diff --git a/public/s/js/f0ckm.js b/public/s/js/f0ckm.js
index fd8dd7d..4b067df 100644
--- a/public/s/js/f0ckm.js
+++ b/public/s/js/f0ckm.js
@@ -4605,10 +4605,14 @@ window.cancelAnimFrame = (function () {
     lastTimeUpdate: 0,
     currentColor: [0, 0, 0],
     targetColor: [0, 0, 0],
-    cleanup: null
+    cleanup: null,
+    // Bumped on every stop: async work (thumb load, color fetch, player API, loop) started for an
+    // earlier session sees a different number and does nothing, so it can't paint over the next item
+    gen: 0
   };
 
   const stopYoutubeAmbient = () => {
+    ytAmbientState.gen++;
     if (ytAmbientState.rafId) {
       window.cancelAnimFrame(ytAmbientState.rafId);
       ytAmbientState.rafId = null;
@@ -4630,6 +4634,8 @@ window.cancelAnimFrame = (function () {
     if (!videoId) return;
 
     ytAmbientState.videoId = videoId;
+    const gen = ytAmbientState.gen;
+    const isCurrent = () => ytAmbientState.gen === gen && ytEmbed.isConnected;
     const context = canvas.getContext('2d');
     const _SCALE = 0.5;
     const updateCanvasSize = () => {
@@ -4650,6 +4656,7 @@ window.cancelAnimFrame = (function () {
       const img = new Image();
       img.crossOrigin = 'anonymous';
       img.onload = () => {
+        if (!isCurrent()) return;
         try {
           context.filter = `blur(${blurPx}px) brightness(1.2)`;
           const sw = img.naturalWidth || img.width;
@@ -4668,6 +4675,7 @@ window.cancelAnimFrame = (function () {
         canvas.classList.add('fader-in');
       };
       img.onerror = () => {
+        if (!isCurrent()) return;
         if (fallbackUrl && url !== fallbackUrl) {
           tryDrawThumb(fallbackUrl, null);
         } else {
@@ -4685,7 +4693,7 @@ window.cancelAnimFrame = (function () {
     fetch(`/api/v2/ambient/yt/${videoId}`)
       .then(res => res.ok ? res.json() : null)
       .then(data => {
-        if (!data || !Array.isArray(data.colors) || !data.colors.length || ytAmbientState.videoId !== videoId) return;
+        if (!data || !Array.isArray(data.colors) || !data.colors.length || !isCurrent()) return;
         ytAmbientState.colors = data.colors;
         ytAmbientState.duration = Number(data.duration) || 0;
         if (ytAmbientState.colors.length > 0) {
@@ -4704,6 +4712,7 @@ window.cancelAnimFrame = (function () {
 
     // 3. Render function for ambient lighting
     const renderAmbientFrame = () => {
+      if (!isCurrent()) return;
       if (!ytAmbientState.colors || !ytAmbientState.colors.length || !ytAmbientState.duration) return;
       const { cw: curW, ch: curH } = updateCanvasSize();
 
@@ -4757,9 +4766,9 @@ window.cancelAnimFrame = (function () {
     };
 
     const startAmbientLoop = () => {
-      if (ytAmbientState.rafId) return;
+      if (ytAmbientState.rafId || !isCurrent()) return;
       const loop = () => {
-        if (!ytAmbientState.isPlaying || ytAmbientState.videoId !== videoId) {
+        if (!ytAmbientState.isPlaying || !isCurrent()) {
           ytAmbientState.rafId = null;
           return;
         }
@@ -4790,11 +4799,13 @@ window.cancelAnimFrame = (function () {
 
     // Also attach YouTube IFrame API if available
     const tryAttachYTPlayer = () => {
+      if (!isCurrent()) return;
       if (window.YT && window.YT.Player) {
         try {
           new window.YT.Player(ytEmbed, {
             events: {
               onStateChange: (event) => {
+                if (!isCurrent()) return;
                 if (event.data === 1) { // PLAYING
                   ytAmbientState.isPlaying = true;
                   startAmbientLoop();
@@ -5304,6 +5315,9 @@ window.cancelAnimFrame = (function () {
     const canvas = document.getElementById('bg');
 
     if (elem) {
+      // This item has its own media: a YouTube ambient session from the previous item must end here,
+      // or its loop keeps painting its colour wash over the new background (flicker)
+      stopYoutubeAmbient();
       if (canvas) {
         // Restore visual state on re-init
         const bgCfg = (typeof window.getEffectiveBackgroundTuning === 'function' ? window.getEffectiveBackgroundTuning() : null) || window.audioVisualizerTuning || DEFAULT_AUDIO_TUNING;