diff --git a/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/src/client/DirectoryBrowser.tsx b/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/src/client/DirectoryBrowser.tsx
index c70c3a5ea3..27a5c85aed 100644
--- a/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/src/client/DirectoryBrowser.tsx
+++ b/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/src/client/DirectoryBrowser.tsx
@@ -342,13 +342,19 @@ export function DirectoryBrowser({ open, listDirectory, createDirectory, onOpen,
                   }
                   if (event.key === 'Escape') {
                     event.stopPropagation()
+                    // Cancel also withdraws a navigation the editor already
+                    // launched: its late success must not jump to the
+                    // cancelled path, so the pending request is superseded
+                    // and the view leaves the loading state.
+                    requestSeq.current += 1
+                    setLoading(false)
                     setPathDraft(null)
                     setError(null)
                     // Editing may have superseded the selection's preview
-                    // request; a selection with no preview and nothing in
-                    // flight would render a half-empty two-pane view, so
-                    // cancel falls back to the single-pane level.
-                    if (child === null && !loading) setSelected(null)
+                    // request; a selection with no preview would render a
+                    // half-empty two-pane view, so cancel falls back to the
+                    // single-pane level.
+                    if (child === null) setSelected(null)
                   }
                 }}
               />
diff --git a/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/src/client/index.ts b/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/src/client/index.ts
index 086c352622..78d5e1c006 100644
--- a/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/src/client/index.ts
+++ b/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/src/client/index.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  * cordis.yml row; no client code branches on a capability kind. The dialog's
  * copy is locale-registered here — the flow package owns its own strings.
  */
-import { deferRegistration } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-client-ui-slots'
+import { deferGroupRegistration } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-client-ui-slots'
 import type { ClientContext } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-client-runtime/client'
 // Type-only: pulls the SlotMap merge declaring the directory-flow holes.
 import type {} from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-client-ui-workspace/client'
@@ -65,19 +65,15 @@ export function apply(ctx: ClientContext): void {
     t: ctx.locale.bind(LOCALE_NS),
   })
   ctx.effect(() => {
-    // Constructing the pair can throw halfway (a declared hole already
-    // occupied registers synchronously): roll the earlier deferral back so
-    // no live subscription outlives the failed fiber.
-    const deferred: ReturnType<typeof deferRegistration>[] = []
-    try {
-      deferred.push(deferRegistration(ctx.slots, 'conversation.hero.workspace.directoryFlow', BrowseDirectoryFlow, () =>
-        ctx.slots.register({ name: 'conversation.hero.workspace.directoryFlow', inject: injected }, BrowseDirectoryFlow)))
-      deferred.push(deferRegistration(ctx.slots, 'sidebar.workspaces.directoryFlow', BrowseDirectoryFlow, () =>
-        ctx.slots.register({ name: 'sidebar.workspaces.directoryFlow', inject: injected }, BrowseDirectoryFlow)))
-    } catch (error) {
-      for (const entry of deferred) entry.dispose()
-      throw error
-    }
-    return () => { for (const entry of deferred) entry.dispose() }
+    // One occupant, both holes, as a unit: construction or late conflicts
+    // (holes declared after rival providers activated) roll the whole pair
+    // back and fail loud — semantics owned by deferGroupRegistration.
+    const group = deferGroupRegistration(
+      ctx.slots,
+      ['conversation.hero.workspace.directoryFlow', 'sidebar.workspaces.directoryFlow'] as const,
+      BrowseDirectoryFlow,
+      name => ctx.slots.register({ name, inject: injected }, BrowseDirectoryFlow),
+    )
+    return () => { group.dispose() }
   }, 'directory-picker-browse: flow registrations')
 }
diff --git a/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/tests/client-flow.spec.tsx b/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/tests/client-flow.spec.tsx
index 5c63b00a03..387bcd156d 100644
--- a/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/tests/client-flow.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/tests/client-flow.spec.tsx
@@ -92,6 +92,43 @@ describe('directory-picker-browse client half', () => {
     }
   })
 
+  it('rolls back wholesale and reports loudly when a rival provider wins after deferred activation', async () => {
+    const b = await bench()
+    const rejections: unknown[] = []
+    const onUnhandled = (reason: unknown): void => { rejections.push(reason) }
+    process.on('unhandledRejection', onUnhandled)
+    process.on('uncaughtException', onUnhandled)
+    try {
+      // This provider activates BEFORE any hole exists: both deferrals wait.
+      await b.ctx.plugin({ inject: [...inject], apply }).await()
+      b.declare()
+      // A rival occupies both holes ahead of the pending microtask flush.
+      b.slots.register({ name: HOLES[0] } as never, () => null)
+      b.slots.register({ name: HOLES[1] } as never, () => null)
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 20))
+      // The rival keeps both holes; this provider rolled back wholesale and
+      // surfaced the conflict on the fail-loud channel — no partial mix.
+      for (const hole of HOLES) expect(b.slots.entries(hole)).toHaveLength(1)
+      expect(rejections.map(String).join('\n')).toContain('already has a registration')
+
+      // Non-Error conflicts wrap before the loud rethrow (same channel).
+      const c = await bench()
+      await c.ctx.plugin({ inject: [...inject], apply }).await()
+      const original = c.slots.register.bind(c.slots)
+      const slotsAny = c.slots as { register: typeof original }
+      slotsAny.register = ((options: never, component: never) => {
+        if ((options as { name?: string }).name === HOLES[0]) throw 'string conflict'
+        return original(options, component)
+      }) as typeof original
+      c.declare()
+      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 20))
+      expect(rejections.map(String).join('\n')).toContain('string conflict')
+    } finally {
+      process.off('unhandledRejection', onUnhandled)
+      process.off('uncaughtException', onUnhandled)
+    }
+  })
+
   it('registers the dialog dictionaries and binds this package namespace', async () => {
     const b = await bench()
     b.declare()
diff --git a/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/tests/directory-browser.spec.tsx b/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/tests/directory-browser.spec.tsx
index 810245a8ea..2b5cedddfd 100644
--- a/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/tests/directory-browser.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/host/directory-picker-browse/tests/directory-browser.spec.tsx
@@ -352,6 +352,24 @@ describe('DirectoryBrowser', () => {
     expect(screen.getByLabelText('browser.editPath')).toBeTruthy()
   })
 
+  it('ignores a pending navigation that settles after Escape cancelled the editor', async () => {
+    const pending: ((listing: DirectoryListing) => void)[] = []
+    const b = mount()
+    await waitFor(() => { expect(screen.getByRole('listitem')).toBeTruthy() })
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'browser.editPath' }))
+    const input = screen.getByLabelText('browser.editPath')
+    b.listDirectory.mockImplementation(() =>
+      new Promise<DirectoryListing>((settle) => { pending.push(settle) }))
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: DOCS } })
+    fireEvent.keyDown(input, { key: 'Enter' })
+    fireEvent.keyDown(input, { key: 'Escape' })
+    // The cancelled navigation settling late must not jump the view to DOCS.
+    await act(async () => { pending.shift()!(listingFor(DOCS)) })
+    expect(screen.queryByText('harness')).toBeNull()
+    expect(screen.getByText('Documents')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('status')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
   it('keeps a newer path edit when an older slow navigation settles', async () => {
     const pending: ((listing: DirectoryListing) => void)[] = []
     const b = mount()