diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index de12a7d768a94..b1e4c14f6f4f9 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@
         "react-native": "0.75.2",
         "react-native-android-location-enabler": "^2.0.1",
         "react-native-blob-util": "0.19.4",
+        "react-native-bundle-splitter": "^3.0.1",
         "react-native-collapsible": "^1.6.2",
         "react-native-config": "1.5.0",
         "react-native-dev-menu": "^4.1.1",
@@ -34411,6 +34412,15 @@
         "url": "https://github.com/sponsors/isaacs"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/react-native-bundle-splitter": {
+      "version": "3.0.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/react-native-bundle-splitter/-/react-native-bundle-splitter-3.0.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-YvG30oL+3uhPoYisRzMJLHjs5+X7NK8yLHqLKxLIvqZ9wGAvIJ+sJG09iQpLK+UCjEAEVP5he0F0vnzuokHyBw==",
+      "peerDependencies": {
+        "react": "*",
+        "react-native": ">=0.59.1"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/react-native-clean-project": {
       "version": "4.0.1",
       "dev": true,
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4c1bf98cc9765..c1c2d053be02f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@
     "react-native": "0.75.2",
     "react-native-android-location-enabler": "^2.0.1",
     "react-native-blob-util": "0.19.4",
+    "react-native-bundle-splitter": "^3.0.1",
     "react-native-collapsible": "^1.6.2",
     "react-native-config": "1.5.0",
     "react-native-dev-menu": "^4.1.1",
diff --git a/patches/@react-navigation+core+6.4.11+002+proper-navigator-unmount-in-strict-mode.patch b/patches/@react-navigation+core+6.4.11+002+proper-navigator-unmount-in-strict-mode.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..817fd1ea1c7ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/@react-navigation+core+6.4.11+002+proper-navigator-unmount-in-strict-mode.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+diff --git a/node_modules/@react-navigation/core/lib/module/useNavigationBuilder.js b/node_modules/@react-navigation/core/lib/module/useNavigationBuilder.js
+index 6fb49e0..1f7c859 100644
+--- a/node_modules/@react-navigation/core/lib/module/useNavigationBuilder.js
++++ b/node_modules/@react-navigation/core/lib/module/useNavigationBuilder.js
+@@ -114,6 +114,16 @@ const getRouteConfigsFromChildren = (children, groupKey, groupOptions) => {
+   return configs;
+ };
+ 
++const useFullyMountedRef = () => {
++  const isFullyMountedRef = React.useRef(false);
++
++  React.useEffect(() => {
++    isFullyMountedRef.current = true;
++  }, []);
++
++  return isFullyMountedRef;
++};
++
+ /**
+  * Hook for building navigators.
+  *
+@@ -122,6 +132,7 @@ const getRouteConfigsFromChildren = (children, groupKey, groupOptions) => {
+  * @returns An object containing `state`, `navigation`, `descriptors` objects.
+  */
+ export default function useNavigationBuilder(createRouter, options) {
++  const isFullyMountedRef = useFullyMountedRef();
+   const navigatorKey = useRegisterNavigator();
+   const route = React.useContext(NavigationRouteContext);
+   const {
+@@ -298,10 +309,18 @@ export default function useNavigationBuilder(createRouter, options) {
+       setState(nextState);
+     }
+     return () => {
+-      // We need to clean up state for this navigator on unmount
+-      if (getCurrentState() !== undefined && getKey() === navigatorKey) {
+-        setCurrentState(undefined);
+-        stateCleanedUp.current = true;
++      const cleanup = () => {
++        // We need to clean up state for this navigator on unmount
++        if (getCurrentState() !== undefined && getKey() === navigatorKey) {
++          setCurrentState(undefined);
++          stateCleanedUp.current = true;
++        }
++      }
++
++      if (!isFullyMountedRef.current) {
++        cleanup();
++      } else {
++        setTimeout(cleanup, 0);
+       }
+     };
+     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 177cc00c7dee6..33b75ec74338d 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ LogBox.ignoreLogs([
 
 const fill = {flex: 1};
 
-const StrictModeWrapper = CONFIG.USE_REACT_STRICT_MODE_IN_DEV ? React.StrictMode : ({children}: {children: React.ReactElement}) => children;
+const StrictModeWrapper = CONFIG.USE_REACT_STRICT_MODE_IN_DEV ? React.StrictMode : React.Fragment;
 
 function App({url}: AppProps) {
     useDefaultDragAndDrop();
diff --git a/src/libs/Navigation/AppNavigator/index.tsx b/src/libs/Navigation/AppNavigator/index.tsx
index 05961528ca115..ac70d7167246b 100644
--- a/src/libs/Navigation/AppNavigator/index.tsx
+++ b/src/libs/Navigation/AppNavigator/index.tsx
@@ -1,22 +1,37 @@
-import React, {lazy, memo, Suspense} from 'react';
-import lazyRetry from '@src/utils/lazyRetry';
+import React, {lazy, memo, Suspense, useEffect, useState} from 'react';
+import {preload, register} from 'react-native-bundle-splitter';
+import lazyRetry, {retryImport} from '@src/utils/lazyRetry';
 
-const AuthScreens = lazy(() => lazyRetry(() => import('./AuthScreens')));
 const PublicScreens = lazy(() => lazyRetry(() => import('./PublicScreens')));
 
+const AUTH_SCREENS = 'AuthScreens';
+const AuthScreens = register({
+    name: AUTH_SCREENS,
+    loader: () => retryImport(() => import('./AuthScreens')),
+});
+
 type AppNavigatorProps = {
     /** If we have an authToken this is true */
     authenticated: boolean;
 };
 
 function AppNavigator({authenticated}: AppNavigatorProps) {
-    if (authenticated) {
+    const [canNavigateToProtectedRoutes, setNavigateToProtectedRoutes] = useState(false);
+
+    useEffect(() => {
+        // Preload Auth Screens in advance to be sure that navigator can be mounted synchronously
+        // to avoid problems described in https://github.com/Expensify/App/issues/44600
+        preload()
+            .component(AUTH_SCREENS)
+            .then(() => {
+                setNavigateToProtectedRoutes(true);
+            });
+    }, []);
+
+    if (authenticated && canNavigateToProtectedRoutes) {
         // These are the protected screens and only accessible when an authToken is present
-        return (
-            <Suspense fallback={null}>
-                <AuthScreens />
-            </Suspense>
-        );
+        // Navigate to them only when route is preloaded
+        return <AuthScreens />;
     }
 
     return (
diff --git a/src/utils/lazyRetry.ts b/src/utils/lazyRetry.ts
index 35c6b444e612b..5bcf8d3d83d05 100644
--- a/src/utils/lazyRetry.ts
+++ b/src/utils/lazyRetry.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ type Import<T> = Promise<{default: T}>;
 type ComponentImport<T> = () => Import<T>;
 
 /**
+ * Common retry mechanism for importing components.
+ *
  * Attempts to lazily import a React component with a retry mechanism on failure.
  * If the initial import fails the function will refresh the page once and retry the import.
  * If the import fails again after the refresh, the error is propagated.
@@ -12,8 +14,7 @@ type ComponentImport<T> = () => Import<T>;
  * @param componentImport - A function that returns a promise resolving to a lazily imported React component.
  * @returns A promise that resolves to the imported component or rejects with an error after a retry attempt.
  */
-// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-const lazyRetry = function <T extends ComponentType<any>>(componentImport: ComponentImport<T>): Import<T> {
+function retryImport<T>(componentImport: ComponentImport<T>): Import<T> {
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
         // Retrieve the retry status from sessionStorage, defaulting to 'false' if not set
         const hasRefreshed = JSON.parse(sessionStorage.getItem(CONST.SESSION_STORAGE_KEYS.RETRY_LAZY_REFRESHED) ?? 'false') as boolean;
@@ -37,6 +38,12 @@ const lazyRetry = function <T extends ComponentType<any>>(componentImport: Compo
                 }
             });
     });
+}
+
+// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+const lazyRetry = function <T extends ComponentType<any>>(componentImport: ComponentImport<T>): Import<T> {
+    return retryImport(componentImport);
 };
 
 export default lazyRetry;
+export {retryImport};