diff --git a/backend/main.py b/backend/main.py
index 73c6a23..6201970 100644
--- a/backend/main.py
+++ b/backend/main.py
@@ -487,48 +487,62 @@ _auth_status = "unknown"  # unknown | logged_in | logged_out | pending
 
 
 async def _check_claude_auth() -> str:
-    """Check if claude is authenticated by running a quick no-op"""
+    """Check if claude is authenticated by running claude auth status"""
     global _auth_status
     try:
         proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
-            "claude", "--version",
+            "claude", "auth", "status",
             stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE, stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE
         )
-        await asyncio.wait_for(proc.communicate(), timeout=5)
-        # Check for saved credentials file
-        creds = Path("/root/.claude/.credentials.json")
-        if creds.exists():
+        stdout, _ = await asyncio.wait_for(proc.communicate(), timeout=10)
+        output = stdout.decode(errors="replace").strip()
+        logger.info(f"claude auth status output: {output}")
+        try:
             import json as _json
-            data = _json.loads(creds.read_text())
-            if data:
+            data = _json.loads(output)
+            if data.get("loggedIn"):
                 _auth_status = "logged_in"
                 return "logged_in"
+        except Exception:
+            pass
         _auth_status = "logged_out"
         return "logged_out"
-    except Exception:
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error(f"Auth check failed: {e}")
         _auth_status = "unknown"
         return "unknown"
 
 
 @app.get("/api/auth/status")
 async def auth_status():
-    """Check Claude auth status"""
+    """Check Claude auth status using claude auth status JSON"""
     global _auth_status, _auth_url
-    status = await _check_claude_auth()
-    # Try to get account info if logged in
     account = None
+    auth_method = None
     try:
-        creds_file = Path("/root/.claude/.credentials.json")
-        if creds_file.exists():
-            import json as _json
-            creds = _json.loads(creds_file.read_text())
-            account = creds.get("account", {}).get("emailAddress") or creds.get("email")
-    except Exception:
+        proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
+            "claude", "auth", "status",
+            stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE, stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE
+        )
+        stdout, _ = await asyncio.wait_for(proc.communicate(), timeout=10)
+        output = stdout.decode(errors="replace").strip()
+        import json as _json
+        data = _json.loads(output)
+        if data.get("loggedIn"):
+            _auth_status = "logged_in"
+            account = data.get("email") or data.get("account", {}).get("emailAddress")
+            auth_method = data.get("authMethod")
+        else:
+            _auth_status = "logged_out"
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error(f"Auth status check failed: {e}")
+        # Fall back to existing status
         pass
     return {
-        "status": status,
+        "status": _auth_status,
         "account": account,
-        "auth_url": _auth_url if status == "pending" else None
+        "auth_method": auth_method,
+        "auth_url": _auth_url if _auth_status == "pending" else None
     }
 
 
@@ -540,41 +554,56 @@ async def auth_login():
     _auth_url = None
 
     try:
-        # Run claude auth login and capture the URL it prints
+        # Run claude auth login --claudeai and capture the OAuth URL
         proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
-            "claude", "auth", "login",
+            "claude", "auth", "login", "--claudeai",
             stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
             stderr=asyncio.subprocess.STDOUT,
             stdin=asyncio.subprocess.DEVNULL
         )
         _auth_process = proc
 
-        # Read output lines looking for the OAuth URL (30s timeout)
+        # Read output looking for the OAuth URL
         url = None
         try:
             async def _read_url():
+                collected = ""
                 while True:
                     line = await proc.stdout.readline()
                     if not line:
                         break
                     text = line.decode(errors="replace")
+                    collected += text
                     logger.info(f"claude auth: {text.strip()}")
-                    # Claude prints something like: "Open this URL: https://..."
+                    # The URL contains /oauth/authorize and starts with https://
                     for part in text.split():
-                        if part.startswith("https://claude.ai") or part.startswith("https://anthropic"):
-                            return part.strip()
+                        cleaned = part.strip().rstrip("\\n")
+                        if cleaned.startswith("https://") and "oauth" in cleaned:
+                            return cleaned
+                        if cleaned.startswith("https://claude.com"):
+                            return cleaned
+                        if cleaned.startswith("https://console.anthropic.com"):
+                            return cleaned
+                logger.info(f"Full auth output: {collected}")
                 return None
-            url = await asyncio.wait_for(_read_url(), timeout=30)
+            url = await asyncio.wait_for(_read_url(), timeout=15)
         except asyncio.TimeoutError:
-            pass
+            logger.warning("Timed out waiting for auth URL")
+
+        # Don't wait for the process to finish — it blocks waiting for browser callback
+        # It will complete in the background when user finishes OAuth in browser
 
         if url:
             _auth_url = url
-            return {"status": "pending", "auth_url": url, "message": "Open this URL in your browser to log in"}
+            return {"status": "pending", "auth_url": url, "message": "Open this URL in your browser to log in with Claude Max"}
         else:
-            return {"status": "error", "message": "Could not extract login URL from claude CLI. Try running 'claude auth login' manually in the container."}
+            return {
+                "status": "error",
+                "message": "Could not extract login URL. Try running manually: docker exec -it claude-persistent-agent claude auth login --claudeai"
+            }
 
     except Exception as e:
+        logger.error(f"Auth login failed: {e}")
         return {"status": "error", "message": str(e)}