diff --git a/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx b/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx
index 91f17cf18..7f26a8eee 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ import { relayClient } from "@/shared/api/relayClient";
 import { useIdentityQuery } from "@/shared/api/hooks";
 import { useRelayAutoHeal } from "@/shared/api/useRelayAutoHeal";
 import { useDeferredStartup } from "@/shared/hooks/useDeferredStartup";
+import { ViewLoadingFallback } from "@/shared/ui/ViewLoadingFallback";
 import { useWebviewScrollBoundaryLock } from "@/shared/hooks/useWebviewScrollBoundaryLock";
 import { joinChannel } from "@/shared/api/tauri";
 import type { Channel, ChannelVisibility, SearchHit } from "@/shared/api/types";
@@ -911,7 +912,16 @@ export function AppShell() {
                       mainInsetRef={mainInsetRef}
                       terminal={<TerminalBootstrap {...terminalContext} />}
                     >
-                      <Outlet />
+                      {pendingSidebarChannelId ? (
+                        <div
+                          className="flex min-h-0 min-w-0 flex-1"
+                          data-testid="pending-channel-skeleton"
+                        >
+                          <ViewLoadingFallback includeHeader kind="channel" />
+                        </div>
+                      ) : (
+                        <Outlet />
+                      )}
                     </AppShellChannelSurface>
                     {!isHuddleRoom ? (
                       <RelayConnectionOverlay
diff --git a/desktop/src/app/navigation/useDeferredSidebarNavigation.ts b/desktop/src/app/navigation/useDeferredSidebarNavigation.ts
index b2800280d..6a7a7a279 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/navigation/useDeferredSidebarNavigation.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/app/navigation/useDeferredSidebarNavigation.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { dispatchNavigationIntent } from "@/app/navigation/navigationIntent";
 type DeferredSidebarNavigationOptions = {
   pathname: string;
   selectedChannelId: string | null;
-  selectChannel: (channelId: string) => void;
+  selectChannel: (channelId: string) => Promise<unknown> | undefined;
 };
 
 export function useDeferredSidebarNavigation({
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ export function useDeferredSidebarNavigation({
   const frameRef = React.useRef<number | null>(null);
   const timerRef = React.useRef<number | null>(null);
   const generationRef = React.useRef(0);
+  const isCommittingRef = React.useRef(false);
+  const ignoreNextNavigationIntentRef = React.useRef(false);
   const pathnameRef = React.useRef(pathname);
   pathnameRef.current = pathname;
 
@@ -35,27 +37,42 @@ export function useDeferredSidebarNavigation({
   }, []);
 
   const cancel = React.useCallback(() => {
+    isCommittingRef.current = false;
+    ignoreNextNavigationIntentRef.current = false;
     cancelDeferred();
     setPendingChannelId(null);
   }, [cancelDeferred]);
 
   React.useEffect(() => cancel, [cancel]);
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    const handleNavigationIntent = () => cancelDeferred();
+    const handleNavigationIntent = () => {
+      if (ignoreNextNavigationIntentRef.current) {
+        ignoreNextNavigationIntentRef.current = false;
+        return;
+      }
+      cancel();
+    };
     window.addEventListener("buzz:navigation-intent", handleNavigationIntent);
     return () =>
       window.removeEventListener(
         "buzz:navigation-intent",
         handleNavigationIntent,
       );
-  }, [cancelDeferred]);
+  }, [cancel]);
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    // A committed route change supersedes any deferred sidebar intent.
+    // Keep the destination skeleton mounted through the route commit and one
+    // paint. Clearing state directly in this effect can be batched before the
+    // browser paints, exposing either the old outlet or expensive new outlet.
     void pathname;
-    cancel();
+    frameRef.current = window.requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      frameRef.current = null;
+      cancel();
+    });
   }, [cancel, pathname]);
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    if (pendingChannelId === selectedChannelId) setPendingChannelId(null);
+    if (!isCommittingRef.current && pendingChannelId === selectedChannelId) {
+      setPendingChannelId(null);
+    }
   }, [pendingChannelId, selectedChannelId]);
 
   const selectDeferred = React.useCallback(
@@ -89,7 +106,14 @@ export function useDeferredSidebarNavigation({
             ) {
               return;
             }
-            selectChannel(channelId);
+            isCommittingRef.current = true;
+            ignoreNextNavigationIntentRef.current = true;
+            const navigationResult = selectChannel(channelId);
+            if (navigationResult) {
+              void navigationResult.catch(() => {
+                if (generationRef.current === generation) cancel();
+              });
+            }
           }, 0);
         });
       });
diff --git a/desktop/src/app/useHuddlePresentation.ts b/desktop/src/app/useHuddlePresentation.ts
index a82916d04..6d9d0dc54 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/useHuddlePresentation.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/app/useHuddlePresentation.ts
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ export function useHuddlePresentation() {
         showHuddleInMainApp(channelId);
         return;
       }
-      void goChannel(channelId);
+      return goChannel(channelId);
     },
     [goChannel, isHuddleDrawerOpen, showHuddleInMainApp],
   );
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/messaging.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/messaging.spec.ts
index d5f4d5220..7fe82648c 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/messaging.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/messaging.spec.ts
@@ -2789,12 +2789,38 @@ test("sidebar selection paints before cached channel work starts", async ({
   await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("general");
 
   await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const sourceHref = window.location.href;
     const observed = {
       selectedBeforeRoute: false,
       singularSelection: false,
       activeBackgroundTransitions: true,
+      destinationSkeletonBeforeRoute: false,
+      destinationSkeletonAfterRoute: false,
+      destinationContentAfterSkeleton: false,
     };
     Object.assign(window, { __BUZZ_SIDEBAR_SELECTION_OBSERVED__: observed });
+    const originalPushState = window.history.pushState.bind(window.history);
+    window.history.pushState = (...args) => {
+      observed.destinationSkeletonAfterRoute = Boolean(
+        document.querySelector('[data-testid="pending-channel-skeleton"]'),
+      );
+      return originalPushState(...args);
+    };
+    const routeObserver = new MutationObserver(() => {
+      const skeleton = document.querySelector(
+        '[data-testid="pending-channel-skeleton"]',
+      );
+      const title = document.querySelector('[data-testid="chat-title"]');
+      if (
+        observed.destinationSkeletonAfterRoute &&
+        !skeleton &&
+        title?.textContent === "random"
+      ) {
+        observed.destinationContentAfterSkeleton = true;
+        routeObserver.disconnect();
+      }
+    });
+    routeObserver.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });
     const observer = new MutationObserver(() => {
       const general = document.querySelector('[data-testid="channel-general"]');
       const random = document.querySelector('[data-testid="channel-random"]');
@@ -2802,8 +2828,10 @@ test("sidebar selection paints before cached channel work starts", async ({
       observer.disconnect();
       requestAnimationFrame(() => {
         requestAnimationFrame(() => {
-          const title = document.querySelector('[data-testid="chat-title"]');
-          observed.selectedBeforeRoute = title?.textContent === "general";
+          observed.selectedBeforeRoute = window.location.href === sourceHref;
+          observed.destinationSkeletonBeforeRoute = Boolean(
+            document.querySelector('[data-testid="pending-channel-skeleton"]'),
+          );
           observed.singularSelection =
             general?.getAttribute("data-active") === "false" &&
             document.querySelectorAll(
@@ -2839,6 +2867,9 @@ test("sidebar selection paints before cached channel work starts", async ({
                 selectedBeforeRoute: boolean;
                 singularSelection: boolean;
                 activeBackgroundTransitions: boolean;
+                destinationSkeletonBeforeRoute: boolean;
+                destinationSkeletonAfterRoute: boolean;
+                destinationContentAfterSkeleton: boolean;
               };
             }
           ).__BUZZ_SIDEBAR_SELECTION_OBSERVED__ ?? null,
@@ -2848,7 +2879,11 @@ test("sidebar selection paints before cached channel work starts", async ({
       selectedBeforeRoute: true,
       singularSelection: true,
       activeBackgroundTransitions: false,
+      destinationSkeletonBeforeRoute: true,
+      destinationSkeletonAfterRoute: true,
+      destinationContentAfterSkeleton: true,
     });
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("pending-channel-skeleton")).toHaveCount(0);
   await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("random");
 });