diff --git a/src/router/index.js b/src/router/index.js
index 0c33cae4..25400a08 100644
--- a/src/router/index.js
+++ b/src/router/index.js
@@ -150,11 +150,29 @@ const router = createRouter({
 });
 
 router.beforeEach(async (to, from) => {
+    const store = useMainStore();
     const fromQueryPage = from.query?.issPage;
+
     if (fromQueryPage === undefined) {
         showIssLoadingModal(true);
     }
 
+    const callSaveSession = !store.order?.referralNumber && (to.name === issPageValues.VEHICLE_SELECTION || to.name === issPageValues.POLICY_VEHICLES);
+    if (callSaveSession) {
+        // Forcing a synchronous savesession call here to create the referral for the first time.
+        // AfterEach does not support synchronous calls that block navigation. Which is why this is in the beforeEach method.
+        // This only needs to be called once in a certain location, all other saveSession calls are async in afterEach (except the last one on order submission)
+        // NOTE: This call should be creating the referral number. After this point in the site flow, referral number is critical for several pieces of logic and logging.
+        // Therefore, we want to force a bailout here if it errors out.
+        showIssLoadingModal(true);
+        try {
+            await saveSession({ shouldAwaitSaveSessionQueue: true, bailoutOnError: true });
+        }
+        finally {
+            showIssLoadingModal(false);
+        }
+    }
+
     const toQueryPage = to.query?.issPage;
     const notToPayInAdvanceReturn = toQueryPage !== issPageValues.PAYMENT_RETURN;
     const isInIframe = window !== window.top || fromQueryPage === issPageValues.PAYMENT_PAGE;
@@ -172,7 +190,6 @@ router.beforeEach(async (to, from) => {
         return false;
     }
 
-    const store = useMainStore();
     // Prevent navigating backwards if we enter a bailout that we are not allowed to go back on
     if (store.isBailout && from.name === issPageValues.BAILOUT_PAGE && to.name !== 'root' && to.name !== issPageValues.CONTACT_CONFIRMATION
         && !canBailoutNavigateBack()) {
@@ -204,10 +221,11 @@ router.afterEach(async (to, from) => {
             to.state?.[routerParams.SKIP_SAVE_SESSION]
             ?? router.options.history.state?.[routerParams.SKIP_SAVE_SESSION]
         );
-        if (from.name !== undefined && !skipSaveSession && !store.hasSubmittedOrder()) {
-            await saveSession({ bailoutOnError: from.name === issPageValues.ENTRY_PAGE});
-        }
 
+        if (from.name !== undefined && !skipSaveSession && !store.hasSubmittedOrder()) {
+            await saveSession({ bailoutOnError: false });
+        }
+        
         document.title = routerTitles[to.query.issPage] || 'Safelite Solutions®';
 
         if (shouldRunExperiments) {
diff --git a/src/router/router.afterEach.spec.js b/src/router/router.afterEach.spec.js
index 2a2185dc..6f2aee8f 100644
--- a/src/router/router.afterEach.spec.js
+++ b/src/router/router.afterEach.spec.js
@@ -110,6 +110,6 @@ describe('Router afterEach skipSaveSession', () => {
         );
 
         expect(saveSession).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-        expect(saveSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ bailoutOnError: true });
+        expect(saveSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ bailoutOnError: false });
     });
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/router/router.beforeEach.spec.js b/src/router/router.beforeEach.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..85c9160e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/router/router.beforeEach.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import issPageValues from '@/router/router-constants/issPage-values';
+
+let router;
+let saveSession;
+let showIssLoadingModal;
+let mockBeforeEachHandler;
+let mockStore;
+
+jest.mock('vue-router', () => ({
+    createWebHistory: jest.fn(() => ({ state: {} })),
+    createRouter: jest.fn((options) => ({
+        options,
+        beforeEach: jest.fn((handler) => {
+            mockBeforeEachHandler = handler;
+        }),
+        afterEach: jest.fn(),
+        addRoute: jest.fn(),
+        getRoutes: jest.fn(() => []),
+        hasRoute: jest.fn(() => true),
+        push: jest.fn(),
+        go: jest.fn(),
+        currentRoute: { value: { query: { issPage: 'welcome-page' } } }
+    }))
+}));
+
+jest.mock('@/helpers/order-helper.js', () => ({
+    saveSession: jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve())
+}));
+
+jest.mock('@/helpers/loading-modal-helper', () => jest.fn());
+
+jest.mock('@/store', () => ({
+    useMainStore: jest.fn(() => mockStore)
+}));
+
+describe('Router beforeEach callSaveSession', () => {
+    beforeAll(() => {
+        router = require('@/router/').default;
+        ({ saveSession } = require('@/helpers/order-helper.js'));
+        const loadingModalModule = require('@/helpers/loading-modal-helper');
+        showIssLoadingModal = loadingModalModule.default || loadingModalModule;
+    });
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        mockStore = {
+            order: {},
+            isBailout: false
+        };
+
+        jest.clearAllMocks();
+    });
+
+    it('calls saveSession synchronously when entering vehicle-selection without a referral number', async () => {
+        const result = await mockBeforeEachHandler(
+            {
+                name: issPageValues.VEHICLE_SELECTION,
+                query: { issPage: issPageValues.VEHICLE_SELECTION },
+                href: '/?issPage=vehicle-selection'
+            },
+            {
+                name: issPageValues.WELCOME_PAGE,
+                query: { issPage: issPageValues.WELCOME_PAGE }
+            }
+        );
+
+        expect(saveSession).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(saveSession).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ shouldAwaitSaveSessionQueue: true, bailoutOnError: true });
+        expect(showIssLoadingModal).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, true);
+        expect(showIssLoadingModal).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, false);
+        expect(result).toBe(true);
+    });
+});
\ No newline at end of file