diff --git a/frontend/src/components/BootGate.dom.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/BootGate.dom.test.tsx
index 55c18d51..a81f4c74 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/BootGate.dom.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/BootGate.dom.test.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 //
 // Real NavigationProvider, real storage and i18n; only the two boot probes are stubbed. The probe
 // records EVERY render, so "never showed the wrong page, not even for one render" is what is asserted.
-import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach, type MockInstance } from "vitest";
 import { render, screen, cleanup, act, fireEvent, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useEffect } from "react";
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ function mount() {
   return qc;
 }
 const account = (over: Partial<Me> = {}) => ({ id: 5, preferences: {}, ...over }) as Me;
+let savePrefs: MockInstance<typeof api.savePrefs>;
 const retryButton = () => screen.findByRole("button", { name: i18n.t("common.retry") });
 
 beforeEach(async () => {
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ beforeEach(async () => {
   mounts = 0;
   await i18n.changeLanguage("en");
   vi.spyOn(api, "setupStatus").mockResolvedValue({ configured: true });
+  savePrefs = vi.spyOn(api, "savePrefs").mockResolvedValue({ ok: true } as never);
 });
 afterEach(() => {
   cleanup();
@@ -85,6 +87,26 @@ describe("BootGate", () => {
     expect(renders.map((r) => r.lang)).toEqual(renders.map(() => "hu"));
   });
 
+  it("an account with no language stored stores the one it is shown in, once", async () => {
+    await i18n.changeLanguage("hu"); // the browser's language, never saved
+    vi.spyOn(api, "me").mockResolvedValue(account());
+    const qc = mount();
+
+    await screen.findByTestId("app");
+    await waitFor(() => expect(savePrefs).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ language: "hu" }));
+    expect(savePrefs).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    // The server now sorts in Hungarian, and so does what reads the stored language.
+    await waitFor(() => expect(qc.getQueryData<Me>(qk.me())?.preferences.language).toBe("hu"));
+  });
+
+  it("an account with its language stored stores nothing", async () => {
+    vi.spyOn(api, "me").mockResolvedValue(account({ preferences: { language: "hu" } }));
+    mount();
+
+    await screen.findByTestId("app");
+    expect(savePrefs).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("mounts nothing of the app while the identity is still unknown", async () => {
     vi.spyOn(api, "me").mockReturnValue(new Promise<Me | null>(() => {}));
     mount();
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/BootGate.tsx b/frontend/src/components/BootGate.tsx
index 9e7bc8f0..5091975e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/BootGate.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/BootGate.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import { useLayoutEffect, useRef, useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
-import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { api, getActiveAccount, setActiveAccount } from "../lib/api";
+import { log } from "../lib/log";
+import { saveLanguage } from "../lib/saveLanguage";
 import { qk } from "../lib/queryKeys";
 import i18n, { isSupported, setLanguage } from "../i18n";
 import { LoadingState, StateMessage } from "./ui/QueryState";
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ export function BootScreen() {
 
 export default function BootGate({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
+  const qc = useQueryClient();
   // First-run install gate: a fresh instance reports configured=false and runs in setup mode, where
   // every other route is locked — so `me` is held back until the instance is known to be set up
   // (otherwise it would 503 against the setup-mode lock).
@@ -81,7 +84,10 @@ export default function BootGate({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   //     not is corrected here — otherwise the tab would run as the default account on the server while
   //     reading and writing the gone account's local state.
   //   • Adopt the account's language, which follows the account across devices — the local copy only
-  //     knows what this browser last showed.
+  //     knows what this browser last showed. An account with none stored yet (the setup wizard's admin,
+  //     an account older than the stamp sign-up gives) stores the language it is shown in: the server
+  //     orders its lists and writes its mail in the stored one, else English, and a Hungarian screen
+  //     over English-ordered lists breaks "A→Z in the UI language's alphabet".
   const [readyFor, setReadyFor] = useState<number | null | undefined>(undefined);
   // `me` is read for the identity it produced, so it rides a ref: a background refetch of the same
   // account must not re-run the adoption over a language the user has just changed. That rule used
@@ -104,11 +110,21 @@ export default function BootGate({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
     const account = meRef.current;
     if (account && getActiveAccount() !== account.id) setActiveAccount(account.id);
     const lang = account?.preferences?.language;
-    // eslint-disable-next-line local/locale-format -- a one-shot read in an effect, compared before adopting the account's language; nothing renders it, so there is no memoized value to go stale.
-    if (typeof lang === "string" && isSupported(lang) && lang !== i18n.language) setLanguage(lang);
+    if (typeof lang === "string" && isSupported(lang)) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line local/locale-format -- a one-shot read in an effect, compared before adopting the account's language; nothing renders it, so there is no memoized value to go stale.
+      if (lang !== i18n.language) setLanguage(lang);
+    } else if (account) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line local/locale-format -- a one-shot read of the language the app is about to be shown in, stored once; nothing renders it.
+      const shown = i18n.language;
+      saveLanguage(qc, shown).catch((e: unknown) =>
+        log.warn("boot.language_store_failed", "the shown language could not be stored", {
+          error: String(e),
+        }),
+      );
+    }
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/set-state-in-effect -- the adoption latch. It cannot be derived: the whole point is that the tree mounts only AFTER the pin and the language have been applied, and both are writes to things outside React (sessionStorage, i18n). A layout effect so the frame that first shows the app already has them.
     setReadyFor(identity);
-  }, [identity, readyFor]);
+  }, [identity, readyFor, qc]);
 
   // No answer at all (a network or 5xx failure on the very first setup or account probe — past the
   // one retry `req` already makes): say so, with a retry. An unanswered setup probe is NOT "signed
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Channels.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Channels.tsx
index a6dc845a..58cd49e9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Channels.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Channels.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import { useChannelTagActions } from "../lib/useChannelTagActions";
 import { useTagSuggestions } from "./useTagSuggestions";
 import { useChannelPriority } from "../lib/useChannelPriority";
 import { placeByPriority } from "../lib/channelOrder";
-import { serverOrderLang } from "../lib/saveLanguage";
 import { focusNavItem } from "../lib/listNav";
 import ViewSwitcher, { type ViewOption } from "./ViewSwitcher";
 import ColumnSortControl from "./ui/ColumnSortControl";
@@ -174,7 +173,7 @@ export default function Channels() {
     setPriority(c.id, next);
     qc.setQueryData<ManagedChannel[]>(
       qk.channels(),
-      (old) => old && placeByPriority(old, c.id, serverOrderLang(me.preferences)),
+      (old) => old && placeByPriority(old, c.id, me.preferences),
     );
     setFollow((f) => ({ key: c.id, seq: (f?.seq ?? 0) + 1 }));
   };
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlexBrowse.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlexBrowse.tsx
index 4bd12039..b147c691 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlexBrowse.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlexBrowse.tsx
@@ -483,7 +483,9 @@ export default function PlexBrowse() {
   if (sub.view.kind === "show") {
     const showId = sub.view.id;
     return (
+      // Keyed by the show: another show is a fresh page (its own summary collapsed, no open dialog).
       <PlexShowView
+        key={showId}
         showId={showId}
         onBack={sub.back}
         onPlay={(epRk, queue, fromStart) =>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlexPersonView.dom.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlexPersonView.dom.test.tsx
index 66be5c9c..4adbaef2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlexPersonView.dom.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlexPersonView.dom.test.tsx
@@ -276,6 +276,29 @@ describe("PlexPersonView — a bio on its way (E30 S6)", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it("a retry after the wait is over waits again: a bio still on its way still lands", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true });
+    try {
+      plexPerson.mockReset();
+      plexPerson
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce(person({ biography: null, enriching: true }))
+        .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("server restarting"))
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce(person({ biography: null, enriching: true })) // the retry
+        .mockResolvedValue(person({ biography: "Late bio." }));
+      wrap(view);
+      await screen.findByText("Movie One");
+      await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(BIO_POLL));
+      await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(25_000)); // the first wait runs out
+      fireEvent.click(within(screen.getByRole("alert")).getByRole("button"));
+      await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10));
+      expect(screen.getByRole("status")).toBeTruthy(); // on its way again, not a blank
+      await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(BIO_POLL));
+      await screen.findByText("Late bio.");
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+
   it("offers More only when the bio is cut, and Less once open", async () => {
     const tall = vi.spyOn(HTMLElement.prototype, "scrollHeight", "get").mockReturnValue(400);
     const box = vi.spyOn(HTMLElement.prototype, "clientHeight", "get").mockReturnValue(160);
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/plexViews.tsx b/frontend/src/components/plexViews.tsx
index aff680e3..0481054f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/plexViews.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/plexViews.tsx
@@ -160,12 +160,14 @@ export function PlexPersonView({
   // S6); the answer says so (`enriching`) and the page asks again until it lands — for a while, not
   // forever: BIO_WAIT_MS after the page opened (by the clock, not by the last answer — a failing ask
   // leaves that where it was) a TMDB that is down stops being waited on, and a failing ask ends it at
-  // once (the next open tries again). The page is keyed on the person, so the wait starts per person.
+  // once (the next open tries again). The page is keyed on the person, so the wait starts per person;
+  // a Retry starts it over (`waitRound`), or a retry answered "still on its way" would show nothing.
   const [waitOver, setWaitOver] = useState(false);
+  const [waitRound, setWaitRound] = useState(0);
   useEffect(() => {
     const timer = setTimeout(() => setWaitOver(true), BIO_WAIT_MS);
     return () => clearTimeout(timer);
-  }, []);
+  }, [waitRound]);
   const q = useQuery({
     queryKey: personKey,
     queryFn: () => api.plexPerson(name, lang),
@@ -336,7 +338,15 @@ export function PlexPersonView({
                   // person with no bio; the retry asks (and waits) again.
                   d.enriching &&
                   q.isError && (
-                    <StateMessage tone="error" compact onRetry={() => q.refetch()}>
+                    <StateMessage
+                      tone="error"
+                      compact
+                      onRetry={() => {
+                        setWaitOver(false);
+                        setWaitRound((n) => n + 1);
+                        void q.refetch();
+                      }}
+                    >
                       {t("plex.person.bioFailed")}
                     </StateMessage>
                   )
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ui/ClampedText.dom.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ui/ClampedText.dom.test.tsx
index 711fc1c2..6dbcad68 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ui/ClampedText.dom.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ui/ClampedText.dom.test.tsx
@@ -45,6 +45,21 @@ describe("ClampedText", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it("starts another text collapsed: a reused view opening the next item", () => {
+    const tall = vi.spyOn(HTMLElement.prototype, "scrollHeight", "get").mockReturnValue(400);
+    const box = vi.spyOn(HTMLElement.prototype, "clientHeight", "get").mockReturnValue(60);
+    try {
+      const { rerender } = render(view("The first show's long summary."));
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByText("More"));
+      rerender(view("The next show's long summary."));
+      expect(screen.getByText(/next show/).className).toContain("line-clamp-3");
+      expect(screen.getByText("More").getAttribute("aria-expanded")).toBe("false");
+    } finally {
+      tall.mockRestore();
+      box.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
+
   it("measures again when its box changes: the window or the text size moved the cut", () => {
     const seen: ResizeObserverCallback[] = []; // the callbacks of observers watching something
     const real = globalThis.ResizeObserver;
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ui/ClampedText.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ui/ClampedText.tsx
index 9422a0e8..41ddf634 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ui/ClampedText.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ui/ClampedText.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ const CLAMP = { 3: "line-clamp-3", 5: "line-clamp-5", 8: "line-clamp-8" } as con
 
 /** A long text (a biography, a summary) clamped to a few lines, with a More / Less toggle offered only
  *  when the text is actually cut — measured, so a short text carries no dead button. Re-measured on a
- *  resize: the window and the text-size slider both move where the cut falls. */
+ *  resize: the window and the text-size slider both move where the cut falls. Another text starts
+ *  collapsed: a view reused for the next item (a show page opening another show) must not open its
+ *  text already expanded. */
 export function ClampedText({
   text,
   lines,
@@ -22,6 +24,11 @@ export function ClampedText({
 }) {
   const [expanded, setExpanded] = useState(false);
   const [clipped, setClipped] = useState(false);
+  const [shown, setShown] = useState(text);
+  if (shown !== text) {
+    setShown(text);
+    setExpanded(false);
+  }
   const ref = useRef<HTMLParagraphElement>(null);
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
     const el = ref.current;
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/audit.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/audit.json
index de5f2d0d..82df2382 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/audit.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/audit.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   "intro": "An append-only record of admin actions and scheduler run summaries — who did what, and when. Logged at action granularity, never per item.",
   "empty": "No audit entries yet.",
   "system": "System",
-  "clear": "Clear log",
+  "clear": "Clear audit log",
   "clearTitle": "Clear the audit log?",
   "clearConfirm": "Permanently delete all audit entries? This can't be undone. (One entry recording that you cleared it is kept.)",
   "cleared": "Cleared {{count}} audit entries",
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/audit.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/audit.json
index 0478b75b..907042c2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/audit.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/audit.json
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   "intro": "Az admin-műveletek és az ütemező futás-összegzéseinek csak-hozzáfűző naplója — ki, mit, mikor. Művelet-szinten naplózva, soha nem elemenként.",
   "empty": "Még nincs naplóbejegyzés.",
   "system": "Rendszer",
-  "clear": "Napló ürítése",
+  "clear": "Eseménynapló ürítése",
   "clearTitle": "Üríted az eseménynaplót?",
   "clearConfirm": "Véglegesen törlöd az összes naplóbejegyzést? Ez nem vonható vissza. (Egy bejegyzés arról, hogy te ürítetted, megmarad.)",
   "cleared": "{{count}} naplóbejegyzés törölve",
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/scheduler.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/scheduler.json
index af07a43c..06755b52 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/scheduler.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/hu/scheduler.json
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
     "plex_sync": "Tükrözi az engedélyezett Plex-könyvtárakat az app katalógusába — ez adja a Plex böngészés, keresés, szűrők és infóoldalak metaadatait (műfaj, szereplők, pontszám, borítók). Ha leáll, az újonnan hozzáadott vagy módosított Plex-címek csak a következő szinkron után jelennek meg.",
     "plex_watch_sync": "Áthozza a Plex-oldali friss megtekintés-változásokat (befejezett epizódok, folytatás-pozíciók) a Siftlode-ba, és felnyomja a Plexet el nem érő helyi változásokat. Ez az olcsó kétirányú szinkron a teljes egyeztetések között. Ha leáll, a Plex-appban jelölt megtekintés/folytatás lassabban jelenik meg itt.",
     "plex_watch_reconcile": "A megtekintési állapot teljes egyeztetése, amely minden könyvtárat újraszken­nel — elkapja, amit az inkrementális menet nem, főleg ha egy epizódról a Plex oldalán levették a megtekintve jelet. Nehezebb, ezért kb. naponta fut. Ha leáll, a Plexben levett megtekintve jel nem tükröződik vissza.",
-    "audit_gc": "Törli a beállított megőrzési időnél (Konfiguráció → Eseménynapló) régebbi admin-naplóbejegyzéseket. Ha leáll, a napló csak nő — ártalmatlan, de korlátlanul.",
+    "audit_gc": "Törli a beállított megőrzési időnél (Konfiguráció → Eseménynapló) régebbi admin-naplóbejegyzéseket. Ha leáll, az eseménynapló csak nő — ártalmatlan, de korlátlanul.",
     "log_gc": "Törli a megőrzési időnél (Konfiguráció → Diagnosztika) régebbi tárolt naplóeseményeket. Óránként fut, így semmi sem marad meg egy óránál tovább az ígért határidőn túl.",
     "tmdb_enrich": "A tükrözött Plex-katalógust dúsítja a TMDB-ből (kulcsszavak, stáb, költségvetés/bevétel, TMDb-pontszám, ajánlások, artwork), a címek kanonikus azonosítója alapján párosítva, és az app saját adatbázisából szolgálja ki. Opcionális — TMDB API-kulcs nélkül nem csinál semmit. Ha leáll, az új Plex-címek csak a következő futásig maradnak TMDB-extrák nélkül.",
     "people_enrich": "Helyivé teszi a Plex-könyvtár szereplőit: a TMDB-ből letölti az életrajzukat, a portréjukat pedig a Plexszel kicsinyítve elmenti, a legtöbbet szereplőkkel kezdve. A személyoldal és a szereplősáv így az app saját adataiból nyílik meg. A TMDB-rész TMDB API-kulcs nélkül nem csinál semmit, a portrérész Plex nélkül. Ha leáll, a személyoldal megnyitáskor maga kéri le az életrajzot, egy pillanattal később."
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/channelOrder.dom.test.ts b/frontend/src/lib/channelOrder.dom.test.ts
index 583b22aa..479b8751 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/channelOrder.dom.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/channelOrder.dom.test.ts
@@ -1,28 +1,32 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+// jsdom: the order language comes from the account's stored one, checked against i18n's languages.
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { placeByPriority, priorityChoices } from "./channelOrder";
 
 const row = (id: string, priority: number, title: string | null = id) => ({ id, priority, title });
 const ids = (rows: { id: string }[]) => rows.map((r) => r.id);
+const EN = { language: "en" };
+const HU = { language: "hu" };
 
 describe("placeByPriority", () => {
   const list = [row("a", 10), row("b", 5), row("c", 5), row("d", 0), row("e", 0)];
 
   it("bubbles a raised channel up to the first row it now outranks", () => {
     expect(
-      ids(placeByPriority([...list.slice(0, 4), { ...list[4]!, priority: 5 }], "e", "en")),
+      ids(placeByPriority([...list.slice(0, 4), { ...list[4]!, priority: 5 }], "e", EN)),
     ).toEqual(["a", "b", "c", "e", "d"]);
   });
 
   it("sinks a lowered channel below every row it no longer outranks", () => {
-    expect(
-      ids(placeByPriority([{ ...list[0]!, priority: 0 }, ...list.slice(1)], "a", "en")),
-    ).toEqual(["b", "c", "a", "d", "e"]);
+    expect(ids(placeByPriority([{ ...list[0]!, priority: 0 }, ...list.slice(1)], "a", EN))).toEqual(
+      ["b", "c", "a", "d", "e"],
+    );
   });
 
   it("orders equal priorities by title, case-folded, a missing title last", () => {
     const rows = [row("x", 3, "beta"), row("y", 3, null), row("z", 3, "Alpha")];
-    expect(ids(placeByPriority(rows, "z", "en"))).toEqual(["z", "x", "y"]);
-    expect(ids(placeByPriority([row("y", 3, null), row("x", 3, "beta")], "y", "en"))).toEqual([
+    expect(ids(placeByPriority(rows, "z", EN))).toEqual(["z", "x", "y"]);
+    expect(ids(placeByPriority([row("y", 3, null), row("x", 3, "beta")], "y", EN))).toEqual([
       "x",
       "y",
     ]);
@@ -31,21 +35,31 @@ describe("placeByPriority", () => {
   it("leaves every other row where it was, even ones out of the server's order", () => {
     const rows = [row("p", 0), row("q", 9), row("r", 2)];
     // r lands before the first row it outranks; p and q keep their (unsorted) order.
-    expect(ids(placeByPriority(rows, "r", "en"))).toEqual(["r", "p", "q"]);
+    expect(ids(placeByPriority(rows, "r", EN))).toEqual(["r", "p", "q"]);
   });
 
   it("returns an unknown id's list unchanged", () => {
-    expect(ids(placeByPriority(list, "nope", "en"))).toEqual(ids(list));
+    expect(ids(placeByPriority(list, "nope", EN))).toEqual(ids(list));
   });
 
   it("places a title in the reader's alphabet, as the server's collation does (E30 review)", () => {
     const rows = [row("e", 0, "Ecset"), row("f", 0, "Fa"), row("m", 5, "Életrajz")];
     const moved = [...rows.slice(0, 2), { ...rows[2]!, priority: 0 }];
-    expect(ids(placeByPriority(moved, "m", "hu"))).toEqual(["e", "m", "f"]);
+    expect(ids(placeByPriority(moved, "m", HU))).toEqual(["e", "m", "f"]);
     const cs = [row("u", 0, "Cukor"), row("x", 0, "Dob"), row("c", 5, "Csiga")];
-    expect(
-      ids(placeByPriority([...cs.slice(0, 2), { ...cs[2]!, priority: 0 }], "c", "hu")),
-    ).toEqual(["u", "c", "x"]);
+    expect(ids(placeByPriority([...cs.slice(0, 2), { ...cs[2]!, priority: 0 }], "c", HU))).toEqual([
+      "u",
+      "c",
+      "x",
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("places by the STORED language, whatever the screen shows: the server sorts by that", () => {
+    const cs = [row("u", 0, "Cukor"), row("x", 0, "Dob"), row("c", 5, "Csiga")];
+    const moved = [...cs.slice(0, 2), { ...cs[2]!, priority: 0 }];
+    // None stored (a Hungarian screen picked while signed out): the server's English order.
+    expect(ids(placeByPriority(moved, "c", {}))).toEqual(["c", "u", "x"]);
+    expect(ids(placeByPriority(moved, "c", { language: "de" }))).toEqual(["c", "u", "x"]);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/channelOrder.ts b/frontend/src/lib/channelOrder.ts
index 75fcd41b..5eb877f0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/channelOrder.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/channelOrder.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { compareText } from "./collate";
+import { serverOrderLang } from "./saveLanguage";
 
 // The channel manager's list order, and the priority steps its menu offers (E28 S3e3b).
 
@@ -32,14 +33,16 @@ function before(a: Ordered, b: Ordered, lang: string): boolean {
 
 /** `rows` with the channel `id` taken out and put back where its priority now places it, every
  *  other row left exactly where it was — the server's order, without a refetch that would reorder
- *  anything the reader did not touch. */
+ *  anything the reader did not touch. It takes the account's `preferences`, not a language: the
+ *  server sorts in the STORED language (`serverOrderLang`), which a UI language is not always. */
 export function placeByPriority<T extends Ordered>(
   rows: readonly T[],
   id: string,
-  lang: string,
+  preferences: Record<string, unknown> | null | undefined,
 ): T[] {
   const moved = rows.find((r) => r.id === id);
   if (!moved) return [...rows];
+  const lang = serverOrderLang(preferences);
   const rest = rows.filter((r) => r !== moved);
   const at = rest.findIndex((r) => before(moved, r, lang));
   rest.splice(at < 0 ? rest.length : at, 0, moved);
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/saveLanguage.ts b/frontend/src/lib/saveLanguage.ts
index bd414407..a06c9660 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/saveLanguage.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/saveLanguage.ts
@@ -2,18 +2,22 @@ import type { QueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { isSupported } from "../i18n";
 import { api } from "./api";
 import { LANGUAGE_ORDERED } from "./queryKeys";
+import { updateMeCache } from "./useMe";
 
 /** Store the reader's language choice on the server, then ask again for the lists the server orders
  *  by it (`LANGUAGE_ORDERED`): only once the save has landed does the server sort in the new alphabet.
- *  Rejects with the save's error; the lists are left alone then. */
+ *  The cached `me` takes it too, so what reads the stored language (`serverOrderLang`) agrees with the
+ *  server at once, not at the next `me` poll. Rejects with the save's error; nothing is touched then. */
 export async function saveLanguage(qc: QueryClient, code: string): Promise<void> {
   await api.savePrefs({ language: code });
+  updateMeCache(qc, (me) => ({ ...me, preferences: { ...me.preferences, language: code } }));
   for (const queryKey of LANGUAGE_ORDERED) void qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey });
 }
 
 /** The language the server orders this account's lists in (backend `mailtext.lang_for_user`): the
- *  stored preference, else English. Not always the UI's — a browser-detected language, or one picked
- *  while signed out, is never stored — so a list re-slotted here to match the server's order uses it. */
+ *  stored preference, else English. Not always the UI's: an account with none stored stores the one
+ *  it is shown in at boot (BootGate), but until that save lands, or if it fails, the two differ — so a
+ *  list re-slotted here to match the server's order uses this, not the UI's. */
 export function serverOrderLang(preferences: Record<string, unknown> | null | undefined): string {
   const lang = preferences?.language;
   return typeof lang === "string" && isSupported(lang) ? lang : "en";