diff --git a/server/shell.ts b/server/shell.ts
index 47b1d81..476315b 100644
--- a/server/shell.ts
+++ b/server/shell.ts
@@ -926,7 +926,13 @@ export function renderShell(opts: ShellOptions): string {
         const sp = document.querySelector('rstack-space-settings');
         if (sp) sp.setAttribute('module-id', moduleId);
         if (tabCache) {
+          const switchId = moduleId; // capture for staleness check
           tabCache.switchTo(moduleId).then(ok => {
+            // If user already clicked a different tab, don't navigate for this one
+            if (currentModuleId !== switchId) {
+              console.log('[shell] switchTo result:', ok, 'for', switchId, '(stale, user switched to', currentModuleId + ')');
+              return;
+            }
             console.log('[shell] switchTo result:', ok, 'for', moduleId);
             if (ok) {
               tabBar.setAttribute('active', layerId);
@@ -936,6 +942,7 @@ export function renderShell(opts: ShellOptions): string {
               window.location.href = url;
             }
           }).catch((err) => {
+            if (currentModuleId !== switchId) return; // stale
             console.error('[shell] switchTo error:', err);
             window.location.href = window.__rspaceNavUrl(spaceSlug, moduleId);
           });
diff --git a/shared/tab-cache.ts b/shared/tab-cache.ts
index 695cca9..1ac9a2a 100644
--- a/shared/tab-cache.ts
+++ b/shared/tab-cache.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ export class TabCache {
 	private currentModuleId: string;
 	private spaceSlug: string;
 	private panes = new Map<string, HTMLElement>();
+	private fetchController: AbortController | null = null;
 
 	constructor(spaceSlug: string, moduleId: string) {
 		this.spaceSlug = spaceSlug;
@@ -100,6 +101,12 @@ export class TabCache {
 
 	/** Switch to a module tab within the current space. Returns true if handled client-side. */
 	async switchTo(moduleId: string): Promise<boolean> {
+		// Abort any in-flight fetch from a previous switchTo call
+		if (this.fetchController) {
+			this.fetchController.abort();
+			this.fetchController = null;
+		}
+
 		const key = this.paneKey(this.spaceSlug, moduleId);
 		if (moduleId === this.currentModuleId && this.panes.has(key)) {
 			console.log("[TabCache] switchTo", moduleId, "→ already current + cached");
@@ -199,18 +206,25 @@ export class TabCache {
 		this.hideAllPanes();
 		app.appendChild(loadingPane);
 
+		// Create an abort controller that also times out after 15s
+		const controller = new AbortController();
+		this.fetchController = controller;
+		const timeoutId = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 15_000);
+
 		try {
 			const resp = await fetch(fetchUrl, {
 				headers: { "Accept": "text/html" },
-				signal: AbortSignal.timeout(10_000),
+				signal: controller.signal,
 			});
 			if (!resp.ok) {
+				clearTimeout(timeoutId);
 				console.warn("[TabCache] fetchAndInject: HTTP", resp.status, "for", fetchUrl);
 				loadingPane.remove();
 				return false;
 			}
 
 			const html = await resp.text();
+			clearTimeout(timeoutId);
 			console.log("[TabCache] fetchAndInject: got", html.length, "bytes for", moduleId);
 			const content = this.extractContent(html);
 			if (!content) {
@@ -247,8 +261,16 @@ export class TabCache {
 			console.log("[TabCache] fetchAndInject: SUCCESS for", moduleId);
 			return true;
 		} catch (err) {
-			console.error("[TabCache] fetchAndInject: CATCH for", moduleId, err);
+			clearTimeout(timeoutId);
 			loadingPane.remove();
+			// If aborted because the user switched to a different tab, return
+			// "true" so the shell doesn't trigger a fallback full-page navigation
+			// for a tab the user no longer wants.
+			if (controller.signal.aborted && this.fetchController !== controller) {
+				console.log("[TabCache] fetchAndInject: aborted (superseded) for", moduleId);
+				return true;
+			}
+			console.error("[TabCache] fetchAndInject: CATCH for", moduleId, err);
 			return false;
 		}
 	}