diff --git a/packages/devtools/src/__tests__/overlay-reconnect-visibility.test.ts b/packages/devtools/src/__tests__/overlay-reconnect-visibility.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..76233f9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/devtools/src/__tests__/overlay-reconnect-visibility.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,196 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+interface FakeClient {
+  status: string;
+  readonly isTrusted: boolean;
+  calls: { name: string; args: unknown[] }[];
+  set(status: string): void;
+}
+
+const clients: FakeClient[] = [];
+let nextStatus = 'connected';
+/** While set, `claim-page` waits for it, so a test can drop the link during the call. */
+let claimGate: Promise<void> | null = null;
+const configs = { pangular: { inspectors: { analog: false, router: false } } };
+
+function fakeClient(status: string): FakeClient {
+  const listeners = new Set<(status: string) => void>();
+  const client = {
+    status,
+    get isTrusted() {
+      return client.status === 'connected';
+    },
+    calls: [] as { name: string; args: unknown[] }[],
+    connectionMeta: { backend: 'websocket', configs },
+    events: {
+      on: (event: string, listener: (status: string) => void) => {
+        if (event !== 'connection:status') return () => {};
+        listeners.add(listener);
+        return () => listeners.delete(listener);
+      },
+    },
+    scope: () => ({
+      rpc: {
+        call: async (name: string, ...args: unknown[]) => {
+          client.calls.push({ name, args });
+          if (name === 'claim-page' && claimGate) await claimGate;
+          if (client.status !== 'connected') {
+            throw new Error('[devframe] Not connected to the devframe server');
+          }
+          return undefined;
+        },
+        register: () => {},
+      },
+    }),
+    close: () => {},
+    set(next: string) {
+      client.status = next;
+      for (const listener of [...listeners]) listener(next);
+    },
+  };
+  return client;
+}
+
+vi.mock('devframe/client', () => ({
+  connectDevframe: async () => {
+    const client = fakeClient(nextStatus);
+    clients.push(client);
+    return client;
+  },
+}));
+
+/** Change-detection watchers (the overlay's refresher) that are started and not stopped. */
+let watching = 0;
+vi.mock('../change-detection.ts', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import('../change-detection.ts')>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    watchChangeDetection: (options: Parameters<typeof actual.watchChangeDetection>[0]) => {
+      const scheduler = actual.watchChangeDetection(options);
+      watching++;
+      let stopped = false;
+      const stop = scheduler.stop;
+      scheduler.stop = () => {
+        if (!stopped) watching--;
+        stopped = true;
+        stop();
+      };
+      return scheduler;
+    },
+  };
+});
+
+let hidden = false;
+const stops: (() => void)[] = [];
+
+async function start() {
+  vi.resetModules();
+  const { initOverlay } = await import('../overlay.ts');
+  const pending = initOverlay();
+  await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(200);
+  stops.push(await pending);
+}
+
+function setHidden(value: boolean) {
+  hidden = value;
+  document.dispatchEvent(new Event('visibilitychange'));
+}
+
+const named = (client: FakeClient, name: string) => client.calls.filter((c) => c.name === name);
+const visibility = (client: FakeClient) =>
+  named(client, 'report-page-visibility').map((call) => call.args[0]);
+
+describe.sequential('overlay reconnect and page visibility', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    clients.length = 0;
+    nextStatus = 'connected';
+    claimGate = null;
+    watching = 0;
+    hidden = false;
+    vi.stubGlobal('BroadcastChannel', undefined);
+    Object.defineProperty(document, 'visibilityState', {
+      configurable: true,
+      get: () => (hidden ? 'hidden' : 'visible'),
+    });
+    vi.useFakeTimers({
+      toFake: ['Date', 'setTimeout', 'clearTimeout', 'setInterval', 'clearInterval'],
+    });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    stops.splice(0).forEach((stop) => stop());
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+    sessionStorage.clear();
+  });
+
+  it('reports a page that reconnects in a background tab as hidden and keeps it marked', async () => {
+    await start();
+    const [first] = clients;
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(2000);
+    setHidden(true);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    expect(visibility(first).at(-1)).toMatchObject({ hidden: true });
+
+    // The server restarts while the tab is in the background.
+    first.set('disconnected');
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1000);
+    const live = clients.at(-1)!;
+    expect(live).not.toBe(first);
+    expect(named(live, 'claim-page').length).toBe(1);
+
+    // The new server hears that the page is hidden, so it does not expire it.
+    expect(visibility(live).at(-1)).toMatchObject({ hidden: true });
+    expect(watching).toBe(0);
+    live.calls.length = 0;
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(130_000);
+    const reports = visibility(live);
+    expect(reports.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(2);
+    expect(reports.every((report) => (report as { hidden: boolean }).hidden)).toBe(true);
+    expect(named(live, 'push-component-tree')).toEqual([]);
+
+    // Back to the tab: it reports and collects as usual.
+    live.calls.length = 0;
+    setHidden(false);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    expect(visibility(live).at(-1)).toMatchObject({ hidden: false });
+    expect(watching).toBe(1);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10_000);
+    expect(named(live, 'page-heartbeat').length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+
+  it('stays quiet when the link drops again while the page is being claimed', async () => {
+    await start();
+    const [first] = clients;
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(2000);
+    expect(watching).toBe(1);
+
+    let openGate = () => {};
+    claimGate = new Promise<void>((resolve) => (openGate = resolve));
+    first.set('disconnected');
+    expect(watching).toBe(0);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1000);
+    const second = clients.at(-1)!;
+    expect(named(second, 'claim-page').length).toBe(1);
+
+    // The new connection drops before the claim answers, and the server stays down.
+    nextStatus = 'error';
+    second.set('disconnected');
+    openGate();
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    expect(watching).toBe(0);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(20_000);
+    expect(watching).toBe(0);
+
+    // When the server is back, the page reports as usual.
+    claimGate = null;
+    nextStatus = 'connected';
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(60_000);
+    const live = clients.at(-1)!;
+    expect(live.status).toBe('connected');
+    expect(named(live, 'claim-page').length).toBe(1);
+    expect(watching).toBe(1);
+    expect(named(live, 'push-component-tree').length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/devtools/src/__tests__/overlay-visibility.test.ts b/packages/devtools/src/__tests__/overlay-visibility.test.ts
index 729c15fc..7297bd79 100644
--- a/packages/devtools/src/__tests__/overlay-visibility.test.ts
+++ b/packages/devtools/src/__tests__/overlay-visibility.test.ts
@@ -140,4 +140,19 @@ describe.sequential('overlay keepalive and background tabs', () => {
     await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
     expect(sent('report-page-visibility').at(-1)?.args[0]).toMatchObject({ hidden: true });
   });
+
+  it('keeps a hidden tab marked when it comes back from the back/forward cache still hidden', async () => {
+    await start();
+    setHidden(true);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    window.dispatchEvent(new Event('pagehide'));
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    calls.length = 0;
+    window.dispatchEvent(new Event('pageshow'));
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(130_000);
+    const reports = sent('report-page-visibility').map((call) => call.args[0]);
+    expect(reports.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(2);
+    expect(reports).not.toContainEqual(expect.objectContaining({ hidden: false }));
+    expect(sent('push-component-tree')).toEqual([]);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/devtools/src/overlay.ts b/packages/devtools/src/overlay.ts
index 9bb25f57..ff069f9e 100644
--- a/packages/devtools/src/overlay.ts
+++ b/packages/devtools/src/overlay.ts
@@ -833,10 +833,12 @@ async function startOverlay(
   const onVisibility = () => {
     if (left) return;
     if (document.visibilityState === 'hidden') {
-      if (!refresher) return;
       heartbeat.pause();
-      refresher.stop();
+      refresher?.stop();
       refresher = undefined;
+      // Already marked hidden. A page that reconnects in the background has no
+      // refresher but is not marked yet, so this checks the mark, not the refresher.
+      if (stillHidden !== undefined) return;
       reportVisibility(true);
       stillHidden = outsideAngular(() =>
         setInterval(() => reportVisibility(true), HIDDEN_HEARTBEAT_MS),
@@ -846,6 +848,7 @@ async function startOverlay(
     outsideAngular(heartbeat.start);
     if (refresher) return;
     clearInterval(stillHidden);
+    stillHidden = undefined;
     reportVisibility(false);
     pushAll();
     refresher = watch();
@@ -1045,6 +1048,7 @@ async function startOverlay(
     refresher?.stop();
     refresher = undefined;
     clearInterval(stillHidden);
+    stillHidden = undefined;
     reportVisibility(false);
     pipes?.pause();
     forms?.leave();
@@ -1091,12 +1095,19 @@ async function startOverlay(
   };
   addEventListener('pageshow', resendConfig);
   // After a server restart: stop sending, then claim the page and send everything again.
+  let drops = 0;
   link.follow({
-    dropped: leave,
+    dropped: () => {
+      drops++;
+      leave();
+    },
     restored: async () => {
+      const at = drops;
       await claimPageOnServer(my.rpc, pageId, pageKey);
       // A failed call keeps the config the page already has.
       const next = await serverRedaction(my.rpc, fallbackRedaction);
+      // The link dropped again during the calls: stay quiet until the next `restored`.
+      if (drops !== at) return;
       if (next) setRedaction(next);
       resendConfig();
     },