diff --git a/.github/workflows/staging.yml b/.github/workflows/staging.yml
index e4486be..2a87188 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/staging.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/staging.yml
@@ -49,7 +49,13 @@ jobs:
             "APP_URL=https://${HOST}"
 
       - name: Deploy
-        run: flyctl deploy --app "$APP" --config fly.staging.toml --remote-only --yes
+        # --ha=false so Fly provisions a single machine. Staging stores sessions
+        # in machine-local SQLite (no shared volume), so a second machine would
+        # serve requests it has no session for, bouncing logged-in users back to
+        # the login page. scale count 1 fixes apps already created with two.
+        run: |
+          flyctl deploy --app "$APP" --config fly.staging.toml --remote-only --yes --ha=false
+          flyctl scale count 1 --app "$APP" --yes
 
       - name: Summary
         run: echo "Deployed to https://${HOST}" >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"