diff --git a/client/public/assets/foliate/paginator.js b/client/public/assets/foliate/paginator.js
index 427e4b0fc..747bb7905 100644
--- a/client/public/assets/foliate/paginator.js
+++ b/client/public/assets/foliate/paginator.js
@@ -1010,11 +1010,14 @@ export class Paginator extends HTMLElement {
       }
       await this.#display(
         Promise.resolve(this.sections[index].load())
-          .then((src) => ({ index, src, anchor, onLoad, select }))
+          .then((src) => {
+            if (!src) throw new Error(`Failed to load section ${index}`)
+            return { index, src, anchor, onLoad, select }
+          })
           .catch((e) => {
             console.warn(e)
             console.warn(new Error(`Failed to load section ${index}`))
-            return {}
+            throw e
           }),
       )
     }
diff --git a/client/public/assets/foliate/view.js b/client/public/assets/foliate/view.js
index cc250f9fc..a86346d43 100644
--- a/client/public/assets/foliate/view.js
+++ b/client/public/assets/foliate/view.js
@@ -133,7 +133,8 @@ export const makeBook = async (file) => {
       book = await new EPUB(loader).init()
     }
   } else if (await isPDF(file)) {
-    const { makePDF } = await import('./pdf.js')
+    const pdfModule = './pdf.js'
+    const { makePDF } = await import(pdfModule)
     book = await makePDF(file)
   } else {
     const { isMOBI, MOBI } = await import('./mobi.js')
@@ -536,11 +537,16 @@ export class View extends HTMLElement {
 
   async goTo(target) {
     const resolved = this.resolveNavigation(target)
-    const hasContent = () => (this.renderer.getContents?.()?.length ?? 0) > 0
+    const hasContentFor = (nextResolved) => {
+      const contents = this.renderer.getContents?.() ?? []
+      if (!contents.length) return false
+      if (typeof nextResolved?.index !== 'number') return true
+      return contents.some((content) => content?.index === nextResolved.index)
+    }
     const tryGoTo = async (nextResolved) => {
       try {
         await this.renderer.goTo(nextResolved)
-        return hasContent()
+        return hasContentFor(nextResolved)
       } catch (e) {
         console.warn(e)
         return false
diff --git a/client/src/features/reader/epub/__tests__/foliate-navigation.spec.ts b/client/src/features/reader/epub/__tests__/foliate-navigation.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d835a29b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/features/reader/epub/__tests__/foliate-navigation.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import { beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+function installBrowserGlobals() {
+  Object.assign(globalThis, {
+    EventTarget: window.EventTarget,
+    CustomEvent: window.CustomEvent,
+    Event: window.Event,
+    Node: window.Node,
+    NodeFilter: window.NodeFilter,
+    Range: window.Range,
+    DOMRect: window.DOMRect,
+    CSS: window.CSS,
+  })
+
+  globalThis.ResizeObserver ??= class {
+    observe() {}
+    unobserve() {}
+    disconnect() {}
+  }
+
+  globalThis.requestAnimationFrame ??= (callback: FrameRequestCallback) => window.setTimeout(() => callback(Date.now()), 0)
+  globalThis.matchMedia ??= () =>
+    ({
+      matches: false,
+      addEventListener: vi.fn<() => void>(),
+      removeEventListener: vi.fn<() => void>(),
+    }) as unknown as MediaQueryList
+}
+
+describe('Foliate navigation', () => {
+  let View: new () => {
+    book: { sections: unknown[]; resolveHref: (href: string) => { index: number } }
+    renderer: {
+      goTo: (resolved: { index: number }) => Promise<void>
+      getContents: () => { index: number; text?: string }[]
+    }
+    goTo: (target: string) => Promise<{ index: number } | undefined>
+  }
+  let Paginator: new () => {
+    sections: { load: () => Promise<string | null> }[]
+    goTo: (target: { index: number }) => Promise<void>
+  }
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    installBrowserGlobals()
+
+    const viewModulePath = '../../../../../public/assets/foliate/view.js'
+    const paginatorModulePath = '../../../../../public/assets/foliate/paginator.js'
+    ;({ View } = (await import(viewModulePath)) as { View: typeof View })
+    ;({ Paginator } = (await import(paginatorModulePath)) as { Paginator: typeof Paginator })
+  })
+
+  it('does not treat stale rendered contents as successful navigation', async () => {
+    const view = new View()
+    let renderedIndex = 0
+    const goToCalls: { index: number }[] = []
+
+    view.book = {
+      sections: [{}, {}, {}],
+      resolveHref: (href: string) => ({ index: Number(href.replace('chapter-', '')) }),
+    }
+    view.renderer = {
+      async goTo(resolved: { index: number }) {
+        goToCalls.push(resolved)
+        if (resolved.index === 2) renderedIndex = 2
+      },
+      getContents: () => [{ index: renderedIndex, text: `chapter ${renderedIndex}` }],
+    }
+
+    await expect(view.goTo('chapter-1')).resolves.toEqual({ index: 2 })
+
+    expect(goToCalls).toEqual([{ index: 1 }, { index: 2 }])
+    expect(view.renderer.getContents()).toEqual([{ index: 2, text: 'chapter 2' }])
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the requested target when the rendered contents match', async () => {
+    const view = new View()
+    let renderedIndex = 0
+
+    view.book = {
+      sections: [{}, {}, {}],
+      resolveHref: (href: string) => ({ index: Number(href.replace('chapter-', '')) }),
+    }
+    view.renderer = {
+      async goTo(resolved: { index: number }) {
+        renderedIndex = resolved.index
+      },
+      getContents: () => [{ index: renderedIndex }],
+    }
+
+    await expect(view.goTo('chapter-1')).resolves.toEqual({ index: 1 })
+
+    expect(view.renderer.getContents()).toEqual([{ index: 1 }])
+  })
+
+  it('rejects paginator navigation when a section load does not produce a source', async () => {
+    const paginator = new Paginator()
+    paginator.sections = [{ load: vi.fn<() => Promise<string | null>>().mockResolvedValue(null) }]
+
+    await expect(paginator.goTo({ index: 0 })).rejects.toThrow('Failed to load section 0')
+  })
+})