diff --git a/plugin-designs/doxa-research-map/research-map.vue b/plugin-designs/doxa-research-map/research-map.vue
index 74bd0eff8..e593682e4 100644
--- a/plugin-designs/doxa-research-map/research-map.vue
+++ b/plugin-designs/doxa-research-map/research-map.vue
@@ -3035,14 +3035,23 @@ onMounted(async () => {
     console.error('[research-map] data load failed:', err)
     return { normalizedPeopleGroups: [] }
   })
+  // ★ A PANE RELEASED WHILE ITS MAP IS STILL STARTING IS A CANCEL, NOT A FAILURE. When the reader
+  // switches tab, the gallery releases this element. initializeMap then returns SILENTLY (see
+  // useMapInstance's liveness checks) and leaves map.value null. This handler reported that as "Map
+  // failed to initialize — check token and container", so a console ERROR landed in whichever tab was
+  // open by then and blamed the token for a tab switch (measured 2026-09-29, a phone in Arabic,
+  // 2 runs in 3). The pane is gone, so nobody is waiting for a map: return quietly.
+  const released = () => !mapContainer.value || !mapContainer.value.isConnected
   try {
     await initializeMap()
   } catch (err) {
+    if (released()) return
     // `new mapboxgl.Map()` throws outright when the device has no WebGL context.
     console.error('[research-map] Map failed to initialize —', err)
     mapError.value = String(err?.message || err)
     return
   }
+  if (released()) return
   // Keep the Mapbox Map OUT of Vue's reactive Proxy. useMapInstance holds it in a plain
   // ref() (deep-reactive): every internal read/write inside Mapbox then pays the Proxy
   // get/set trap, and a render scheduled through the Proxy (any map.value.* call →