diff --git a/cauldron/server.py b/cauldron/server.py
index 91cb305..edaa68e 100644
--- a/cauldron/server.py
+++ b/cauldron/server.py
@@ -244,7 +244,15 @@ def create_app() -> Flask:
             return None
         h = db.get_user_household_id(u["sub"])
         if h is None:
-            h = sync_user_household(u["sub"])
+            return sync_user_household(u["sub"])
+        # Re-sync once if the row is missing mealie_group_id (added in
+        # migration 035). This is the upgrade-path backfill: existing
+        # households were created before the column existed and need a
+        # one-shot sync to populate it. After that this is a cheap
+        # short-circuit on a per-request lookup.
+        hh = db.get_household(h)
+        if hh and not hh.get("mealie_group_id"):
+            sync_user_household(u["sub"])
         return h
 
     def monday_of(d: date) -> date: