diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a4d9ad68..f4390afd 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     "test": "vitest run",
     "test:watch": "vitest",
     "test:e2e": "playwright test",
-    "playwright:smoke": "playwright test --config playwright.smoke.config.ts tests/smoke/create-note-backing-file.spec.ts tests/smoke/delete-note-nonblocking.spec.ts tests/smoke/example.spec.ts tests/smoke/fix-ai-chat-empty-body-v3.spec.ts tests/smoke/fix-crash-create-note.spec.ts tests/smoke/fresh-start-telemetry-onboarding.spec.ts tests/smoke/frontmatter-date-picker.spec.ts tests/smoke/getting-started-template.spec.ts tests/smoke/h1-title-decoupled.spec.ts tests/smoke/h1-untitled-auto-rename.spec.ts tests/smoke/keyboard-command-routing.spec.ts tests/smoke/linkify-init-warnings.spec.ts tests/smoke/multi-selection-shortcuts.spec.ts tests/smoke/wikilink-path-fix.spec.ts",
+    "playwright:smoke": "playwright test --config playwright.smoke.config.ts tests/smoke/create-note-backing-file.spec.ts tests/smoke/delete-note-nonblocking.spec.ts tests/smoke/example.spec.ts tests/smoke/fix-ai-chat-empty-body-v3.spec.ts tests/smoke/fix-crash-create-note.spec.ts tests/smoke/fresh-start-telemetry-onboarding.spec.ts tests/smoke/frontmatter-date-picker.spec.ts tests/smoke/getting-started-template.spec.ts tests/smoke/h1-title-decoupled.spec.ts tests/smoke/h1-untitled-auto-rename.spec.ts tests/smoke/keyboard-command-routing.spec.ts tests/smoke/linkify-init-warnings.spec.ts tests/smoke/missing-string-metadata-open-note.spec.ts tests/smoke/multi-selection-shortcuts.spec.ts tests/smoke/wikilink-path-fix.spec.ts",
     "playwright:regression": "playwright test tests/smoke/",
     "playwright:integration": "playwright test --config playwright.integration.config.ts",
     "test:coverage": "node scripts/run-vitest-coverage.mjs",
diff --git a/src/hooks/useVaultLoader.test.ts b/src/hooks/useVaultLoader.test.ts
index 59632214..21c06828 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useVaultLoader.test.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useVaultLoader.test.ts
@@ -395,6 +395,32 @@ describe('useVaultLoader', () => {
 
       expect(result.current.entries).toBe(entriesBefore)
     })
+
+    it('keeps entry metadata safe when a stale reload patch has undefined fields', async () => {
+      const { result } = await renderVaultLoader()
+
+      act(() => {
+        result.current.updateEntry('/vault/note/hello.md', {
+          title: undefined,
+          filename: undefined,
+          aliases: undefined,
+          outgoingLinks: undefined,
+          relationships: undefined,
+          properties: undefined,
+          snippet: undefined,
+        } as unknown as Partial<VaultEntry>)
+      })
+
+      expect(result.current.entries[0]).toEqual(expect.objectContaining({
+        title: 'hello',
+        filename: 'hello.md',
+        aliases: [],
+        outgoingLinks: [],
+        relationships: {},
+        properties: {},
+        snippet: '',
+      }))
+    })
   })
 
   describe('getNoteStatus', () => {
@@ -754,6 +780,34 @@ describe('useVaultLoader', () => {
         title: 'Renamed',
       }))
     })
+
+    it('normalizes stale replacement metadata during reload-heavy note switching', async () => {
+      const { result } = await renderVaultLoader()
+
+      act(() => {
+        result.current.replaceEntry('/vault/note/hello.md', {
+          path: '/vault/note/reloaded.md',
+          title: undefined,
+          filename: undefined,
+          aliases: undefined,
+          outgoingLinks: undefined,
+          relationships: undefined,
+          properties: undefined,
+          snippet: undefined,
+        } as unknown as Partial<VaultEntry> & { path: string })
+      })
+
+      expect(result.current.entries[0]).toEqual(expect.objectContaining({
+        path: '/vault/note/reloaded.md',
+        filename: 'reloaded.md',
+        title: 'reloaded',
+        aliases: [],
+        outgoingLinks: [],
+        relationships: {},
+        properties: {},
+        snippet: '',
+      }))
+    })
   })
 
   describe('reloadVault', () => {
diff --git a/src/hooks/useVaultLoader.ts b/src/hooks/useVaultLoader.ts
index 843ed099..8f8de1cd 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useVaultLoader.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useVaultLoader.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   reloadVaultEntries,
   tauriCall,
 } from './vaultLoaderCommands'
+import { normalizeVaultEntry } from '../utils/vaultMetadataNormalization'
 
 function resetVaultState(options: {
   clearNewPaths: () => void
@@ -273,19 +274,23 @@ function useEntryMutations(
   trackNew: (path: string) => void,
 ) {
   const addEntry = useCallback((entry: VaultEntry) => {
+    const normalizedEntry = normalizeVaultEntry(entry)
     setEntries((prev) => {
-      if (prev.some(e => e.path === entry.path)) return prev
-      return [entry, ...prev]
+      if (prev.some(e => e.path === normalizedEntry.path)) return prev
+      return [normalizedEntry, ...prev]
     })
-    trackNew(entry.path)
+    trackNew(normalizedEntry.path)
   }, [setEntries, trackNew])
 
   const updateEntry = useCallback((path: string, patch: Partial<VaultEntry>) => {
     setEntries((prev) => {
       let changed = false
-      const next = prev.map((e) => {
-        if (e.path === path) { changed = true; return { ...e, ...patch } }
-        return e
+      const next = prev.map((entry, index) => {
+        if (entry.path === path) {
+          changed = true
+          return normalizeVaultEntry({ ...entry, ...patch }, '', index)
+        }
+        return entry
       })
       return changed ? next : prev
     })
@@ -302,7 +307,9 @@ function useEntryMutations(
   }, [setEntries])
 
   const replaceEntry = useCallback((oldPath: string, patch: Partial<VaultEntry> & { path: string }) => {
-    setEntries((prev) => prev.map((e) => e.path === oldPath ? { ...e, ...patch } : e))
+    setEntries((prev) => prev.map((entry, index) =>
+      entry.path === oldPath ? normalizeVaultEntry({ ...entry, ...patch }, '', index) : entry,
+    ))
   }, [setEntries])
 
   return { addEntry, updateEntry, removeEntry, removeEntries, replaceEntry }
diff --git a/src/utils/vaultMetadataNormalization.ts b/src/utils/vaultMetadataNormalization.ts
index ef636785..7f688c56 100644
--- a/src/utils/vaultMetadataNormalization.ts
+++ b/src/utils/vaultMetadataNormalization.ts
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ function fallbackViewName(filename: string, index: number): string {
   return stem && stem !== `view-${index + 1}` ? stem : `View ${index + 1}`
 }
 
-function normalizeVaultEntry({ rawEntry, vaultPath, index }: EntryNormalizationArgs): VaultEntry {
+function normalizeVaultEntryRecord({ rawEntry, vaultPath, index }: EntryNormalizationArgs): VaultEntry {
   const source = recordFrom(rawEntry)
   const filename = fallbackEntryFilename(source, index)
   const path = resolveEntryPath({
@@ -209,7 +209,11 @@ function normalizeViewFile({ rawView, index }: ViewNormalizationArgs): ViewFile
 
 export function normalizeVaultEntries(rawEntries: unknown, vaultPath: string): VaultEntry[] {
   if (!Array.isArray(rawEntries)) return []
-  return rawEntries.map((rawEntry, index) => normalizeVaultEntry({ rawEntry, vaultPath, index }))
+  return rawEntries.map((rawEntry, index) => normalizeVaultEntry(rawEntry, vaultPath, index))
+}
+
+export function normalizeVaultEntry(rawEntry: unknown, vaultPath = '', index = 0): VaultEntry {
+  return normalizeVaultEntryRecord({ rawEntry, vaultPath, index })
 }
 
 export function normalizeViewFiles(rawViews: unknown): ViewFile[] {