diff --git a/src/components/strategy-switcher/index.tsx b/src/components/strategy-switcher/index.tsx
index 03a7e88..871b8fd 100644
--- a/src/components/strategy-switcher/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/strategy-switcher/index.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 "use client";
 
-import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useSyncExternalStore } from "react";
 import { useGameStore } from "@/zustand/game-store";
 import {
+  DEFAULT_STRATEGY,
   getOrderStrategy,
   listOrderStrategies,
   setOrderStrategy,
+  subscribeOrderStrategy,
 } from "@/utils/order-strategies";
 
 /**
@@ -18,8 +20,13 @@ const enabled = process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production";
 
 const StrategySwitcher: React.FC = () => {
   const redeal = useGameStore((state) => state.redealCurrentLevel);
-  const [current, setCurrent] = useState<string>(() =>
-    enabled ? getOrderStrategy().name : ""
+  // Hydration-safe read of the active strategy: SSR + first client render use the
+  // build-time default; after hydration the client snapshot resolves localStorage.
+  // Re-renders when setOrderStrategy fires (e.g. cycling).
+  const current = useSyncExternalStore(
+    subscribeOrderStrategy,
+    () => getOrderStrategy().name,
+    () => DEFAULT_STRATEGY
   );
 
   const cycle = useCallback(
@@ -28,7 +35,6 @@ const StrategySwitcher: React.FC = () => {
       const idx = names.indexOf(getOrderStrategy().name);
       const next = names[(idx + dir + names.length) % names.length];
       setOrderStrategy(next);
-      setCurrent(next);
       redeal();
     },
     [redeal]
diff --git a/src/utils/order-strategies.ts b/src/utils/order-strategies.ts
index eec01c4..7332e85 100644
--- a/src/utils/order-strategies.ts
+++ b/src/utils/order-strategies.ts
@@ -199,6 +199,17 @@ export const listOrderStrategies = (): Array<{ name: string; description: string
 const DEV = process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production";
 
 let runtimeOverride: string | null = null;
+const strategyListeners = new Set<() => void>();
+
+/** Subscribe to active-strategy changes. Returns an unsubscribe fn.
+ *  Lets the dev switcher reflect the strategy via React's useSyncExternalStore
+ *  (hydration-safe: server snapshot = DEFAULT, client snapshot = resolved). */
+export const subscribeOrderStrategy = (cb: () => void): (() => void) => {
+  strategyListeners.add(cb);
+  return () => {
+    strategyListeners.delete(cb);
+  };
+};
 
 /**
  * Override the active strategy for this session. Pass a name from `STRATEGIES`,
@@ -215,6 +226,7 @@ export const setOrderStrategy = (name: string | null): void => {
   } catch {
     /* localStorage unavailable (SSR / privacy mode) — in-memory override still applies */
   }
+  strategyListeners.forEach((cb) => cb());
 };
 
 /**