diff --git a/qt/src/GhosttySurface.cpp b/qt/src/GhosttySurface.cpp
index 639885e71..674b4774a 100644
--- a/qt/src/GhosttySurface.cpp
+++ b/qt/src/GhosttySurface.cpp
@@ -428,10 +428,9 @@ bool GhosttySurface::event(QEvent *e) {
   if (m_surface) {
     if (e->type() == QEvent::Show) {
       ghostty_surface_set_occlusion(m_surface, true);
-      std::fprintf(stderr,
-                   "[ghastty] Show surface=%p presenter=%p\n",
-                   static_cast<void *>(this),
-                   static_cast<void *>(m_subsurfacePresenter.get()));
+      // Clear the present-gate latch: subsequent frames go through
+      // the subsurface as normal.
+      m_hidden.store(false, std::memory_order_release);
       // First successful Show is also when our native QWindow exists
       // and we can safely look up the Wayland parent wl_surface.
       // Lazy-init the subsurface presenter once and keep it for the
@@ -477,21 +476,20 @@ bool GhosttySurface::event(QEvent *e) {
         }
       }
     } else if (e->type() == QEvent::Hide) {
+      // Set the present-gate FIRST so any racing renderer frame
+      // (libghostty's render thread may produce one more after
+      // set_occlusion returns) is blocked from re-attaching a
+      // buffer in presentVulkanDmabuf / drainVulkan / renderTerminal.
+      m_hidden.store(true, std::memory_order_release);
       ghostty_surface_set_occlusion(m_surface, false);
       // Detach the subsurface buffer so this pane's last frame
       // doesn't ghost on top of whatever the now-active tab is
       // showing. The next Show + render reattaches a buffer and
       // makes it visible again.
-      bool fpc = false;
       if (m_subsurfacePresenter) {
         m_subsurfacePresenter->hide();
-        fpc = forceParentCommit();
+        forceParentCommit();
       }
-      std::fprintf(stderr,
-                   "[ghastty] Hide surface=%p presenter=%p fpc=%d\n",
-                   static_cast<void *>(this),
-                   static_cast<void *>(m_subsurfacePresenter.get()),
-                   fpc ? 1 : 0);
     }
   }
   return QWidget::event(e);
@@ -554,6 +552,11 @@ void GhosttySurface::flashScrollbar() {
 void GhosttySurface::renderTerminal() {
   if (!m_surface) return;
 
+  // Don't render / present while hidden — the subsurface is already
+  // detached from a buffer by Hide; doing more work here would just
+  // race a stale frame back into view on the next compositor cycle.
+  if (m_hidden.load(std::memory_order_acquire)) return;
+
   // Vulkan path: libghostty owns its target VkImage; it renders into
   // it directly and presents via the apprt dmabuf callback. No GL
   // context, no FBO, no readback — just kick the draw and let the
@@ -1620,6 +1623,11 @@ void GhosttySurface::presentVulkanDmabuf(
   if (dmabuf_fd < 0 || width == 0 || height == 0 || stride < width * 4)
     return;
 
+  // Don't park / dispatch frames while we're hidden — racing the
+  // renderer's final post-Hide frame past presenter.hide() is what
+  // restores the ghost on tab switch.
+  if (m_hidden.load(std::memory_order_acquire)) return;
+
   if (useSubsurface) {
     // Subsurface path. Park the descriptor under the mutex (so
     // a concurrent drainVulkan sees a consistent snapshot) and
@@ -1671,6 +1679,7 @@ void GhosttySurface::drainVulkan() {
   // under the mutex, then dispatch it to the presenter outside the
   // lock so a renderer-thread `presentVulkanDmabuf` parking the
   // next frame doesn't block on wl_display_flush.
+  if (m_hidden.load(std::memory_order_acquire)) return;
   if (m_useSubsurface.load(std::memory_order_acquire) &&
       m_subsurfacePresenter) {
     PendingDmabuf frame;
diff --git a/qt/src/GhosttySurface.h b/qt/src/GhosttySurface.h
index 1707a0921..d90e9ed78 100644
--- a/qt/src/GhosttySurface.h
+++ b/qt/src/GhosttySurface.h
@@ -372,4 +372,13 @@ private:
   // Per-surface latch for the first-dmabuf log breadcrumb so each
   // pane / split prints its own line on first frame.
   bool m_loggedFirstFrame = false;
+  // Set true on QEvent::Hide, false on QEvent::Show. Guards the
+  // present path against a race where libghostty's renderer thread
+  // fires one more frame after we've detached the subsurface
+  // buffer on Hide — without this gate, that stray frame re-
+  // attaches a buffer and the now-inactive tab ghosts on top of
+  // whatever tab the user just switched to. `std::atomic` because
+  // the renderer thread reads it in `presentVulkanDmabuf` /
+  // `drainVulkan` while the GUI thread writes from event().
+  std::atomic<bool> m_hidden{false};
 };