diff --git a/desktopenvs/hyprlua/astal-menu/ui/taskbar.py b/desktopenvs/hyprlua/astal-menu/ui/taskbar.py
index fc4efd9..884b469 100644
--- a/desktopenvs/hyprlua/astal-menu/ui/taskbar.py
+++ b/desktopenvs/hyprlua/astal-menu/ui/taskbar.py
@@ -340,38 +340,81 @@ class Taskbar(Gtk.Box):
 
     # -- sync + handlers ---------------------------------------------------
     def _sync_layout_controls(self) -> None:
-        # reflect the current per-ws layout / direction / focus_fit in the tabs+options
+        # Reflect the current per-ws layout / direction / focus_fit in the tabs+options.
+        #
+        # This fires 3 concurrent hyprctl subprocess calls with no guaranteed resolution
+        # order, and refresh() can trigger _rebuild_panel() (hence this) twice in a row
+        # (once from the clients query, once from the activeworkspace one) — each
+        # rebuilding a fresh _layout_stack/_dir_dds/_fit_sws. Two failure modes existed:
+        #   1. The 3 callbacks used to each toggle the shared `self._syncing` flag
+        #      independently (True at start, False at end). Whichever resolved *first*
+        #      dropped the guard while the others — in particular the tab-selection one,
+        #      which programmatically flips the visible stack child — were still in
+        #      flight, letting `_on_tab_switch`/`_on_opt_change` misfire as if the user
+        #      had clicked and re-apply stale data via `layouts.set(...)`.
+        #   2. A second `_sync_layout_controls()` call (from the redundant rebuild) could
+        #      land while the first's callbacks were still pending, so a stale callback
+        #      from sync #1 could decrement sync #2's pending-count or apply sync #1's
+        #      (possibly wrong-workspace) data into sync #2's freshly built widgets.
+        # A generation token invalidates any sync superseded by a newer one outright —
+        # if the user switches workspaces (or a redundant rebuild fires) mid-flight, only
+        # the latest call's callbacks are allowed to touch anything, and self._syncing
+        # only lifts once *that* generation's 3 calls have all resolved.
+        self._sync_generation = getattr(self, "_sync_generation", 0) + 1
+        gen = self._sync_generation
+        ws = self._active_ws
         self._syncing = True
-        run_json(["hyprctl", "getoption", "general:layout", "-j"], self._apply_tab_sel)
-        run_json(["hyprctl", "getoption", "scrolling:direction", "-j"], self._apply_dir_sel)
-        run_json(["hyprctl", "getoption", "scrolling:focus_fit_method", "-j"], self._apply_fit_sel)
+        pending = [3]
+
+        def _done() -> None:
+            if gen != self._sync_generation:
+                return   # superseded — a newer sync owns self._syncing now
+            pending[0] -= 1
+            if pending[0] <= 0:
+                self._syncing = False
+
+        def _tab_cb(ok, data) -> None:
+            if gen == self._sync_generation:
+                self._apply_tab_sel(ws, ok, data)
+            _done()
+
+        def _dir_cb(ok, data) -> None:
+            if gen == self._sync_generation:
+                self._apply_dir_sel(ok, data)
+            _done()
+
+        def _fit_cb(ok, data) -> None:
+            if gen == self._sync_generation:
+                self._apply_fit_sel(ok, data)
+            _done()
+
+        run_json(["hyprctl", "getoption", "general:layout", "-j"], _tab_cb)
+        run_json(["hyprctl", "getoption", "scrolling:direction", "-j"], _dir_cb)
+        run_json(["hyprctl", "getoption", "scrolling:focus_fit_method", "-j"], _fit_cb)
         # columns' own center-focused state lives in columns-state.json, not a hyprctl
         # option — read it synchronously rather than round-tripping a subprocess.
         columns_sw = self._fit_sws.get("columns")
         if columns_sw is not None:
             columns_sw.set_active(self._read_center())
 
-    def _apply_tab_sel(self, ok, data) -> None:
+    def _apply_tab_sel(self, ws, ok, data) -> None:
         cur = data.get("str") if ok and isinstance(data, dict) else None
         # prefer the per-workspace layout recorded by hypr/layouts (layouts.set)
         try:
             state = json.loads(_LAYOUTS_STATE.read_text())
-            cur = state.get(str(self._active_ws), cur)
+            cur = state.get(str(ws), cur)
         except (FileNotFoundError, json.JSONDecodeError):
             pass
         if cur and any(ly["name"] == cur for ly in self._layouts):
             self._layout_stack.set_visible_child_name(cur)
-        self._syncing = False
 
     def _apply_dir_sel(self, ok, data) -> None:
         # scrolling:direction is global; reflect it in every directional layout's
         # dropdown whose value set contains it.
         cur = data.get("str") if ok and isinstance(data, dict) else None
-        self._syncing = True
         for dd, values in self._dir_dds.values():
             if cur in values:
                 dd.set_selected(values.index(cur))
-        self._syncing = False
 
     def _apply_fit_sel(self, ok, data) -> None:
         # scrolling:focus_fit_method only describes the scrolling layout's own switch;
@@ -380,9 +423,7 @@ class Taskbar(Gtk.Box):
         val = data.get("int") if ok and isinstance(data, dict) else 0
         sw = self._fit_sws.get("scrolling")
         if sw is not None:
-            self._syncing = True
             sw.set_active(val == 1)
-            self._syncing = False
 
     def _cur_dir(self) -> str:
         entry = self._dir_dds.get(self._layout_stack.get_visible_child_name())