diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/coalescingRunner.ts b/frontend/src/lib/coalescingRunner.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..02353b5dd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/coalescingRunner.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/**
+ * Per-key coalescing async runner.
+ *
+ * For each key, at most one task is running and at most one is pending.
+ * `submit(key, fn)` runs `fn` immediately when the key is idle; otherwise
+ * `fn` REPLACES any previously-pending task for that key (the displaced
+ * one is dropped and never runs). When the running task settles, the
+ * pending task — if any — starts next. Different keys are independent.
+ *
+ * Use to collapse bursts of "save the latest version" calls down to
+ * exactly two runs: the one in flight plus the most recent.
+ */
+export type CoalescingTask = () => unknown | Promise<unknown>
+
+export type CoalescingKeyedRunner = {
+	/** Schedule `fn` under `key` per the policy above. Synchronous; `fn`
+	 * is invoked on the current tick when the key is idle. */
+	submit(key: string, fn: CoalescingTask): void
+}
+
+type Entry = { pending: CoalescingTask | undefined }
+
+export function createCoalescingKeyedRunner(): CoalescingKeyedRunner {
+	const state = new Map<string, Entry>()
+
+	async function chain(key: string, first: CoalescingTask): Promise<void> {
+		let current: CoalescingTask | undefined = first
+		while (current) {
+			try {
+				await current()
+			} catch (e) {
+				// Don't kill the chain on a task failure — bursty callers
+				// rely on later submissions still running.
+				console.error('coalescingRunner: task failed', e)
+			}
+			const entry = state.get(key)!
+			current = entry.pending
+			entry.pending = undefined
+		}
+		state.delete(key)
+	}
+
+	function submit(key: string, fn: CoalescingTask): void {
+		const entry = state.get(key)
+		if (entry) {
+			// Drop whatever was queued — only the latest submission matters.
+			entry.pending = fn
+			return
+		}
+		state.set(key, { pending: undefined })
+		void chain(key, fn)
+	}
+
+	return { submit }
+}