diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list-metadata.react.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list-metadata.react.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..160f852e224
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list-metadata.react.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+
+import { act } from 'react'
+import { expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { useAppStore } from '@/store'
+import type { Worktree } from '../../../shared/worktree/types'
+import type { RuntimeFileListState } from './quick-open-file-list'
+import {
+  cancelRuntimeFileListMock,
+  flushEffects,
+  listRuntimeFilesMock,
+  makeRemoteWorktree,
+  renderProbe,
+  searchRuntimeFilePathsMock,
+  seedRemoteWorktree
+} from './quick-open-file-list-test-harness'
+
+vi.mock('@/runtime/runtime-file-search-client', async () => {
+  const mocks = await import('./__mocks__/quick-open-runtime-file-client')
+  return {
+    listRuntimeFiles: mocks.listRuntimeFilesMock,
+    cancelRuntimeFileList: mocks.cancelRuntimeFileListMock,
+    searchRuntimeFilePaths: mocks.searchRuntimeFilePathsMock
+  }
+})
+
+async function replaceWorktrees(worktrees: Worktree[]): Promise<void> {
+  await act(async () => {
+    useAppStore.setState({ worktreesByRepo: { 'repo-remote': worktrees } })
+  })
+  await flushEffects()
+}
+
+it('keeps a settled inventory through metadata updates', async () => {
+  seedRemoteWorktree()
+  const states: RuntimeFileListState[] = []
+  await renderProbe({ enabled: true, states, worktreeId: 'wt-remote' })
+  const settledFiles = states.at(-1)?.files
+  const initialRequest = listRuntimeFilesMock.mock.calls[0]?.[1]
+  const rendersBeforeUpdates = states.length
+
+  await replaceWorktrees([{ ...makeRemoteWorktree(), head: 'commit-1' }])
+  await replaceWorktrees([{ ...makeRemoteWorktree(), head: 'commit-2' }])
+
+  expect(listRuntimeFilesMock).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+  expect(cancelRuntimeFileListMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  expect(initialRequest?.signal?.aborted).toBe(false)
+  expect(states.slice(rendersBeforeUpdates).every((state) => !state.loading)).toBe(true)
+  expect(states.at(-1)?.files).toBe(settledFiles)
+})
+
+it('keeps an in-flight query through metadata updates but replaces it for changed exclusions', async () => {
+  vi.useFakeTimers()
+  seedRemoteWorktree()
+  searchRuntimeFilePathsMock.mockReturnValue(new Promise(() => {}))
+  try {
+    await renderProbe({ enabled: true, states: [], query: 'target', worktreeId: 'wt-remote' })
+    await act(async () => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(120))
+    const initialRequest = searchRuntimeFilePathsMock.mock.calls[0]?.[1]
+    await replaceWorktrees([{ ...makeRemoteWorktree(), comment: 'Updated comment' }])
+    await act(async () => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(120))
+    expect(initialRequest?.signal?.aborted).toBe(false)
+    expect(searchRuntimeFilePathsMock).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+
+    const nested = { ...makeRemoteWorktree(), id: 'nested', path: '/srv/remote/nested' }
+    await replaceWorktrees([makeRemoteWorktree(), nested])
+    expect(initialRequest?.signal?.aborted).toBe(true)
+    await act(async () => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(120))
+    expect(searchRuntimeFilePathsMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(searchRuntimeFilePathsMock.mock.calls[1]?.[1].excludePaths).toEqual([nested.path])
+
+    await replaceWorktrees([makeRemoteWorktree()])
+    await act(async () => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(120))
+    expect(searchRuntimeFilePathsMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3)
+    expect(searchRuntimeFilePathsMock.mock.calls[2]?.[1].excludePaths).toBeUndefined()
+  } finally {
+    vi.useRealTimers()
+  }
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list-target.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list-target.ts
index f85bfccb918..15c093cfdb8 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list-target.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list-target.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { useState } from 'react'
 import type { Worktree } from '../../../shared/worktree/types'
 import { getNestedWorktreeExcludePaths } from './quick-open-nested-worktrees'
 
@@ -44,3 +45,14 @@ export function getNestedWorktreeExcludeRequest(
   // JSON preserves newline-containing paths in stable dependency keys; pass the original path array to IPC.
   return { paths, key: JSON.stringify(paths) }
 }
+
+// Why: worktree metadata updates rebuild the request object; only a key change should restart scans.
+export function useKeyedExcludeRequest(
+  request: NestedWorktreeExcludeRequest
+): NestedWorktreeExcludeRequest {
+  const [keyed, setKeyed] = useState(request)
+  if (keyed.key !== request.key) {
+    setKeyed(request)
+  }
+  return keyed.key === request.key ? keyed : request
+}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list.ts
index 43bd560079f..36e1fb11dd7 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/quick-open-file-list.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { getRuntimeFileListTarget } from './quick-open-file-list-target'
+import { getRuntimeFileListTarget, useKeyedExcludeRequest } from './quick-open-file-list-target'
 export {
   getRuntimeFileListTarget,
   getNestedWorktreeExcludeRequest
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ export function useRuntimeFileListForWorktree({
     () => getRuntimeFileListTarget(worktreeId, worktreePath, repoWorktrees),
     [repoWorktrees, worktreeId, worktreePath]
   )
-  const { excludeRequest } = target
+  const excludeRequest = useKeyedExcludeRequest(target.excludeRequest)
 
   const operationOwnerState = useAppStore(
     useShallow((state) => ({