diff --git a/src/app/(frontend)/layout.tsx b/src/app/(frontend)/layout.tsx
index 58d9a75..1673980 100644
--- a/src/app/(frontend)/layout.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(frontend)/layout.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { Metadata } from "next";
 import { type ResolvedLevel, resolveLevel } from "@/utils/xp/resolveLevel";
 import { hasIntelligenceQualification } from "@/utils/access-control/hasIntelligenceQualification";
 import { hasLogisticsQualification } from "@/utils/access-control/hasLogisticsQualification";
-import { canAccessAdminPanel } from "@/utils/access-control/hasPermission";
+import { canAccessAdminPanel } from "@/utils/access-control/divisionAccess";
 import { ShipmentToasts } from "@/components/frontend/logistics/ShipmentToasts";
 import { MissionReminderToasts } from "@/components/frontend/intelligence/MissionReminderToasts";
 import { GameTickRealtime } from "@/components/frontend/realtime/GameTickRealtime";
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { cookies } from "next/headers";
 import { IMPERSONATION_ACTIVE_COOKIE } from "@/lib/impersonation";
 import { ImpersonationBanner } from "@/components/frontend/impersonation/ImpersonationBanner";
 import { ShimLoader } from "@/components/frontend/shims/ShimLoader";
+import { DevDashboardGate } from "@/components/frontend/dev/DevDashboardGate";
 
 // Skip static prerendering of this layout (and all pages under (frontend)/).
 // The layout calls `getPayload()` at render time to resolve the current user,
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ export default async function RootLayout(props: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
         )}
         {user && <GameTickRealtime />}
         {user && <SessionWatchdog sessionExp={sessionExp} />}
+        {process.env.NODE_ENV === "development" && user && <DevDashboardGate />}
         {user && <MissionReminderToasts />}
         {isLogistics && <ShipmentToasts />}
         <Toaster />
diff --git a/src/app/(frontend)/styles.css b/src/app/(frontend)/styles.css
index 4329337..77f52ce 100644
--- a/src/app/(frontend)/styles.css
+++ b/src/app/(frontend)/styles.css
@@ -3576,3 +3576,4 @@
 [data-radix-popper-content-wrapper] {
   z-index: 1300 !important;
 }
+
diff --git a/src/components/frontend/dev/DevDashboardGate.tsx b/src/components/frontend/dev/DevDashboardGate.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec33498
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/frontend/dev/DevDashboardGate.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
+import {
+  AlertDialog,
+  AlertDialogAction,
+  AlertDialogCancel,
+  AlertDialogContent,
+  AlertDialogDescription,
+  AlertDialogFooter,
+  AlertDialogHeader,
+  AlertDialogTitle,
+} from "@/components/ui/alert-dialog";
+
+/**
+ * Dev-only guard for routes whose server render is pathologically slow under
+ * the Next.js 16 dev runtime (see payloadcms/payload#14487): the dashboard
+ * takes roughly 100s per render in dev while the browser gives up around 60s,
+ * so clicking any link to it looks like a hang. This component intercepts
+ * plain left-clicks on anchors pointing at those routes, shows a confirm
+ * dialog, and only navigates when the user insists.
+ *
+ * Gaps by design: direct URL entry, page refresh, modifier-clicks (Ctrl/Cmd +
+ * click), and programmatic router.push calls (e.g. the command palette) are
+ * not gated. Anchors inside a [data-dev-gate-bypass] ancestor are also
+ * exempt, so a specific link can opt out.
+ */
+
+const GATED_PATHS = new Set<string>(["/"]);
+
+function resolveTarget(href: string): string | null {
+  try {
+    const url = new URL(href, window.location.origin);
+    if (url.origin !== window.location.origin) return null;
+    if (!GATED_PATHS.has(url.pathname)) return null;
+    return url.pathname + url.search + url.hash;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+export function DevDashboardGate() {
+  const router = useRouter();
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
+  const [target, setTarget] = useState("/");
+  const proceedRef = useRef<() => void>(() => undefined);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== "development") return undefined;
+
+    function onClick(event: MouseEvent) {
+      if (event.defaultPrevented) return;
+      if (event.button !== 0 || event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey || event.shiftKey || event.altKey) {
+        return;
+      }
+      const anchor = (event.target as Element | null)?.closest?.("a");
+      if (!anchor) return;
+      if (anchor.hasAttribute("download")) return;
+      const targetAttr = anchor.getAttribute("target");
+      if (targetAttr && targetAttr !== "_self") return;
+      if (anchor.closest("[data-dev-gate-bypass]")) return;
+      const next = resolveTarget(anchor.getAttribute("href") ?? "");
+      if (!next) return;
+
+      event.preventDefault();
+      event.stopPropagation();
+      proceedRef.current = () => {
+        setOpen(false);
+        router.push(next);
+      };
+      setTarget(next);
+      setOpen(true);
+    }
+
+    document.addEventListener("click", onClick, { capture: true });
+    return () => document.removeEventListener("click", onClick, { capture: true });
+  }, [router]);
+
+  if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== "development") return null;
+
+  return (
+    <AlertDialog
+      open={open}
+      onOpenChange={(next) => {
+        if (!next) setOpen(false);
+      }}
+    >
+      <AlertDialogContent>
+        <AlertDialogHeader>
+          <AlertDialogTitle>Open the dashboard in dev mode?</AlertDialogTitle>
+          <AlertDialogDescription>
+            In dev, <span className="font-mono text-xs">{target}</span> renders the dashboard
+            server-side in roughly 100 seconds (a known Next.js 16 dev-runtime regression) and the
+            browser usually gives up around 60s with an empty response. Production serves the same
+            page in a few seconds. Stay here, or open anyway and wait.
+          </AlertDialogDescription>
+        </AlertDialogHeader>
+        <AlertDialogFooter>
+          <AlertDialogCancel>Stay here</AlertDialogCancel>
+          <AlertDialogAction onClick={() => proceedRef.current()}>Open anyway</AlertDialogAction>
+        </AlertDialogFooter>
+      </AlertDialogContent>
+    </AlertDialog>
+  );
+}