diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/arflix/tv/ui/screens/home/HomeScreen.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/arflix/tv/ui/screens/home/HomeScreen.kt
index 9beed6a9f..fe0d94e9f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/arflix/tv/ui/screens/home/HomeScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/arflix/tv/ui/screens/home/HomeScreen.kt
@@ -569,7 +569,14 @@ fun HomeScreen(
         preloadedCategories
     }
     val displayHeroItem = uiState.heroItem ?: preloadedHeroItem
-        ?: displayCategories.firstOrNull()?.items?.firstOrNull()
+        ?: if (uiState.categories.isEmpty()) {
+            // Only fall through to first-row hero while the ViewModel is still
+            // publishing its initial categories. Once categories are populated,
+            // the hero-update LaunchedEffect drives heroItem from focused cards.
+            displayCategories.firstOrNull()?.items?.firstOrNull()
+        } else {
+            null
+        }
     val displayHeroLogo = uiState.heroLogoUrl ?: preloadedHeroLogoUrl
     val displayHeroOverview = uiState.heroOverviewOverride
     val latestDisplayCategories by rememberUpdatedState(displayCategories)
@@ -708,8 +715,7 @@ fun HomeScreen(
                 if (categoriesSnapshot.isEmpty() || focusState.isSidebarFocused) return@collectLatest
                 if (focusSnapshot.focusedItemKey.isBlank()) return@collectLatest
                 if (focusSnapshot.focusedItemKey == focusSnapshot.heroItemKey) return@collectLatest
-                categoriesSnapshot
-                    .getOrNull(focusSnapshot.rowIndex)
+                categoriesSnapshot.getOrNull(focusSnapshot.rowIndex)
                     ?.items
                     ?.getOrNull(focusSnapshot.itemIndex)
                     ?: return@collectLatest
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/arflix/tv/ui/screens/home/HomeViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/arflix/tv/ui/screens/home/HomeViewModel.kt
index dd0c3c6b3..3ce39e1d3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/arflix/tv/ui/screens/home/HomeViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/arflix/tv/ui/screens/home/HomeViewModel.kt
@@ -177,9 +177,8 @@ class HomeViewModel @Inject constructor(
     }
 
     private fun isActionableMediaItem(item: MediaItem): Boolean {
-        // Synthetic collection tiles (Netflix/Disney/HBO service cards) carry
-        // a hash-based id in MediaItem.id that is not a real TMDB id — treating
-        // them as actionable triggers TMDB /images 404s in the logo preloader.
+        // Non-actionable items are expected during filtering: invalid IDs cannot be opened,
+        // placeholders are synthetic UI entries, and collection tiles use their own handling.
         return item.id > 0 && !item.isPlaceholder && !isCollectionItem(item)
     }
 
@@ -1922,7 +1921,24 @@ class HomeViewModel @Inject constructor(
                 // Launch the independent CW fetch
                 launchContinueWatchingFetch()
 
-                val heroItem = chooseInitialHero(categories)
+                // During catalog-triggered reloads, chooseInitialHero can pick
+                // the first Continue Watching item and overwrite the currently
+                // focused hero. Preserve the existing hero when possible, and
+                // let the focus watcher correct it on the next focus change.
+                val heroItem = if (_uiState.value.heroItem != null) {
+                    val currentHero = _uiState.value.heroItem!!
+                    // Preserve current hero during reload.  Try to find it in the fresh
+                    // categories; if the same id/mediaType still exists, use the fresh
+                    // instance to ensure reference consistency.  If not found, keep the
+                    // old hero — it's still valid UI and the hero-update LaunchedEffect
+                    // will correct it when the user moves focus.
+                    categories.asSequence()
+                        .flatMap { it.items.asSequence() }
+                        .firstOrNull { it.id == currentHero.id && it.mediaType == currentHero.mediaType }
+                        ?: currentHero
+                } else {
+                    chooseInitialHero(categories)
+                }
 
                 // Preload logos for the first visible rows so card overlays appear immediately.
                 // Skip IPTV items — their channel logo is already in item.image.