diff --git a/mac/Sources/CodeBurnMenubar/CodeBurnApp.swift b/mac/Sources/CodeBurnMenubar/CodeBurnApp.swift
index 497a55be..25cbba51 100644
--- a/mac/Sources/CodeBurnMenubar/CodeBurnApp.swift
+++ b/mac/Sources/CodeBurnMenubar/CodeBurnApp.swift
@@ -512,15 +512,23 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate, NSPopoverDelegate {
     }
 
     private func refreshPayloadForPopoverOpen() {
-        guard store.needsInteractivePayloadRefresh else { return }
-        let shouldResetPipeline = store.shouldResetInteractiveRefreshPipeline
-        if shouldResetPipeline, let age = store.staleInteractivePayloadAgeSeconds {
-            NSLog("CodeBurn: popover opened with %ds stale payload cache - resetting refresh pipeline", age)
+        // A user viewing the popover is ground truth and must always recover.
+        // Unconditionally ensure the loop is alive, then clear the current
+        // key's stuck loading / in-flight / generation bookkeeping and force a
+        // fresh fetch — even if the cache looks "not stale yet". This is the
+        // guaranteed one-round-trip recovery path.
+        if refreshTimer == nil {
+            startRefreshLoop(forceQuotaOnStart: false)
+        }
+        if store.shouldResetInteractiveRefreshPipeline,
+           let age = store.staleInteractivePayloadAgeSeconds {
+            NSLog("CodeBurn: popover opened with %ds stale payload cache - hard recovery", age)
+        }
+        Task { [weak self] in
+            guard let self else { return }
+            await self.store.recoverFromStuckLoading()
+            self.refreshStatusButton()
         }
-        recoverRefreshPipelineAfterInterruption(
-            resetLoading: shouldResetPipeline,
-            reason: "popover open"
-        )
     }
 
     private func stopRefreshTimer() {
diff --git a/mac/Tests/CodeBurnMenubarTests/AppStoreRefreshRecoveryTests.swift b/mac/Tests/CodeBurnMenubarTests/AppStoreRefreshRecoveryTests.swift
index 24bad442..71bed184 100644
--- a/mac/Tests/CodeBurnMenubarTests/AppStoreRefreshRecoveryTests.swift
+++ b/mac/Tests/CodeBurnMenubarTests/AppStoreRefreshRecoveryTests.swift
@@ -119,4 +119,22 @@ struct AppStoreRefreshRecoveryTests {
         #expect(store.isInFlightForTesting(period: .today, provider: .all))
     }
 
+    @Test("prepareStuckLoadingRecovery clears stale loading bookkeeping for the current key")
+    func popoverRecoveryClearsStuckLoading() {
+        let store = AppStore()
+        // Seed an orphaned in-flight entry older than the 60s watchdog so the
+        // stale-clear path runs, mimicking a fetch torn down across sleep/wake.
+        store.seedInFlightForTesting(
+            period: .today,
+            provider: .all,
+            insertedAt: Date().addingTimeInterval(-120)
+        )
+        #expect(store.isInFlightForTesting(period: .today, provider: .all))
+
+        let willFetch = store.prepareStuckLoadingRecovery()
+
+        #expect(willFetch)
+        #expect(!store.isInFlightForTesting(period: .today, provider: .all))
+    }
+
 }