diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/userDraft.svelte.ts b/frontend/src/lib/userDraft.svelte.ts
index 501a7576f3..17ae1d0d74 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/userDraft.svelte.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/userDraft.svelte.ts
@@ -285,12 +285,18 @@ export async function settleDraftAfterWrite<V>(
 	savedPath: string,
 	opts?: UserDraftOptions
 ): Promise<void> {
-	if (savedPath !== fromPath || draftValuesEqual(live, written)) {
+	if (savedPath === fromPath && !draftValuesEqual(live, written)) return
+	// Sent before this resolves, not left on the keystroke debounce: callers report
+	// the write and remount on it, and both read a cell this has to have finished
+	// resolving — including through a frame with a draft store of its own.
+	//
+	// Re-sent while the key is not settled on that delete: the form stays editable
+	// across the request, and an edit made then parks a write behind it that would
+	// put a draft back — under a path the item has left, once the callers re-key.
+	// Bounded, because a form still being typed into can always add one more.
+	for (let attempt = 0; attempt < 3; attempt++) {
 		UserDraft.discard(itemKind, fromPath, written, opts)
-		// Sent before this resolves, not left on the keystroke debounce: callers
-		// report the write and remount on it, and both read a cell this has to have
-		// finished resolving — including through a frame with a draft store of its own.
-		await flushDraftWrites(itemKind, fromPath, opts)
+		if (await flushDraftDelete(itemKind, fromPath, opts)) return
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/userDraftSettleAfterWrite.test.ts b/frontend/src/lib/userDraftSettleAfterWrite.test.ts
index 039629f8da..7c3407e492 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/userDraftSettleAfterWrite.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/userDraftSettleAfterWrite.test.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,25 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 const discard = vi.fn()
+// Whether the key ends up settled on the delete after a flush — false stands for a
+// form that keeps queueing writes behind it.
+let settles = true
 vi.mock('./gen', () => ({ DraftService: { updateDraft: vi.fn() } }))
 vi.mock('./gen/core/OpenAPI', () => ({ OpenAPI: { BASE: '' } }))
 vi.mock('./localDraftHints.svelte', () => ({ setLocalDraftHint: vi.fn() }))
+vi.mock('./userDraftDbSyncer.svelte', () => ({
+	UserDraftDbSyncer: {
+		save: vi.fn(),
+		flush: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+		lastLandedWasDelete: vi.fn(() => settles),
+		getState: vi.fn(() => ({ state: 'none' }))
+	}
+}))
 
 import { settleDraftAfterWrite, UserDraft } from './userDraft.svelte'
 
 beforeEach(() => {
+	settles = true
 	discard.mockClear()
 	vi.spyOn(UserDraft, 'discard').mockImplementation(discard as any)
 })
@@ -53,6 +65,21 @@ describe('settleDraftAfterWrite', () => {
 		expect(discard).toHaveBeenCalledWith('variable', 'u/me/a', sent, OPTS)
 	})
 
+	// The form stays editable across the delete's own request, so an edit made then
+	// parks a write that would put the draft back — under a path the item has left,
+	// once the callers re-key. The delete is re-sent while that is the case, and
+	// bounded, because a form being typed into can always add one more.
+	it('re-sends the delete while the key will not settle on it, and gives up bounded', async () => {
+		settles = false
+		await settleDraftAfterWrite('variable', sent, { ...sent }, 'u/me/a', 'u/me/b', OPTS)
+		expect(discard).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3)
+	})
+
+	it('sends it once when the key settles', async () => {
+		await settleDraftAfterWrite('variable', sent, { ...sent }, 'u/me/a', 'u/me/b', OPTS)
+		expect(discard).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+	})
+
 	it('compares through the draft normalization, so a nested edit is not missed', () => {
 		const written = { path: 'u/me/a', args: { host: 'h' } }
 		settleDraftAfterWrite(