diff --git a/components/player/SequencePlayer.tsx b/components/player/SequencePlayer.tsx
index a5c507e..b920780 100644
--- a/components/player/SequencePlayer.tsx
+++ b/components/player/SequencePlayer.tsx
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ export function SequencePlayer({ clips, onClipChange }: SequencePlayerProps) {
   const shownId = useRef<string | null>(null);
   /** Bumped on every goTo so a superseded load stops acting. */
   const generation = useRef(0);
+  /** The slot a goTo is loading into, until its clip is on screen. */
+  const jumpingInto = useRef<Slot | null>(null);
   /** How much earlier than its pre-roll frames the next clip must start. */
   const startLatency = useRef(INITIAL_START_LATENCY_MS);
 
@@ -216,6 +218,9 @@ export function SequencePlayer({ clips, onClipChange }: SequencePlayerProps) {
       const n = nextIndex(fromIndex);
       if (n == null) return;
       const standby = (1 - activeRef.current) as Slot;
+      // A jump is loading its clip there; it preloads the next one itself
+      // once it's on screen. Loading over it would leave the screen black.
+      if (jumpingInto.current === standby) return;
       void prepare(standby, n, undefined, PREROLL_FRAMES);
     },
     [nextIndex, prepare]
@@ -266,8 +271,10 @@ export function SequencePlayer({ clips, onClipChange }: SequencePlayerProps) {
       videoRefs[0].current?.pause();
       videoRefs[1].current?.pause();
       setBuffering(true);
+      jumpingInto.current = slot;
       const ok = await prepare(slot, i, frameInMedia);
       if (gen !== generation.current) return;
+      jumpingInto.current = null;
       setBuffering(false);
       if (!ok) return;
       show(slot, i);
@@ -348,6 +355,7 @@ export function SequencePlayer({ clips, onClipChange }: SequencePlayerProps) {
     const standbyVideo = videoRefs[standbySlot].current;
     const hasRvfc = "requestVideoFrameCallback" in HTMLVideoElement.prototype;
 
+    const armedGeneration = generation.current;
     let disposed = false;
     let held = false; // active clip paused on its last cut frame
     let prerolling = false;
@@ -467,8 +475,16 @@ export function SequencePlayer({ clips, onClipChange }: SequencePlayerProps) {
       } else {
         cancelAnimationFrame(handle);
       }
-      // Stopped mid pre-roll (paused, skipped): park the next clip again.
-      if (prerolling && !didCut && standbyVideo && n != null) {
+      // Stopped mid pre-roll (paused): park the next clip again — unless a
+      // jump has taken over, and the standby may now be the clip on screen.
+      if (
+        prerolling &&
+        !didCut &&
+        standbyVideo &&
+        n != null &&
+        generation.current === armedGeneration &&
+        activeRef.current !== standbySlot
+      ) {
         standbyVideo.pause();
         void prepare(standbySlot, n, undefined, PREROLL_FRAMES);
       }
@@ -508,8 +524,12 @@ export function SequencePlayer({ clips, onClipChange }: SequencePlayerProps) {
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [hq]);
 
-  // Reloading the standby when loop is toggled at the end of the list.
+  // Loop toggled: what comes after the last clip changed, so reload the
+  // standby. Not on mount — the first goTo is loading then.
+  const lastLoop = useRef(loop);
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (lastLoop.current === loop) return;
+    lastLoop.current = loop;
     if (clips.length) preloadNext(indexRef.current);
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [loop]);