diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/combined-diff/load-sections/combined-diff-stale-analysis-work-budget.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/combined-diff/load-sections/combined-diff-stale-analysis-work-budget.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8b0393b3ac4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/combined-diff/load-sections/combined-diff-stale-analysis-work-budget.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,547 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+
+import { useState } from 'react'
+import { act, cleanup, renderHook } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type { OpenFile } from '@/store/slices/editor'
+import type {
+  GitDiffResult,
+  GitDiffTextResult
+} from '../../../../../../shared/git-diff-compare-types'
+import { getLargeDiffRenderLimit } from '../../../../../../shared/large-diff-render-limit'
+import type { DiffSection } from '../../diff-section-types'
+import type { CombinedDiffEntrySet } from '../resolve-changes/use-combined-diff-entry-set'
+import { useCombinedDiffViewRestore } from '../remember-view/use-combined-diff-view-restore'
+import {
+  combinedDiffScrollAnchorCache,
+  combinedDiffScrollTopCache,
+  combinedDiffViewStateCache
+} from '../remember-view/combined-diff-view-memory'
+import { useCombinedDiffSectionLoadRegistry } from './combined-diff-section-load-registry'
+import { useCombinedDiffSectionRetry } from './use-combined-diff-section-retry'
+import { withDiffSectionLoadTimeout } from './combined-diff-section-load-timeout'
+
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({ fetch: vi.fn() }))
+vi.mock('./fetch-combined-diff-section', () => ({ fetchCombinedDiffSection: mocks.fetch }))
+import { useCombinedDiffSectionLoader } from './use-combined-diff-section-loader'
+
+const file: OpenFile = {
+  id: 'diff',
+  filePath: '/repo',
+  relativePath: 'file.ts',
+  worktreeId: 'wt',
+  isDirty: false,
+  language: 'typescript',
+  mode: 'diff',
+  diffSource: 'combined-uncommitted'
+}
+const entries = [
+  { path: 'file.ts', status: 'modified' as const, area: 'unstaged' as const, added: 1 }
+]
+const entrySet: CombinedDiffEntrySet = {
+  entries,
+  uncommittedEntries: entries,
+  allEntries: entries,
+  branchCompare: null,
+  commitCompare: null,
+  commitEntries: [],
+  entrySignature: 'one',
+  hasUncommittedEntriesSnapshot: true,
+  isAllMode: false,
+  isBranchMode: false,
+  isCommitMode: false,
+  renderableBranchEntries: [],
+  shouldAutoReloadFromGitStatus: false,
+  treeMode: 'uncommitted'
+}
+type Viewer = { file: OpenFile; entrySet: CombinedDiffEntrySet; viewStateKey: string }
+const viewer: Viewer = { file, entrySet, viewStateKey: 'first' }
+
+function replacementViewer(viewStateKey: string): Viewer {
+  const replacementEntries = [{ ...entries[0]!, path: 'next.ts' }]
+  return {
+    file: { ...file, relativePath: 'next.ts' },
+    entrySet: {
+      ...entrySet,
+      entries: replacementEntries,
+      allEntries: replacementEntries,
+      uncommittedEntries: replacementEntries,
+      entrySignature: viewStateKey
+    },
+    viewStateKey
+  }
+}
+
+function useViewer(props: Viewer) {
+  const [sections, setSections] = useState<DiffSection[]>([])
+  const [sectionHeights, setSectionHeights] = useState<Record<number, number>>({})
+  const [, setGeneration] = useState(0)
+  const [, setSideBySide] = useState(false)
+  const registry = useCombinedDiffSectionLoadRegistry(sections)
+  const restore = useCombinedDiffViewRestore({
+    entrySet: props.entrySet,
+    gitStatusEntries: [],
+    registry,
+    setGeneration,
+    setSectionHeights,
+    setSections,
+    setSideBySide,
+    viewStateKey: props.viewStateKey
+  })
+  const loader = useCombinedDiffSectionLoader({
+    entrySet: props.entrySet,
+    file: props.file,
+    registry,
+    sectionCount: sections.length,
+    setSectionHeights,
+    setSections
+  })
+  const retry = useCombinedDiffSectionRetry({
+    invalidateViewStateCache: restore.invalidateViewStateCache,
+    registry,
+    setSectionHeights,
+    setSections
+  })
+  return { sections, setSections, sectionHeights, setSectionHeights, registry, loader, retry }
+}
+
+function deferredResult() {
+  let resolve!: (result: GitDiffResult) => void
+  let reject!: (error: unknown) => void
+  const promise = new Promise<GitDiffResult>((done, fail) => {
+    resolve = done
+    reject = fail
+  })
+  return { promise, resolve, reject }
+}
+
+function textResult(originalContent: string, modifiedContent = ''): GitDiffTextResult {
+  return {
+    kind: 'text',
+    originalContent,
+    modifiedContent,
+    originalIsBinary: false,
+    modifiedIsBinary: false
+  }
+}
+
+function countBodyReads(body: string) {
+  const original = String.prototype.charCodeAt
+  const prefix = body.slice(0, 32)
+  let count = 0
+  let calls = 0
+  const spy = vi.spyOn(String.prototype, 'charCodeAt')
+  spy.mockImplementation(function (this: string, index: number) {
+    if (this.length === body.length && this.startsWith(prefix)) {
+      count += 1
+    }
+    // Keep the operation counter independent of the spy's growing per-call history.
+    calls += 1
+    if (calls % 1024 === 0) {
+      spy.mockClear()
+    }
+    return original.call(this, index)
+  })
+  return { count: () => count, restore: () => spy.mockRestore() }
+}
+
+async function flushLoads(): Promise<void> {
+  await act(async () => {
+    await Promise.resolve()
+    await Promise.resolve()
+  })
+}
+
+async function startViewer(props = viewer) {
+  const hook = renderHook(useViewer, { initialProps: props })
+  await flushLoads()
+  expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+  expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith({
+    branchCompare: props.entrySet.branchCompare,
+    commitCompare: props.entrySet.commitCompare,
+    entry: props.entrySet.entries[0],
+    file: props.file,
+    isAllMode: props.entrySet.isAllMode,
+    isBranchMode: props.entrySet.isBranchMode,
+    isCommitMode: props.entrySet.isCommitMode
+  })
+  return hook
+}
+
+async function settle(
+  pending: ReturnType<typeof deferredResult>,
+  result: GitDiffResult
+): Promise<void> {
+  await act(async () => {
+    pending.resolve(result)
+    await Promise.resolve()
+  })
+}
+
+function expectedSection(initial: DiffSection, result: GitDiffResult, error?: string): DiffSection {
+  const largeDiffRenderLimit =
+    !error && result.kind === 'text'
+      ? (result.largeDiffRenderLimit ?? getLargeDiffRenderLimit(result))
+      : null
+  const prune = largeDiffRenderLimit?.limited === true
+  return {
+    ...initial,
+    originalContent: result.kind === 'text' && !prune ? result.originalContent : '',
+    modifiedContent: result.kind === 'text' && !prune ? result.modifiedContent : '',
+    diffResult: prune ? { ...result, originalContent: '', modifiedContent: '' } : result,
+    largeDiffRenderLimit,
+    loading: false,
+    error,
+    contentGeneration: initial.contentGeneration
+  }
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  cleanup()
+  vi.restoreAllMocks()
+  vi.useRealTimers()
+  mocks.fetch.mockReset()
+  combinedDiffViewStateCache.clear()
+  combinedDiffScrollAnchorCache.clear()
+  combinedDiffScrollTopCache.clear()
+})
+
+describe('combined diff discarded-result analysis budget', () => {
+  it.each([512, 65_536, 1_048_576])(
+    'does not scan %i characters from a replaced view',
+    async (size) => {
+      const body = 'stale body\n'.padEnd(size, 'x')
+      const stale = deferredResult()
+      const fresh = deferredResult()
+      mocks.fetch.mockReturnValueOnce(stale.promise).mockReturnValueOnce(fresh.promise)
+      const hook = await startViewer()
+      const generation = hook.result.current.registry.generationRef.current
+      hook.rerender(replacementViewer('replacement'))
+      await flushLoads()
+      const replacementSections = hook.result.current.sections
+      const response = structuredClone(textResult(body))
+      const reads = countBodyReads(body)
+      await settle(stale, response)
+      reads.restore()
+      expect(hook.result.current.sections).toBe(replacementSections)
+      expect(hook.result.current.sectionHeights).toEqual({})
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.generationRef.current).toBe(generation + 1)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadedIndicesRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadingIndicesRef.current.has(0)).toBe(true)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.reloadTimersRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+      expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+      const next = textResult('current', 'current edited')
+      await settle(fresh, next)
+      expect(hook.result.current.sections).toEqual([expectedSection(replacementSections[0]!, next)])
+      expect(reads.count()).toBe(0)
+    }
+  )
+
+  it.each([512, 65_536, 1_048_576])(
+    'skips %i discarded RPC characters and keeps the 300 ms reload',
+    async (size) => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ['setTimeout', 'clearTimeout'] })
+      const body = 'stale RPC\n'.padEnd(size, 'x')
+      const stale = deferredResult()
+      const fresh = deferredResult()
+      const remoteViewer = { ...viewer, file: { ...file, runtimeEnvironmentId: 'remote-1' } }
+      mocks.fetch.mockReturnValueOnce(stale.promise).mockReturnValueOnce(fresh.promise)
+      const hook = await startViewer(remoteViewer)
+      const initialSections = hook.result.current.sections
+      hook.result.current.registry.renderedIndicesRef.current.add(0)
+      hook.result.current.retry.requestSectionReload(0)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.sectionLoadTokensRef.current.get(0)).toBe(1)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.reloadTimersRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+      const response = structuredClone(textResult(body))
+      const reads = countBodyReads(body)
+      await settle(stale, response)
+      reads.restore()
+      expect(hook.result.current.sections).toBe(initialSections)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.sectionLoadTokensRef.current.get(0)).toBe(2)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadedIndicesRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadingIndicesRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.reloadTimersRef.current.size).toBe(1)
+      expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+      await act(async () => {
+        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(299)
+      })
+      expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+      await act(async () => {
+        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1)
+      })
+      await flushLoads()
+      expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.reloadTimersRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+      const next = textResult('new RPC', 'new RPC edited')
+      await settle(fresh, next)
+      expect(hook.result.current.sections).toEqual([expectedSection(initialSections[0]!, next)])
+      expect(reads.count()).toBe(0)
+    }
+  )
+
+  it('keeps synchronous token-reload reentry into a replacement generation', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ['setTimeout', 'clearTimeout'] })
+    const body = 'reentrant obsolete\n'.padEnd(65_536, 'x')
+    const stale = deferredResult()
+    const fresh = deferredResult()
+    mocks.fetch.mockReturnValueOnce(stale.promise).mockReturnValueOnce(fresh.promise)
+    const hook = await startViewer()
+    hook.result.current.registry.renderedIndicesRef.current.add(0)
+    hook.result.current.retry.requestSectionReload(0)
+    const requestReload = hook.result.current.registry.requestSectionReloadRef.current
+    const reenter = vi.fn((index: number) => {
+      requestReload(index)
+      hook.rerender(replacementViewer('reentrant-replacement'))
+    })
+    hook.result.current.registry.requestSectionReloadRef.current = reenter
+    const reads = countBodyReads(body)
+    await settle(stale, textResult(body))
+    await flushLoads()
+    reads.restore()
+    expect(reenter).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith(0)
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections[0]?.loading).toBe(true)
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections[0]?.diffResult).toBeNull()
+    expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadingIndicesRef.current.has(0)).toBe(true)
+    expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadedIndicesRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+    expect(hook.result.current.registry.sectionLoadTokensRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+    expect(hook.result.current.registry.reloadTimersRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+    expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    const initial = hook.result.current.sections[0]!
+    const next = textResult('live replacement')
+    await settle(fresh, next)
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections).toEqual([expectedSection(initial, next)])
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(300)
+    })
+    expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(reads.count()).toBe(0)
+  })
+
+  it.each(['offscreen', 'collapsed'])(
+    'does not force a %s stale section to reload',
+    async (visibility) => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ['setTimeout', 'clearTimeout'] })
+      const body = 'obsolete hidden diff\n'.padEnd(4096, 'x')
+      const pending = deferredResult()
+      mocks.fetch.mockReturnValueOnce(pending.promise)
+      const hook = await startViewer()
+      if (visibility === 'collapsed') {
+        act(() => {
+          hook.result.current.setSections((sections) =>
+            sections.map((section) => ({ ...section, collapsed: true }))
+          )
+        })
+        hook.result.current.registry.renderedIndicesRef.current.add(0)
+      }
+      const sections = hook.result.current.sections
+      hook.result.current.retry.requestSectionReload(0)
+      const reads = countBodyReads(body)
+      await settle(pending, textResult(body))
+      reads.restore()
+      expect(hook.result.current.sections).toBe(sections)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadedIndicesRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadingIndicesRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.sectionLoadTokensRef.current.get(0)).toBe(2)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.reloadTimersRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+      await act(async () => {
+        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(300)
+      })
+      expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+      expect(reads.count()).toBe(0)
+    }
+  )
+})
+
+describe('combined diff live result compatibility', () => {
+  const body = 'original body\n'.padEnd(512, 'a')
+  const modified = 'modified body\n'.padEnd(128, 'b')
+  const legacy = textResult(body, modified)
+  const metadata: GitDiffResult = {
+    ...legacy,
+    largeDiffRenderLimit: getLargeDiffRenderLimit(legacy)
+  }
+  const hostLimitMetadata: GitDiffTextResult = {
+    ...textResult(''),
+    largeDiffRenderLimit: getLargeDiffRenderLimit(textResult('\n'.repeat(120_001)))
+  }
+  const responseCases: [string, GitDiffResult, boolean][] = [
+    ['legacy', legacy, true],
+    ['native wire shape', structuredClone(legacy), true],
+    ['relay wire shape', structuredClone(legacy), true],
+    ['supplied metadata', metadata, false],
+    [
+      'binary',
+      {
+        kind: 'binary',
+        originalContent: body,
+        modifiedContent: modified,
+        originalIsBinary: true,
+        modifiedIsBinary: false,
+        isImage: true,
+        mimeType: 'application/pdf',
+        modifiedDeleted: true
+      },
+      false
+    ],
+    ['empty', textResult(''), true],
+    ['line-limited legacy', textResult('\n'.repeat(120_001)), true],
+    ['character-limited legacy', textResult('x'.repeat(6_000_001)), false],
+    ['native limit metadata', structuredClone(hostLimitMetadata), false],
+    ['relay limit metadata', structuredClone(hostLimitMetadata), false]
+  ]
+
+  it.each(responseCases)('preserves the complete %s result', async (_name, response, scansBody) => {
+    const pending = deferredResult()
+    mocks.fetch.mockReturnValueOnce(pending.promise)
+    const hook = await startViewer()
+    const initial = hook.result.current.sections[0]!
+    const reads = countBodyReads(body)
+    await settle(pending, response)
+    reads.restore()
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections).toEqual([expectedSection(initial, response)])
+    if (hook.result.current.sections[0]?.largeDiffRenderLimit?.limited) {
+      expect(hook.result.current.sections[0]?.diffResult).not.toBe(response)
+    } else {
+      expect(hook.result.current.sections[0]?.diffResult).toBe(response)
+    }
+    expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadedIndicesRef.current.has(0)).toBe(true)
+    expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadingIndicesRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+    expect(hook.result.current.sectionHeights).toEqual({})
+    expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    expect(reads.count()).toBe(scansBody && response.originalContent === body ? body.length : 0)
+  })
+
+  it('preserves section identity on unchanged reload and remeasures changed content once', async () => {
+    const first = deferredResult()
+    const unchanged = deferredResult()
+    const changed = deferredResult()
+    mocks.fetch
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(first.promise)
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(unchanged.promise)
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(changed.promise)
+    const hook = await startViewer()
+    const initial = hook.result.current.sections[0]!
+    await settle(first, legacy)
+    const current = hook.result.current.sections
+    act(() => {
+      hook.result.current.setSectionHeights({ 0: 640, 1: 80 })
+    })
+    const heights = hook.result.current.sectionHeights
+    hook.result.current.registry.loadedIndicesRef.current.delete(0)
+    hook.result.current.loader.loadSection(0)
+    await flushLoads()
+    await settle(unchanged, structuredClone(legacy))
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections).toBe(current)
+    expect(hook.result.current.sectionHeights).toBe(heights)
+    hook.result.current.registry.loadedIndicesRef.current.delete(0)
+    hook.result.current.loader.loadSection(0)
+    await flushLoads()
+    const next = textResult('changed original', 'changed modified')
+    await settle(changed, next)
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections).toEqual([
+      { ...expectedSection(initial, next), contentGeneration: 1 }
+    ])
+    expect(hook.result.current.sectionHeights).toEqual({ 1: 80 })
+    expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3)
+  })
+
+  it.each([new Error('  original remote failure  '), new Error(' '), 'rejected value'])(
+    'keeps the existing rejection message for %s',
+    async (error) => {
+      const pending = deferredResult()
+      mocks.fetch.mockReturnValueOnce(pending.promise)
+      const hook = await startViewer()
+      const initial = hook.result.current.sections[0]!
+      await act(async () => {
+        pending.reject(error)
+        await Promise.resolve()
+      })
+      const message =
+        error instanceof Error && error.message.trim() ? error.message : 'Unable to load diff.'
+      expect(hook.result.current.sections).toEqual([
+        expectedSection(initial, textResult(''), message)
+      ])
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadedIndicesRef.current.has(0)).toBe(true)
+      expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadingIndicesRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+    }
+  )
+
+  it('preserves the actual 30 second deadline and clears its timer after failure', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ['setTimeout', 'clearTimeout'] })
+    const pending = deferredResult()
+    mocks.fetch.mockImplementationOnce(() => withDiffSectionLoadTimeout(pending.promise))
+    const hook = await startViewer()
+    const initial = hook.result.current.sections[0]!
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(29_999)
+    })
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections[0]?.loading).toBe(true)
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1)
+    })
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections).toEqual([
+      expectedSection(initial, textResult(''), 'Diff did not finish loading.')
+    ])
+    expect(vi.getTimerCount()).toBe(0)
+    await settle(pending, legacy)
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections[0]?.error).toBe('Diff did not finish loading.')
+    expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a stale rejection from changing the replacement load', async () => {
+    const stale = deferredResult()
+    const fresh = deferredResult()
+    mocks.fetch.mockReturnValueOnce(stale.promise).mockReturnValueOnce(fresh.promise)
+    const hook = await startViewer()
+    hook.rerender(replacementViewer('failed-replacement'))
+    await flushLoads()
+    const sections = hook.result.current.sections
+    await act(async () => {
+      stale.reject(new Error('obsolete failure'))
+      await Promise.resolve()
+    })
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections).toBe(sections)
+    expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadingIndicesRef.current.has(0)).toBe(true)
+    await settle(fresh, legacy)
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections).toEqual([expectedSection(sections[0]!, legacy)])
+    expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+  })
+
+  it('still reloads after a token-stale rejection without publishing the obsolete error', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ['setTimeout', 'clearTimeout'] })
+    const stale = deferredResult()
+    const fresh = deferredResult()
+    mocks.fetch.mockReturnValueOnce(stale.promise).mockReturnValueOnce(fresh.promise)
+    const hook = await startViewer()
+    const sections = hook.result.current.sections
+    hook.result.current.registry.renderedIndicesRef.current.add(0)
+    hook.result.current.retry.requestSectionReload(0)
+    await act(async () => {
+      stale.reject(new Error('obsolete remote failure'))
+      await Promise.resolve()
+    })
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections).toBe(sections)
+    expect(hook.result.current.registry.reloadTimersRef.current.size).toBe(1)
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(300)
+    })
+    await flushLoads()
+    await settle(fresh, legacy)
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections).toEqual([expectedSection(sections[0]!, legacy)])
+    expect(mocks.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+  })
+
+  it('preserves a synchronous fetch failure', async () => {
+    const failure = new Error('original synchronous failure')
+    mocks.fetch.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+      throw failure
+    })
+    const hook = await startViewer()
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections[0]?.error).toBe(failure.message)
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections[0]?.diffResult).toEqual(textResult(''))
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections[0]?.largeDiffRenderLimit).toBeNull()
+    expect(hook.result.current.sections[0]?.loading).toBe(false)
+    expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadedIndicesRef.current.has(0)).toBe(true)
+    expect(hook.result.current.registry.loadingIndicesRef.current.size).toBe(0)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/combined-diff/load-sections/use-combined-diff-section-loader.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/combined-diff/load-sections/use-combined-diff-section-loader.ts
index e4980bc7731..eb1c05e2575 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/combined-diff/load-sections/use-combined-diff-section-loader.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/combined-diff/load-sections/use-combined-diff-section-loader.ts
@@ -108,15 +108,6 @@ export function useCombinedDiffSectionLoader({
         } as GitDiffResult
       }
 
-      const largeDiffRenderLimit =
-        !error && result.kind === 'text'
-          ? (result.largeDiffRenderLimit ??
-            getLargeDiffRenderLimit({
-              originalContent: result.originalContent,
-              modifiedContent: result.modifiedContent
-            }))
-          : null
-
       if (generationRef.current !== gen) {
         // Why: the generation reset already cleared the in-flight set, and a newer load for this
         // index may own the entry now — deleting it here would hide that load from the guard above.
@@ -129,6 +120,14 @@ export function useCombinedDiffSectionLoader({
         requestSectionReloadRef.current(index)
         return
       }
+      const largeDiffRenderLimit =
+        !error && result.kind === 'text'
+          ? (result.largeDiffRenderLimit ??
+            getLargeDiffRenderLimit({
+              originalContent: result.originalContent,
+              modifiedContent: result.modifiedContent
+            }))
+          : null
       const storedContent = getStoredTextDiffContent(result, largeDiffRenderLimit)
       const storedResult = getStoredTextDiffResult(result, largeDiffRenderLimit)
       loadedIndicesRef.current.add(index)