diff --git a/servers/fastapi/api/middlewares.py b/servers/fastapi/api/middlewares.py
index b8bcd11c..ef01d6bf 100644
--- a/servers/fastapi/api/middlewares.py
+++ b/servers/fastapi/api/middlewares.py
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import re
+
 from fastapi import Request
 from starlette.responses import JSONResponse
 from starlette.middleware.base import BaseHTTPMiddleware
@@ -23,6 +25,12 @@ class SessionAuthMiddleware(BaseHTTPMiddleware):
     _EXEMPT_PREFIXES = (
         "/api/v1/auth/",
     )
+    # PPTX/PDF export loads /pdf-maker in a headless browser with no session cookie; it
+    # only needs a single-deck read by id. (UUID is not a secret; this matches prior behavior
+    # when auth middleware did not protect these routes during export.)
+    _PRESENTATION_GET_BY_ID = re.compile(
+        r"^/api/v1/ppt/presentation/[0-9a-fA-F-]{36}/?$"
+    )
     _PROTECTED_NON_API_PATHS = {
         "/docs",
         "/openapi.json",
@@ -32,6 +40,11 @@ class SessionAuthMiddleware(BaseHTTPMiddleware):
     def _is_exempt(self, path: str) -> bool:
         return any(path.startswith(prefix) for prefix in self._EXEMPT_PREFIXES)
 
+    def _is_presentation_get_by_id(self, request: Request, path: str) -> bool:
+        if request.method != "GET":
+            return False
+        return bool(self._PRESENTATION_GET_BY_ID.match(path))
+
     def _requires_auth(self, path: str) -> bool:
         if path.startswith("/api/"):
             return True
@@ -46,6 +59,7 @@ class SessionAuthMiddleware(BaseHTTPMiddleware):
             request.method == "OPTIONS"
             or not self._requires_auth(path)
             or self._is_exempt(path)
+            or self._is_presentation_get_by_id(request, path)
         ):
             return await call_next(request)
 
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/(export)/layout.tsx b/servers/nextjs/app/(export)/layout.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1fd24e10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/servers/nextjs/app/(export)/layout.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import React from "react";
+
+/**
+ * Do not wrap with ConfigurationInitializer: it always mounts with isLoading=true
+ * and only clears after useEffect, so headless PDF/PPTX export captures the
+ * "Initializing Application" screen. Export only needs the slide renderer; no LLM check.
+ */
+export default function Layout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
+  return <>{children}</>;
+}
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/pdf-maker/PdfMakerPage.tsx b/servers/nextjs/app/(export)/pdf-maker/PdfMakerPage.tsx
similarity index 94%
rename from servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/pdf-maker/PdfMakerPage.tsx
rename to servers/nextjs/app/(export)/pdf-maker/PdfMakerPage.tsx
index cfdf172e..d48501a2 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/pdf-maker/PdfMakerPage.tsx
+++ b/servers/nextjs/app/(export)/pdf-maker/PdfMakerPage.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import React, { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { useDispatch, useSelector } from "react-redux";
 import { RootState } from "@/store/store";
-import "../utils/prism-languages";
+import "@/app/(presentation-generator)/utils/prism-languages";
 import { Skeleton } from "@/components/ui/skeleton";
 import { toast } from "sonner";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
@@ -10,13 +10,12 @@ import { usePathname } from "next/navigation";
 import { trackEvent, MixpanelEvent } from "@/utils/mixpanel";
 import { AlertCircle } from "lucide-react";
 import { setPresentationData } from "@/store/slices/presentationGeneration";
-import { DashboardApi } from "../services/api/dashboard";
+import { DashboardApi } from "@/app/(presentation-generator)/services/api/dashboard";
 import { setupImageUrlConverter } from "@/utils/image-url-converter";
 
-
-import { V1ContentRender } from "../components/V1ContentRender";
-import { useFontLoader } from "../hooks/useFontLoad";
-import { Theme } from "../services/api/types";
+import { V1ContentRender } from "@/app/(presentation-generator)/components/V1ContentRender";
+import { useFontLoader } from "@/app/(presentation-generator)/hooks/useFontLoad";
+import { Theme } from "@/app/(presentation-generator)/services/api/types";
 
 
 
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/pdf-maker/page.tsx b/servers/nextjs/app/(export)/pdf-maker/page.tsx
similarity index 100%
rename from servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/pdf-maker/page.tsx
rename to servers/nextjs/app/(export)/pdf-maker/page.tsx
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/services/api/dashboard.ts b/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/services/api/dashboard.ts
index 8f287afb..816b0f23 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/services/api/dashboard.ts
+++ b/servers/nextjs/app/(presentation-generator)/services/api/dashboard.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ export class DashboardApi {
         getApiUrl(`/api/v1/ppt/presentation/${id}`),
         {
           method: "GET",
+          credentials: "include",
         }
       );
 
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/app/ConfigurationInitializer.tsx b/servers/nextjs/app/ConfigurationInitializer.tsx
index 9225d699..40da4727 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/app/ConfigurationInitializer.tsx
+++ b/servers/nextjs/app/ConfigurationInitializer.tsx
@@ -12,9 +12,11 @@ import { getApiUrl } from '@/utils/api';
 export function ConfigurationInitializer({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
   const dispatch = useDispatch();
 
-  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
-  const router = useRouter();
   const route = usePathname();
+  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(
+    () => !route?.startsWith("/pdf-maker")
+  );
+  const router = useRouter();
 
   // Fetch user config state
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -31,13 +33,13 @@ export function ConfigurationInitializer({ children }: { children: React.ReactNo
   }
 
   const fetchUserConfigState = async () => {
-    setIsLoading(true);
-
-    if (route.startsWith('/pdf-maker')) {
+    if (route.startsWith("/pdf-maker")) {
       setIsLoading(false);
       return;
     }
 
+    setIsLoading(true);
+
     let canChangeKeys = false;
     try {
       const res = await fetch('/api/can-change-keys');
@@ -64,7 +66,6 @@ export function ConfigurationInitializer({ children }: { children: React.ReactNo
 
       dispatch(setLLMConfig(llmConfig));
       const isValid = hasValidLLMConfig(llmConfig);
-      console.log('isValid', isValid);
       if (route.startsWith('/pdf-maker')) {
         setIsLoading(false);
         return;
diff --git a/servers/nextjs/utils/storeHelpers.ts b/servers/nextjs/utils/storeHelpers.ts
index f863b838..bec345ab 100644
--- a/servers/nextjs/utils/storeHelpers.ts
+++ b/servers/nextjs/utils/storeHelpers.ts
@@ -128,10 +128,5 @@ export const handleSaveLLMConfig = async (llmConfig: LLMConfig) => {
   store.dispatch(setLLMConfig(llmConfig));
 };
 
-export const hasValidLLMConfig = (llmConfig: LLMConfig) => {
-  console.log('llmConfig', llmConfig);
-
-  const validationError = getLLMConfigValidationError(llmConfig);
-  console.log('validationError', validationError);
-  return validationError === null;
-}
+export const hasValidLLMConfig = (llmConfig: LLMConfig) =>
+  getLLMConfigValidationError(llmConfig) === null;