diff --git a/src/state/queries/trending/useGetTrendsQuery.ts b/src/state/queries/trending/useGetTrendsQuery.ts
index e7d6806b3e..8fe0ad845e 100644
--- a/src/state/queries/trending/useGetTrendsQuery.ts
+++ b/src/state/queries/trending/useGetTrendsQuery.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {logger} from '#/logger'
 import {getContentLanguages} from '#/state/preferences/languages'
 import {STALE} from '#/state/queries'
 import {usePreferencesQuery} from '#/state/queries/preferences'
-import {useLexClient} from '#/state/session'
+import {useAppviewClient} from '#/state/session'
 import {app} from '#/lexicons'
 
 export const DEFAULT_LIMIT = 5
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export const createGetTrendsQueryKey = (limit?: number) =>
   limit === undefined ? ['trends'] : ['trends', {limit}]
 
 export function useGetTrendsQuery(props: QueryProps = {}) {
-  const client = useLexClient()
+  const client = useAppviewClient()
   const {data: preferences} = usePreferencesQuery()
   const limit = props.limit ?? DEFAULT_LIMIT
   const mutedWords = useMemo(() => {
diff --git a/src/state/session/__tests__/provider-clients-test.tsx b/src/state/session/__tests__/provider-clients-test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..58ea9ad6fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/state/session/__tests__/provider-clients-test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+import {type Client} from '@atproto/lex'
+import {PasswordSession} from '@atproto/lex-password-session'
+import {beforeEach, describe, expect, it, jest} from '@jest/globals'
+import {act, render} from '@testing-library/react-native'
+
+import {type SessionAccount} from '../types'
+
+/*
+ * The provider pulls the whole app shell in through `#/state/util` and the
+ * account factories. These mocks cut the tree back to the session lifecycle
+ * itself, mirroring provider-abort-test.tsx.
+ */
+jest.mock('#/state/persisted', () => {
+  const {
+    defaults,
+  }: typeof import('#/state/persisted/schema') = require('#/state/persisted/schema')
+  return {
+    defaults,
+    get: (key: keyof typeof defaults) => defaults[key],
+    write: () => Promise.resolve(),
+    readLatest: (key: keyof typeof defaults) => defaults[key],
+    onUpdate: () => () => {},
+  }
+})
+jest.mock('#/state/util', () => ({useCloseAllActiveElements: () => () => {}}))
+jest.mock('#/components/dialogs/Context', () => ({
+  useGlobalDialogsControlContext: () => ({signinDialogControl: {open() {}}}),
+}))
+jest.mock('#/analytics', () => ({
+  AnalyticsContext: ({children}: {children: React.ReactNode}) => children,
+  useAnalyticsBase: () => ({metric() {}, logger: {debug() {}, error() {}}}),
+  utils: {accountToSessionMetadata: () => ({}), useMeta: () => undefined},
+}))
+jest.mock('#/state/shell/onboarding', () => ({
+  useOnboardingDispatch: () => () => {},
+}))
+jest.mock('#/ageAssurance/data', () => ({
+  clearAgeAssuranceServerDataForAll: () => {},
+  clearAgeAssuranceServerDataForDid: () => {},
+}))
+jest.mock('#/lib/persisted-query-storage', () => ({
+  clearPersistedQueryStorage: () => Promise.resolve(),
+}))
+jest.mock('#/lib/notifications/notifications', () => ({
+  unregisterPushToken: () => Promise.resolve(),
+}))
+jest.mock('jwt-decode', () => ({
+  jwtDecode: () => ({scope: 'com.atproto.access'}),
+}))
+jest.mock('#/state/events', () => ({
+  emitSessionDropped: () => {},
+  emitNetworkConfirmed: () => {},
+  emitNetworkLost: () => {},
+}))
+
+const mockLogin = jest.fn<(...args: unknown[]) => Promise<unknown>>()
+jest.mock('../session-core', () => ({
+  ...jest.requireActual<object>('../session-core'),
+  createSessionBundleAndLogin: (...args: unknown[]) => mockLogin(...args),
+}))
+jest.mock('../create-account', () => ({
+  createSessionBundleAndCreateAccount: () => new Promise(() => {}),
+}))
+
+import {
+  Provider,
+  useAppviewClient,
+  useChatClient,
+  useMaybeChatClient,
+  useMaybePdsClient,
+  usePdsClient,
+  useSessionApi,
+} from '#/state/session'
+import {type SessionApiContext} from '#/state/session/types'
+import {BskyAppAgent, PasswordSessionManager} from '../bridge-agent'
+import {
+  agentToAppviewClient,
+  agentToChatClient,
+  agentToPdsClient,
+  getUnauthenticatedThrowingClient,
+} from '../clients'
+import {type SessionBundle} from '../session-core'
+import {sessionAccountToSessionData} from '../session-data'
+import {asFetch, makeAccount, makeMockFetch} from './mock-fetch'
+
+type Clients = {
+  appview: Client
+  pds: Client
+  chat: Client
+  maybePds: Client | null
+  maybeChat: Client | null
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build a bundle whose agent is a real `BskyAppAgent` over a real
+ * `PasswordSession`, since the client builders derive from the agent. Only the
+ * fields the provider reads are populated.
+ */
+function makeBundle(account: SessionAccount): SessionBundle {
+  const fetchMock = makeMockFetch()
+  const session = new PasswordSession(sessionAccountToSessionData(account), {
+    fetch: asFetch(fetchMock),
+  })
+  const manager = new PasswordSessionManager(session, {
+    service: account.service,
+  })
+  manager.setFetch(asFetch(fetchMock))
+  return {
+    session,
+    agent: new BskyAppAgent(manager),
+    service: new URL(account.service),
+  }
+}
+
+/** Render the provider and hand back the client hooks' current values. */
+function renderClients(): {api: SessionApiContext; clients: () => Clients} {
+  let api!: SessionApiContext
+  let clients!: Clients
+  function Probe() {
+    api = useSessionApi()
+    clients = {
+      appview: useAppviewClient(),
+      pds: usePdsClient(),
+      chat: useChatClient(),
+      maybePds: useMaybePdsClient(),
+      maybeChat: useMaybeChatClient(),
+    }
+    return null
+  }
+  render(
+    <Provider>
+      <Probe />
+    </Provider>,
+  )
+  return {api, clients: () => clients}
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  mockLogin.mockReset()
+})
+
+describe('client hooks while logged out', () => {
+  it('serves the public agent for appview reads', () => {
+    const {clients} = renderClients()
+    expect(clients().appview).toBeDefined()
+    /* the logged-out bundle's agent IS the public agent, so no separate branch */
+    expect(clients().appview.did).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
+  it('serves the throwing client for the write surfaces', () => {
+    const {clients} = renderClients()
+    const throwing = getUnauthenticatedThrowingClient()
+    expect(clients().pds).toBe(throwing)
+    expect(clients().chat).toBe(throwing)
+  })
+
+  it('serves null from the maybe variants', () => {
+    const {clients} = renderClients()
+    expect(clients().maybePds).toBeNull()
+    expect(clients().maybeChat).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
+
+describe('client hooks with a session', () => {
+  it('derives every surface from the session bundle agent', async () => {
+    const account = makeAccount()
+    const bundle = makeBundle(account)
+    const {api, clients} = renderClients()
+
+    mockLogin.mockResolvedValueOnce({bundle, account})
+    await act(async () => {
+      await api.login({} as never, 'LoginForm')
+    })
+
+    expect(clients().appview).toBe(agentToAppviewClient(bundle.agent))
+    expect(clients().pds).toBe(agentToPdsClient(bundle.agent))
+    expect(clients().chat).toBe(agentToChatClient(bundle.agent))
+  })
+
+  it('serves the same clients from the maybe variants', async () => {
+    const account = makeAccount()
+    const bundle = makeBundle(account)
+    const {api, clients} = renderClients()
+
+    mockLogin.mockResolvedValueOnce({bundle, account})
+    await act(async () => {
+      await api.login({} as never, 'LoginForm')
+    })
+
+    expect(clients().maybePds).toBe(clients().pds)
+    expect(clients().maybeChat).toBe(clients().chat)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/state/session/index.tsx b/src/state/session/index.tsx
index 618804ee7b..01bca93c36 100644
--- a/src/state/session/index.tsx
+++ b/src/state/session/index.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,13 @@ import {useGlobalDialogsControlContext} from '#/components/dialogs/Context'
 import {AnalyticsContext, useAnalyticsBase, utils} from '#/analytics'
 import {IS_WEB} from '#/env'
 import {emitSessionDropped} from '../events'
-import {agentToLexClient, getPublicLexClient} from './clients'
+import {
+  agentToAppviewClient,
+  agentToChatClient,
+  agentToPdsClient,
+  getPublicAppviewClient,
+  getUnauthenticatedThrowingClient,
+} from './clients'
 import {createSessionBundleAndCreateAccount} from './create-account'
 import {pickExpiryRescueCandidate} from './expiry-rescue'
 import {type Action, getInitialState, reducer, type State} from './reducer'
@@ -711,20 +717,70 @@ export function useAgent(): AtpAgent {
 }
 
 /**
- * The lex client for the active session, or for the public agent when logged
- * out.
+ * Client for appview reads.
+ *
+ * When logged out the bundle's agent is the public agent built by
+ * `createPublicAgent`, which is configured with the appview proxy and dispatches
+ * unauthenticated, so the logged-out fallback is the agent itself - there is no
+ * separate public branch here.
  */
-export function useLexClient(): Client {
+export function useAppviewClient(): Client {
   const bundle = useContext(BundleContext)
   if (!bundle) {
-    throw Error('useLexClient() must be below <SessionProvider>.')
+    throw Error('useAppviewClient() must be below <SessionProvider>.')
   }
-  return agentToLexClient(bundle.agent)
+  return agentToAppviewClient(bundle.agent)
 }
 
 /**
- * The unauthenticated lex client for public reads.
+ * Client for account-host requests. It shares the active session's auth
+ * lifecycle but sets no proxy or labeler headers, so calls target the PDS.
+ * Logged out, calls throw `NotAuthenticatedError` before network I/O. Use
+ * {@link useMaybePdsClient} when the caller must branch on authentication.
  */
-export function usePublicLexClient(): Client {
-  return getPublicLexClient()
+export function usePdsClient(): Client {
+  const bundle = useContext(BundleContext)
+  if (!bundle) {
+    throw Error('usePdsClient() must be below <SessionProvider>.')
+  }
+  return bundle.session
+    ? agentToPdsClient(bundle.agent)
+    : getUnauthenticatedThrowingClient()
+}
+
+/**
+ * Client for `chat.bsky.*` calls. Logged-out calls throw
+ * `NotAuthenticatedError`; use {@link useMaybeChatClient} to branch on auth.
+ */
+export function useChatClient(): Client {
+  const bundle = useContext(BundleContext)
+  if (!bundle) {
+    throw Error('useChatClient() must be below <SessionProvider>.')
+  }
+  return bundle.session
+    ? agentToChatClient(bundle.agent)
+    : getUnauthenticatedThrowingClient()
+}
+
+/**
+ * Account-host client for the active session, or `null` when logged out.
+ */
+export function useMaybePdsClient(): Client | null {
+  const bundle = useContext(BundleContext)
+  return bundle?.session ? agentToPdsClient(bundle.agent) : null
+}
+
+/**
+ * Chat client for the active session, or `null` when logged out.
+ */
+export function useMaybeChatClient(): Client | null {
+  const bundle = useContext(BundleContext)
+  return bundle?.session ? agentToChatClient(bundle.agent) : null
+}
+
+/**
+ * The unauthenticated client for public appview reads.
+ */
+export function usePublicAppviewClient(): Client {
+  return getPublicAppviewClient()
 }