diff --git a/src/main/ipc/single-flight-promise.ts b/src/main/ipc/single-flight-promise.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4797e348700
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/ipc/single-flight-promise.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/** Collapses concurrent callers onto one run; the slot clears on settle so a
+ *  later caller starts fresh. Shared by both watcher fallbacks. */
+export function createSingleFlight(): {
+  run: (start: () => Promise<void>) => Promise<void>
+  pending: () => Promise<void> | null
+} {
+  let inFlight: Promise<void> | null = null
+  return {
+    run: (start) => {
+      if (inFlight) {
+        return inFlight
+      }
+      // Self-comparison: a run settling after a newer one started must not clear it.
+      const tracked: Promise<void> = start().finally(() => {
+        if (inFlight === tracked) {
+          inFlight = null
+        }
+      })
+      inFlight = tracked
+      return tracked
+    },
+    pending: () => inFlight
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/worktree-git-common-narrow-watch.ts b/src/main/ipc/worktree-git-common-narrow-watch.ts
index f9ad20c3adc..b60ac9877e8 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/worktree-git-common-narrow-watch.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/worktree-git-common-narrow-watch.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import type {
   WorktreeBaseSubscription,
   WorktreePollerWindowVisibility
 } from './worktree-base-directory-poller'
+import { createSingleFlight } from './single-flight-promise'
 import { createGitCommonWatchReconciliation } from './worktree-git-common-watch-reconciliation'
 import { startGitCommonPolling } from './worktree-git-common-polling'
 
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ export async function startGitCommonNarrowWatch(
   let disposed = false
   let subscription: WorktreeBaseSubscription | null = null
   let existenceTimer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null = null
-  let pollingFallbackPromise: Promise<void> | null = null
+  const pollingFallback = createSingleFlight()
   let subscribing = false
   let parkedWhileHidden = false
   let usingPollingFallback = false
@@ -64,33 +65,31 @@ export async function startGitCommonNarrowWatch(
     isWatcherProcessFailure(error) &&
     (error.code === 'supervisor_crash_fuse' || error.code === 'process_unavailable')
 
-  const ensurePollingFallback = (): Promise<void> => {
-    if (pollingFallbackPromise) {
-      return pollingFallbackPromise
-    }
-    stopExistencePoll()
-    usingPollingFallback = true
-    const pending = reconciliation
-      .unsubscribe()
-      .catch(() => {})
-      .then(() =>
-        startGitCommonPolling(target.path, onEvents, pollIntervalMs, visibility, onFullScan, false)
-      )
-      .then(async (fallback) => {
-        if (disposed || subscription) {
-          await fallback.unsubscribe()
-          return
-        }
-        subscription = fallback
-      })
-    const tracked = pending.finally(() => {
-      if (pollingFallbackPromise === tracked) {
-        pollingFallbackPromise = null
-      }
+  const ensurePollingFallback = (): Promise<void> =>
+    pollingFallback.run(() => {
+      stopExistencePoll()
+      usingPollingFallback = true
+      return reconciliation
+        .unsubscribe()
+        .catch(() => {})
+        .then(() =>
+          startGitCommonPolling(
+            target.path,
+            onEvents,
+            pollIntervalMs,
+            visibility,
+            onFullScan,
+            false
+          )
+        )
+        .then(async (fallback) => {
+          if (disposed || subscription) {
+            await fallback.unsubscribe()
+            return
+          }
+          subscription = fallback
+        })
     })
-    pollingFallbackPromise = tracked
-    return pollingFallbackPromise
-  }
 
   const tryUpgradeToNarrowWatch = async (): Promise<void> => {
     if (disposed || subscribing || subscription) {
@@ -232,7 +231,7 @@ export async function startGitCommonNarrowWatch(
       }
       if (disposed || errored) {
         void sub.unsubscribe().catch(() => {})
-        await pollingFallbackPromise?.catch(() => {})
+        await pollingFallback.pending()?.catch(() => {})
         return !errored || subscription !== null
       }
       subscription = { unsubscribe: () => sub.unsubscribe() }
@@ -261,7 +260,7 @@ export async function startGitCommonNarrowWatch(
       disposed = true
       stopExistencePoll()
       unsubscribeVisibility()
-      await pollingFallbackPromise?.catch(() => {})
+      await pollingFallback.pending()?.catch(() => {})
       nativeSubscriptionGeneration++
       const current = subscription
       subscription = null
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/worktree-git-common-primary-watch.ts b/src/main/ipc/worktree-git-common-primary-watch.ts
index 57dda91dd19..9f380c41b76 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/worktree-git-common-primary-watch.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/worktree-git-common-primary-watch.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import type {
   WorktreeBaseSubscription,
   WorktreePollerWindowVisibility
 } from './worktree-base-directory-poller'
+import { createSingleFlight } from './single-flight-promise'
 import { PRIMARY_CHECKOUT_METADATA_FILES } from './worktree-git-common-metadata-files'
 import { startGitCommonPrimaryPolling } from './worktree-git-common-primary-polling'
 
@@ -34,34 +35,25 @@ export async function startGitCommonPrimaryWatch(
   let watcher: WatcherProcessSubscription | null = null
   let statusRefPolling: WorktreeBaseSubscription | null = null
   let fallback: WorktreeBaseSubscription | null = null
-  let fallbackPromise: Promise<void> | null = null
+  const fallbackFlight = createSingleFlight()
 
-  const startFallback = (): Promise<void> => {
-    if (fallbackPromise) {
-      return fallbackPromise
-    }
-    const pending = startGitCommonPrimaryPolling(
-      commonDirPath,
-      getStatusRefPaths,
-      onEvents,
-      pollIntervalMs,
-      visibility,
-      onFullScan
-    ).then(async (nextFallback) => {
-      if (disposed || watcher || statusRefPolling) {
-        await nextFallback.unsubscribe()
-        return
-      }
-      fallback = nextFallback
-    })
-    const tracked = pending.finally(() => {
-      if (fallbackPromise === tracked) {
-        fallbackPromise = null
-      }
-    })
-    fallbackPromise = tracked
-    return fallbackPromise
-  }
+  const startFallback = (): Promise<void> =>
+    fallbackFlight.run(() =>
+      startGitCommonPrimaryPolling(
+        commonDirPath,
+        getStatusRefPaths,
+        onEvents,
+        pollIntervalMs,
+        visibility,
+        onFullScan
+      ).then(async (nextFallback) => {
+        if (disposed || watcher || statusRefPolling) {
+          await nextFallback.unsubscribe()
+          return
+        }
+        fallback = nextFallback
+      })
+    )
 
   const stopStatusRefPolling = async (): Promise<void> => {
     const current = statusRefPolling
@@ -115,7 +107,7 @@ export async function startGitCommonPrimaryWatch(
         }
       }
     )
-    if (watcher && !disposed && !fallbackPromise) {
+    if (watcher && !disposed && !fallbackFlight.pending()) {
       statusRefPolling = await startGitCommonPrimaryPolling(
         commonDirPath,
         getStatusRefPaths,
@@ -139,7 +131,7 @@ export async function startGitCommonPrimaryWatch(
         await current.unsubscribe().catch(() => {})
       }
       await stopStatusRefPolling()
-      await fallbackPromise?.catch(() => {})
+      await fallbackFlight.pending()?.catch(() => {})
       if (fallback) {
         await fallback.unsubscribe().catch(() => {})
         fallback = null