous shim so we can flush() through the chain deterministically.
+      originalRaF = window.requestAnimationFrame;
+      (window as any).requestAnimationFrame = (cb: FrameRequestCallback) => {
+        cb(0);
+        return 0 as any;
+      };
+    });
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      (window as any).requestAnimationFrame = originalRaF;
+      delete (window as any).__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay;
+      // Restore isStable so the patched observable cannot leak into later specs.
+      if (originalIsStable) {
+        Object.defineProperty(appRef, 'isStable', originalIsStable);
+      } else {
+        delete (appRef as any).isStable;
+      }
+    });
+
+    it('removes the overlay once isStable emits true', fakeAsync(() => {
+      const spy = jasmine.createSpy('__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay');
+      window.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay = spy;
+
+      // Re-construct so the constructor-time subscription picks up our patched isStable + global.
+      const f = TestBed.createComponent(AppComponent);
+      f.detectChanges();
+
+      expect(spy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      isStable$.next(true);
+      tick(50); // matches the 50ms pad after rAF in removeSsrOverlayWhenStable
+      flush();
+
+      expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    }));
+
+    it('is a no-op when the global is not injected (e.g. CSR-only route, SSR skipped)', fakeAsync(() => {
+      // Global intentionally absent; constructor should not throw and should not break later.
+      delete (window as any).__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay;
+
+      const f = TestBed.createComponent(AppComponent);
+      expect(() => f.detectChanges()).not.toThrow();
+
+      isStable$.next(true);
+      tick(50);
+      flush();
+
+      expect(window.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay).toBeUndefined();
+    }));
+
+    it('still removes the overlay when requestAnimationFrame is unavailable', fakeAsync(() => {
+      // Exercises the fallback scheduler branch in removeSsrOverlayWhenStable.
+      const spy = jasmine.createSpy('__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay');
+      window.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay = spy;
+      (window as any).requestAnimationFrame = undefined;
+
+      const f = TestBed.createComponent(AppComponent);
+      f.detectChanges();
+
+      isStable$.next(true);
+      tick(50);
+      flush();
+
+      expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    }));
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/app.component.ts b/src/app/app.component.ts
index 66636c32495..6e23f7b1ede 100644
--- a/src/app/app.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/app.component.ts
@@ -5,10 +5,12 @@ import {
 } from '@angular/common';
 import {
   AfterViewInit,
+  ApplicationRef,
   ChangeDetectionStrategy,
   Component,
   HostListener,
   Inject,
+  NgZone,
   OnInit,
   PLATFORM_ID,
 } from '@angular/core';
@@ -34,6 +36,8 @@ import {
 import {
   delay,
   distinctUntilChanged,
+  filter,
+  first,
   take,
   withLatestFrom,
 } from 'rxjs/operators';
@@ -100,11 +104,14 @@ export class AppComponent implements OnInit, AfterViewInit {
     private cssService: CSSVariableService,
     private modalService: NgbModal,
     private modalConfig: NgbModalConfig,
+    private appRef: ApplicationRef,
+    private ngZone: NgZone,
   ) {
     this.notificationOptions = environment.notifications;
 
     if (isPlatformBrowser(this.platformId)) {
       this.trackIdleModal();
+      this.removeSsrOverlayWhenStable();
     }
 
     this.isThemeLoading$ = this.themeService.isThemeLoading$;
@@ -112,6 +119,40 @@ export class AppComponent implements OnInit, AfterViewInit {
     this.storeCSSVariables();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Drops the hydration-safe SSR freeze-frame installed by the inline bootstrap script in
+   * src/index.html once Angular reaches its first stable state. On DSpace 9 (Angular 18) the
+   * page DOES hydrate, but the theme system re-creates every `ds-themed-*` wrapper imperatively
+   * on the client (see ThemedComponent), so the SSR view is briefly rebuilt; the overlay clone
+   * masks that rebuild. We wait for the first stable paint, add a short pad, then fade it out.
+   * A 15s hard fallback lives inside the script itself in case isStable never fires.
+   */
+  private removeSsrOverlayWhenStable(): void {
+    const w: Window | undefined = this._window?.nativeWindow;
+    if (!w || typeof w.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay !== 'function') {
+      return;
+    }
+    // run outside Angular so we don't keep changeDetection ticking on the overlay timer
+    this.ngZone.runOutsideAngular(() => {
+      this.appRef.isStable.pipe(
+        filter((stable: boolean) => stable),
+        first(),
+      ).subscribe(() => {
+        // one rAF + small pad to let the first stable paint commit before fading the overlay
+        const remove = () => {
+          if (typeof w.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay === 'function') {
+            w.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay();
+          }
+        };
+        if (typeof w.requestAnimationFrame === 'function') {
+          w.requestAnimationFrame(() => setTimeout(remove, 50));
+        } else {
+          setTimeout(remove, 50);
+        }
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
   ngOnInit() {
     /** Implement behavior for interface {@link ModalBeforeDismiss} */
     this.modalConfig.beforeDismiss = async function () {
diff --git a/src/index.html b/src/index.html
index 565fc0439d4..db451d811a6 100644
--- a/src/index.html
+++ b/src/index.html
@@ -7,10 +7,97 @@
   <title>DSpace</title>
   <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,minimum-scale=1">
   <meta http-equiv="cache-control" content="no-store">
+  <style id="__dspace-ssr-overlay-style">
+    /* Hydration-safe anti-flicker overlay (DSpace 9 / Angular 18).
+       Unlike the Angular-15 variant, this NEVER moves or mutates the SSR DOM that Angular
+       hydrates — it only paints a detached *clone* on top. See the bootstrap script below +
+       AppComponent.removeSsrOverlayWhenStable. Root cause this masks: DSpace's ThemedComponent
+       instantiates themed wrappers imperatively (ViewContainerRef.createComponent in
+       ngAfterViewInit), which Angular hydration cannot reuse, so every themed subtree is
+       re-created client-side. Tracked upstream: DSpace/dspace-angular#3867. */
+    #__dspace_ssr_overlay {
+      position: fixed;
+      inset: 0;
+      z-index: 10000;
+      background: #fff;
+      overflow: hidden;
+      pointer-events: none;
+    }
+  </style>
 </head>
 
 <body>
   <ds-app></ds-app>
+<script>
+/*
+  Hydration-safe anti-flicker overlay (DSpace 9 / Angular 18 + provideClientHydration).
+
+  Why a different approach than the Angular-15 instances: this app DOES hydrate, but DSpace's
+  theme system defeats it. Every visible wrapper is a `ds-themed-*` (ThemedComponent) that builds
+  its real content imperatively via ViewContainerRef.createComponent() in a client-side, async
+  ngAfterViewInit (dynamic import of the theme chunk), and removes the projected SSR content.
+  Angular hydration can't reuse imperatively-created components, and the SSR markup no longer
+  matches the declarative template -> node mismatch (NG0500) -> destructive re-render of the
+  themed subtrees -> the flash. Upstream issue: DSpace/dspace-angular#3867.
+
+  We therefore must NOT touch the DOM Angular hydrates (the 15.x overlay MOVED nodes, which would
+  *worsen* the mismatch here). Instead we paint a detached CLONE of the SSR view on top, let
+  hydration + the themed re-render happen invisibly underneath on the untouched original, and drop
+  the clone once ApplicationRef.isStable (AppComponent.removeSsrOverlayWhenStable), with a 15s
+  hard fallback.
+*/
+(function () {
+  if (typeof window === 'undefined' || typeof document === 'undefined') return;
+  // Cypress drives the real app; a duplicated clone would break element-uniqueness selectors.
+  if (typeof window.Cypress !== 'undefined') return;
+  try {
+    var app = document.querySelector('ds-app');
+    // No SSR content (e.g. an SSR-excluded route) -> nothing to mask.
+    if (!app || !app.firstElementChild) return;
+    if (document.getElementById('__dspace_ssr_overlay')) return;
+
+    var overlay = document.createElement('div');
+    overlay.id = '__dspace_ssr_overlay';
+    // It's a visual duplicate of content the real app still exposes; hide it from a11y tree
+    // and make it inert so keyboard focus can't land on the dead cloned controls.
+    overlay.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
+    overlay.setAttribute('inert', '');
+
+    // CLONE (deep), never move: the originals stay exactly where Angular expects to hydrate them.
+    // The clone keeps every _nghost/_ngcontent attribute, so the global component styles in <head>
+    // still apply and the frozen frame looks identical to the SSR paint.
+    overlay.appendChild(app.cloneNode(true));
+    document.body.appendChild(overlay);
+
+    var removing = false;
+    window.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay = function () {
+      // Re-entrancy guard so a racing isStable + the 15s fallback can't double-run the fade.
+      if (removing) return;
+      removing = true;
+      window.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay = null;
+
+      var el = document.getElementById('__dspace_ssr_overlay');
+      if (!el) return;
+      el.style.transition = 'opacity 150ms ease-out';
+      el.style.opacity = '0';
+      setTimeout(function () {
+        if (el && el.parentNode) el.parentNode.removeChild(el);
+      }, 200);
+    };
+
+    // Safety net: if isStable never fires, never trap the user behind the frozen frame.
+    setTimeout(function () {
+      if (typeof window.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay === 'function') {
+        window.__dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay();
+      }
+    }, 15000);
+  } catch (e) {
+    if (window.console && typeof console.warn === 'function') {
+      console.warn('[dspace-ssr-overlay] disabled due to error:', e);
+    }
+  }
+})();
+</script>
 </body>
 
 <!-- do not include client bundle, it is injected with Zone already loaded -->
diff --git a/src/typings.d.ts b/src/typings.d.ts
index 9615cf5f67b..753233f5780 100644
--- a/src/typings.d.ts
+++ b/src/typings.d.ts
@@ -86,3 +86,12 @@ declare module '*.scss' {
   const content: any;
   export default content;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Window global injected by the inline hydration-safe anti-flicker bootstrap script in
+ * `src/index.html`. Called once by `AppComponent.removeSsrOverlayWhenStable()` when
+ * `ApplicationRef.isStable` fires, to drop the SSR freeze-frame overlay.
+ */
+interface Window {
+  __dspaceRemoveSsrOverlay?: (() => void) | null;
+}