diff --git a/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/components/workbench/AppPage.svelte b/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/components/workbench/AppPage.svelte
index 72fe92a1c..454266622 100644
--- a/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/components/workbench/AppPage.svelte
+++ b/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/components/workbench/AppPage.svelte
@@ -61,14 +61,30 @@
 	let ListComponent = $state<Component | null>(null);
 	let loadError = $state(false);
 
+	// Track the last appId we loaded for so we only reload when it actually
+	// changes — not on every reactive churn from the data layer below us.
+	// Without this guard, any liveQuery update inside a child ListView (e.g.
+	// creating a task) can re-run this effect, which clears ListComponent and
+	// makes the whole carousel flash like a page reload.
+	let lastLoadedAppId: string | undefined = undefined;
+
 	$effect(() => {
+		if (appId === lastLoadedAppId) return;
+		lastLoadedAppId = appId;
+
 		ListComponent = null;
 		loadError = false;
-		if (app) {
-			const loader = app.views.list.load;
-			loader().then(
-				(mod) => (ListComponent = mod.default),
-				() => (loadError = true)
+		const currentApp = app;
+		if (currentApp) {
+			currentApp.views.list.load().then(
+				(mod) => {
+					// Guard against an out-of-order load if appId changed again
+					// while we were awaiting.
+					if (lastLoadedAppId === appId) ListComponent = mod.default;
+				},
+				() => {
+					if (lastLoadedAppId === appId) loadError = true;
+				}
 			);
 		}
 	});
diff --git a/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/data/database.ts b/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/data/database.ts
index cb3ec6bef..c96e6e8fe 100644
--- a/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/data/database.ts
+++ b/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/data/database.ts
@@ -651,15 +651,27 @@ const pendingChangesTable = db.table('_pendingChanges');
  * The Dexie creating/updating hook itself is synchronous and cannot await
  * a recovery, so we just dispatch the event and let the UI / sync engine
  * decide what to do (e.g. surface a toast, run cleanupTombstones).
+ *
+ * IMPORTANT: Dexie hooks fire inside the calling write's implicit transaction
+ * which only includes the user-facing table (e.g. `tasks`). Writing to
+ * `_pendingChanges` from there hits `NotFoundError: object store not in
+ * scope`. We defer the write to a microtask so it runs in a fresh
+ * transaction after the user's commit lands.
  */
 function trackPendingChange(table: string, change: Record<string, unknown>): void {
-	pendingChangesTable.add(change).catch((err: unknown) => {
-		if (isQuotaError(err)) {
-			notifyQuotaExceeded({ table, op: 'pending-change', cleaned: 0, recovered: false });
-		} else {
-			console.error('[mana-sync] failed to record pending change:', err);
-		}
-	});
+	// setTimeout (not queueMicrotask) is required: Dexie binds the active
+	// transaction to the current Zone via Promise scheduling, and a microtask
+	// is still considered "inside" the transaction. setTimeout(0) breaks out
+	// completely so the new add() spawns its own implicit transaction.
+	setTimeout(() => {
+		pendingChangesTable.add(change).catch((err: unknown) => {
+			if (isQuotaError(err)) {
+				notifyQuotaExceeded({ table, op: 'pending-change', cleaned: 0, recovered: false });
+			} else {
+				console.error('[mana-sync] failed to record pending change:', err);
+			}
+		});
+	}, 0);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/modules/zitare/ListView.svelte b/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/modules/zitare/ListView.svelte
index 33e52b848..41efa2496 100644
--- a/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/modules/zitare/ListView.svelte
+++ b/apps/mana/apps/web/src/lib/modules/zitare/ListView.svelte
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
   Supports tag drag-and-drop onto the current quote.
 -->
 <script lang="ts">
+	import { onMount } from 'svelte';
 	import { liveQuery } from 'dexie';
 	import { db } from '$lib/data/database';
 	import { quotesStore } from '$lib/modules/zitare/stores/quotes.svelte';
@@ -22,11 +23,18 @@
 	let favorites = $state<LocalFavorite[]>([]);
 	let quote = $state<Quote | null>(null);
 
-	$effect(() => {
+	// Initialize once on mount (writes to store state — keep out of $effect
+	// to avoid the read/write loop where reading currentQuote retriggers
+	// the effect after initialize() updates it).
+	onMount(() => {
 		quotesStore.initialize();
 		quote = quotesStore.currentQuote;
 	});
 
+	$effect(() => {
+		quote = quotesStore.currentQuote;
+	});
+
 	$effect(() => {
 		const sub = liveQuery(async () => {
 			return db