diff --git a/src/bot/authProcedure.ts b/src/bot/authProcedure.ts
index a895450..6992f41 100644
--- a/src/bot/authProcedure.ts
+++ b/src/bot/authProcedure.ts
@@ -32,30 +32,29 @@ export class AuthProcedure {
    * 
    * @returns true if authentication was successful, false otherwise
    */
-  async authenticateWithMicrosoft(email: string, password: string): Promise<boolean> {
+  async authenticateWithMicrosoft(email: string, password: string, skipNavigation = false): Promise<boolean> {
     try {
       this._logger.info(`Authenticating as ${email}...`);
 
-      // Only navigate to login page if not already there.
-      // When called after clicking "Sign in" on Teams pre-join page,
-      // the browser is already on login.microsoftonline.com WITH a return URL
-      // embedded by Teams. Navigating again would destroy that return URL!
-      const currentUrl = this._page.url();
-      if (!currentUrl.includes('login.microsoftonline.com')) {
-        this._logger.info('Not on login page yet, navigating to Microsoft login...');
+      if (skipNavigation) {
+        // When called after clicking "Sign in" on Teams pre-join page,
+        // the browser is navigating to login.microsoftonline.com WITH a return URL
+        // embedded by Teams. We must NOT navigate ourselves - just wait for the
+        // email input to appear on whatever page we're redirected to.
+        const currentUrl = this._page.url();
+        this._logger.info(`Skipping navigation (preserving return URL). Current URL: ${currentUrl.substring(0, 80)}`);
+      } else {
+        this._logger.info('Navigating to Microsoft login...');
         await this._page.goto(_LOGIN_URL, {
           waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded',
           timeout: 30000,
         });
-      } else {
-        this._logger.info('Already on Microsoft login page - skipping navigation to preserve return URL');
-        await this._page.waitForLoadState('domcontentloaded', { timeout: 15000 });
       }
 
-      // Wait for email input
+      // Wait for email input (may take time if page is still redirecting)
       const emailInput = await this._page.waitForSelector(
         'input[type="email"], input[name="loginfmt"]',
-        { timeout: 10000 }
+        { timeout: 20000 }
       );
       if (!emailInput) {
         this._logger.error('Could not find email input field');
diff --git a/src/bot/orchestrator.ts b/src/bot/orchestrator.ts
index 386ce4d..5ad8490 100644
--- a/src/bot/orchestrator.ts
+++ b/src/bot/orchestrator.ts
@@ -200,15 +200,17 @@ export class BotOrchestrator {
       }
 
       if (signInClicked) {
-        // Wait for Microsoft login page to load
-        await this._page!.waitForTimeout(3000);
-
-        // Perform Microsoft login (email, password, stay signed in)
+        // Clicking "Sign in" on the Teams pre-join page triggers a redirect chain
+        // to login.microsoftonline.com WITH a return URL embedded by Teams.
+        // We must NOT navigate to login.microsoftonline.com ourselves - that would
+        // destroy the return URL. Instead, pass skipNavigation=true and let
+        // authenticateWithMicrosoft wait for the email input to appear.
         const { AuthProcedure } = await import('./authProcedure');
         const authProcedure = new AuthProcedure(this._page!, this._logger);
         const authSuccess = await authProcedure.authenticateWithMicrosoft(
           this._options.botAccountEmail!,
-          this._options.botAccountPassword!
+          this._options.botAccountPassword!,
+          true // skipNavigation: preserve Teams return URL
         );
 
         if (authSuccess) {