diff --git a/.changeset/slow-cougars-burn.md b/.changeset/slow-cougars-burn.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..56e17b7cb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/slow-cougars-burn.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@clerk/clerk-js': patch
+---
+
+Remove side-effect from `Session` resource initialization that triggered a session cookie update. This cookie update is now explicitly part of the `Clerk.load()` flow.
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/__tests__/clerk.test.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/__tests__/clerk.test.ts
index 63df480e13..5fb04189ea 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/__tests__/clerk.test.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/__tests__/clerk.test.ts
@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@ describe('Clerk singleton', () => {
       status: 'active',
       user: {},
       getToken: jest.fn(),
+      lastActiveToken: { getRawString: () => mockJwt },
     };
 
     afterEach(() => {
@@ -489,6 +490,15 @@ describe('Clerk singleton', () => {
       });
     });
 
+    it('updates auth cookie on load from fetched session', async () => {
+      mockClientFetch.mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve({ activeSessions: [mockSession] }));
+
+      const sut = new Clerk(productionPublishableKey);
+      await sut.load();
+
+      expect(document.cookie).toContain(mockJwt);
+    });
+
     it('updates auth cookie on token:update event', async () => {
       mockClientFetch.mockReturnValue(Promise.resolve({ activeSessions: [mockSession] }));
 
@@ -497,11 +507,11 @@ describe('Clerk singleton', () => {
 
       const token = {
         jwt: {},
-        getRawString: () => mockJwt,
+        getRawString: () => 'updated-jwt',
       } as TokenResource;
       eventBus.dispatch(events.TokenUpdate, { token });
 
-      expect(document.cookie).toContain(mockJwt);
+      expect(document.cookie).toContain('updated-jwt');
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/clerk.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/clerk.ts
index a6b1ecf461..b5e0b5b826 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/clerk.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/clerk.ts
@@ -1666,7 +1666,12 @@ export class Clerk implements ClerkInterface {
 
     if (this.session) {
       const session = this.#getSessionFromClient(this.session.id);
+
+      // Note: this might set this.session to null
       this.#setAccessors(session);
+
+      // A client response contains its associated sessions, along with a fresh token, so we dispatch a token update event.
+      eventBus.dispatch(events.TokenUpdate, { token: this.session?.lastActiveToken });
     }
 
     this.#emit();
@@ -1865,8 +1870,6 @@ export class Clerk implements ClerkInterface {
         // set in updateClient
         this.updateEnvironment(environment);
 
-        this.#authService.setActiveOrganizationInStorage();
-
         if (await this.#redirectFAPIInitiatedFlow()) {
           return false;
         }
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/Session.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/Session.ts
index 2249189589..4309e1ce89 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/Session.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/Session.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ export class Session extends BaseResource implements SessionResource {
         tokenId: this.#getCacheId(),
         tokenResolver: Promise.resolve(token),
       });
-      eventBus.dispatch(events.TokenUpdate, { token });
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts
index b625c82a09..4ae056d068 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/Session.test.ts
@@ -11,41 +11,6 @@ describe('Session', () => {
     SessionTokenCache.clear();
   });
 
-  describe('creating new session', () => {
-    let dispatchSpy;
-
-    beforeEach(() => {
-      dispatchSpy = jest.spyOn(eventBus, 'dispatch');
-      BaseResource.clerk = clerkMock() as any;
-    });
-
-    afterEach(() => {
-      dispatchSpy?.mockRestore();
-      BaseResource.clerk = null as any;
-      // @ts-ignore
-      global.fetch?.mockClear();
-      SessionTokenCache.clear();
-    });
-
-    it('dispatches token:update event on initialization with lastActiveToken', () => {
-      new Session({
-        status: 'active',
-        id: 'session_1',
-
-        object: 'session',
-        user: createUser({}),
-        last_active_organization_id: 'activeOrganization',
-        last_active_token: { object: 'token', jwt: mockJwt },
-        actor: null,
-        created_at: new Date().getTime(),
-        updated_at: new Date().getTime(),
-      } as SessionJSON);
-
-      expect(dispatchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      expect(dispatchSpy.mock.calls[0]).toMatchSnapshot();
-    });
-  });
-
   describe('getToken()', () => {
     let dispatchSpy;
 
@@ -101,7 +66,7 @@ describe('Session', () => {
       expect(BaseResource.clerk.getFapiClient().request).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 
       expect(token).toEqual(mockJwt);
-      expect(dispatchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+      expect(dispatchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
     });
 
     it('dispatches token:update event on getToken with active organization', async () => {
diff --git a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/__snapshots__/Session.test.ts.snap b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/__snapshots__/Session.test.ts.snap
index 0b53b387d0..ce9e54c2f0 100644
--- a/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/__snapshots__/Session.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/clerk-js/src/core/resources/__tests__/__snapshots__/Session.test.ts.snap
@@ -1,39 +1,5 @@
 // Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
 
-exports[`Session creating new session dispatches token:update event on initialization with lastActiveToken 1`] = `
-[
-  "token:update",
-  {
-    "token": Token {
-      "getRawString": [Function],
-      "jwt": {
-        "claims": {
-          "__raw": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6Imluc18yR0lvUWhiVXB5MGhYN0IyY1ZrdVRNaW5Yb0QiLCJ0eXAiOiJKV1QifQ.eyJhenAiOiJodHRwczovL2FjY291bnRzLmluc3BpcmVkLnB1bWEtNzQubGNsLmRldiIsImV4cCI6MTY2NjY0ODMxMCwiaWF0IjoxNjY2NjQ4MjUwLCJpc3MiOiJodHRwczovL2NsZXJrLmluc3BpcmVkLnB1bWEtNzQubGNsLmRldiIsIm5iZiI6MTY2NjY0ODI0MCwic2lkIjoic2Vzc18yR2JEQjRlbk5kQ2E1dlMxenBDM1h6Zzl0SzkiLCJzdWIiOiJ1c2VyXzJHSXBYT0VwVnlKdzUxcmtabjlLbW5jNlN4ciJ9.n1Usc-DLDftqA0Xb-_2w8IGs4yjCmwc5RngwbSRvwevuZOIuRoeHmE2sgCdEvjfJEa7ewL6EVGVcM557TWPW--g_J1XQPwBy8tXfz7-S73CEuyRFiR97L2AHRdvRtvGtwR-o6l8aHaFxtlmfWbQXfg4kFJz2UGe9afmh3U9-f_4JOZ5fa3mI98UMy1-bo20vjXeWQ9aGrqaxHQxjnzzC-1Kpi5LdPvhQ16H0dPB8MHRTSM5TAuLKTpPV7wqixmbtcc2-0k6b9FKYZNqRVTaIyV-lifZloBvdzlfOF8nW1VVH_fx-iW5Q3hovHFcJIULHEC1kcAYTubbxzpgeVQepGg",
-          "azp": "https://accounts.inspired.puma-74.lcl.dev",
-          "exp": 1666648310,
-          "iat": 1666648250,
-          "iss": "https://clerk.inspired.puma-74.lcl.dev",
-          "nbf": 1666648240,
-          "sid": "sess_2GbDB4enNdCa5vS1zpC3Xzg9tK9",
-          "sub": "user_2GIpXOEpVyJw51rkZn9Kmnc6Sxr",
-        },
-        "encoded": {
-          "header": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6Imluc18yR0lvUWhiVXB5MGhYN0IyY1ZrdVRNaW5Yb0QiLCJ0eXAiOiJKV1QifQ",
-          "payload": "eyJhenAiOiJodHRwczovL2FjY291bnRzLmluc3BpcmVkLnB1bWEtNzQubGNsLmRldiIsImV4cCI6MTY2NjY0ODMxMCwiaWF0IjoxNjY2NjQ4MjUwLCJpc3MiOiJodHRwczovL2NsZXJrLmluc3BpcmVkLnB1bWEtNzQubGNsLmRldiIsIm5iZiI6MTY2NjY0ODI0MCwic2lkIjoic2Vzc18yR2JEQjRlbk5kQ2E1dlMxenBDM1h6Zzl0SzkiLCJzdWIiOiJ1c2VyXzJHSXBYT0VwVnlKdzUxcmtabjlLbW5jNlN4ciJ9",
-          "signature": "n1Usc-DLDftqA0Xb-_2w8IGs4yjCmwc5RngwbSRvwevuZOIuRoeHmE2sgCdEvjfJEa7ewL6EVGVcM557TWPW--g_J1XQPwBy8tXfz7-S73CEuyRFiR97L2AHRdvRtvGtwR-o6l8aHaFxtlmfWbQXfg4kFJz2UGe9afmh3U9-f_4JOZ5fa3mI98UMy1-bo20vjXeWQ9aGrqaxHQxjnzzC-1Kpi5LdPvhQ16H0dPB8MHRTSM5TAuLKTpPV7wqixmbtcc2-0k6b9FKYZNqRVTaIyV-lifZloBvdzlfOF8nW1VVH_fx-iW5Q3hovHFcJIULHEC1kcAYTubbxzpgeVQepGg",
-        },
-        "header": {
-          "alg": "RS256",
-          "kid": "ins_2GIoQhbUpy0hX7B2cVkuTMinXoD",
-          "typ": "JWT",
-        },
-      },
-      "pathRoot": "tokens",
-    },
-  },
-]
-`;
-
 exports[`Session getToken() dispatches token:update event on getToken with active organization 1`] = `
 [
   "token:update",