diff --git a/packages/better-auth/src/client/session-refresh.test.ts b/packages/better-auth/src/client/session-refresh.test.ts
index 8c78d0d880..bd844e8d1c 100644
--- a/packages/better-auth/src/client/session-refresh.test.ts
+++ b/packages/better-auth/src/client/session-refresh.test.ts
@@ -725,6 +725,103 @@ describe("session-refresh", () => {
 		vi.useRealTimers();
 	});
 
+	it("should preserve session when $fetch returns unwrapped data (throw: true)", async () => {
+		vi.useFakeTimers();
+
+		const initialData = {
+			user: { id: "1", email: "old@test.com" },
+			session: { id: "session-1" },
+		};
+
+		const refreshedData = {
+			user: { id: "1", email: "new@test.com" },
+			session: { id: "session-1" },
+		};
+
+		const sessionAtom: SessionAtom = atom({
+			data: initialData,
+			error: null,
+			isPending: false,
+			isRefetching: false,
+		});
+		const sessionSignal = atom(false);
+
+		// When throw: true, $fetch returns data directly instead of { data, error }
+		const mockFetch = vi.fn(async () => refreshedData);
+
+		const manager = createSessionRefreshManager({
+			sessionAtom,
+			sessionSignal,
+			$fetch: mockFetch as any,
+			options: {
+				sessionOptions: {
+					refetchInterval: 5,
+				},
+			},
+		});
+
+		manager.init();
+
+		await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(5000);
+
+		expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+		const updatedSession = sessionAtom.get();
+		expect(updatedSession.data).toEqual(refreshedData);
+		expect(updatedSession.data?.user?.email).toBe("new@test.com");
+
+		manager.cleanup();
+		vi.useRealTimers();
+	});
+
+	it("should preserve session on visibilitychange when $fetch returns unwrapped data (throw: true)", async () => {
+		vi.useFakeTimers();
+
+		const initialData = {
+			user: { id: "1", email: "old@test.com" },
+			session: { id: "session-1" },
+		};
+
+		const refreshedData = {
+			user: { id: "1", email: "new@test.com" },
+			session: { id: "session-1" },
+		};
+
+		const sessionAtom: SessionAtom = atom({
+			data: initialData,
+			error: null,
+			isPending: false,
+			isRefetching: false,
+		});
+		const sessionSignal = atom(false);
+
+		// When throw: true, $fetch returns data directly
+		const mockFetch = vi.fn(async () => refreshedData);
+
+		const manager = createSessionRefreshManager({
+			sessionAtom,
+			sessionSignal,
+			$fetch: mockFetch as any,
+			options: {
+				sessionOptions: {
+					refetchOnWindowFocus: true,
+				},
+			},
+		});
+
+		manager.init();
+
+		manager.triggerRefetch({ event: "visibilitychange" });
+		await vi.runAllTimersAsync();
+
+		expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+		const updatedSession = sessionAtom.get();
+		expect(updatedSession.data).toEqual(refreshedData);
+		expect(updatedSession.data?.user?.email).toBe("new@test.com");
+
+		manager.cleanup();
+		vi.useRealTimers();
+	});
+
 	it("should broadcast session update when broadcastSessionUpdate is called with signout", () => {
 		const channel = getGlobalBroadcastChannel();
 		const postSpy = vi.spyOn(channel, "post");
diff --git a/packages/better-auth/src/client/session-refresh.ts b/packages/better-auth/src/client/session-refresh.ts
index a4c117c6ff..a7681806bd 100644
--- a/packages/better-auth/src/client/session-refresh.ts
+++ b/packages/better-auth/src/client/session-refresh.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,24 @@ import type { AuthQueryAtom } from "./query";
 
 const now = () => Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
 
+/**
+ * Normalize $fetch response: `throw: true` returns data directly, otherwise `{ data, error }`.
+ */
+function normalizeSessionResponse(res: unknown): {
+	data: SessionResponse | null;
+	error: unknown;
+} {
+	if (
+		typeof res === "object" &&
+		res !== null &&
+		"data" in res &&
+		"error" in res
+	) {
+		return res as { data: SessionResponse | null; error: unknown };
+	}
+	return { data: res as SessionResponse, error: null };
+}
+
 /**
  * Rate limit: don't refetch on focus if a session request was made within this many seconds
  */
@@ -90,16 +108,14 @@ export function createSessionRefreshManager(opts: SessionRefreshOptions) {
 			state.lastSessionRequest = now();
 			$fetch<SessionResponse>("/get-session")
 				.then(async (res) => {
-					let data = res.data;
-					let error = res.error || null;
+					let { data, error } = normalizeSessionResponse(res);
 
 					if (data?.needsRefresh) {
 						try {
 							const refreshRes = await $fetch<SessionResponse>("/get-session", {
 								method: "POST",
 							});
-							data = refreshRes.data;
-							error = refreshRes.error || null;
+							({ data, error } = normalizeSessionResponse(refreshRes));
 						} catch {}
 					}