diff --git a/ui/src/pages/Inbox.test.tsx b/ui/src/pages/Inbox.test.tsx
index 275ebcaf91..feef05e839 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/Inbox.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/pages/Inbox.test.tsx
@@ -107,8 +107,9 @@ vi.mock("../context/SidebarContext", () => ({
   useSidebar: () => ({ isMobile: false }),
 }));
 
+const generalSettingsMock = { keyboardShortcutsEnabled: false };
 vi.mock("../context/GeneralSettingsContext", () => ({
-  useGeneralSettings: () => ({ keyboardShortcutsEnabled: false }),
+  useGeneralSettings: () => generalSettingsMock,
 }));
 
 vi.mock("../hooks/useInboxBadge", () => ({
@@ -500,6 +501,72 @@ describe("Inbox toolbar", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("keeps hover→j/k selection in sync after the list reshapes (PAP-9679)", async () => {
+    routerMock.location.pathname = "/inbox/mine";
+    generalSettingsMock.keyboardShortcutsEnabled = true;
+    const issueA = createIssue({ id: "issue-a", identifier: "PAP-2001", title: "Sync row A" });
+    const issueB = createIssue({ id: "issue-b", identifier: "PAP-2002", title: "Sync row B" });
+    const issueC = createIssue({ id: "issue-c", identifier: "PAP-2003", title: "Sync row C" });
+    apiMocks.issuesList.mockResolvedValue([issueA, issueB, issueC]);
+
+    const queryClient = new QueryClient({
+      defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false, staleTime: 0, gcTime: 0 } },
+    });
+    const root = createRoot(container);
+
+    const linkOf = (row: Element): HTMLAnchorElement | null =>
+      row.querySelector("a[data-inbox-issue-link]");
+    // The keyboard-selected row swaps to `hover:bg-transparent`; find its index.
+    const selectedRowIndex = () =>
+      [...container.querySelectorAll("[data-inbox-item]")].findIndex((row) =>
+        linkOf(row)?.className.includes("hover:bg-transparent"),
+      );
+
+    try {
+      await act(async () => {
+        root.render(
+          <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
+            <Inbox />
+          </QueryClientProvider>,
+        );
+      });
+      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+        expect(container.querySelectorAll("[data-inbox-item]").length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3);
+      });
+
+      // Pointer physically moves, then hovers the middle row (index 1).
+      await act(async () => {
+        window.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent("mousemove", { bubbles: true }));
+        const rows = container.querySelectorAll("[data-inbox-item]");
+        rows[1]!.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent("mouseover", { bubbles: true }));
+        rows[1]!.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent("mouseenter", { bubbles: false }));
+      });
+
+      // A poll reshapes the list (row B's title changes → new nav array) before
+      // the keypress. This is what used to null the hovered index and strand
+      // j/k back at the top.
+      apiMocks.issuesList.mockResolvedValue([issueA, { ...issueB, title: "Sync row B (updated)" }, issueC]);
+      await act(async () => {
+        await queryClient.invalidateQueries();
+      });
+      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+        expect(container.textContent).toContain("Sync row B (updated)");
+      });
+
+      // j must continue from the hovered row (index 1) → index 2, not jump to
+      // the top of the list.
+      await act(async () => {
+        document.body.dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent("keydown", { key: "j", bubbles: true }));
+      });
+      expect(selectedRowIndex()).toBe(2);
+    } finally {
+      generalSettingsMock.keyboardShortcutsEnabled = false;
+      act(() => {
+        root.unmount();
+      });
+    }
+  });
+
   it("keeps other issue archive controls enabled while one archive is pending", async () => {
     routerMock.location.pathname = "/inbox/mine";
     const issueA = createIssue({ id: "issue-a", identifier: "PAP-1001", title: "First inbox row" });
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx b/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx
index bcafa2de32..f3ff80fe12 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/pages/Inbox.tsx
@@ -181,6 +181,17 @@ type SectionKey =
 
 /** A flat navigation entry for keyboard j/k traversal that includes expanded children. */
 type NavEntry = InboxKeyboardNavEntry;
+// Stable identity for a nav row, resilient to the numeric index shifting when
+// the inbox reshapes (archive/poll). Used to re-anchor both the keyboard
+// selection and the hovered row across list refreshes.
+const navEntryKey = (entry: NavEntry | undefined): string | null =>
+  !entry
+    ? null
+    : entry.type === "top"
+      ? `top:${entry.itemKey}`
+      : entry.type === "child"
+        ? `child:${entry.issueId}`
+        : `group:${entry.groupKey}`;
 type CreatorOption = {
   id: string;
   label: string;
@@ -1405,6 +1416,10 @@ export function Inbox() {
   const flatNavItems = useMemo((): NavEntry[] => {
     return buildInboxKeyboardNavEntries(groupedSections, collapsedGroupKeys, collapsedInboxParents);
   }, [collapsedGroupKeys, collapsedInboxParents, groupedSections]);
+  // Read the current nav list from event handlers without recreating them (and
+  // without capturing a stale array), so hover can resolve the row's key.
+  const flatNavItemsRef = useRef(flatNavItems);
+  flatNavItemsRef.current = flatNavItems;
   // Roll live descendant runs up to their ancestors across the loaded inbox tree
   // so a parent that is not itself live can still surface "n live below".
   const subtreeLiveCounts = useMemo(() => {
@@ -1614,9 +1629,14 @@ export function Inbox() {
   // list costs zero re-renders (hover paints via CSS `:hover`, see IssueRow).
   // Keyboard nav reads this to continue from the hovered row.
   const hoveredIndexRef = useRef<number | null>(null);
+  // The hovered row's stable key, kept alongside the numeric index so a poll
+  // that reshapes the list can re-anchor the hover to the same row instead of
+  // dropping it (which stranded j/k back at the top — PAP-9679 regression).
+  const hoveredNavKeyRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
   const setSelectedIndexFromPointer = useCallback((idx: number) => {
     if (!pointerMovedSinceKeyNavRef.current) return;
     hoveredIndexRef.current = idx;
+    hoveredNavKeyRef.current = navEntryKey(flatNavItemsRef.current[idx]);
     // Drop any keyboard selection band the moment the mouse takes over, so we
     // never show two identical highlights at once. React bails out when the
     // value is already -1, so continuous hovering triggers no re-render.
@@ -1786,19 +1806,16 @@ export function Inbox() {
   // numeric index onto a neighboring row (and Enter would open the wrong
   // task). Falls back to clamping when the item is gone; never auto-selects
   // on initial load.
-  const navEntryKey = (entry: NavEntry | undefined): string | null =>
-    !entry
-      ? null
-      : entry.type === "top"
-        ? `top:${entry.itemKey}`
-        : entry.type === "child"
-          ? `child:${entry.issueId}`
-          : `group:${entry.groupKey}`;
   const selectedNavKeyRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
   useEffect(() => {
-    // A reshaped list invalidates the numeric hover index; drop it so the next
-    // keypress falls back to the (key-reconciled) keyboard selection.
-    hoveredIndexRef.current = null;
+    // A reshaped list invalidates the numeric hover index. Re-anchor it to the
+    // same row by key (the inbox polls constantly, so nulling it here silently
+    // broke hover→j/k sync — PAP-9679). Drop it only when the row is gone.
+    const hoveredKey = hoveredNavKeyRef.current;
+    const nextHovered =
+      hoveredKey === null ? -1 : flatNavItems.findIndex((entry) => navEntryKey(entry) === hoveredKey);
+    hoveredIndexRef.current = nextHovered >= 0 ? nextHovered : null;
+    if (nextHovered < 0) hoveredNavKeyRef.current = null;
     setSelectedIndex((prev) => {
       if (prev < 0) return resolveInboxSelectionIndex(prev, flatNavItems.length);
       const prevKey = selectedNavKeyRef.current;