diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/storage.constants.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/storage.constants.ts
index 5e6610d859..4241a0d995 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/storage.constants.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/constants/storage.constants.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ export const DB_APP_NAME_DEPRECATED = 'LlamacppWebui';
 
 export const ALWAYS_ALLOWED_TOOLS_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY = `${STORAGE_APP_NAME}.alwaysAllowedTools`;
 
+/** Id of the backend the selector and new requests target, restored on page load. */
+export const ACTIVE_BACKEND_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY = `${STORAGE_APP_NAME}.activeBackend`;
+
 /** Paused model download ids (`<repo>:<tag>`), restored on the next page load. */
 export const PAUSED_MODEL_DOWNLOADS_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY = `${STORAGE_APP_NAME}.pausedModelDownloads`;
 export const CONFIG_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY = `${STORAGE_APP_NAME}.config`;
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/backends.svelte.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/backends.svelte.ts
index b071948eeb..cd9c20e8be 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/backends.svelte.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/backends.svelte.ts
@@ -8,14 +8,34 @@
  */
 
 import { browser } from '$app/environment';
-import { LOCAL_BACKEND_ID, SETTINGS_KEYS } from '$lib/constants';
+import { ACTIVE_BACKEND_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY, LOCAL_BACKEND_ID, SETTINGS_KEYS } from '$lib/constants';
 import { settingsStore } from '$lib/stores/settings/index.svelte';
 import type { Backend } from '$lib/types';
 import { setBackendsResolver } from '$lib/utils/api-base';
 import { createLocalBackend, parseBackendsSettings } from '$lib/utils/backend';
 
+function loadActiveBackendId(): string {
+	if (!browser) return LOCAL_BACKEND_ID;
+
+	try {
+		return localStorage.getItem(ACTIVE_BACKEND_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY) ?? LOCAL_BACKEND_ID;
+	} catch {
+		return LOCAL_BACKEND_ID;
+	}
+}
+
+function persistActiveBackendId(backendId: string): void {
+	if (!browser) return;
+
+	try {
+		localStorage.setItem(ACTIVE_BACKEND_LOCALSTORAGE_KEY, backendId);
+	} catch {
+		/* ignore */
+	}
+}
+
 class BackendsStore {
-	activeId = $state<string>(LOCAL_BACKEND_ID);
+	activeId = $state<string>(loadActiveBackendId());
 
 	get active(): Backend {
 		const active = this.enabled.find((backend) => backend.id === this.activeId);
@@ -56,14 +76,15 @@ class BackendsStore {
 		this.saveExternal(this.external.filter((backend) => backend.id !== backendId));
 
 		if (this.activeId === backendId) {
-			this.activeId = LOCAL_BACKEND_ID;
+			this.setActive(LOCAL_BACKEND_ID);
 		}
 	}
 
 	setActive(backendId: string): void {
-		this.activeId = this.list.some((backend) => backend.id === backendId)
-			? backendId
-			: LOCAL_BACKEND_ID;
+		const id = this.list.some((backend) => backend.id === backendId) ? backendId : LOCAL_BACKEND_ID;
+
+		this.activeId = id;
+		persistActiveBackendId(id);
 	}
 
 	setLocalEnabled(enabled: boolean): void {
diff --git a/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/server.svelte.ts b/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/server.svelte.ts
index 0fe4499781..731f0c976b 100644
--- a/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/server.svelte.ts
+++ b/tools/ui/src/lib/stores/server.svelte.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class ServerStore {
 	props = $state<ApiLlamaCppServerProps | null>(null);
 	role = $state<ServerRole | null>(null);
 	status = $state<number | null>(null);
+	private fetchBackendId: string | undefined;
 	private fetchPromise: Promise<void> | null = null;
 	private retryTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
 
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ class ServerStore {
 		this.loading = false;
 		this.role = null;
 		this.fetchPromise = null;
+		this.fetchBackendId = undefined;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -70,7 +72,12 @@ class ServerStore {
 	 * splash and the chat screen every retry tick.
 	 */
 	async fetch({ background = false }: { background?: boolean } = {}): Promise<void> {
-		if (this.fetchPromise) return this.fetchPromise;
+		// props and role describe one server. a fetch started for another backend
+		// must not be reused, and its response must not commit once the active
+		// backend has changed while it was in flight
+		const backendId = getBackend()?.id;
+
+		if (this.fetchPromise && this.fetchBackendId === backendId) return this.fetchPromise;
 
 		this.clearRetryTimer();
 
@@ -93,15 +100,20 @@ class ServerStore {
 			this.error = null;
 		}
 
-		const fetchPromise = (async () => {
+		const promise = (async () => {
 			try {
 				const props = await PropsService.fetch();
 
+				// the active backend changed while this request was in flight
+				if (getBackend()?.id !== backendId) return;
+
 				this.props = props;
 				this.error = null;
 				this.status = null;
 				this.detectRole(props);
 			} catch (error: unknown) {
+				if (getBackend()?.id !== backendId) return;
+
 				this.error = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
 				this.status = error instanceof ApiError ? error.status : null;
 				console.error('Error fetching server properties:', error);
@@ -113,13 +125,24 @@ class ServerStore {
 				if (!background) {
 					this.loading = false;
 				}
-
-				this.fetchPromise = null;
 			}
 		})();
 
-		this.fetchPromise = fetchPromise;
-		await fetchPromise;
+		this.fetchPromise = promise;
+		this.fetchBackendId = backendId;
+
+		// a backend switch clears the in-flight handle; only the fetch that is
+		// still the current one may release it
+		void promise
+			.catch(() => {})
+			.finally(() => {
+				if (this.fetchPromise === promise) {
+					this.fetchPromise = null;
+					this.fetchBackendId = undefined;
+				}
+			});
+
+		await promise;
 	}
 
 	private clearRetryTimer(): void {