diff --git a/src/opencmo/web/app.py b/src/opencmo/web/app.py
index c3ba757..86f4c4d 100644
--- a/src/opencmo/web/app.py
+++ b/src/opencmo/web/app.py
@@ -1529,11 +1529,7 @@ async def api_v1_auth_verify_email(payload: _AuthVerifyEmailRequest, request: Re
         return JSONResponse({"ok": False, "error": "user_not_found"}, status_code=404)
 
     if await storage.is_user_verified(payload.user_id):
-        # Idempotent: already verified -> just sign them in.
-        account = await storage.get_user_account(payload.user_id)
-        if account is None or account["status"] != "active":
-            return JSONResponse({"ok": False, "error": "account_unavailable"}, status_code=403)
-        return await _json_with_session(request, user, account)
+        return JSONResponse({"ok": False, "error": "already_verified"}, status_code=400)
 
     result = await storage.consume_verification_code(payload.user_id, payload.code, purpose="signup")
     if not result.get("ok"):
diff --git a/tests/test_email_verification.py b/tests/test_email_verification.py
index 73e761e..38a5432 100644
--- a/tests/test_email_verification.py
+++ b/tests/test_email_verification.py
@@ -205,6 +205,31 @@ def test_verified_user_login_succeeds(verification_db):
         assert login.json()["authenticated"] is True
 
 
+def test_verify_email_already_verified_requires_login_flow(verification_db):
+    with TestClient(app) as client:
+        signup = _signup(client, "already@example.test")
+        user_id = signup["user_id"]
+        code = _last_code_for("already@example.test")
+
+        first = client.post(
+            "/api/v1/auth/verify-email",
+            json={"user_id": user_id, "code": code},
+        )
+        assert first.status_code == 200, first.text
+        assert first.json()["authenticated"] is True
+
+        client.post("/api/v1/auth/logout")
+        client.cookies.clear()
+
+        second = client.post(
+            "/api/v1/auth/verify-email",
+            json={"user_id": user_id, "code": "000000"},
+        )
+        assert second.status_code == 400, second.text
+        assert second.json()["error"] == "already_verified"
+        assert "opencmo_session" not in client.cookies
+
+
 def test_existing_legacy_users_remain_verified_after_backfill(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     """A user created before this feature should keep working — backfill runs
     once at ensure_db() startup."""