diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/WireActivity.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/WireActivity.kt
index 85bba9d230..34b126c2a8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/WireActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/WireActivity.kt
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ import com.wire.android.util.debug.LocalFeatureVisibilityFlags
 import com.wire.android.util.launchUpdateTheApp
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
 import kotlinx.coroutines.channels.Channel
+import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.collectLatest
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.first
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.receiveAsFlow
@@ -259,13 +260,21 @@ class WireActivity : BaseActivity() {
             val snackbarHostState = remember { SnackbarHostState() }
             val currentUserId = viewModel.globalAppState.currentUserId
             val appGraph = LocalContext.current.wireApplicationGraph
-            val sessionViewModelGraph = remember(appGraph, currentUserId) {
+            val currentSessionViewModelGraph = remember(appGraph, currentUserId) {
                 currentUserId?.let { appGraph.sessionViewModelGraph }
             }
+            var retainedSessionViewModelGraph by remember(appGraph) {
+                mutableStateOf<AppSessionViewModelGraph?>(null)
+            }
+            LaunchedEffect(currentSessionViewModelGraph) {
+                currentSessionViewModelGraph?.let {
+                    retainedSessionViewModelGraph = it
+                }
+            }
             val authenticationViewModelGraph = remember(appGraph) {
                 appGraph.authenticationViewModelGraph
             }
-            val activityViewModels = sessionViewModelGraph?.let {
+            val activityViewModels = currentSessionViewModelGraph?.let {
                 wireActivityScopedViewModels(it)
             }
 
@@ -305,6 +314,14 @@ class WireActivity : BaseActivity() {
                         ?.destination
                         ?.route
                         ?.getBaseRoute()
+                    val effectiveBaseRoute = currentBaseRoute ?: startDestination.baseRoute
+                    LaunchedEffect(currentUserId, effectiveBaseRoute) {
+                        if (currentUserId == null && effectiveBaseRoute in authenticationGraphRoutes) {
+                            delay(SESSION_GRAPH_RELEASE_DELAY_MILLIS)
+                            retainedSessionViewModelGraph = null
+                        }
+                    }
+                    val sessionViewModelGraph = currentSessionViewModelGraph ?: retainedSessionViewModelGraph
                     val metroViewModelGraph = rememberMetroViewModelGraph(
                         currentBaseRoute = currentBaseRoute,
                         startDestinationBaseRoute = startDestination.baseRoute,
@@ -879,6 +896,7 @@ class WireActivity : BaseActivity() {
     companion object {
         private const val HANDLED_DEEPLINK_FLAG = "deeplink_handled_flag_key"
         private const val ORIGINAL_SAVED_INTENT_FLAG = "original_saved_intent"
+        private const val SESSION_GRAPH_RELEASE_DELAY_MILLIS = 500L
         private const val TAG = "WireActivity"
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/authentication/AuthenticationViewModelGraph.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/authentication/AuthenticationViewModelGraph.kt
index 50bf923484..f98db62193 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/authentication/AuthenticationViewModelGraph.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/ui/authentication/AuthenticationViewModelGraph.kt
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ inline fun <reified VM> authenticationViewModel(
     metroViewModel<AuthenticationViewModelGraph, VM>(
         viewModelStoreOwner = viewModelStoreOwner,
         key = key,
+        scopeKeyOverride = AUTHENTICATION_VIEW_MODEL_SCOPE_KEY,
     ) {
         authenticationViewModelFactory.create()
     }
@@ -75,10 +76,13 @@ inline fun <reified VM> authenticationSavedStateViewModel(
     metroSavedStateViewModel<AuthenticationViewModelGraph, VM>(
         viewModelStoreOwner = viewModelStoreOwner,
         key = key,
+        scopeKeyOverride = AUTHENTICATION_VIEW_MODEL_SCOPE_KEY,
     ) { savedStateHandle ->
         authenticationViewModelFactory.create(savedStateHandle)
     }
 
+const val AUTHENTICATION_VIEW_MODEL_SCOPE_KEY = "authentication"
+
 @Composable
 fun welcomeViewModel(): WelcomeViewModel = authenticationSavedStateViewModel { welcomeViewModel(it) }
 
diff --git a/core/di/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/di/metro/MetroViewModelGraph.kt b/core/di/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/di/metro/MetroViewModelGraph.kt
index 32794ff534..22fc5286d7 100644
--- a/core/di/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/di/metro/MetroViewModelGraph.kt
+++ b/core/di/src/main/kotlin/com/wire/android/di/metro/MetroViewModelGraph.kt
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ inline fun <reified Graph, reified VM> metroViewModel(
         "No ViewModelStoreOwner was provided via LocalViewModelStoreOwner"
     },
     key: String? = null,
+    scopeKeyOverride: String? = null,
     crossinline create: Graph.() -> VM,
 ): VM where Graph : MetroViewModelGraph, VM : ViewModel {
     val graph = checkNotNull(LocalMetroViewModelGraph.current as? Graph) {
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ inline fun <reified Graph, reified VM> metroViewModel(
     val scopedKey = scopedMetroViewModelKey(
         defaultKey = VM::class.qualifiedName,
         key = key,
-        scopeKey = graph.viewModelScopeKey,
+        scopeKey = scopeKeyOverride ?: graph.viewModelScopeKey,
     )
     val factory = remember(graph) {
         viewModelFactory {
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ inline fun <reified Graph, reified VM> metroSavedStateViewModel(
         "No ViewModelStoreOwner was provided via LocalViewModelStoreOwner"
     },
     key: String? = null,
+    scopeKeyOverride: String? = null,
     crossinline create: Graph.(SavedStateHandle) -> VM,
 ): VM where Graph : MetroViewModelGraph, VM : ViewModel {
     val graph = checkNotNull(LocalMetroViewModelGraph.current as? Graph) {
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ inline fun <reified Graph, reified VM> metroSavedStateViewModel(
     val scopedKey = scopedMetroViewModelKey(
         defaultKey = VM::class.qualifiedName,
         key = key,
-        scopeKey = graph.viewModelScopeKey,
+        scopeKey = scopeKeyOverride ?: graph.viewModelScopeKey,
     )
     val factory = remember(graph) {
         viewModelFactory {