diff --git a/docs/architecture/02-svelte-frontend.md b/docs/architecture/02-svelte-frontend.md
index dd4e9e83b..d3725dcd7 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/02-svelte-frontend.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/02-svelte-frontend.md
@@ -666,6 +666,14 @@ render behind it. There is no measurement and no reserved padding. If you
 restructure the shell, preserve the scroll containment — reintroducing padding
 math reintroduces the bug.
 
+**The route renders in exactly one element.** `+layout.svelte` switches the
+wrapper's *classes* between the shell scroller and the plain clipped box that
+layout-owning routes (library, settings, player) get — it must not switch
+between two branches that each render `children`. The page store that decides
+the mode can update a flush after the new route renders, so two branches
+mounted a page under one and then remounted it under the other: every
+navigation between the two kinds of route loaded the page twice (DR-295).
+
 ### AccountMenu
 
 One component for both breakpoints, anchored to the username/avatar (a real
@@ -719,6 +727,22 @@ hero button labelled `Resume S2E4` / `Play S1E1`.
 A season is not a destination: `/library/<seasonId>` redirects to its series
 (DR-103). Video library routes collapse to one per library (DR-105).
 
+**The episode list never waits for Next Up or resume.** `resolve_series_view`
+(`series_progress.rs`, `with_hints`) returns as soon as the episodes are in;
+Next Up and resume are used if they have answered by then and dropped if not,
+and `pick_current_episode` falls back to the episodes' own watch state. They
+only refine which episode is current, and waiting for them held the list for
+the server's 2–3 s although every episode was cached. Next Up is cache-first
+like every other query (03-data-flow).
+
+**One load per item, however many triggers.** The detail page loads through
+`createCoalescedLoader` (`utils/coalescedLoader.ts`): calls for the item
+already loading share that load, and callers that know the data changed
+(`fresh`: reconnect, filter change, mark watched, clear history) get exactly
+one re-run after it. `onMount`, a mount-time `$effect`, the reachability
+effect's first run and the double mount above used to each start a full load —
+six per open, about seventy requests in flight.
+
 `episodeStrip.ts` holds the pure logic for the "More Episodes" strip, extracted
 from the component because it had three distinct bugs that markup made
 untestable: the strip collapsing to just the current episode while real siblings
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/repository/hybrid.rs b/src-tauri/src/repository/hybrid.rs
index a4c71b04f..e9a2bfbac 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/repository/hybrid.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/repository/hybrid.rs
@@ -1000,22 +1000,32 @@ impl MediaRepository for HybridRepository {
         series_id: Option<&str>,
         limit: Option<usize>,
     ) -> Result<Vec<MediaItem>, RepoError> {
-        // Next Up is dynamic, so the server's answer is preferred — but when the
-        // server cannot answer, the cache's stands in. It used to be server-only,
-        // and the TV landing page loads Next Up in one `Promise.all` with its
-        // other rows, so offline that single failure blanked the whole page with
-        // Continue Watching and Latest sitting in the cache (DR-294).
-        // TRACES: UR-002 | DR-294 | UT-261
-        match self.online.get_next_up_episodes(series_id, limit).await {
-            Ok(items) => Ok(items.without_excluded()),
-            Err(e) => {
-                debug!("[HybridRepo] Next Up from server failed ({e}); using the cache");
-                self.offline
-                    .get_next_up_episodes(series_id, limit)
-                    .await
-                    .map(ExcludeHidden::without_excluded)
-            }
-        }
+        // Cache-first like every other query: the local answer is computed
+        // from the same watch state the cache refreshes from the server in the
+        // background (`user_data_mirror_query`), and whichever answers first
+        // with content wins. It used to wait for the server outright, which
+        // held the series page's episode list for 2-3 s on a phone. An empty
+        // local answer still defers to the server, and a failed server falls
+        // back to the cache — offline, the TV page's Next Up row must not blank
+        // the page (DR-294).
+        // TRACES: UR-002 | DR-013, DR-294 | UT-261
+        let offline = Arc::clone(&self.offline);
+        let online = Arc::clone(&self.online);
+        let series = series_id.map(str::to_string);
+        let series_for_server = series.clone();
+
+        let cache_future =
+            Self::cache_leg(
+                async move { offline.get_next_up_episodes(series.as_deref(), limit).await },
+            )
+            .await;
+        let server_future = async move {
+            online
+                .get_next_up_episodes(series_for_server.as_deref(), limit)
+                .await
+        };
+
+        Self::parallel_race(cache_future, server_future).await
     }
 
     async fn get_recently_played_audio(
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/repository/series_progress.rs b/src-tauri/src/repository/series_progress.rs
index b1173bb34..07badd5e6 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/repository/series_progress.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/repository/series_progress.rs
@@ -287,24 +287,56 @@ pub async fn resolve_series_view(
     repo: &dyn MediaRepository,
     series_id: &str,
 ) -> Result<SeriesView, RepoError> {
-    let (episodes, next_up, resume) = futures_util::join!(
-        fetch_series_episodes(repo, series_id),
-        async {
-            repo.get_next_up_episodes(Some(series_id), Some(1))
-                .await
-                .unwrap_or_default()
-        },
-        async {
-            repo.get_resume_items(Some(series_id), Some(10))
-                .await
-                .unwrap_or_default()
-        },
-    );
+    let (episodes, (next_up, resume)) = with_hints(fetch_series_episodes(repo, series_id), async {
+        futures_util::join!(
+            async {
+                repo.get_next_up_episodes(Some(series_id), Some(1))
+                    .await
+                    .unwrap_or_default()
+            },
+            async {
+                repo.get_resume_items(Some(series_id), Some(10))
+                    .await
+                    .unwrap_or_default()
+            },
+        )
+    })
+    .await;
     let episodes = episodes?;
     let current = pick_current_episode(series_id, &episodes, &next_up, &resume);
     Ok(SeriesView { episodes, current })
 }
 
+/// Run `primary` and `hints` together, but never hold `primary` back for
+/// `hints`: once `primary` is ready, the hints are taken if they have already
+/// answered and dropped (`H::default()`) if not.
+///
+/// For the series view the primary is the episode list and the hints are Next
+/// Up and resume, which only refine which episode is "current" — and the
+/// picker falls back to the episodes' own watch state without them. Waiting
+/// for them made the episode list wait for the server (2-3 s on a phone)
+/// although every episode was in the cache in 50 ms. The cache legs of the
+/// hints usually answer before the episodes do, so they are normally kept.
+///
+/// TRACES: UR-062 | DR-101, DR-295
+async fn with_hints<P, H>(
+    primary: impl std::future::Future<Output = P>,
+    hints: impl std::future::Future<Output = H>,
+) -> (P, H)
+where
+    H: Default,
+{
+    use futures_util::future::{select, Either};
+    use futures_util::FutureExt;
+
+    let primary = std::pin::pin!(primary);
+    let hints = std::pin::pin!(hints);
+    match select(primary, hints).await {
+        Either::Left((primary, hints)) => (primary, hints.now_or_never().unwrap_or_default()),
+        Either::Right((hints, primary)) => (primary.await, hints),
+    }
+}
+
 /// Resolve the current episode, fetching everything the policy needs.
 ///
 /// Next Up and resume are best-effort: offline they fail or come back empty, and
@@ -404,6 +436,55 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(episodes.len(), 9, "every season but the failing one");
     }
 
+    /// The episode list must not wait for Next Up or resume.
+    ///
+    /// The series page rendered its episodes only once Next Up had come back
+    /// from the server — 2-3 s on a phone while the page's other requests were
+    /// in flight — although every episode was in the cache after 50 ms. Those
+    /// two only refine which episode is "current", and the picker falls back
+    /// to the episodes' own watch state without them.
+    ///
+    /// TRACES: UR-062 | DR-101, DR-295
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn the_episode_list_does_not_wait_for_slow_hints() {
+        let started = std::time::Instant::now();
+        let (episodes, hints) = with_hints(
+            async {
+                tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(50)).await;
+                vec![episode("e1", 1, 1)]
+            },
+            async {
+                tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(2000)).await;
+                vec![episode("from-server", 1, 2)]
+            },
+        )
+        .await;
+        let elapsed = started.elapsed();
+
+        assert_eq!(episodes.len(), 1);
+        assert!(hints.is_empty(), "late hints are dropped, not waited for");
+        assert!(
+            elapsed < std::time::Duration::from_millis(500),
+            "the episode list waited {elapsed:?} for Next Up / resume"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// Hints that are already in (a cache answer) are used.
+    ///
+    /// TRACES: UR-062 | DR-101, DR-295
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn hints_that_answer_first_are_kept() {
+        let (_, hints) = with_hints(
+            async {
+                tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(100)).await;
+                vec![episode("e1", 1, 1)]
+            },
+            async { vec![episode("cached", 1, 2)] },
+        )
+        .await;
+        assert_eq!(hints.len(), 1);
+    }
+
     fn watched(mut item: MediaItem) -> MediaItem {
         item.user_data = Some(UserData {
             is_played: Some(true),
diff --git a/src/lib/utils/coalescedLoader.test.ts b/src/lib/utils/coalescedLoader.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..58445dfdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/utils/coalescedLoader.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from "vitest";
+import { createCoalescedLoader } from "./coalescedLoader";
+
+/**
+ * TRACES: UR-062 | DR-295
+ *
+ * The series page loaded itself six times on every open: `onMount` and a
+ * `$effect` both ran on mount, the "server became reachable" effect fired on
+ * its first run, and navigation updates re-ran the effect. Each load repeated
+ * the item, the season list and the whole series view — about six times a
+ * dozen requests in flight at once, which alone slowed every server call on a
+ * phone to 2-3 s.
+ */
+function deferred() {
+  let resolve!: () => void;
+  const promise = new Promise<void>((r) => (resolve = r));
+  return { promise, resolve };
+}
+
+describe("createCoalescedLoader", () => {
+  it("shares one run between calls for the same key while it is in flight", async () => {
+    const gate = deferred();
+    const run = vi.fn(() => gate.promise);
+    const loader = createCoalescedLoader(run);
+
+    const calls = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].map(() => loader.load("frasier"));
+    gate.resolve();
+    await Promise.all(calls);
+
+    expect(run).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("re-runs once after the in-flight load when a caller needs fresh data", async () => {
+    const gates = [deferred(), deferred()];
+    let n = 0;
+    const run = vi.fn(() => gates[n++].promise);
+    const loader = createCoalescedLoader(run);
+
+    const first = loader.load("frasier");
+    // e.g. "mark watched" finished while the page was still loading: the
+    // in-flight load may predate the change, so it must not be the answer.
+    const fresh = loader.load("frasier", { fresh: true });
+    const fresh2 = loader.load("frasier", { fresh: true });
+    gates[0].resolve();
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(run).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2));
+    gates[1].resolve();
+    // Every caller is answered by the load that includes the re-run.
+    await Promise.all([first, fresh, fresh2]);
+
+    expect(run).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it("does not share a run between different keys", async () => {
+    const run = vi.fn(() => Promise.resolve());
+    const loader = createCoalescedLoader(run);
+
+    await Promise.all([loader.load("frasier"), loader.load("cheers")]);
+
+    expect(run).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(run).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, "frasier");
+    expect(run).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, "cheers");
+  });
+
+  it("runs again once the previous load has finished", async () => {
+    const run = vi.fn(() => Promise.resolve());
+    const loader = createCoalescedLoader(run);
+
+    await loader.load("frasier");
+    await loader.load("frasier");
+
+    expect(run).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it("releases the key when a load fails", async () => {
+    const run = vi
+      .fn<(key: string) => Promise<void>>()
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("offline"))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(undefined);
+    const loader = createCoalescedLoader(run);
+
+    await expect(loader.load("frasier")).rejects.toThrow("offline");
+    await loader.load("frasier");
+
+    expect(run).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/utils/coalescedLoader.ts b/src/lib/utils/coalescedLoader.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7fa0eeb12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/utils/coalescedLoader.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/**
+ * Load one keyed thing at a time, however many triggers ask for it.
+ *
+ * Calls for the key already loading share that load instead of starting their
+ * own. A caller that knows the data changed (`fresh` — after "mark watched",
+ * on reconnect, when a filter flips) must not be answered by a load that may
+ * predate the change, so it gets exactly one re-run once the current load
+ * ends, however many such callers there were.
+ *
+ * Exists because the series page loaded itself six times on every open —
+ * `onMount`, a mount-time `$effect`, the reachability effect's first run and
+ * navigation updates each started a full load — putting about six times a
+ * dozen requests in flight at once.
+ *
+ * TRACES: UR-062 | DR-295
+ */
+export interface CoalescedLoader {
+  /** Load `key`. `fresh`: the caller knows the data changed. */
+  load(key: string, options?: { fresh?: boolean }): Promise<void>;
+}
+
+interface InFlight {
+  key: string;
+  /** Settles when this load and any re-run it owes have finished. */
+  done: Promise<void>;
+  rerun: boolean;
+}
+
+export function createCoalescedLoader(run: (key: string) => Promise<void>): CoalescedLoader {
+  let inFlight: InFlight | null = null;
+
+  return {
+    load(key, options = {}) {
+      if (inFlight && inFlight.key === key) {
+        if (options.fresh) inFlight.rerun = true;
+        return inFlight.done;
+      }
+
+      const entry: InFlight = { key, rerun: false, done: Promise.resolve() };
+      entry.done = (async () => {
+        try {
+          await run(key);
+          while (entry.rerun) {
+            entry.rerun = false;
+            await run(key);
+          }
+        } finally {
+          if (inFlight === entry) inFlight = null;
+        }
+      })();
+      inFlight = entry;
+      return entry.done;
+    },
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
index eeb8b7a09..51dbb4883 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@
   // a new page inherits the previous page's offset. Must be registered here at
   // init, alongside the tracker above, for the same reason. (DR-156)
   let shellScroller = $state<HTMLElement>();
-  useScrollRestore(() => shellScroller, "shell");
+  // Owned routes scroll inside their own column; the shell box does not.
+  useScrollRestore(() => (routeOwnsLayout ? undefined : shellScroller), "shell");
 
   // Layout-shell visibility rules live in one pure, unit-tested module
   // ($lib/utils/layoutShell) so they can't drift per route/platform.
@@ -357,29 +358,29 @@
          scrolling internally. All other top-level pages render directly here, so
          this wrapper must scroll and reserve the fixed bottom UI's measured
          height so the mini player / bottom nav never overlap the last rows. -->
-    {#if routeOwnsLayout}
-      <!-- These routes own their own full-height flex column (header + scroller
-           + their own in-flow BottomUi), so the root just clips and steps back. -->
-      <div class="flex-1 overflow-hidden">
-        {@render children()}
-      </div>
-    {:else}
-      <!-- Shared header (account menu, desktop nav) as a flex-shrink-0 sibling
-           above the scroller, so it never eats into the scroller's bounds. -->
-      {#if showGlobalHeader}
-        <AppHeader />
-      {/if}
-      <!-- Scroller is flex-1/min-h-0; the in-flow BottomUi below is a flex
-           sibling, so the list is physically bounded above it and can never
-           render behind it. No measurement, no reserved padding. -->
-      <div
-        bind:this={shellScroller}
-        class="flex-1 overflow-y-auto min-h-0"
-        style="overscroll-behavior: contain"
-      >
-        {@render children()}
-      </div>
+    <!-- Shared header (account menu, desktop nav) as a flex-shrink-0 sibling
+         above the scroller, so it never eats into the scroller's bounds. -->
+    {#if !routeOwnsLayout && showGlobalHeader}
+      <AppHeader />
     {/if}
+    <!-- ONE element renders the route, whatever the layout mode; only its
+         classes change. Routes that own their full-height column (header +
+         scroller + their own in-flow BottomUi) get a plain clipped box; every
+         other route gets the shell scroller (flex-1/min-h-0, bounded above the
+         in-flow BottomUi, so no measurement or reserved padding).
+
+         This used to be two branches, each rendering `children`. The page
+         store that decides the mode can update a flush after the new route
+         renders, so navigating between the two kinds of route (Search → a
+         library page) mounted the page under one branch and then *remounted*
+         it under the other — every load it started, twice (DR-295). -->
+    <div
+      bind:this={shellScroller}
+      class={routeOwnsLayout ? "flex-1 overflow-hidden" : "flex-1 overflow-y-auto min-h-0"}
+      style={routeOwnsLayout ? undefined : "overscroll-behavior: contain"}
+    >
+      {@render children()}
+    </div>
 
     <!-- Re-authentication modal -->
     <ReauthModal isOpen={$needsReauth} />
diff --git a/src/routes/library/[id]/+page.svelte b/src/routes/library/[id]/+page.svelte
index c3df440e5..c4c6dcd33 100644
--- a/src/routes/library/[id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/library/[id]/+page.svelte
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <!-- TRACES: UR-035, UR-038, UR-048, UR-058, UR-062 | DR-043, DR-062, DR-102, DR-103, DR-142 -->
 <script lang="ts">
-  import { onMount, untrack } from "svelte";
+  import { untrack } from "svelte";
   import { formatDuration } from "$lib/utils/duration";
   import { page } from "$app/stores";
   import { goto } from "$app/navigation";
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
     type SeasonData,
   } from "$lib/components/library/seriesNavigation";
   import { createLogger } from "$lib/utils/logger";
+  import { createCoalescedLoader } from "$lib/utils/coalescedLoader";
 
   const log = createLogger("LibraryDetail");
 
@@ -65,18 +66,27 @@
   // preference, so it resets with each load (DR-107).
   let expandedSeasons = $state<Set<string>>(new Set());
 
-  // Track if we've done an initial load and previous server state
+  // Track if we've done an initial load and previous server state. The
+  // previous state starts as "unknown" (null): the effect's first run only
+  // records it. Starting at `false` made that first run look like a
+  // reconnect and force a second, fresh load of the page on every open.
   let hasLoadedOnce = false;
-  let previousServerReachable = false;
+  let previousServerReachable: boolean | null = null;
 
   const itemId = $derived($page.params.id);
   const focusedEpisodeId = $derived($page.url.searchParams.get("episode"));
 
-  onMount(async () => {
-    await loadItem();
-    hasLoadedOnce = true;
-  });
+  // Every trigger below goes through one coalesced loader: they used to each
+  // start a full load, so opening a page loaded it six times over (DR-295).
+  // `fresh` marks triggers that know the data changed.
+  const loader = createCoalescedLoader(() => loadItemNow());
+  function loadItem(options?: { fresh?: boolean }): Promise<void> {
+    if (!itemId) return Promise.resolve();
+    return loader.load(itemId, options);
+  }
+  const reloadFresh = () => loadItem({ fresh: true });
 
+  // Runs on mount and whenever the item changes.
   $effect(() => {
     if (itemId) {
       loadItem();
@@ -89,8 +99,8 @@
     const serverReachable = $isServerReachable;
 
     // If server just became reachable and we've already loaded, reload to get fresh data
-    if (serverReachable && !previousServerReachable && hasLoadedOnce && itemId) {
-      loadItem();
+    if (serverReachable && previousServerReachable === false && hasLoadedOnce && itemId) {
+      reloadFresh();
     }
 
     previousServerReachable = serverReachable;
@@ -100,10 +110,10 @@
   // contents follow the filter the same way a library listing does.
   // TRACES: UR-052 | DR-143
   useOfflineFilterReload(() => {
-    if (itemId) loadItem();
+    if (itemId) reloadFresh();
   });
 
-  async function loadItem() {
+  async function loadItemNow() {
     if (!itemId) return;
     // Only show spinner when navigating to a different item
     // untrack prevents $effect from tracking `item` as a dependency (avoids infinite loop)
@@ -579,13 +589,13 @@
                   watched={allEpisodes.length > 0 && allEpisodes.every((e) => e.userData?.isPlayed)}
                   scope="series"
                   showLabel={true}
-                  onChanged={loadItem}
+                  onChanged={reloadFresh}
                 />
                 <ClearHistoryButton
                   itemId={item.id}
                   itemName={item.name}
                   scope="series"
-                  onCleared={loadItem}
+                  onCleared={reloadFresh}
                 />
               {:else if item.kind === "movie"}
                 <VideoDownloadButton
@@ -600,7 +610,7 @@
                   watched={item.userData?.isPlayed ?? false}
                   scope="episode"
                   showLabel={true}
-                  onChanged={loadItem}
+                  onChanged={reloadFresh}
                 />
               {/if}
               <!-- Favourite. Sits with Play/Download rather than in the header,
@@ -732,7 +742,7 @@
                     expanded={expandedSeasons.has(season.id)}
                     onToggle={() => toggleSeason(season.id)}
                     onEpisodeClick={handleEpisodeClick}
-                    onHistoryCleared={loadItem}
+                    onHistoryCleared={reloadFresh}
                   />
                 {/each}
               {/if}