diff --git a/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/waits.test.ts b/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/waits.test.ts
index fd222615d..52a40b014 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/waits.test.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/tools/__tests__/waits.test.ts
@@ -790,6 +790,119 @@ describe("wait-for-element regression coverage", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it.each([
+    ["hidden", "resolve"],
+    ["detached", "resolve"],
+    ["hidden", "probe"],
+    ["detached", "probe"],
+  ] as const)("rechecks %s selectors after replacement during %s", async (state, phase) => {
+    const manager = await sessionWithRef();
+    let queries = 0;
+    const fake = makeFakeCdp({
+      handlers: {
+        "DOM.getDocument": () => ({ root: { nodeId: 1 } }),
+        "DOM.querySelector": () => ({ nodeId: ++queries + 1 }),
+        "DOM.describeNode": () => ({ node: { backendNodeId: 555 + queries } }),
+        "DOM.resolveNode": () => {
+          if (queries === 1 && phase === "resolve") {
+            throw new Error("No node with given id found");
+          }
+          return { object: { objectId: `obj-${queries}` } };
+        },
+        "Runtime.callFunctionOn": () => ({
+          result: { value: { attached: queries !== 1, visible: queries !== 1 } },
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+    const pending = handleWaitForElement(
+      manager,
+      { session_id: "aa11", selector: "#mask", state, timeout_ms: 100 },
+      fake,
+    );
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(100);
+    expect(await pending).toMatchObject({
+      satisfied: false,
+      attached: true,
+      visible: true,
+      elapsed_ms: 100,
+    });
+    expect(queries).toBeGreaterThan(1);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    "resolve",
+    "probe",
+  ] as const)("confirms selector absence after a stale %s", async (phase) => {
+    const manager = await sessionWithRef();
+    let queries = 0;
+    const fake = makeFakeCdp({
+      handlers: {
+        ...probeHandlers({ attached: false, visible: false }),
+        "DOM.getDocument": () => ({ root: { nodeId: 1 } }),
+        "DOM.querySelector": () => ({ nodeId: ++queries === 1 ? 2 : 0 }),
+        "DOM.describeNode": () => ({ node: { backendNodeId: 555 } }),
+        "DOM.resolveNode": () => {
+          if (phase === "resolve") {
+            throw new Error(
+              JSON.stringify({ code: -32000, message: "No node with given id found" }),
+            );
+          }
+          return { object: { objectId: "obj-1" } };
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const pending = handleWaitForElement(
+      manager,
+      { session_id: "aa11", selector: "#mask", state: "detached", timeout_ms: 100 },
+      fake,
+    );
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(100);
+    expect(await pending).toMatchObject({
+      satisfied: true,
+      attached: false,
+      visible: false,
+      used_selector: "#mask",
+    });
+    expect(queries).toBe(2);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    ["resolve", false],
+    ["resolve", true],
+    ["probe", false],
+    ["probe", true],
+  ] as const)("bounds stale %s probes and retains prior evidence (%s)", async (phase, initialProbe) => {
+    const manager = await sessionWithRef();
+    let queries = 0;
+    const stale = () => !initialProbe || queries > 1;
+    const fake = makeFakeCdp({
+      handlers: {
+        "DOM.getDocument": () => ({ root: { nodeId: 1 } }),
+        "DOM.querySelector": () => ({ nodeId: ++queries + 1 }),
+        "DOM.describeNode": () => ({ node: { backendNodeId: 555 + queries } }),
+        "DOM.resolveNode": () => {
+          if (stale() && phase === "resolve") throw new Error("Could not find node with given id");
+          return { object: { objectId: `obj-${queries}` } };
+        },
+        "Runtime.callFunctionOn": () => ({
+          result: { value: { attached: !stale(), visible: !stale() } },
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+    const pending = handleWaitForElement(
+      manager,
+      { session_id: "aa11", selector: "#mask", state: "hidden", timeout_ms: 100 },
+      fake,
+    );
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(100);
+    expect(await pending).toMatchObject({
+      satisfied: false,
+      attached: initialProbe ? true : null,
+      visible: initialProbe ? true : null,
+      elapsed_ms: 100,
+    });
+  });
+
   it.each([
     false,
     true,
diff --git a/apps/extension/src/tools/waits.ts b/apps/extension/src/tools/waits.ts
index 15f8b8a02..92e6716e1 100644
--- a/apps/extension/src/tools/waits.ts
+++ b/apps/extension/src/tools/waits.ts
@@ -449,11 +449,10 @@ async function probeState(
     );
     objectId = resolved.object?.objectId;
   } catch (error) {
-    // The node left the document between the lookup and the handle
-    // request. That is the `detached` transition itself — the one case
-    // where a failing CDP call is an observation rather than a fault.
+    // A missing ref identifies a removed node. A selector may already match
+    // its replacement, so only a fresh lookup can establish its absence.
     if (!isMissingNode(error)) throw error;
-    return { attached: false, visible: false };
+    return params.selector ? null : { attached: false, visible: false };
   }
   if (!objectId) return { code: "cdp_failed", message: "DOM.resolveNode returned no objectId" };
 
@@ -479,6 +478,8 @@ async function probeState(
       message: reply.exceptionDetails?.text ?? "wait-for-element state probe returned nothing",
     };
   }
+  // The selected node can also detach after its remote object was resolved.
+  if (params.selector && !value.attached) return null;
   return {
     attached: value.attached,
     visible: value.visible === true,