diff --git a/frontend/src/screens/Inbox.jsx b/frontend/src/screens/Inbox.jsx
index d69c17a..62e798a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/screens/Inbox.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/screens/Inbox.jsx
@@ -1389,6 +1389,9 @@ export default function Inbox() {
     queryFn: () => (selectedKind === 'form' ? fetchFormDetail(selectedId) : fetchMessageDetail(selectedId)),
     enabled: Boolean(selectedId),
   })
+  // List rows paint immediately; GET-by-id is the full application. Block every
+  // control in the detail pane until that fetch succeeds. The queue stays live.
+  const detailLocked = Boolean(selectedId) && !detailQuery.isError && !detailQuery.isSuccess
 
   const sidebar = useMemo(() => {
     if (!isForms) return list
@@ -1959,32 +1962,40 @@ export default function Inbox() {
                     {friendlyAuthError(detailQuery.error, 'Request failed')}
                   </EmptyState>
                 </div>
-              ) : selected?.kind === 'form' ? (
-                <FormApplicantDetail
-                  item={selected}
-                  loading={detailQuery.isPending}
-                  busy={setState.isPending || markDuplicate.isPending}
-                  canEdit={canEdit}
-                  toast={toast}
-                  onImport={() => importItem(selected)}
-                  onMove={() => moveToPipeline(selected)}
-                  onNote={() => setNoting(selected)}
-                  onReject={() => reject(selected)}
-                  onToggleDuplicate={() => toggleDuplicate(selected)}
-                />
               ) : (
-                <ApplicationDetail
-                  item={selected}
-                  loading={detailQuery.isPending}
-                  busy={setState.isPending || markDuplicate.isPending}
-                  canEdit={canEdit}
-                  toast={toast}
-                  onImport={() => importItem(selected)}
-                  onMove={() => moveToPipeline(selected)}
-                  onNote={() => setNoting(selected)}
-                  onReject={() => reject(selected)}
-                  onToggleDuplicate={() => toggleDuplicate(selected)}
-                />
+                <div
+                  className={detailLocked ? 'inbox-detail-pending' : undefined}
+                  inert={detailLocked || undefined}
+                  aria-busy={detailLocked || undefined}
+                >
+                  {selected?.kind === 'form' ? (
+                    <FormApplicantDetail
+                      item={selected}
+                      loading={detailLocked}
+                      busy={detailLocked || setState.isPending || markDuplicate.isPending}
+                      canEdit={!detailLocked && canEdit}
+                      toast={toast}
+                      onImport={() => importItem(selected)}
+                      onMove={() => moveToPipeline(selected)}
+                      onNote={() => setNoting(selected)}
+                      onReject={() => reject(selected)}
+                      onToggleDuplicate={() => toggleDuplicate(selected)}
+                    />
+                  ) : (
+                    <ApplicationDetail
+                      item={selected}
+                      loading={detailLocked}
+                      busy={detailLocked || setState.isPending || markDuplicate.isPending}
+                      canEdit={!detailLocked && canEdit}
+                      toast={toast}
+                      onImport={() => importItem(selected)}
+                      onMove={() => moveToPipeline(selected)}
+                      onNote={() => setNoting(selected)}
+                      onReject={() => reject(selected)}
+                      onToggleDuplicate={() => toggleDuplicate(selected)}
+                    />
+                  )}
+                </div>
               )}
             </div>
           </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/styles.css b/frontend/src/styles/styles.css
index fdaadb5..b74a459 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/styles.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/styles.css
@@ -1032,6 +1032,14 @@ canvas { width: 100%; max-width: 100%; display: block; }
 .inbox-split { grid-template-columns: minmax(280px, 34%) minmax(0, 1fr); }
 /* Desktop keeps the two-pane split; only the phone layout below shows it. */
 .inbox-back { display: none; }
+/* Detail pane is painted from the list row before GET-by-id returns. Block
+   every control inside it until that payload lands — the queue list stays live. */
+.inbox-detail-pending {
+  pointer-events: none;
+  user-select: none;
+  opacity: 0.55;
+  cursor: wait;
+}
 /* Phones: the stacked split nested two scroll wells inside the page scroll.
    Instead: one page scroll, and a selected application takes over from the
    list — the Back button returns to it (standard master-detail collapse). */