diff --git a/src/GlobalStates/GlobalStore.ts b/src/GlobalStates/GlobalStore.ts
index 7b1e169c..bea8ab47 100644
--- a/src/GlobalStates/GlobalStore.ts
+++ b/src/GlobalStates/GlobalStore.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ type StoreState = {
   plotDim: number;
   flipY:boolean;
   initStore:string;
+  storeFromURL: boolean;
   variable: string;
   variables: string[];
   openVariables: boolean;
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ type StoreState = {
   setPlotDim: (plotDim: number) => void;
   setFlipY: (flipY:boolean) => void;
   setInitStore: (initStore:string) => void;
+  setStoreFromURL: (storeFromURL: boolean) => void;
   setVariable: (variable: string) => void;
   setVariables: (variables: string[]) => void;
   setOpenVariables: (openVariables: boolean) => void;
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ export const useGlobalStore = create<StoreState>((set, get) => ({
   plotDim: 0,
   flipY: false,
   initStore: ESDC,
+  storeFromURL: false,
   variable: 'Default',
   variables: [],
   openVariables: false,
@@ -152,6 +155,7 @@ export const useGlobalStore = create<StoreState>((set, get) => ({
   setPlotDim: (plotDim) => set({ plotDim }),
   setFlipY: (flipY) => set({ flipY }),
   setInitStore: (initStore) => set({ initStore }),
+  setStoreFromURL: (storeFromURL) => set({ storeFromURL }),
   setVariable: (variable) => set({ variable }),
   setVariables: (variables) => set({ variables }),
   setOpenVariables: (openVariables) => set({ openVariables }),
diff --git a/src/components/LandingHome.tsx b/src/components/LandingHome.tsx
index f56c19cb..923b2a2a 100644
--- a/src/components/LandingHome.tsx
+++ b/src/components/LandingHome.tsx
@@ -25,16 +25,18 @@ async function sendPing() {
 
 export function LandingHome() {
   const {
-    initStore, timeSeries, variable, plotOn,
-    setZMeta, setVariables, setTitleDescription,
+    initStore, timeSeries, variable, storeFromURL,
+    setZMeta, setVariables, setTitleDescription, setOpenVariables, setStoreFromURL,
   } = useGlobalStore(useShallow(state => ({
     initStore: state.initStore,
     timeSeries: state.timeSeries,
     variable: state.variable,
-    plotOn: state.plotOn,
+    storeFromURL: state.storeFromURL,
     setZMeta: state.setZMeta,
     setVariables: state.setVariables,
     setTitleDescription: state.setTitleDescription,
+    setOpenVariables: state.setOpenVariables,
+    setStoreFromURL: state.setStoreFromURL,
   })))
 
   const { currentStore, fetchKey,
@@ -49,27 +51,27 @@ export function LandingHome() {
     setUseNC: state.setUseNC
   })))
 
-  function resetSlices() {
-    setZSlice([0, null])
-    setYSlice([0, null])
-    setXSlice([0, null])
-  }
-
   useEffect(() => {
-    resetSlices();
+    void fetchKey;
+    setZSlice([0, null]);
+    setYSlice([0, null]);
+    setXSlice([0, null]);
     if (initStore.startsWith('local:')) {
       const path = initStore.replace('local:', '');
-      if (!NETCDF_EXT_REGEX.test(path)) return; // TODO:  handled zarr
+      if (!NETCDF_EXT_REGEX.test(path)) return;
       const filename = path.split('/').pop() ?? 'file.nc';
       fetch(`/file?path=${encodeURIComponent(path)}`)
         .then(res => {
           if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
           return res.blob();
         })
-        .then(blob => {
-          loadNetCDF(blob, filename);
-          useGlobalStore.setState({openVariables: true})
-          return
+        .then(async blob => {
+          await loadNetCDF(blob, filename);
+          if (storeFromURL) {
+            setOpenVariables(true);
+            setStoreFromURL(false);
+          }
+          return;
         })
         .catch(e => useGlobalStore.getState().setStatus(`Failed to load: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)}`));
       return;
@@ -86,23 +88,40 @@ export function LandingHome() {
     // Clear after use
     useZarrStore.getState().setIcechunkOptions(null);
     useZarrStore.getState().setFetchOptions(null);
-  }, [initStore, fetchKey, setCurrentStore])
+  }, [initStore, fetchKey, setCurrentStore, setUseNC, setZSlice, setYSlice, setXSlice, storeFromURL, setOpenVariables, setStoreFromURL]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    const { initStore } = useGlobalStore.getState();
+    if (initStore.startsWith('local')) return;
+
     let isMounted = true;
+    const activeStore = currentStore;
 
-    GetTitleDescription(currentStore).then((result) => {
-      if (isMounted) setTitleDescription(result);
+    GetTitleDescription(activeStore).then((result) => {
+      if (isMounted && currentStore === activeStore) setTitleDescription(result);
     });
 
-    const fullmetadata = GetZarrMetadata(currentStore);
+    const fullmetadata = GetZarrMetadata(activeStore);
     const variables = GetVariableNames(fullmetadata);
 
-    fullmetadata.then(e => setZMeta(e))
-    variables.then(e => setVariables(e))
+    fullmetadata.then((e) => {
+      if (isMounted && currentStore === activeStore) setZMeta(e);
+    });
+    variables.then((e) => {
+      if (isMounted && currentStore === activeStore) {
+        setVariables(e);
+        const { storeFromURL } = useGlobalStore.getState();
+        if (storeFromURL) {
+          setOpenVariables(true);
+          setStoreFromURL(false);
+        }
+      }
+    });
 
-    return () => { isMounted = false; };
-  }, [currentStore, setZMeta, setVariables, setTitleDescription])
+    return () => {
+      isMounted = false;
+    };
+  }, [currentStore, setZMeta, setVariables, setTitleDescription, setOpenVariables, setStoreFromURL]);
 
   useEffect(()=>{
     if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== "development") {
diff --git a/src/components/StoreInitializer.tsx b/src/components/StoreInitializer.tsx
index 7e0e650e..199308a4 100644
--- a/src/components/StoreInitializer.tsx
+++ b/src/components/StoreInitializer.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { isRemoteStore } from '@/utils/isRemoteStore';
 function StoreInitializerInner() {
   const searchParams = useSearchParams();
   const setInitStore = useGlobalStore(s => s.setInitStore);
+  const setStoreFromURL = useGlobalStore(s => s.setStoreFromURL);
   const { setUseNC, setFetchNC } = useZarrStore(useShallow(s => ({
     setUseNC: s.setUseNC,
     setFetchNC: s.setFetchNC,
@@ -16,13 +17,20 @@ function StoreInitializerInner() {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const store = searchParams.get("store");
-    if (!store) return;
+    if (!store) {
+      setStoreFromURL(false);
+      return;
+    }
 
     const isNC = searchParams.get("format") === "nc";
     setUseNC(isNC);
     setFetchNC(isNC);
-    setInitStore(isRemoteStore(store) ? store : `local:${store}`);
-  }, []);
+    const initValue = isRemoteStore(store) ? store : `local:${store}`;
+    setInitStore(initValue);
+    // mark that a store was provided in the URL; LandingHome will open variables once
+    // the custom store is actually loaded.
+    setStoreFromURL(true);
+  }, [searchParams, setUseNC, setFetchNC, setInitStore, setStoreFromURL]);
 
   return null;
 }