diff --git a/src/dashboard/react-components/hooks/useTrajectory.ts b/src/dashboard/react-components/hooks/useTrajectory.ts
index 45bb223af..ffdeac59a 100644
--- a/src/dashboard/react-components/hooks/useTrajectory.ts
+++ b/src/dashboard/react-components/hooks/useTrajectory.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ export function useTrajectory(options: UseTrajectoryOptions = {}): UseTrajectory
   const hasInitializedRef = useRef(false);
   // Track the latest selection to prevent stale fetches from overwriting data
   const latestSelectionRef = useRef<string | null>(selectedTrajectoryId);
+  // Request counter to ensure only the most recent fetch updates state
+  // This is more robust than trajectory ID comparison for handling race conditions
+  const requestCounterRef = useRef(0);
 
   // Fetch trajectory status
   const fetchStatus = useCallback(async () => {
@@ -111,9 +114,12 @@ export function useTrajectory(options: UseTrajectoryOptions = {}): UseTrajectory
 
   // Fetch trajectory steps
   const fetchSteps = useCallback(async () => {
+    // Increment request counter and capture it for this request
+    // This ensures only the most recent request updates state
+    const requestId = ++requestCounterRef.current;
+    const trajectoryId = selectedTrajectoryId;
+
     try {
-      // Capture the ID this fetch is for
-      const trajectoryId = selectedTrajectoryId;
       const basePath = trajectoryId
         ? `/api/trajectory/steps?trajectoryId=${encodeURIComponent(trajectoryId)}`
         : '/api/trajectory/steps';
@@ -124,8 +130,12 @@ export function useTrajectory(options: UseTrajectoryOptions = {}): UseTrajectory
       const response = await fetch(url, { credentials: 'include' });
       const data = await response.json();
 
-      // Only update state if this fetch matches the current selection
-      // This prevents stale fetches from overwriting newer data
+      // Only update state if this is still the most recent request
+      // Check both request counter AND trajectory ID for double protection
+      if (requestId !== requestCounterRef.current) {
+        console.log('[useTrajectory] Ignoring superseded fetch (request', requestId, 'current', requestCounterRef.current, ')');
+        return;
+      }
       if (trajectoryId !== latestSelectionRef.current) {
         console.log('[useTrajectory] Ignoring stale fetch for', trajectoryId, 'current is', latestSelectionRef.current);
         return;
@@ -138,8 +148,11 @@ export function useTrajectory(options: UseTrajectoryOptions = {}): UseTrajectory
         setError(data.error || 'Failed to fetch trajectory steps');
       }
     } catch (err: any) {
-      console.error('[useTrajectory] Steps fetch error:', err);
-      setError(err.message);
+      // Only update error state if this is still the current request
+      if (requestId === requestCounterRef.current && trajectoryId === latestSelectionRef.current) {
+        console.error('[useTrajectory] Steps fetch error:', err);
+        setError(err.message);
+      }
     }
   }, [apiBaseUrl, selectedTrajectoryId]);
 
@@ -148,15 +161,21 @@ export function useTrajectory(options: UseTrajectoryOptions = {}): UseTrajectory
     // Normalize empty string to null for consistency
     const normalizedId = id === '' ? null : id;
 
+    // Skip if already selected (prevents unnecessary re-fetches)
+    if (normalizedId === selectedTrajectoryId) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Increment request counter to invalidate any in-flight fetches immediately
+    // This is crucial - it ensures that even if an old fetch completes after this,
+    // its request ID won't match and it will be ignored
+    requestCounterRef.current++;
+
     // Update the ref immediately so in-flight fetches for other trajectories are ignored
     latestSelectionRef.current = normalizedId;
 
     // Clear steps immediately when switching trajectories to prevent showing stale data
-    // This is the key fix - without this, the old trajectory's steps remain visible
-    // until the new fetch completes, which looks like "loading wrong trajectory"
-    if (normalizedId !== selectedTrajectoryId) {
-      setSteps([]);
-    }
+    setSteps([]);
 
     // Set loading immediately to avoid flash of empty state before effect runs
     if (normalizedId !== null) {
@@ -188,13 +207,15 @@ export function useTrajectory(options: UseTrajectoryOptions = {}): UseTrajectory
   }, [refresh]);
 
   // Re-fetch steps when selected trajectory changes
+  // Note: Initial fetch is handled by the refresh() call in the mount effect
   useEffect(() => {
+    // Skip the initial render - refresh() handles it
     if (!hasLoadedInitialStepsRef.current) {
       hasLoadedInitialStepsRef.current = true;
-      fetchSteps();
       return;
     }
 
+    // For subsequent selection changes, fetch with loading state management
     let cancelled = false;
     setIsLoading(true);
     fetchSteps().finally(() => {