diff --git a/app/(auth)/link-account/LinkAccountClient.tsx b/app/(auth)/link-account/LinkAccountClient.tsx
index 7838e62d..13555175 100644
--- a/app/(auth)/link-account/LinkAccountClient.tsx
+++ b/app/(auth)/link-account/LinkAccountClient.tsx
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ import { signIn } from "next-auth/react";
 interface LinkAccountClientProps {
   provider: string;
   email: string;
-  linkingToken: string;
+  linkingId: string;
 }
 
 export default function LinkAccountClient({
   provider,
   email,
-  linkingToken
+  linkingId
 }: LinkAccountClientProps) {
   const router = useRouter();
   const [password, setPassword] = useState("");
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export default function LinkAccountClient({
         method: "POST",
         headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
         body: JSON.stringify({
-          linkingToken,
+          linkingId,
           password
         })
       });
diff --git a/app/(auth)/link-account/page.tsx b/app/(auth)/link-account/page.tsx
index 4a6054d1..4fb6d759 100644
--- a/app/(auth)/link-account/page.tsx
+++ b/app/(auth)/link-account/page.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { redirect } from "next/navigation";
 import { auth } from "@/src/lib/auth";
-import { retrieveLinkingToken, verifyLinkingToken } from "@/src/lib/services/account-linking";
+import { peekLinkingToken, verifyLinkingToken } from "@/src/lib/services/account-linking";
 import LinkAccountClient from "./LinkAccountClient";
 
 interface LinkAccountPageProps {
@@ -26,25 +26,27 @@ export default async function LinkAccountPage({ searchParams }: LinkAccountPageP
 
   const linkingId = errorParam.replace("LINKING_REQUIRED:", "");
 
-  // Retrieve the raw JWT from the server-side store (one-time use)
-  const rawToken = await retrieveLinkingToken(linkingId);
+  // Peek at the raw JWT to decode display info (provider, email) without consuming it.
+  // The API endpoint will consume (retrieve + delete) the token during password verification.
+  const rawToken = await peekLinkingToken(linkingId);
 
   if (!rawToken) {
     redirect("/login?error=Linking token expired or invalid");
   }
 
-  // Verify token and decode
+  // Verify token and decode for display purposes only
   const tokenPayload = await verifyLinkingToken(rawToken);
 
   if (!tokenPayload) {
     redirect("/login?error=Linking token expired or invalid");
   }
 
+  // Pass only the opaque linkingId to the client — the raw JWT never leaves the server
   return (
     <LinkAccountClient
       provider={tokenPayload.provider}
       email={tokenPayload.email}
-      linkingToken={rawToken}
+      linkingId={linkingId}
     />
   );
 }
diff --git a/app/api/auth/link-account/route.ts b/app/api/auth/link-account/route.ts
index 28064d46..a8644230 100644
--- a/app/api/auth/link-account/route.ts
+++ b/app/api/auth/link-account/route.ts
@@ -1,22 +1,30 @@
 import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
-import { verifyLinkingToken, verifyAndLinkOAuth } from "@/src/lib/services/account-linking";
+import { retrieveLinkingToken, verifyLinkingToken, verifyAndLinkOAuth } from "@/src/lib/services/account-linking";
 import { createAuditEvent } from "@/src/lib/models/audit";
-import { registerFailedAttempt } from "@/src/lib/rate-limit";
+import { isRateLimited, registerFailedAttempt, resetAttempts } from "@/src/lib/rate-limit";
 
 export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
   try {
     const body = await request.json();
-    const { linkingToken, password } = body;
+    const { linkingId, password } = body;
 
-    if (!linkingToken || !password) {
+    if (!linkingId || !password) {
       return NextResponse.json(
         { error: "Missing required fields" },
         { status: 400 }
       );
     }
 
-    // Verify linking token
-    const tokenPayload = await verifyLinkingToken(linkingToken);
+    // Retrieve and consume the linking token server-side — the raw JWT never reaches the browser
+    const rawToken = await retrieveLinkingToken(linkingId);
+    if (!rawToken) {
+      return NextResponse.json(
+        { error: "Authentication failed" },
+        { status: 401 }
+      );
+    }
+
+    const tokenPayload = await verifyLinkingToken(rawToken);
     if (!tokenPayload) {
       return NextResponse.json(
         { error: "Authentication failed" },
@@ -24,11 +32,10 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
       );
     }
 
-    // Rate limiting: prevent brute force password attacks during OAuth linking
+    // Rate limiting: check before attempting password verification
     const rateLimitKey = `oauth-link-verify:${tokenPayload.userId}`;
-    const rateLimitResult = registerFailedAttempt(rateLimitKey);
-    if (rateLimitResult.blocked) {
-      // Audit log for blocked attempt
+    const rateLimitCheck = isRateLimited(rateLimitKey);
+    if (rateLimitCheck.blocked) {
       await createAuditEvent({
         userId: tokenPayload.userId,
         action: "oauth_link_rate_limited",
@@ -53,7 +60,9 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
     );
 
     if (!success) {
-      // Audit log for failed password verification
+      // Count this failure against the rate limit
+      registerFailedAttempt(rateLimitKey);
+
       await createAuditEvent({
         userId: tokenPayload.userId,
         action: "oauth_link_password_failed",
@@ -69,7 +78,9 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
       );
     }
 
-    // Audit log
+    // Success — clear rate limit for this user
+    resetAttempts(rateLimitKey);
+
     await createAuditEvent({
       userId: tokenPayload.userId,
       action: "account_linked",
diff --git a/app/api/instances/sync/route.ts b/app/api/instances/sync/route.ts
index 7861d59b..3eb98e2c 100644
--- a/app/api/instances/sync/route.ts
+++ b/app/api/instances/sync/route.ts
@@ -16,13 +16,12 @@ const SYNC_RATE_LIMITS = new Map<string, { count: number; windowStart: number }>
  * Timing-safe token comparison to prevent timing attacks
  */
 function secureTokenCompare(a: string, b: string): boolean {
-  if (a.length !== b.length) {
-    // Compare against dummy to maintain constant time
-    const dummy = Buffer.alloc(a.length, 0);
-    timingSafeEqual(Buffer.from(a), dummy);
-    return false;
-  }
-  return timingSafeEqual(Buffer.from(a), Buffer.from(b));
+  // Always compare buffers of the expected length (b) to avoid leaking
+  // the expected token length via early-return timing when a.length !== b.length
+  const bufA = Buffer.from(a.padEnd(b.length, "\0").slice(0, b.length));
+  const bufB = Buffer.from(b);
+  const equal = timingSafeEqual(bufA, bufB);
+  return equal && a.length === b.length;
 }
 
 function getClientIp(request: NextRequest): string {
diff --git a/drizzle/0007_linking_tokens.sql b/drizzle/0007_linking_tokens.sql
index 52556696..be1eb043 100644
--- a/drizzle/0007_linking_tokens.sql
+++ b/drizzle/0007_linking_tokens.sql
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 CREATE TABLE `linking_tokens` (
   `id` text PRIMARY KEY NOT NULL,
   `token` text NOT NULL,
-  `created_at` text NOT NULL
+  `created_at` text NOT NULL,
+  `expires_at` text NOT NULL
 );
+CREATE INDEX `linking_tokens_expires_at_idx` ON `linking_tokens` (`expires_at`);
diff --git a/next.config.mjs b/next.config.mjs
index 16190507..e238e865 100644
--- a/next.config.mjs
+++ b/next.config.mjs
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@ const nextConfig = {
         source: "/(.*)",
         headers: [
           { key: "X-Content-Type-Options", value: "nosniff" },
-          // X-Frame-Options omitted: frame-ancestors in CSP supersedes it in all modern browsers
+          // X-Frame-Options kept for legacy browsers that don't support frame-ancestors CSP directive
+          { key: "X-Frame-Options", value: "DENY" },
           { key: "Referrer-Policy", value: "strict-origin-when-cross-origin" },
+          { key: "Permissions-Policy", value: "camera=(), microphone=(), geolocation=(), interest-cohort=()" },
           {
             key: "Content-Security-Policy",
             value: [
diff --git a/src/lib/db/schema.ts b/src/lib/db/schema.ts
index 5a98f78b..edd26687 100644
--- a/src/lib/db/schema.ts
+++ b/src/lib/db/schema.ts
@@ -182,5 +182,6 @@ export const auditEvents = sqliteTable("audit_events", {
 export const linkingTokens = sqliteTable("linking_tokens", {
   id: text("id").primaryKey(),
   token: text("token").notNull(),
-  createdAt: text("created_at").notNull()
+  createdAt: text("created_at").notNull(),
+  expiresAt: text("expires_at").notNull()
 });
diff --git a/src/lib/services/account-linking.ts b/src/lib/services/account-linking.ts
index 1dfd6d09..039b0e47 100644
--- a/src/lib/services/account-linking.ts
+++ b/src/lib/services/account-linking.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { config } from "../config";
 import { findUserByEmail, findUserByProviderSubject, getUserById } from "../models/user";
 import db from "../db";
 import { users, linkingTokens } from "../db/schema";
-import { eq } from "drizzle-orm";
+import { eq, lt } from "drizzle-orm";
 import { nowIso } from "../db";
 
 const LINKING_TOKEN_EXPIRY = 5 * 60; // 5 minutes in seconds
@@ -124,25 +124,53 @@ export async function verifyLinkingToken(token: string): Promise<LinkingTokenPay
 }
 
 /**
- * Store a linking JWT in the DB and return an opaque 64-char hex ID
+ * Store a linking JWT in the DB and return an opaque 64-char hex ID.
+ * Expired rows are purged on each insert to prevent unbounded table growth.
  */
 export async function storeLinkingToken(token: string): Promise<string> {
   const id = randomBytes(32).toString("hex");
+  const now = nowIso();
+  const expiresAt = new Date(Date.now() + LINKING_TOKEN_EXPIRY * 1000).toISOString();
+
+  // Purge expired tokens opportunistically
+  await db.delete(linkingTokens).where(lt(linkingTokens.expiresAt, now));
+
   await db.insert(linkingTokens).values({
     id,
     token,
-    createdAt: nowIso()
+    createdAt: now,
+    expiresAt
   });
   return id;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Peek at a linking token by its opaque ID without consuming (deleting) it.
+ * Used by the link-account page to decode display info (provider, email) while
+ * keeping the token available for the subsequent API call.
+ * Returns null if the ID is not found or the token is expired.
+ */
+export async function peekLinkingToken(id: string): Promise<string | null> {
+  const now = nowIso();
+  const rows = await db.select().from(linkingTokens)
+    .where(eq(linkingTokens.id, id))
+    .limit(1);
+  if (rows.length === 0 || rows[0].expiresAt < now) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return rows[0].token;
+}
+
 /**
  * Retrieve and delete a linking token by its opaque ID (one-time use).
- * Returns null if the ID is not found.
+ * Returns null if the ID is not found or the token is expired.
  */
 export async function retrieveLinkingToken(id: string): Promise<string | null> {
-  const rows = await db.select().from(linkingTokens).where(eq(linkingTokens.id, id)).limit(1);
-  if (rows.length === 0) {
+  const now = nowIso();
+  const rows = await db.select().from(linkingTokens)
+    .where(eq(linkingTokens.id, id))
+    .limit(1);
+  if (rows.length === 0 || rows[0].expiresAt < now) {
     return null;
   }
   const { token } = rows[0];
@@ -199,7 +227,7 @@ export async function autoLinkOAuth(
 
   // Don't auto-link if user has a password (unless explicitly called for authenticated linking)
   // This check is bypassed when called from the authenticated linking flow
-  if (user.password_hash && !process.env.OAUTH_ALLOW_AUTO_LINKING) {
+  if (user.password_hash && !config.oauth.allowAutoLinking) {
     return false;
   }