diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index b7672bc..20c3491 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,28 @@ All notable changes to the KoalaSync browser extension and relay server.
 
 ---
 
+## [v3.1.3] — Unreleased
+
+This release hardens target selection and chat visibility across player-frame
+recovery, failed tab switches and short connection interruptions.
+
+### Fixed
+- **Extension: Atomic target switching** — Keeps the previously working target
+  active until the newly selected tab has been injected successfully, so a
+  failed selection cannot leave the room without a target.
+- **Extension: Target recovery** — Keeps the selected tab recoverable when a
+  transient content-script or embedded-player refresh fails.
+- **Extension: Chat visibility persistence** — Remembers the user's manual
+  open/closed state across popup reopen, content refresh and reconnect cycles.
+
+### Testing
+- **Release gate** — Unit, server/WebSocket, locale, theme, lint, production
+  dependency audit, Chrome/Firefox build, AMO validation and website build
+  pass locally.
+- **Browser E2E** — 35 extension and player lifecycle scenarios pass.
+
+---
+
 ## [v3.1.2] — 2026-08-17
 
 This release adds generic control for HTML5 players inside cross-origin frames.
diff --git a/extension/background.js b/extension/background.js
index 888a4dc..54ffd28 100644
--- a/extension/background.js
+++ b/extension/background.js
@@ -2658,9 +2658,6 @@ async function activateTargetTab(tabId, tabTitle, {
     let injectedContentTarget = { frameId: 0, documentId: null, hasVideo: false };
 
     try {
-        if (previousTabId && previousTabId !== selectedTabId) {
-            await deactivateTargetTab(previousTabId);
-        }
         if (activationGeneration !== targetActivationGeneration) {
             return { status: 'superseded' };
         }
@@ -2696,26 +2693,26 @@ async function activateTargetTab(tabId, tabTitle, {
                 );
                 throw error;
             }
-            currentTabId = null;
-            currentTabTitle = null;
-            clearCurrentContentTarget();
-            lastContentHeartbeatAt = null;
-            if (currentRoom) roomIdleSince = Date.now();
             const failedContentTarget = error?.contentTarget || injectedContentTarget;
             await deactivateTargetTab(selectedTabId, failedContentTarget);
-            if (previousTabId && (previousTabId !== selectedTabId
-                || !sameContentTarget(previousContentTarget, failedContentTarget))) {
-                await deactivateTargetTab(previousTabId, previousContentTarget);
+            if (previousTabId === null) {
+                currentTabId = null;
+                currentTabTitle = null;
+                clearCurrentContentTarget();
+                lastContentHeartbeatAt = null;
+                if (currentRoom) roomIdleSince = Date.now();
+                await chrome.storage.session.set({
+                    currentTabId: null,
+                    currentTabTitle: null,
+                    currentTargetFrameId: 0,
+                    currentTargetDocumentId: null,
+                    currentTargetHasVideo: false,
+                    roomIdleSince,
+                    lastContentHeartbeatAt: null
+                });
+            } else {
+                addLog(`Target switch to tab ${selectedTabId} failed; keeping tab ${previousTabId} selected`, 'warn');
             }
-            await chrome.storage.session.set({
-                currentTabId: null,
-                currentTabTitle: null,
-                currentTargetFrameId: 0,
-                currentTargetDocumentId: null,
-                currentTargetHasVideo: false,
-                roomIdleSince,
-                lastContentHeartbeatAt: null
-            });
             if (activationGeneration !== targetActivationGeneration) {
                 return { status: 'superseded' };
             }
@@ -2765,7 +2762,9 @@ async function activateTargetTab(tabId, tabTitle, {
             if (currentTabId !== selectedTabId) await deactivateTargetTab(selectedTabId, injectedContentTarget);
             return { status: 'superseded' };
         }
-        if (previousTabId === selectedTabId
+        if (previousTabId && previousTabId !== selectedTabId) {
+            await deactivateTargetTab(previousTabId, previousContentTarget);
+        } else if (previousTabId === selectedTabId
             && !sameContentTarget(previousContentTarget, injectedContentTarget)) {
             await deactivateTargetTab(previousTabId, previousContentTarget, { deactivateMonitor: false });
         }
diff --git a/extension/chat-overlay-contract.test.mjs b/extension/chat-overlay-contract.test.mjs
index c7be28f..3eca8be 100644
--- a/extension/chat-overlay-contract.test.mjs
+++ b/extension/chat-overlay-contract.test.mjs
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ describe('chat overlay contract', () => {
         expect(overlaySource).toContain('setOpened(false, false)');
         expect(overlaySource).toContain('setOpened(lastUserOpenState ?? (chatStartMode === \'open\'), false)');
         expect(overlaySource).toContain('typeof data[openStateKey] === \'boolean\'');
+        expect(overlaySource).toContain('const previousEnabled = context?.enabled === true');
+        expect(overlaySource).toContain('(!startStateApplied || !previousEnabled)');
     });
 
     it('keeps chat hidden by default without discarding the room chat key', () => {
diff --git a/extension/chat-overlay.js b/extension/chat-overlay.js
index 5748c7f..48eb69b 100644
--- a/extension/chat-overlay.js
+++ b/extension/chat-overlay.js
@@ -596,6 +596,7 @@
 
     function applyContext(next) {
         const previousRoomId = context?.roomId;
+        const previousEnabled = context?.enabled === true;
         context = next || null;
         const supported = !!context?.supported;
         const optedIn = !!context?.enabled;
@@ -611,7 +612,7 @@
         if (!optedIn) startStateApplied = false;
         if (!context?.enabled) {
             setOpened(false, false);
-        } else if (preferencesLoaded && !startStateApplied) {
+        } else if (preferencesLoaded && (!startStateApplied || !previousEnabled)) {
             startStateApplied = true;
             setOpened(lastUserOpenState ?? (chatStartMode === 'open'), false);
         }
diff --git a/extension/target-tab-lifecycle.test.mjs b/extension/target-tab-lifecycle.test.mjs
index cceb5eb..cb87a55 100644
--- a/extension/target-tab-lifecycle.test.mjs
+++ b/extension/target-tab-lifecycle.test.mjs
@@ -22,9 +22,10 @@ describe('target tab lifecycle', () => {
         const activationStart = backgroundSource.indexOf('async function activateTargetTab');
         const activationEnd = backgroundSource.indexOf('async function reactivateCurrentTarget', activationStart);
         const activationSource = backgroundSource.slice(activationStart, activationEnd);
-        expect(activationSource.indexOf('await deactivateTargetTab(previousTabId)'))
-            .toBeLessThan(activationSource.indexOf('await injectContentScript(selectedTabId'));
+        expect(activationSource.indexOf('await injectContentScript(selectedTabId'))
+            .toBeLessThan(activationSource.indexOf('await deactivateTargetTab(previousTabId, previousContentTarget)'));
         expect(activationSource).toContain('previousTabId !== selectedTabId');
+        expect(activationSource).toContain('keeping tab ${previousTabId} selected');
         expect(contentSource).toContain('if (window.koalaSyncInjected && chrome.runtime.id)');
         expect(overlaySource).toContain('if (window.koalaSyncChatOverlay?.refresh)');
     });