diff --git a/app/app.json b/app/app.json
index 3660e48..cc059ed 100644
--- a/app/app.json
+++ b/app/app.json
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
     "extra": {
       "psEnvironment": "prodv2",
       "mapStyleUrl": "https://tiles.openfreemap.org/styles/liberty",
+      "mapStyleUrlDark": "https://basemaps.cartocdn.com/gl/dark-matter-gl-style/style.json",
       "unifiedPushDefaultDistributor": "io.heckel.ntfy",
       "debugHttp": true
     }
diff --git a/app/src/screens/MapScreen.tsx b/app/src/screens/MapScreen.tsx
index 0603f95..84014d1 100644
--- a/app/src/screens/MapScreen.tsx
+++ b/app/src/screens/MapScreen.tsx
@@ -10,14 +10,18 @@ import {
 import { useNavigation } from '@react-navigation/native';
 import type { NativeStackNavigationProp } from '@react-navigation/native-stack';
 import { useSafeAreaInsets } from 'react-native-safe-area-context';
+import { useTheme } from '@/theme/ThemeContext';
 import { ps } from '@/api/client';
 import { useLocation, getLastKnownSavedLocation, type Coords } from '@/features/location/useLocation';
 import type { RootStackParamList } from '@/navigation/RootNavigator';
 import type { Zone } from 'parksmarter-client';
 
-const MAP_STYLE =
+const MAP_STYLE_LIGHT =
   (Constants.expoConfig?.extra?.mapStyleUrl as string) ??
   'https://tiles.openfreemap.org/styles/liberty';
+const MAP_STYLE_DARK =
+  (Constants.expoConfig?.extra?.mapStyleUrlDark as string) ??
+  'https://basemaps.cartocdn.com/gl/dark-matter-gl-style/style.json';
 
 // Fallback view when we have no GPS and no cached location (continental US).
 const DEFAULT_CENTER: Coords = { latitude: 39.5, longitude: -98.35 };
@@ -25,9 +29,23 @@ const DEFAULT_ZOOM = 4;
 
 type Nav = NativeStackNavigationProp<RootStackParamList>;
 
+/** Coerce the server's zone color (hex string, color name, or numeric) into a usable color. */
+function normalizeColor(v: unknown): string | null {
+  if (typeof v === 'number') return '#' + (v & 0xffffff).toString(16).padStart(6, '0');
+  if (typeof v === 'string') {
+    const s = v.trim();
+    if (/^#([0-9a-f]{3}|[0-9a-f]{6})$/i.test(s)) return s;
+    if (/^\d+$/.test(s)) return '#' + (Number(s) & 0xffffff).toString(16).padStart(6, '0');
+    if (/^[a-z]+$/i.test(s)) return s; // named color
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
 export function MapScreen() {
   const navigation = useNavigation<Nav>();
   const insets = useSafeAreaInsets();
+  const { mode } = useTheme();
+  const mapStyle = mode === 'dark' ? MAP_STYLE_DARK : MAP_STYLE_LIGHT;
   const { coords, refresh } = useLocation();
   const [zones, setZones] = useState<Zone[]>([]);
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<string>('Pan to an area and tap “Search this area”.');
@@ -36,11 +54,15 @@ export function MapScreen() {
 
   const mapRef = useRef<any>(null);
   const cameraRef = useRef<any>(null);
+  const [mapReady, setMapReady] = useState(false);
+  // We position the camera exactly once, then never auto-recenter — otherwise
+  // re-renders (from searching) would snap the map back and fight the user's pan.
+  const positioned = useRef(false);
   // The native UserLocation dot has its own GPS feed — capture it so "My
   // location" works even when expo-location can't get a fix (e.g. indoors).
   const nativeFix = useRef<Coords | null>(null);
 
-  // Seed the initial camera from a cached location so we don't strand at 0,0.
+  // Seed the initial camera target from a cached location so we don't strand at 0,0.
   useEffect(() => {
     (async () => {
       const last = await getLastKnownSavedLocation();
@@ -49,6 +71,18 @@ export function MapScreen() {
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, []);
 
+  // One-time initial positioning, once both the map and a target are ready.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (mapReady && initialCenter && !positioned.current) {
+      positioned.current = true;
+      cameraRef.current?.setCamera?.({
+        centerCoordinate: [initialCenter.longitude, initialCenter.latitude],
+        zoomLevel: initialCenter === DEFAULT_CENTER ? DEFAULT_ZOOM : 14,
+        animationDuration: 0,
+      });
+    }
+  }, [mapReady, initialCenter]);
+
   const searchAt = useCallback(async (c: Coords, label: string) => {
     setLoading(true);
     setStatus(`Searching ${label}…`);
@@ -115,16 +149,15 @@ export function MapScreen() {
 
   return (
     <View style={styles.container}>
-      <MapView ref={mapRef} style={styles.map} mapStyle={MAP_STYLE}>
-        {initialCenter ? (
-          <Camera
-            ref={cameraRef}
-            defaultSettings={{
-              centerCoordinate: [initialCenter.longitude, initialCenter.latitude],
-              zoomLevel: initialCenter === DEFAULT_CENTER ? DEFAULT_ZOOM : 14,
-            }}
-          />
-        ) : null}
+      <MapView
+        ref={mapRef}
+        style={styles.map}
+        mapStyle={mapStyle}
+        onDidFinishLoadingMap={() => setMapReady(true)}
+      >
+        {/* Uncontrolled camera; we position it imperatively (once on load, then
+            only on explicit user actions) so re-renders never move the map. */}
+        <Camera ref={cameraRef} />
 
         <UserLocation
           visible
@@ -143,13 +176,23 @@ export function MapScreen() {
           <MarkerView
             key={String(z.ZoneId ?? z.ScannerCode ?? z.TerminalSerNo)}
             coordinate={[z.Long as number, z.Lat as number]}
+            anchor={{ x: 0.5, y: 1 }}
           >
             <TouchableOpacity
               onPress={() => navigation.navigate('MeterDetail', { zone: z })}
-              style={[styles.marker, { backgroundColor: z.BackgroundColor ?? '#1e6f5c' }]}
+              activeOpacity={0.8}
+              style={styles.marker}
             >
+              {/* Small dot in the zone's own color, but the label bubble is always
+                  high-contrast (some zones report a white BackgroundColor). */}
+              <View
+                style={[
+                  styles.markerDot,
+                  { backgroundColor: normalizeColor(z.BackgroundColor) ?? '#1e6f5c' },
+                ]}
+              />
               <Text style={styles.markerText} numberOfLines={1}>
-                {z.ZoneName ?? 'Meter'}
+                {z.ZoneName ?? z.ScannerCode ?? 'Meter'}
               </Text>
             </TouchableOpacity>
           </MarkerView>
@@ -182,14 +225,19 @@ const styles = StyleSheet.create({
   container: { flex: 1 },
   map: { flex: 1 },
   marker: {
-    paddingHorizontal: 8,
-    paddingVertical: 4,
-    borderRadius: 8,
-    borderWidth: 2,
-    borderColor: '#fff',
-    maxWidth: 140,
+    flexDirection: 'row',
+    alignItems: 'center',
+    gap: 5,
+    paddingHorizontal: 9,
+    paddingVertical: 5,
+    borderRadius: 14,
+    borderWidth: 1,
+    borderColor: 'rgba(255,255,255,0.85)',
+    backgroundColor: 'rgba(17,24,22,0.92)', // always dark so the label is readable
+    maxWidth: 150,
   },
-  markerText: { color: '#fff', fontSize: 11, fontWeight: '700' },
+  markerDot: { width: 9, height: 9, borderRadius: 5 },
+  markerText: { color: '#fff', fontSize: 12, fontWeight: '700' },
   statusBar: {
     position: 'absolute',
     top: 12,
diff --git a/parksmarter-client/src/client.ts b/parksmarter-client/src/client.ts
index afa9bb8..4454bc4 100644
--- a/parksmarter-client/src/client.ts
+++ b/parksmarter-client/src/client.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@ export interface ParkSmarterClientOptions {
   logSink?: (line: string) => void;
 }
 
+/** Thrown when credentials are rejected (the server signals this via a 200 + Status:"Error"). */
+export class LoginError extends Error {
+  constructor(message: string) {
+    super(message);
+    this.name = 'LoginError';
+  }
+}
+
 function resolveEnvironment(
   env: EnvironmentName | Environment | undefined,
 ): Environment {
@@ -115,6 +123,21 @@ export class ParkSmarterClient {
   /* Auth                                                           */
   /* ============================================================== */
 
+  /**
+   * The server returns HTTP 200 even for a FAILED login, signalling the failure
+   * only via `Status: "Error"` + a null `Auth_Token`. Detect that here so callers
+   * get a real error instead of a phantom "signed-in" state.
+   */
+  private finishLogin(data: T.AuthResponse): Promise<T.AuthResponse> {
+    const token = typeof data?.Auth_Token === 'string' ? data.Auth_Token : '';
+    if (!token || data?.Status === 'Error') {
+      throw new LoginError(data?.Message || 'Invalid login or password.');
+    }
+    return this.tokens.setAuthToken
+      ? Promise.resolve(this.tokens.setAuthToken(token)).then(() => data)
+      : Promise.resolve(data);
+  }
+
   /** POST /api/Auth — phone + password login. Persists Auth_Token & SessionId. */
   async loginWithPhone(params: T.LoginWithPhoneParams): Promise<T.AuthResponse> {
     const res = await this.http.request<T.AuthResponse>({
@@ -123,8 +146,7 @@ export class ParkSmarterClient {
       body: { UserName: params.phoneNumber, Password: params.password },
       includeAuthToken: false,
     });
-    if (res.data?.Auth_Token) await this.tokens.setAuthToken(res.data.Auth_Token);
-    return res.data;
+    return this.finishLogin(res.data);
   }
 
   /** POST /api/Auth — Sign in with Apple. Persists Auth_Token & SessionId. */
@@ -140,8 +162,7 @@ export class ParkSmarterClient {
       },
       includeAuthToken: false,
     });
-    if (res.data?.Auth_Token) await this.tokens.setAuthToken(res.data.Auth_Token);
-    return res.data;
+    return this.finishLogin(res.data);
   }
 
   /** Re-authenticate using a cached Auth_Token (sets it, then callers can bootstrap). */
diff --git a/parksmarter-client/src/index.ts b/parksmarter-client/src/index.ts
index 6bb6fdf..7e89e7e 100644
--- a/parksmarter-client/src/index.ts
+++ b/parksmarter-client/src/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-export { ParkSmarterClient } from './client.js';
+export { ParkSmarterClient, LoginError } from './client.js';
 export type { ParkSmarterClientOptions } from './client.js';
 export {
   ENVIRONMENTS,