diff --git a/desktop/src/app/navigation/commitGuardedNavigation.test.mjs b/desktop/src/app/navigation/commitGuardedNavigation.test.mjs
index 0b836ec20b..5895b9debc 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/navigation/commitGuardedNavigation.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/app/navigation/commitGuardedNavigation.test.mjs
@@ -268,3 +268,89 @@ test("a same-destination navigation carrying router state still commits", async
   assert.equal(committed, true);
   assert.deepEqual(order, ["guard", "navigate"]);
 });
+
+test("a rejected navigate cancels the trace it opened", async () => {
+  await withTraceHarness(async ({ flush, measures }) => {
+    // Router/loader rejection: no destination committed, so the trace must
+    // not survive for a later untraced re-entry to settle with the failed
+    // attempt plus everything in between.
+    await assert.rejects(
+      commitGuardedNavigation({
+        currentHref: "/channels/aaaa",
+        nextHref: "/channels/bbbb",
+        guardedTarget: route("/channels/bbbb"),
+        traceChannelId: "bbbb",
+        navigate: async () => {
+          throw new Error("loader failed");
+        },
+      }),
+      /loader failed/,
+    );
+    settleChannelSwitchTrace("bbbb");
+    flush();
+    assert.deepEqual(measures(), []);
+  });
+});
+
+test("a rejected navigate never cancels a newer same-channel trace", async () => {
+  await withTraceHarness(async ({ flush, measures }) => {
+    // Cancel by identity, not by channel: the retry's trace is a different
+    // object and must keep its measurement when the first attempt rejects.
+    let releaseFirst;
+    const firstGate = new Promise((resolve) => {
+      releaseFirst = resolve;
+    });
+    const failing = assert.rejects(
+      commitGuardedNavigation({
+        currentHref: "/channels/aaaa",
+        nextHref: "/channels/bbbb",
+        guardedTarget: route("/channels/bbbb"),
+        traceChannelId: "bbbb",
+        navigate: async () => {
+          await firstGate;
+          throw new Error("loader failed");
+        },
+      }),
+      /loader failed/,
+    );
+    // Retry lands while the first attempt is still in flight.
+    await commitGuardedNavigation({
+      currentHref: "/channels/aaaa",
+      nextHref: "/channels/bbbb",
+      guardedTarget: route("/channels/bbbb"),
+      force: true,
+      traceChannelId: "bbbb",
+      navigate: async () => {},
+    });
+    releaseFirst();
+    await failing;
+    settleChannelSwitchTrace("bbbb");
+    flush();
+    assert.deepEqual(measures(), ["bbbb"]);
+  });
+});
+
+test("a DM caller's click anchor is carried into the trace", async () => {
+  await withTraceHarness(async () => {
+    const anchors = [];
+    await commitGuardedNavigation(
+      {
+        currentHref: "/",
+        nextHref: "/channels/bbbb",
+        guardedTarget: route("/channels/bbbb"),
+        traceChannelId: "bbbb",
+        traceStartedAt: 1234,
+        navigate: async () => {},
+      },
+      {
+        allow: () => true,
+        beginTrace: (channelId, anchoredAt) => {
+          anchors.push([channelId, anchoredAt]);
+          return null;
+        },
+      },
+    );
+    // Without this the open_dm round-trip would sit outside the measurement.
+    assert.deepEqual(anchors, [["bbbb", 1234]]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/app/navigation/commitGuardedNavigation.ts b/desktop/src/app/navigation/commitGuardedNavigation.ts
index 449442f5c9..2565ed1efa 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/navigation/commitGuardedNavigation.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/app/navigation/commitGuardedNavigation.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
 } from "@/app/navigation/navigationGuard";
 import {
   beginChannelSwitchTrace,
+  cancelChannelSwitchTrace,
   dropActiveChannelSwitchTrace,
 } from "@/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf";
 
@@ -18,8 +19,12 @@ import {
  * navigation (deliberately untraced) would settle with the refused click's
  * inflated wall time. When `leavesChannelSurface` is set, any active trace is
  * dropped instead: the trace may be live with no channel screen mounted
- * (route still resolving), so this is the only reliable exit hook. Returns
- * whether the navigation was performed. `deps` exists for unit tests.
+ * (route still resolving), so this is the only reliable exit hook. A
+ * `navigate()` rejection cancels the trace this call opened — by identity, so
+ * a newer same-channel attempt is never erased — because no destination
+ * committed and an untraced re-entry would otherwise settle the failed
+ * attempt. Returns whether the navigation was performed. `deps` exists for
+ * unit tests.
  */
 export async function commitGuardedNavigation(
   input: {
@@ -30,16 +35,20 @@ export async function commitGuardedNavigation(
     hasStateUpdate?: boolean;
     leavesChannelSurface?: boolean;
     traceChannelId?: string;
+    /** Click-time anchor for callers that await before `goChannel`. */
+    traceStartedAt?: number;
     navigate: () => Promise<unknown>;
   },
   deps: {
     allow?: typeof allowNavigation;
     beginTrace?: typeof beginChannelSwitchTrace;
+    cancelTrace?: typeof cancelChannelSwitchTrace;
     dropActiveTrace?: typeof dropActiveChannelSwitchTrace;
   } = {},
 ): Promise<boolean> {
   const allow = deps.allow ?? allowNavigation;
   const beginTrace = deps.beginTrace ?? beginChannelSwitchTrace;
+  const cancelTrace = deps.cancelTrace ?? cancelChannelSwitchTrace;
   const dropActiveTrace = deps.dropActiveTrace ?? dropActiveChannelSwitchTrace;
   if (
     input.currentHref === input.nextHref &&
@@ -54,9 +63,15 @@ export async function commitGuardedNavigation(
   if (input.leavesChannelSurface) {
     dropActiveTrace();
   }
+  let handle = null;
   if (input.traceChannelId !== undefined) {
-    beginTrace(input.traceChannelId);
+    handle = beginTrace(input.traceChannelId, input.traceStartedAt) ?? null;
+  }
+  try {
+    await input.navigate();
+  } catch (error) {
+    cancelTrace(handle);
+    throw error;
   }
-  await input.navigate();
   return true;
 }
diff --git a/desktop/src/app/navigation/useAppNavigation.ts b/desktop/src/app/navigation/useAppNavigation.ts
index 822621b5aa..2f08b25925 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/navigation/useAppNavigation.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/app/navigation/useAppNavigation.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ export function useAppNavigation() {
       behavior: NavigationBehavior = {},
       guardedTarget?: GuardedNavigation,
       traceChannelId?: string,
+      traceStartedAt?: number,
     ) => {
       const nextLocation = router.buildLocation(next as never);
       return commitGuardedNavigation({
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ export function useAppNavigation() {
           } as never),
         nextHref: nextLocation.href,
         traceChannelId,
+        traceStartedAt,
       });
     },
     [location.href, navigate, router],
@@ -281,6 +283,13 @@ export function useAppNavigation() {
         preserveSearchHighlight?: boolean;
         searchHighlight?: SearchHighlightNavigation;
         replace?: boolean;
+        /**
+         * Click-time anchor from `captureSwitchTraceAnchor()`, for callers
+         * that must await before they know the channel id (DM actions await
+         * `open_dm`). Without it the trace would start after that relay
+         * round-trip and exclude felt click latency.
+         */
+        traceStartedAt?: number;
         /** Open this thread panel directly without waiting for a timeline row. */
         thread?: string;
         threadRootId?: string | null;
@@ -327,9 +336,10 @@ export function useAppNavigation() {
           : undefined,
         // goChannel is the click-time anchor for the switch trace; it opens
         // inside commitGuardedNavigation only after the navigation guard
-        // accepts. Coverage: sidebar/search/notification navigations funnel
-        // through here — direct navigate() callers (Pulse startDm) and
-        // history back/forward are untraced. Navigations that stay on the
+        // accepts. Coverage: sidebar, search, notification, and DM-open
+        // navigations all funnel through here; DM callers pass traceStartedAt
+        // so the open_dm round-trip stays inside the measurement. History
+        // back/forward is deliberately untraced. Navigations that stay on the
         // already-active channel (exact re-click only rewrites router state;
         // jump-to-message/autoSend/force change only search params) never
         // re-run the channel's settle effects, so a trace could only time out
@@ -337,6 +347,7 @@ export function useAppNavigation() {
         location.pathname.endsWith(`/channels/${channelId}`)
           ? undefined
           : channelId,
+        options?.traceStartedAt,
       );
     },
     [commitNavigation, location.pathname],
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/useChannelProfilePanel.ts b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/useChannelProfilePanel.ts
index 1a35666478..5631926fe6 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/useChannelProfilePanel.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/channels/ui/useChannelProfilePanel.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import * as React from "react";
 
 import { useAppNavigation } from "@/app/navigation/useAppNavigation";
+import { captureSwitchTraceAnchor } from "@/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf";
 import { useOpenDmMutation } from "@/features/channels/hooks";
 import type { ProfilePanelOpenOptions } from "@/shared/context/ProfilePanelContext";
 
@@ -60,8 +61,10 @@ export function useChannelProfilePanel({
   const openDmMutateAsync = openDmMutation.mutateAsync;
   const handleOpenDm = React.useCallback(
     async (pubkeys: string[]) => {
+      // Anchor before awaiting open_dm; see captureSwitchTraceAnchor.
+      const traceStartedAt = captureSwitchTraceAnchor();
       const dm = await openDmMutateAsync({ pubkeys });
-      await goChannel(dm.id);
+      await goChannel(dm.id, { traceStartedAt });
     },
     [goChannel, openDmMutateAsync],
   );
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/home/ui/HomeView.tsx b/desktop/src/features/home/ui/HomeView.tsx
index 893b3c309c..6055ea5b65 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/home/ui/HomeView.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/home/ui/HomeView.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { RefreshCcw } from "lucide-react";
 
 import { useAppShell } from "@/app/AppShellContext";
 import { useAppNavigation } from "@/app/navigation/useAppNavigation";
+import { captureSwitchTraceAnchor } from "@/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf";
 import { useKnownAgentPubkeys } from "@/features/agents/useKnownAgentPubkeys";
 import { useChannelsQuery, useOpenDmMutation } from "@/features/channels/hooks";
 import { RightAuxiliaryPane } from "@/features/channels/ui/RightAuxiliaryPane";
@@ -221,8 +222,10 @@ export function HomeView({
   const [isSendingReply, setIsSendingReply] = React.useState(false);
   const handleOpenDm = React.useCallback(
     async (pubkeys: string[]) => {
+      // Anchor before awaiting open_dm; see captureSwitchTraceAnchor.
+      const traceStartedAt = captureSwitchTraceAnchor();
       const dm = await openDm({ pubkeys });
-      await goChannel(dm.id);
+      await goChannel(dm.id, { traceStartedAt });
     },
     [goChannel, openDm],
   );
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/useProfileInteractionActions.ts b/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/useProfileInteractionActions.ts
index f5ee47a770..e2af6fe5ec 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/useProfileInteractionActions.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/useProfileInteractionActions.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import * as React from "react";
 import { toast } from "sonner";
 
 import { useAppNavigation } from "@/app/navigation/useAppNavigation";
+import { captureSwitchTraceAnchor } from "@/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf";
 import {
   channelsQueryKey,
   useChannelsQuery,
@@ -152,9 +153,12 @@ export function useProfileInteractionActions({
       return;
     }
 
+    // Anchor before awaiting open_dm: that relay round-trip is felt click
+    // latency and belongs inside the switch measurement.
+    const traceStartedAt = captureSwitchTraceAnchor();
     void runAction("message", async (targetPubkey) => {
       const dm = await openDm({ pubkeys: [targetPubkey] });
-      await goChannel(dm.id);
+      await goChannel(dm.id, { traceStartedAt });
       if (isMountedRef.current) {
         onClose();
       }
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/pulse/lib/useNoteActions.ts b/desktop/src/features/pulse/lib/useNoteActions.ts
index 8178cdc53a..aaac391190 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/pulse/lib/useNoteActions.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/pulse/lib/useNoteActions.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import * as React from "react";
-import { useNavigate } from "@tanstack/react-router";
+import { useAppNavigation } from "@/app/navigation/useAppNavigation";
+import { captureSwitchTraceAnchor } from "@/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf";
 import { useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { toast } from "sonner";
 
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ export function usePulseNoteActions({
   const [pendingUpvoteNoteIds, setPendingUpvoteNoteIds] = React.useState<
     ReadonlySet<string>
   >(() => new Set());
-  const navigate = useNavigate();
+  const { goChannel } = useAppNavigation();
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
   const replyMutation = usePublishNoteMutation(currentPubkey);
   const toggleReactionMutation = useToggleReactionMutation();
@@ -154,21 +155,22 @@ export function usePulseNoteActions({
 
   const startDm = React.useCallback(
     async (pubkey: string) => {
+      // goChannel, not raw navigate: this is a first-class channel entry and
+      // must produce a switch measurement like every other one. Anchor before
+      // awaiting open_dm; see captureSwitchTraceAnchor.
+      const traceStartedAt = captureSwitchTraceAnchor();
       try {
         const directMessage = await openDmMutation.mutateAsync({
           pubkeys: [pubkey],
         });
-        await navigate({
-          to: "/channels/$channelId",
-          params: { channelId: directMessage.id },
-        });
+        await goChannel(directMessage.id, { traceStartedAt });
       } catch (error) {
         toast.error(
           error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Failed to open DM",
         );
       }
     },
-    [navigate, openDmMutation],
+    [goChannel, openDmMutation],
   );
 
   return {
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf.test.mjs b/desktop/src/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf.test.mjs
index 90eadea58f..a08277ce55 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf.test.mjs
@@ -5,7 +5,12 @@ import {
   shouldAttributeFetch,
   buildSwitchPerfLogRecord,
   resolveSettleAction,
+  CHANNEL_SWITCH_MEASURE,
+  beginChannelSwitchTrace,
+  resetChannelSwitchTrace,
+  resolveFinalFrame,
   resolveSettleWait,
+  settleChannelSwitchTrace,
   summarizeChannelSwitchTrace,
 } from "./channelSwitchPerf.ts";
 
@@ -536,3 +541,97 @@ test("leaving the channel surface abandons the trace; history-back records nothi
     },
   );
 });
+
+test("suspension between readiness and the paint frame drops the record", () => {
+  // The reviewer's repro: readiness at t=10ms, final frame at t=20_000ms.
+  // Recording here would emit total=20000ms as an ordinary clean switch —
+  // App Nap fires no visibilitychange, so the hidden-window guard cannot see
+  // it and the frame-gap guard in awaitDeferredCommit has already run.
+  assert.equal(resolveFinalFrame(20_000, 10, 0), "drop");
+  // A normal paint frame one refresh interval after readiness still records.
+  assert.equal(resolveFinalFrame(27, 10, 0), "record");
+  // Boundary: exactly the frame-gap cap is still a record; one past it drops.
+  assert.equal(resolveFinalFrame(3_010, 10, 0), "record");
+  assert.equal(resolveFinalFrame(3_011, 10, 0), "drop");
+});
+
+test("the final frame also honors the overall trace age cap", () => {
+  // Readiness landed just under the age cap and the paint frame is prompt,
+  // so the frame gap is innocent — only the age check can catch this.
+  assert.equal(resolveFinalFrame(35_001, 35_000, 0), "drop");
+  assert.equal(resolveFinalFrame(35_000, 34_999, 0), "record");
+});
+
+// Drives the real settle lifecycle with a controllable clock and rAF queue so
+// a stall can be injected at one exact seam. Offsets are rebased above the
+// real clock: earlier tests in this file fire visibilitychange, and a trace
+// back-dated below those timestamps is (correctly) dropped at settle entry —
+// which would make every assertion here vacuous.
+function withClockedFrames(run) {
+  const frames = [];
+  const originalWindow = globalThis.window;
+  const originalDocument = globalThis.document;
+  const originalNow = performance.now;
+  const base = originalNow.call(performance) + 1_000;
+  let clock = base;
+  performance.now = () => clock;
+  globalThis.window = {
+    requestAnimationFrame: (cb) => frames.push(cb) && frames.length,
+    cancelAnimationFrame: () => {},
+  };
+  globalThis.document = {
+    addEventListener: () => {},
+    // No pending marker: readiness is reached on the first settle frame.
+    querySelector: () => null,
+    removeEventListener: () => {},
+    visibilityState: "visible",
+  };
+  performance.clearMeasures?.(CHANNEL_SWITCH_MEASURE);
+  const at = (offset) => {
+    clock = base + offset;
+  };
+  const step = (offset) => {
+    at(offset);
+    for (const cb of frames.splice(0, frames.length)) cb();
+  };
+  const measures = () =>
+    performance.getEntriesByName(CHANNEL_SWITCH_MEASURE).length;
+  try {
+    run({ at, step, measures });
+  } finally {
+    performance.now = originalNow;
+    resetChannelSwitchTrace();
+    performance.clearMeasures?.(CHANNEL_SWITCH_MEASURE);
+    if (originalWindow === undefined) delete globalThis.window;
+    else globalThis.window = originalWindow;
+    if (originalDocument === undefined) delete globalThis.document;
+    else globalThis.document = originalDocument;
+  }
+}
+
+test("a stall between readiness and the paint frame records nothing", () => {
+  withClockedFrames(({ at, step, measures }) => {
+    at(0);
+    beginChannelSwitchTrace("aaaa");
+    at(10);
+    settleChannelSwitchTrace("aaaa");
+    // Readiness frame: no pending marker, inside the wait deadline.
+    step(10);
+    // Process suspended here (App Nap): no visibilitychange fires, so only
+    // the final-frame guard can catch it.
+    step(20_000);
+    assert.equal(measures(), 0, "a 20s suspension must not record a switch");
+  });
+});
+
+test("a prompt paint frame after readiness still records", () => {
+  withClockedFrames(({ at, step, measures }) => {
+    at(0);
+    beginChannelSwitchTrace("aaaa");
+    at(10);
+    settleChannelSwitchTrace("aaaa");
+    step(10);
+    step(26);
+    assert.equal(measures(), 1, "the guard must not drop healthy switches");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf.ts b/desktop/src/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf.ts
index d970e04bb0..97b5f9e9e1 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/lib/channelSwitchPerf.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@
  * traces and settles for non-active channels are ignored, so background
  * refetches never pollute a switch measurement.
  *
+ * Traced entry paths: every navigation that reaches `goChannel` — sidebar,
+ * search, notification activation, and the DM actions, which capture
+ * `captureSwitchTraceAnchor()` at the click so their `open_dm` round-trip is
+ * inside the interval rather than before it. Deliberately untraced: history
+ * back/forward (no click to anchor on) and navigations that stay on the
+ * already-active channel (nothing re-runs the settle, so a trace could only
+ * time out).
+ *
  * Output per switch: a `[switch-perf]` console line plus User Timing
  * marks/measures (`buzz:channel-switch:*`) so Playwright perf specs and the
  * Performance panel can read the same numbers.
@@ -245,8 +253,42 @@ function traceOverlapsHiddenWindow(trace: ChannelSwitchTrace): boolean {
   );
 }
 
-export function beginChannelSwitchTrace(channelId: string): void {
-  if (typeof performance === "undefined") return;
+/**
+ * Timestamp to anchor a switch trace on, read during synchronous event
+ * dispatch. Callers that must await before they know the target channel (DM
+ * actions await `open_dm` for its id) capture this at the click and hand it to
+ * `goChannel`, so the relay round-trip stays inside the measured interval
+ * instead of silently preceding it.
+ */
+export function captureSwitchTraceAnchor(): number {
+  if (typeof performance === "undefined") return 0;
+  const now = performance.now();
+  const dispatchingEvent =
+    typeof window === "undefined" ? undefined : window.event;
+  return dispatchingEvent && typeof dispatchingEvent.timeStamp === "number"
+    ? Math.min(dispatchingEvent.timeStamp, now)
+    : now;
+}
+
+/** Opaque identity for one opened trace; see `cancelChannelSwitchTrace`. */
+export type ChannelSwitchTraceHandle = { readonly trace: ChannelSwitchTrace };
+
+/**
+ * Cancels `handle`'s trace, and only that one. A later begin for the same
+ * channel installs a different trace object, so a failed navigation can never
+ * erase a newer attempt's measurement.
+ */
+export function cancelChannelSwitchTrace(
+  handle: ChannelSwitchTraceHandle | null,
+): void {
+  if (handle && activeTrace === handle.trace) activeTrace = null;
+}
+
+export function beginChannelSwitchTrace(
+  channelId: string,
+  anchoredAt?: number,
+): ChannelSwitchTraceHandle | null {
+  if (typeof performance === "undefined") return null;
   ensureVisibilityWatcher();
   // A same-task unmount-then-renavigate to this channel leaves the exit
   // cleanup's scheduled abandon pending; it must not kill the fresh trace
@@ -256,14 +298,13 @@ export function beginChannelSwitchTrace(channelId: string): void {
   // can sit queued behind a long task before its handler runs, and that
   // input delay is felt switch latency. window.event is set only during
   // synchronous dispatch, so a stale timestamp can never leak in from async
-  // continuations; min() guards against skewed event clocks.
+  // continuations; min() guards against skewed event clocks and against a
+  // caller-supplied anchor that a monotonic-clock skew put in the future.
   const now = performance.now();
-  const dispatchingEvent =
-    typeof window === "undefined" ? undefined : window.event;
   const startedAt =
-    dispatchingEvent && typeof dispatchingEvent.timeStamp === "number"
-      ? Math.min(dispatchingEvent.timeStamp, now)
-      : now;
+    anchoredAt === undefined
+      ? captureSwitchTraceAnchor()
+      : Math.min(anchoredAt, now);
   activeTrace = {
     channelId,
     startedAt,
@@ -271,6 +312,7 @@ export function beginChannelSwitchTrace(channelId: string): void {
     windowFetch: null,
     membersFetch: null,
   };
+  const handle: ChannelSwitchTraceHandle = { trace: activeTrace };
   // Clear the whole previous switch here, not only in record(): traces that
   // die without recording (forum visits, route exits, drops) never reach
   // record()'s buffer clearing — weeks-long sessions would accumulate a
@@ -287,6 +329,7 @@ export function beginChannelSwitchTrace(channelId: string): void {
     detail: { channelId },
     startTime: startedAt,
   });
+  return handle;
 }
 
 export function markChannelSwitchRouteCommit(channelId: string): void {
@@ -417,6 +460,26 @@ export function resolveSettleWait(
   return { settleWaitTruncated: renderPending };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Decides whether the post-readiness paint frame may still be recorded.
+ * `awaitDeferredCommit` guards every frame it drives, but the readiness →
+ * paint frame is a starvation seam of its own: process suspension (App Nap,
+ * a suspended VM) can land there with no `visibilitychange`, and the resumed
+ * frame would record the whole absence as an ordinary clean switch. Pure for
+ * unit testing.
+ */
+export function resolveFinalFrame(
+  now: number,
+  readyAt: number,
+  startedAt: number,
+): "record" | "drop" {
+  if (now - readyAt > MAX_SETTLE_FRAME_GAP_MS) return "drop";
+  if (now - startedAt > SWITCH_TRACE_TIMEOUT_MS + SETTLE_RENDER_WAIT_MS) {
+    return "drop";
+  }
+  return "record";
+}
+
 /**
  * Closes the active trace once the settled frame has painted. The timeline
  * renders rows through a deferred snapshot that exposes
@@ -526,12 +589,20 @@ export function settleChannelSwitchTrace(channelId: string): void {
       dropTrace();
       return;
     }
+    const readyAt = now;
     window.requestAnimationFrame(() => {
       if (activeTrace !== trace) return;
       if (traceOverlapsHiddenWindow(trace)) {
         dropTrace();
         return;
       }
+      if (
+        resolveFinalFrame(performance.now(), readyAt, trace.startedAt) ===
+        "drop"
+      ) {
+        dropTrace();
+        return;
+      }
       record(decision.settleWaitTruncated);
     });
   };