diff --git a/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/tab-coordinator.test.ts b/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/tab-coordinator.test.ts
index 037c850..42499d3 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/tab-coordinator.test.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/tab-coordinator.test.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ describe("RecordingTabCoordinator", () => {
 
     expect(tabs.isLatest(second)).toBe(false);
     expect(tabs.isLatest(third)).toBe(true);
-    expect(tabs.commit(6)).toBe(4);
+    tabs.commit(6);
     expect(tabs.currentTabId).toBe(6);
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/trace-reducer-v3.test.ts b/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/trace-reducer-v3.test.ts
index 5437085..1018aec 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/trace-reducer-v3.test.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/lib/__tests__/trace-reducer-v3.test.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,15 @@ describe("trace reducer v3", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("does not export a tab transition without both observation endpoints", () => {
+    const sourceOnly: RecordingDraftStep = { op: "switch_tab", preStateId: "s1" };
+    const targetOnly: RecordingDraftStep = { op: "switch_tab", postStateId: "s2" };
+
+    expect(
+      reduceTraceStepsV3([sourceOnly, targetOnly], { includeTabSwitches: true }).steps,
+    ).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
   it("collapses redirect hops while retaining draft-to-step identity", () => {
     const drafts: RecordingDraftStep[] = [
       { op: "navigate", url: "https://example.com/start", preStateId: "s1", postStateId: "s2" },
diff --git a/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/recording-runtime.ts b/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/recording-runtime.ts
index 42a0261..e27577f 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/recording-runtime.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/recording-runtime.ts
@@ -165,12 +165,8 @@ export class RecordingObservationRuntime {
     await context.settle.flush();
   }
 
-  async flushRedirects(tabId?: number): Promise<void> {
-    if (tabId !== undefined) {
-      await this.#contexts.get(tabId)?.settle.flushRedirects();
-      return;
-    }
-    for (const context of this.#contexts.values()) await context.settle.flushRedirects();
+  async flushRedirects(tabId: number): Promise<void> {
+    await this.#contexts.get(tabId)?.settle.flushRedirects();
   }
 
   async flush(): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/tab-coordinator.ts b/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/tab-coordinator.ts
index 0dbe185..2782b6f 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/tab-coordinator.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/tab-coordinator.ts
@@ -40,10 +40,8 @@ export class RecordingTabCoordinator {
     );
   }
 
-  commit(tabId: number): number {
-    const previousTabId = this.#currentTabId;
+  commit(tabId: number): void {
     this.#currentTabId = tabId;
-    return previousTabId;
   }
 
   navigation(tabId: number, fallbackUrl?: string): RecordingNavigationCursor {
diff --git a/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/trace-reducer-v3.ts b/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/trace-reducer-v3.ts
index a28ad80..aded63b 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/trace-reducer-v3.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/lib/recording/trace-reducer-v3.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,15 @@ function reduceDraft(
   options: ReduceDraftOptions,
 ): StepV3 | null {
   if (!shouldIncludeDraft(draft)) return null;
+  if (draft.op === "switch_tab") {
+    if (!options.includeTabSwitches || !draft.preStateId || !draft.postStateId) return null;
+    return {
+      op: "switch_tab",
+      id,
+      state: draft.preStateId,
+      result: { state: draft.postStateId },
+    };
+  }
   const state = draft.preStateId ?? draft.postStateId;
   const resultState = draft.postStateId ?? draft.preStateId;
   if (!state || !resultState) return null;
@@ -77,8 +86,6 @@ function reduceDraft(
   switch (draft.op) {
     case "navigate":
       return { op: "navigate", ...common, to: draft.url, cause: navigationCause(draft) };
-    case "switch_tab":
-      return options.includeTabSwitches ? { op: "switch_tab", ...common } : null;
     case "click":
       return {
         op: "click",
diff --git a/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/record-steps.test.ts b/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/record-steps.test.ts
index 4b6a02d..83d108b 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/record-steps.test.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/record-steps.test.ts
@@ -1376,6 +1376,62 @@ describe("recorded user steps reach the exported trace", () => {
     expect(stateUrl(switches[0]!.result.state)).toBe("https://example.com/tab-6");
   });
 
+  it("does not retry an in-flight tab rearm after recording stops", async () => {
+    const chromeApi = installChrome();
+    const manager = fakeManager();
+    const tabsApi = makeMultiTabsApi([
+      {
+        id: TAB_ID,
+        windowId: AGENT_WINDOW_ID,
+        active: true,
+        status: "complete",
+        url: START_URL,
+      } as chrome.tabs.Tab,
+      {
+        id: 5,
+        windowId: AGENT_WINDOW_ID,
+        active: false,
+        status: "complete",
+        url: "https://example.com/second",
+      } as chrome.tabs.Tab,
+    ]);
+    let failRearm!: () => void;
+    const rearmGate = new Promise<never>((_resolve, reject) => {
+      failRearm = () => reject(new Error("rearm failed after stop"));
+    });
+    let announceRearm!: () => void;
+    const rearmStarted = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      announceRearm = resolve;
+    });
+    const sendToTab = vi.fn(async (tabId: number, message: unknown) => {
+      if ((message as { type?: string }).type === RECORD_START && tabId === 5) {
+        announceRearm();
+        await rearmGate;
+      }
+      return { ok: true };
+    });
+    const deps = { tabsApi, sendToTab, cdp: makeFakeCdp() };
+
+    await handleRecordStart(manager, RECORD_START_V3, deps);
+    tabsApi.activate(5);
+    chromeApi.tabsOnActivated.emit({ tabId: 5, windowId: AGENT_WINDOW_ID });
+    await rearmStarted;
+
+    const stoppedPromise = handleRecordStop(manager, { session_id: "abcd" }, deps);
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(sendToTab).toHaveBeenCalledWith(5, expect.objectContaining({ type: RECORD_STOP }));
+    });
+    failRearm();
+    const stopped = await stoppedPromise;
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 600));
+
+    const startsForSecondTab = sendToTab.mock.calls.filter(
+      ([tabId, message]) => tabId === 5 && (message as { type?: string }).type === RECORD_START,
+    );
+    expect(startsForSecondTab).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(asTraceV3((stopped as RecordStopResult).trace).steps).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
   it("keeps pending action settles scoped to their tab during an immediate switch", async () => {
     const chromeApi = installChrome();
     const manager = fakeManager();
diff --git a/apps/extension/src/tools/record.ts b/apps/extension/src/tools/record.ts
index 8ebceca..80dde14 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/tools/record.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/tools/record.ts
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ function enqueueRecordingAction(
   return queued;
 }
 
+function isRecordingFinishing(recording: ActiveRecording): boolean {
+  return recording.settled || recording.finishAttempt !== null;
+}
+
 const recordings = new Map<string, ActiveRecording>();
 
 const RECORD_START_RETRIES = 3;
@@ -171,9 +175,11 @@ async function sendRecordStartWithAck(
   tabId: number,
   msg: RecordStartMessage,
   sendToTab: RecordDeps["sendToTab"],
+  cancelled?: () => boolean,
 ): Promise<void> {
   let lastError: unknown;
   for (let attempt = 0; attempt < RECORD_START_RETRIES; attempt += 1) {
+    if (cancelled?.()) throw new Error("record start cancelled");
     try {
       const response = await sendToTab(tabId, msg);
       if (isRecordStartAck(response)) return;
@@ -181,6 +187,7 @@ async function sendRecordStartWithAck(
     } catch (err) {
       lastError = err;
     }
+    if (cancelled?.()) throw new Error("record start cancelled");
     if (attempt + 1 < RECORD_START_RETRIES) {
       await sleep(RECORD_START_RETRY_DELAY_MS);
     }
@@ -508,20 +515,29 @@ async function rearmRecording(
   // content-script counter, and a single stop decrement left the ControlOverlay
   // stuck with pointer-events:none (page usable, Interrupt dead). RecordOverlay
   // already hides the control chrome while activeRecord is set.
+  const isFinishing = () => isRecordingFinishing(recording);
   for (let attempt = 0; attempt < RECORD_REARM_MAX_ATTEMPTS; attempt += 1) {
+    if (isFinishing()) return false;
     const startMsg: RecordStartMessage = {
       type: RECORD_START,
       requestId: recording.requestId,
       startedAtMs: recording.startedAtMs,
     };
     try {
-      await sendRecordStartWithAck(targetTabId, startMsg, deps.sendToTab);
+      await sendRecordStartWithAck(targetTabId, startMsg, deps.sendToTab, isFinishing);
+      if (isFinishing()) return false;
       if (activation) {
         if (!recording.tabs.isLatest(activation)) return true;
-        await enqueueRecordingAction(recording, () => activateRecordingTab(recording, targetTabId));
+        await enqueueRecordingAction(recording, async () => {
+          if (isFinishing() || !recording.tabs.isLatest(activation)) {
+            return;
+          }
+          await activateRecordingTab(recording, targetTabId);
+        });
       }
       return true;
     } catch {
+      if (isFinishing()) return false;
       if (attempt + 1 < RECORD_REARM_MAX_ATTEMPTS) {
         await sleep(RECORD_REARM_RETRY_DELAY_MS);
       }
@@ -551,7 +567,7 @@ export function attachRecordTabListener(deps: RecordDeps = getDefaultDeps()): ()
     const windowId = tab.windowId;
     if (tabId === undefined || windowId === undefined) return;
     for (const recording of recordings.values()) {
-      if (recording.settled || recording.agentWindowId !== windowId) continue;
+      if (isRecordingFinishing(recording) || recording.agentWindowId !== windowId) continue;
       scheduleRearmForTab(tabId, deps);
       return;
     }
@@ -559,7 +575,8 @@ export function attachRecordTabListener(deps: RecordDeps = getDefaultDeps()): ()
 
   const onActivated = (activeInfo: chrome.tabs.TabActiveInfo) => {
     for (const recording of recordings.values()) {
-      if (recording.settled || recording.agentWindowId !== activeInfo.windowId) continue;
+      if (isRecordingFinishing(recording) || recording.agentWindowId !== activeInfo.windowId)
+        continue;
       const activation = recording.tabs.noteActivation(activeInfo.tabId);
       scheduleRearmForTab(activeInfo.tabId, deps, activation);
       return;