diff --git a/src/components/onboarding/BaselineForm.tsx b/src/components/onboarding/BaselineForm.tsx
index b5b591f89..404f46fed 100644
--- a/src/components/onboarding/BaselineForm.tsx
+++ b/src/components/onboarding/BaselineForm.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,15 @@ import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { DateInput } from "@/components/ui/date-input";
 import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input";
 import { Label } from "@/components/ui/label";
+import {
+  Select,
+  SelectContent,
+  SelectItem,
+  SelectTrigger,
+  SelectValue,
+} from "@/components/ui/select";
 import { useTranslations } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
+import { readError } from "@/lib/api/read-error";
 
 /**
  * v1.4.25 W14b-Content — onboarding step 3 (baseline).
@@ -166,16 +174,32 @@ export function BaselineForm() {
             <Label htmlFor="ob-baseline-gender">
               {t("onboarding.baseline.genderLabel")}
             </Label>
-            <select
-              id="ob-baseline-gender"
-              value={form.gender}
-              onChange={(e) => patch("gender", e.target.value)}
-              className="border-input bg-background text-foreground ring-offset-background focus-visible:ring-ring flex h-9 w-full rounded-md border px-3 py-1 text-sm focus-visible:ring-[3px] focus-visible:outline-none"
+            <Select
+              // The design system's Radix Select uses an empty-string
+              // sentinel to mean "no selection"; map back and forth so
+              // the form state ("") and the Select's value (undefined-
+              // adjacent) stay aligned. v1.4.25 W21 Fix-N (design-M1).
+              value={form.gender === "" ? undefined : form.gender}
+              onValueChange={(next) => patch("gender", next)}
             >
-              <option value="">{t("onboarding.baseline.genderNone")}</option>
-              <option value="MALE">{t("onboarding.baseline.genderMale")}</option>
-              <option value="FEMALE">{t("onboarding.baseline.genderFemale")}</option>
-            </select>
+              <SelectTrigger
+                id="ob-baseline-gender"
+                className="w-full"
+                data-slot="onboarding-baseline-gender"
+              >
+                <SelectValue
+                  placeholder={t("onboarding.baseline.genderNone")}
+                />
+              </SelectTrigger>
+              <SelectContent>
+                <SelectItem value="MALE">
+                  {t("onboarding.baseline.genderMale")}
+                </SelectItem>
+                <SelectItem value="FEMALE">
+                  {t("onboarding.baseline.genderFemale")}
+                </SelectItem>
+              </SelectContent>
+            </Select>
           </div>
         </div>
 
@@ -225,14 +249,3 @@ export function BaselineForm() {
   );
 }
 
-async function readError(res: Response): Promise<string> {
-  try {
-    const json = (await res.json()) as { error?: string };
-    if (typeof json.error === "string" && json.error.length > 0) {
-      return json.error;
-    }
-  } catch {
-    /* fall through */
-  }
-  return `Request failed (${res.status})`;
-}
diff --git a/src/components/onboarding/GoalsChipPicker.tsx b/src/components/onboarding/GoalsChipPicker.tsx
index 09b8d421e..8274f834c 100644
--- a/src/components/onboarding/GoalsChipPicker.tsx
+++ b/src/components/onboarding/GoalsChipPicker.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import {
 
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { useTranslations } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
+import { readError } from "@/lib/api/read-error";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 /**
@@ -230,14 +231,3 @@ export function GoalsChipPicker({ userId: _userId }: GoalsChipPickerProps) {
   );
 }
 
-async function readError(res: Response): Promise<string> {
-  try {
-    const json = (await res.json()) as { error?: string };
-    if (typeof json.error === "string" && json.error.length > 0) {
-      return json.error;
-    }
-  } catch {
-    /* fall through */
-  }
-  return `Request failed (${res.status})`;
-}
diff --git a/src/components/onboarding/SourceCardGrid.tsx b/src/components/onboarding/SourceCardGrid.tsx
index 53c559f9b..3067336f9 100644
--- a/src/components/onboarding/SourceCardGrid.tsx
+++ b/src/components/onboarding/SourceCardGrid.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
 
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { useTranslations } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
+import { readError } from "@/lib/api/read-error";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 /**
@@ -309,14 +310,3 @@ function SourceCardItem({
   );
 }
 
-async function readError(res: Response): Promise<string> {
-  try {
-    const json = (await res.json()) as { error?: string };
-    if (typeof json.error === "string" && json.error.length > 0) {
-      return json.error;
-    }
-  } catch {
-    /* fall through */
-  }
-  return `Request failed (${res.status})`;
-}
diff --git a/src/components/onboarding/WelcomeCarousel.tsx b/src/components/onboarding/WelcomeCarousel.tsx
index f9db1ced2..3f2899ee6 100644
--- a/src/components/onboarding/WelcomeCarousel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/onboarding/WelcomeCarousel.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
 
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { useTranslations } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
+import { readError } from "@/lib/api/read-error";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 /**
@@ -294,14 +295,3 @@ export function WelcomeCarousel() {
   );
 }
 
-async function readError(res: Response): Promise<string> {
-  try {
-    const json = (await res.json()) as { error?: string };
-    if (typeof json.error === "string" && json.error.length > 0) {
-      return json.error;
-    }
-  } catch {
-    /* fall through */
-  }
-  return `Request failed (${res.status})`;
-}
diff --git a/src/components/settings/advanced-section.tsx b/src/components/settings/advanced-section.tsx
index 4979507bd..855a64da7 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/advanced-section.tsx
+++ b/src/components/settings/advanced-section.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ import { Switch } from "@/components/ui/switch";
 import { ResearchModeAcknowledgmentDialog } from "@/components/medications/ResearchModeAcknowledgmentDialog";
 import { formatDateTime } from "@/lib/format";
 import { useTranslations } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
+import {
+  type ResearchModeStatus,
+  researchModeGateState,
+} from "@/lib/medications/research-mode-types";
 
 /**
  * Settings → Advanced.
@@ -67,11 +71,27 @@ export function AdvancedSection() {
   );
 }
 
-interface ResearchModeStatus {
-  enabled: boolean;
-  acknowledgedAt: string | null;
-  acknowledgedVersion: string | null;
-  currentDisclaimerVersion: string;
+/**
+ * v1.4.25 W21 Fix-N (simp-H3) — pull the nested ternary that decided
+ * the toggle's caption out of the JSX. The four-way ladder (loading /
+ * enabled-open / enabled-stale / disabled) is dense to read inline,
+ * and the surface stays open to a fifth state ("never queried") when
+ * we wire the offline shell in v1.4.26.
+ */
+function researchModeStatusLabel(
+  status: ResearchModeStatus | null | undefined,
+  isLoading: boolean,
+  t: (key: string, params?: Record<string, string | number>) => string,
+): string {
+  if (isLoading) return t("common.loading");
+  const gate = researchModeGateState(status);
+  if (gate === "off") return t("settings.researchMode.disabledStatus");
+  if (gate === "stale") return t("settings.researchMode.enabledStaleStatus");
+  return t("settings.researchMode.acknowledgedOn", {
+    date: status?.acknowledgedAt
+      ? formatDateTime(status.acknowledgedAt)
+      : "—",
+  });
 }
 
 function ResearchModeCard() {
@@ -92,10 +112,8 @@ function ResearchModeCard() {
     staleTime: 60 * 1000,
   });
 
-  const versionsAligned =
-    !!status &&
-    status.acknowledgedVersion === status.currentDisclaimerVersion;
-  const showRePrompt = !!status?.enabled && !versionsAligned;
+  const gateState = researchModeGateState(status);
+  const showRePrompt = gateState === "stale";
   // The Switch's `checked` mirrors the server flag exactly — even when
   // the version is stale we keep the toggle "on" so the user sees that
   // their previous choice is preserved; the banner above the toggle
@@ -178,17 +196,7 @@ function ResearchModeCard() {
             className="text-muted-foreground text-xs"
             data-slot="settings-research-mode-status"
           >
-            {isLoading
-              ? t("common.loading")
-              : status?.enabled
-                ? versionsAligned
-                  ? t("settings.researchMode.acknowledgedOn", {
-                      date: status.acknowledgedAt
-                        ? formatDateTime(status.acknowledgedAt)
-                        : "—",
-                    })
-                  : t("settings.researchMode.enabledStaleStatus")
-                : t("settings.researchMode.disabledStatus")}
+            {researchModeStatusLabel(status, isLoading, t)}
           </p>
         </div>
         <Switch