Stop reserving layout space for the idle sync spinner

visibility:hidden still occupied the header's flex row, squeezing the
title on narrow screens and clipping the unread counter. Render the
spinner with v-if instead so it takes no space when not syncing.

vue/index.html

@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
   <meta charset="UTF-8">
   <link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="/favicon.svg">
   <link rel="alternate icon" href="/favicon.ico">
+  <link rel="manifest" href="/manifest.json">
+  <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/icon-192.png">
+  <meta name="theme-color" content="#1a8f5e">
   <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
   <title>RSS-Reader</title>
   <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">

vue/public/manifest.json

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "name": "RSS Reader",
+  "short_name": "RSS Reader",
+  "start_url": "/",
+  "display": "standalone",
+  "background_color": "#ffffff",
+  "theme_color": "#1a8f5e",
+  "icons": [
+    {
+      "src": "/icon-192.png",
+      "sizes": "192x192",
+      "type": "image/png"
+    },
+    {
+      "src": "/icon-512.png",
+      "sizes": "512x512",
+      "type": "image/png"
+    }
+  ]
+}

vue/src/components/AdminFeeds.vue

@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 <script setup>
 import { ref, onMounted } from 'vue'
 import axios from 'axios'
+import Modal from './modal/AddUrl.vue'
 
+const showModal = ref(false)
 const feeds = ref([])
 const error = ref('')
 
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ onMounted(loadFeeds)
 <template>
   <div class="admin">
     <h1 class="admin__heading">Admin</h1>
+    <button class="admin__add" type="button" @click="showModal = true">Add RSS</button>
     <p v-if="error" class="admin__error">{{ error }}</p>
     <p v-else-if="feeds.length === 0" class="admin__empty">No feeds added yet.</p>
     <ul v-else class="admin__list">
@@ -51,6 +54,14 @@ onMounted(loadFeeds)
         <button class="admin__delete" type="button" @click="deleteFeed(feed.id)">Delete</button>
       </li>
     </ul>
+
+    <Teleport to="body">
+      <Modal :show="showModal" @close="showModal = false" @added="loadFeeds">
+        <template #header>
+          <h3>Add RSS Feed</h3>
+        </template>
+      </Modal>
+    </Teleport>
   </div>
 </template>
 
@@ -67,6 +78,24 @@ onMounted(loadFeeds)
   margin-bottom: 1.25rem;
 }
 
+.admin__add {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  min-height: 44px;
+  margin-bottom: 1.25rem;
+  padding: 0.5rem 1.1rem;
+  border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  background: transparent;
+  color: var(--color-text);
+  font: inherit;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+
+.admin__add:hover {
+  border-color: var(--color-border-hover);
+}
+
 .admin__error,
 .admin__empty {
   opacity: 0.6;

vue/src/components/AppNav.vue

@@ -2,11 +2,10 @@
 import { ref, computed, onMounted, onUnmounted } from 'vue'
 import { RouterLink, useRouter, useRoute } from 'vue-router'
 import { useFeeds, logout as logoutSession } from '@/composables/useFeeds'
-import Modal from './modal/AddUrl.vue'
 
 const router = useRouter()
 const route = useRoute()
-const { sync, showModal, viewMode, toggleViewMode, layout, toggleLayout, markAllRead, feedFilter, feedTitles, setFeedFilter, unreadCount, displayedFeedUnreadCounts, refreshUnreadDisplay, lastProgrammaticScroll } = useFeeds()
+const { sync, viewMode, toggleViewMode, layout, toggleLayout, markAllRead, feedFilter, feedTitles, setFeedFilter, unreadCount, displayedFeedUnreadCounts, refreshUnreadDisplay, lastProgrammaticScroll, isSyncing } = useFeeds()
 
 const headerRef = ref(null)
 
@@ -147,11 +146,6 @@ function handleMarkAllRead() {
   closeMenu()
 }
 
-function openAddModal() {
-  showModal.value = true
-  closeMenu()
-}
-
 function handleToggleViewMode() {
   toggleViewMode()
   closeMenu()
@@ -167,6 +161,11 @@ function handleToggleLayout() {
   <header ref="headerRef" class="app-nav" :class="{ 'app-nav--hidden': hidden }">
     <div class="app-nav__wrapper">
       <span class="app-nav__title">RSS Reader<span v-if="unreadCount" class="app-nav__unread"> ({{ unreadCount }})</span></span>
+      <span
+        v-if="isSyncing"
+        class="app-nav__sync-spinner"
+        aria-hidden="true"
+      ></span>
       <select
         v-if="onFeedsPage && feedTitles.length"
         class="app-nav__filter"
@@ -212,20 +211,11 @@ function handleToggleLayout() {
             <button class="app-nav__menu-item" type="button" @click="handleMarkAllRead">Mark all as read</button>
           </template>
           <button class="app-nav__menu-item" type="button" @click="handleSync">Sync</button>
-          <button class="app-nav__menu-item" type="button" @click="openAddModal">Add RSS</button>
           <RouterLink to="/admin" class="app-nav__menu-item" @click="closeMenu">Admin</RouterLink>
           <button class="app-nav__menu-item app-nav__logout" type="button" @click="logout">Logout</button>
         </div>
       </nav>
     </Transition>
-
-    <Teleport to="body">
-      <Modal :show="showModal" @close="showModal = false">
-        <template #header>
-          <h3>Add RSS Feed</h3>
-        </template>
-      </Modal>
-    </Teleport>
   </header>
 </template>
 
@@ -248,7 +238,7 @@ function handleToggleLayout() {
 
 .app-nav__wrapper {
   display: flex;
-  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  flex-wrap: nowrap;
   align-items: center;
   justify-content: space-between;
   gap: 0.5rem;
@@ -256,7 +246,11 @@ function handleToggleLayout() {
 }
 
 .app-nav__title {
-  margin-right: auto;
+  flex: 1 1 auto;
+  min-width: 0;
+  overflow: hidden;
+  text-overflow: ellipsis;
+  white-space: nowrap;
   font-weight: bold;
   font-size: clamp(0.95rem, 3.5vw, 1.1rem);
 }
@@ -266,9 +260,34 @@ function handleToggleLayout() {
   opacity: 0.6;
 }
 
+.app-nav__sync-spinner {
+  width: 16px;
+  height: 16px;
+  border: 2px solid var(--color-border);
+  border-top-color: var(--color-text);
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  opacity: 0.6;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  animation: app-nav-spin 0.8s linear infinite;
+}
+
+@keyframes app-nav-spin {
+  to {
+    transform: rotate(360deg);
+  }
+}
+
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .app-nav__sync-spinner {
+    animation: none;
+  }
+}
+
 .app-nav__filter {
+  flex-shrink: 1;
+  min-width: 0;
   min-height: 44px;
-  max-width: clamp(120px, 40vw, 220px);
+  max-width: clamp(90px, 40vw, 220px);
   padding: 0.25rem 0.5rem;
   border: 1px solid var(--color-border);
   border-radius: 4px;
@@ -287,6 +306,7 @@ function handleToggleLayout() {
   display: inline-flex;
   align-items: center;
   justify-content: center;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
   min-height: 44px;
   min-width: 44px;
   padding: 0.5rem;

vue/src/components/RssFeeds.vue

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ const {
   disconnectObserver,
   setInitialLoad,
   showMessageForXSeconds,
+  markCurrentArticleRead,
 } = useFeeds()
 
 const unreadCount = computed(() => feeds.value.filter(f => !f.read).length)
@@ -122,6 +123,11 @@ onBeforeUnmount(() => {
 onMounted(async () => {
   setInitialLoad(false)
   await fetchData()
+  // viewMode persists across reloads (see useFeeds.js) — if we're booting
+  // straight into article view, the article now on screen needs the same
+  // immediate mark-read that toggleViewMode()/nextArticle()/prevArticle()
+  // give it when reached by in-session navigation.
+  if (viewMode.value === 'article') markCurrentArticleRead()
   sync(true)
   setTimeout(function () {
     setInitialLoad(true)

vue/src/components/__tests__/AdminFeeds.spec.js

@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
+import { mount, flushPromises } from '@vue/test-utils'
+import axios from 'axios'
+import AdminFeeds from '../AdminFeeds.vue'
+import AddUrl from '../modal/AddUrl.vue'
+
+vi.mock('axios')
+
+describe('AdminFeeds', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    localStorage.setItem('user-token', 'test-token')
+    localStorage.setItem('user-id', '7')
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
+  })
+
+  // Each mount renders the AddUrl modal via <Teleport to="body">, which
+  // survives outside the wrapper's own element — unmount every mounted
+  // instance so a leftover doesn't bleed into a later test's document.body.
+  let mountedWrappers = []
+  function mountAdmin() {
+    const wrapper = mount(AdminFeeds)
+    mountedWrappers.push(wrapper)
+    return wrapper
+  }
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    for (const wrapper of mountedWrappers) {
+      try {
+        wrapper.unmount()
+      } catch {
+        // already unmounted by the test itself — fine
+      }
+    }
+    mountedWrappers = []
+  })
+
+  it('fetches and renders the feed list on mount', async () => {
+    axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      data: { feeds: [{ id: 1, title: 'Feed A', url: 'https://example.test/a.xml' }] },
+    })
+
+    const wrapper = mountAdmin()
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(axios.get).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/feeds/7', expect.anything())
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('Feed A')
+  })
+
+  it('shows the empty state when there are no feeds', async () => {
+    axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+
+    const wrapper = mountAdmin()
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('No feeds added yet.')
+  })
+
+  it('shows an error message when the feed list fails to load', async () => {
+    axios.get.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('Network Error'))
+
+    const wrapper = mountAdmin()
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('Failed to load feeds.')
+  })
+
+  it('deletes a feed after confirmation', async () => {
+    axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      data: { feeds: [{ id: 1, title: 'Feed A', url: 'https://example.test/a.xml' }] },
+    })
+    axios.delete.mockResolvedValueOnce({ status: 204 })
+    const confirmSpy = vi.spyOn(window, 'confirm').mockReturnValue(true)
+
+    const wrapper = mountAdmin()
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    await wrapper.find('.admin__delete').trigger('click')
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(axios.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/feed/1', expect.anything())
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('No feeds added yet.')
+
+    confirmSpy.mockRestore()
+  })
+
+  it('opens the add-feed modal from the Add RSS button', async () => {
+    axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+
+    const wrapper = mountAdmin()
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    await wrapper.find('.admin__add').trigger('click')
+
+    expect(wrapper.findComponent(AddUrl).props('show')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('reloads the feed list when the modal reports a feed was added', async () => {
+    axios.get
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [{ id: 2, title: 'Feed B', url: 'https://example.test/b.xml' }] } })
+
+    const wrapper = mountAdmin()
+    await flushPromises()
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('No feeds added yet.')
+
+    await wrapper.findComponent(AddUrl).vm.$emit('added')
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(axios.get).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('Feed B')
+  })
+})

vue/src/components/__tests__/AppNav.spec.js

@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ describe('AppNav', () => {
     localStorage.setItem('user-id', '7')
     vi.clearAllMocks()
 
-    const { feeds, allItems, feedFilter, lastProgrammaticScroll, showMessage, message, showModal, viewMode, currentIndex, layout } = useFeeds()
+    const { feeds, allItems, feedFilter, lastProgrammaticScroll, showMessage, message, viewMode, currentIndex, layout } = useFeeds()
     feeds.value = []
     allItems.value = []
     feedFilter.value = null
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ describe('AppNav', () => {
     lastProgrammaticScroll.value = 0
     showMessage.value = false
     message.value = ''
-    showModal.value = false
     viewMode.value = 'list'
     currentIndex.value = 0
     layout.value = 'list'
@@ -130,16 +129,6 @@ describe('AppNav', () => {
     expect(wrapper.find('.app-nav__menu').exists()).toBe(false)
   })
 
-  it('opens the add-feed modal from the menu', async () => {
-    const wrapper = await mountWithMenuOpen()
-    const { showModal } = useFeeds()
-
-    const addButton = wrapper.findAll('.app-nav__menu-item').find(el => el.text() === 'Add RSS')
-    await addButton.trigger('click')
-
-    expect(showModal.value).toBe(true)
-  })
-
   it('switches the view mode from the menu and closes it', async () => {
     const wrapper = await mountWithMenuOpen()
     const { viewMode } = useFeeds()
@@ -321,6 +310,56 @@ describe('AppNav', () => {
     expect(wrapper.find('.app-nav__title').text()).toContain('(2)')
   })
 
+  describe('sync spinner', () => {
+    it('does not render the spinner, and reserves no space for it, when idle', async () => {
+      const wrapper = mountNav()
+      await flushPromises()
+
+      expect(wrapper.find('.app-nav__sync-spinner').exists()).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('renders while a sync triggered through the composable is in flight, and disappears once it resolves', async () => {
+      const wrapper = mountNav()
+      await flushPromises()
+
+      let resolvePost
+      axios.post.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolvePost = resolve }))
+      const { sync } = useFeeds()
+      const syncPromise = sync(true)
+      await nextTick()
+
+      expect(wrapper.find('.app-nav__sync-spinner').exists()).toBe(true)
+
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      resolvePost({ status: 200 })
+      await syncPromise
+      await nextTick()
+
+      expect(wrapper.find('.app-nav__sync-spinner').exists()).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('renders while syncing even on a page where the feed filter itself does not render', async () => {
+      await router.push('/login')
+      await router.isReady()
+
+      const wrapper = mountNav()
+      await flushPromises()
+
+      let resolvePost
+      axios.post.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolvePost = resolve }))
+      const { sync } = useFeeds()
+      const syncPromise = sync(true)
+      await nextTick()
+
+      expect(wrapper.find('.app-nav__filter').exists()).toBe(false)
+      expect(wrapper.find('.app-nav__sync-spinner').exists()).toBe(true)
+
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      resolvePost({ status: 200 })
+      await syncPromise
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('scroll-driven show/hide', () => {
     // The scroll handler is rAF-throttled; run rAF synchronously so a single
     // dispatched scroll event resolves before we assert. Per the CLAUDE.md

vue/src/components/__tests__/RssFeeds.spec.js

@@ -37,11 +37,10 @@ describe('RssFeeds', () => {
 
     // useFeeds() returns module-level singleton refs shared across the whole
     // app (and this spec file) — reset them so state doesn't leak between tests.
-    const { feeds, showMessage, message, showModal, viewMode, currentIndex, layout } = useFeeds()
+    const { feeds, showMessage, message, viewMode, currentIndex, layout } = useFeeds()
     feeds.value = []
     showMessage.value = false
     message.value = ''
-    showModal.value = false
     viewMode.value = 'list'
     currentIndex.value = 0
     layout.value = 'list'

vue/src/components/modal/AddUrl.vue

@@ -2,9 +2,10 @@
 import '@/assets/modal.css';
 import { ref } from 'vue';
 import axios from 'axios';
-const props = defineProps({
+defineProps({
   show: Boolean
 })
+const emit = defineEmits(['close', 'added'])
 const submitted = ref(false)
 const url = ref('')
 const title = ref('')
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ async function save() {
 
     console.log(response)
     output.value = 'saved successfully'
+    emit('added')
   } catch (error) {
     console.error(error.message)
     output.value = error.message
@@ -57,7 +59,7 @@ async function save() {
           <div class="modal-footer">
             <slot name="footer">
               <button type="submit">Save</button>
-              <button class="modal-default-button" @click="$emit('close')">Close</button>
+              <button class="modal-default-button" type="button" @click="$emit('close')">Close</button>
             </slot>
           </div>
         </form>

vue/src/components/modal/__tests__/AddUrl.spec.js

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ describe('AddUrl', () => {
       expect.anything(),
     )
     expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('saved successfully')
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('added')).toHaveLength(1)
   })
 
   it('surfaces the error message when the request fails', async () => {
@@ -39,5 +40,17 @@ describe('AddUrl', () => {
     await flushPromises()
 
     expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('Network Error')
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('added')).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
+  it('closes without submitting when Close is clicked, even with fields filled in', async () => {
+    const wrapper = mount(AddUrl, { props: { show: true } })
+    await wrapper.find('#url').setValue('https://example.test/feed.xml')
+    await wrapper.find('#title').setValue('Example feed')
+
+    await wrapper.find('.modal-default-button').trigger('click')
+
+    expect(axios.post).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('close')).toHaveLength(1)
   })
 })

vue/src/composables/__tests__/useFeeds.spec.js

@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
-import { flushPromises } from '@vue/test-utils'
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
 import axios from 'axios'
 import { useFeeds } from '../useFeeds'
 
@@ -13,7 +12,7 @@ class FakeIntersectionObserver {
 vi.stubGlobal('IntersectionObserver', FakeIntersectionObserver)
 
 describe('useFeeds', () => {
-  const { feeds, allItems, feedFilter, feedTitles, feedUnreadCounts, unreadCount, displayedFeedUnreadCounts, refreshUnreadDisplay, setFeedFilter, showMessage, message, showModal, fetchData, sync, getReadable, setInitialLoad, handleIntersection, markAllRead, setupIntersectionObserver } = useFeeds()
+  const { feeds, allItems, feedFilter, feedTitles, feedUnreadCounts, unreadCount, displayedFeedUnreadCounts, refreshUnreadDisplay, setFeedFilter, showMessage, message, viewMode, currentIndex, fetchData, sync, getReadable, setInitialLoad, handleIntersection, markAllRead, markRead, markCurrentArticleRead, setupIntersectionObserver, isSyncing } = useFeeds()
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     localStorage.setItem('user-token', 'test-token')
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ describe('useFeeds', () => {
     feedFilter.value = null
     showMessage.value = false
     message.value = ''
-    showModal.value = false
+    viewMode.value = 'list'
   })
 
   it('fetches and flattens articles for the current user', async () => {
@@ -178,6 +177,466 @@ describe('useFeeds', () => {
     setInitialLoad(false)
   })
 
+  describe('mark-as-read suppressed while syncing', () => {
+    it('queues list-view scroll marking while a reload (fetchData) is in flight, and flushes it automatically once it finishes', async () => {
+      feeds.value = [{ id: 701, title: 'First' }]
+      setInitialLoad(true)
+      // No .observe nodes exist here, so this deterministically clears
+      // skipNextObservation rather than relying on whatever an earlier test
+      // left it as.
+      setupIntersectionObserver()
+      axios.put.mockResolvedValue({ status: 200 })
+
+      let resolveGet
+      axios.get.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolveGet = resolve }))
+      const fetchPromise = fetchData()
+
+      await handleIntersection([
+        { isIntersecting: false, boundingClientRect: { y: -10 }, target: { id: '0' } },
+      ])
+      expect(axios.put).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      // Queued, not dropped — untouched while the reload is in flight, unlike
+      // a normal scroll-past which removes it immediately.
+      expect(feeds.value.map(f => f.id)).toEqual([701])
+
+      // The refetch's response still lists it (its read never committed) —
+      // the flush that follows must find and remove it by id.
+      resolveGet({
+        data: {
+          feeds: [{
+            title: 'Feed A',
+            items: [{ id: 701, title: 'First', content: '', url: 'https://example.test/701', timestamp: '2026-01-01 10:00:00' }],
+          }],
+        },
+      })
+      await fetchPromise
+
+      // Flushed automatically once the reload finished — no second scroll needed.
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/read/701', null, expect.anything())
+      expect(feeds.value).toEqual([])
+
+      setInitialLoad(false)
+    })
+
+    it('queues list-view scroll marking for the whole duration of sync(), and flushes it once sync finishes', async () => {
+      feeds.value = [{ id: 702, title: 'First' }]
+      setInitialLoad(true)
+      setupIntersectionObserver() // deterministically clears skipNextObservation — see the previous test
+      axios.put.mockResolvedValue({ status: 200 })
+
+      let resolvePost
+      axios.post.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolvePost = resolve }))
+      const syncPromise = sync(true)
+
+      // Still mid network round-trip to /api/v1/article/sync — fetchData()
+      // hasn't even started yet, but scroll-marking must already be queued.
+      await handleIntersection([
+        { isIntersecting: false, boundingClientRect: { y: -10 }, target: { id: '0' } },
+      ])
+      expect(axios.put).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(feeds.value.map(f => f.id)).toEqual([702])
+
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      resolvePost({ status: 200 })
+      await syncPromise
+
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/read/702', null, expect.anything())
+      expect(feeds.value).toEqual([])
+
+      setInitialLoad(false)
+    })
+
+    it('queues article-view display marking while a reload is in flight, and flushes it in place once the reload finishes', async () => {
+      viewMode.value = 'article' // still on screen when the flush runs — must not be removed out from under it
+      feeds.value = [{ id: 703, title: 'First' }]
+      axios.put.mockResolvedValue({ status: 200 })
+
+      let resolveGet
+      axios.get.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolveGet = resolve }))
+      const fetchPromise = fetchData()
+
+      markCurrentArticleRead()
+      expect(axios.put).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(feeds.value[0].read).toBeFalsy()
+
+      // The refetch's response still lists it (its read never committed), same
+      // id, now at whatever index it re-sorts to — the flush must find it by
+      // id, not by the currentIndex it was queued under.
+      resolveGet({
+        data: {
+          feeds: [{
+            title: 'Feed A',
+            items: [{ id: 703, title: 'First', content: '', url: 'https://example.test/703', timestamp: '2026-01-01 10:00:00' }],
+          }],
+        },
+      })
+      await fetchPromise
+
+      // Flushed automatically once the reload finished — no second call needed.
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/read/703', null, expect.anything())
+      // Still in article view — marked in place, not removed (removing it here
+      // would yank whatever's on screen out from under currentIndex; the same
+      // invariant markCurrentArticleRead() already keeps while paging).
+      expect(feeds.value.find(f => f.id === 703)).toMatchObject({ read: true })
+    })
+
+    it('drops a queued article-view read once flushed, if the user already left article view before the reload finished', async () => {
+      feeds.value = [{ id: 707, title: 'First' }]
+      viewMode.value = 'article'
+      axios.put.mockResolvedValue({ status: 200 })
+
+      let resolveGet
+      axios.get.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolveGet = resolve }))
+      const fetchPromise = fetchData()
+
+      markCurrentArticleRead() // queued: isSyncing is true
+      // The user backs out to list view before the reload finishes —
+      // leaveArticleView()'s dropReadArticles() runs here, but this article
+      // isn't flagged read yet (it's only queued), so it survives that pass.
+      viewMode.value = 'list'
+      expect(feeds.value.map(f => f.id)).toEqual([707])
+
+      resolveGet({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      await fetchPromise
+
+      // Now in list view with no further transition to rely on — the flush
+      // must sweep it out itself instead of leaving it stuck looking unread.
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/read/707', null, expect.anything())
+      expect(feeds.value).toEqual([])
+    })
+
+    it('queues every article paged past during a sync, flushing all of them once it ends', async () => {
+      feeds.value = [
+        { id: 704, title: 'First' },
+        { id: 705, title: 'Second' },
+      ]
+      axios.put.mockResolvedValue({ status: 200 })
+
+      let resolvePost
+      axios.post.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolvePost = resolve }))
+      const syncPromise = sync(true)
+
+      markCurrentArticleRead() // pages onto article 704
+      currentIndex.value = 1
+      markCurrentArticleRead() // pages onto article 705
+      expect(axios.put).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      resolvePost({ status: 200 })
+      await syncPromise
+
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/read/704', null, expect.anything())
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/read/705', null, expect.anything())
+
+      currentIndex.value = 0
+    })
+
+    it('does not reopen the mark-as-read window when an independent fetchData() resolves while a sync() is still in flight', async () => {
+      feeds.value = [{ id: 706, title: 'First' }]
+      setInitialLoad(true)
+      setupIntersectionObserver() // deterministically clears skipNextObservation — see above
+      axios.put.mockResolvedValue({ status: 200 })
+
+      // sync() starts and is left mid network round-trip.
+      let resolvePost
+      axios.post.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolvePost = resolve }))
+      const syncPromise = sync(true)
+
+      // An independent fetchData() call (e.g. a separate reload) runs to
+      // completion while sync()'s POST is still pending.
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      await fetchData()
+
+      // sync() itself hasn't finished — scroll-marking must still be
+      // suppressed, not reopened by the independent call settling first.
+      feeds.value = [{ id: 706, title: 'First' }]
+      await handleIntersection([
+        { isIntersecting: false, boundingClientRect: { y: -10 }, target: { id: '0' } },
+      ])
+      expect(axios.put).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      resolvePost({ status: 200 })
+      await syncPromise
+
+      // Only now, with sync() truly finished, does the queued entry flush.
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/read/706', null, expect.anything())
+
+      setInitialLoad(false)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('isSyncing', () => {
+    // Lets a just-resolved deferred promise's `.then` continuations (e.g.
+    // sync()'s `await fetchData()`) actually run before the next assertion,
+    // without pulling in fake timers (see the CLAUDE.md Vitest gotcha).
+    async function flushMicrotasks() {
+      for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) await Promise.resolve()
+    }
+
+    it('is false initially, true while a fetchData() call is in flight, and false again once it resolves', async () => {
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(false)
+
+      let resolveGet
+      axios.get.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolveGet = resolve }))
+      const fetchPromise = fetchData()
+
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(true)
+
+      resolveGet({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      await fetchPromise
+
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('stays true for the whole duration of sync(), including its trailing fetchData(), and only clears once sync() fully settles', async () => {
+      let resolvePost
+      axios.post.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolvePost = resolve }))
+      let resolveGet
+      axios.get.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolveGet = resolve }))
+
+      const syncPromise = sync(true)
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(true)
+
+      // The sync POST settles, handing off into sync()'s own trailing
+      // fetchData() — isSyncing must not flicker false in between.
+      resolvePost({ status: 200 })
+      await flushMicrotasks()
+
+      expect(axios.get).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(true)
+
+      resolveGet({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      await syncPromise
+
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('leaves isSyncing true while an independent fetchData() completes during a still in-flight sync(), clearing only once both finish', async () => {
+      let resolvePost
+      axios.post.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolvePost = resolve }))
+      const syncPromise = sync(true)
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(true)
+
+      // An independent fetchData() call runs to completion while sync()'s
+      // POST is still pending.
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      await fetchData()
+
+      // sync() itself hasn't finished yet.
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(true)
+
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({ data: { feeds: [] } })
+      resolvePost({ status: 200 })
+      await syncPromise
+
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('clears on a rejected fetchData()', async () => {
+      axios.get.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('network'))
+
+      await fetchData() // caught internally — resolves rather than rejecting
+
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('clears on a rejected sync()', async () => {
+      axios.post.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('network'))
+
+      await sync(true) // caught internally — resolves rather than rejecting
+
+      expect(isSyncing.value).toBe(false)
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('markRead resilience', () => {
+    // Mirrors useFeeds.js's MARK_READ_RETRY_DELAYS_MS (not exported). Kept in
+    // sync via this comment: if that backoff changes, update this too — too
+    // small a value just makes the affected test's `await` hang until it
+    // times out, rather than pass incorrectly.
+    const RETRY_BACKOFF_SUM_MS = 300 + 1000
+
+    // A failed assertion before a test's own vi.useRealTimers() call would
+    // otherwise leak fake timers into every later test in this file.
+    afterEach(() => {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    })
+
+    it('retries a failed mark-read PUT before giving up, with a request timeout set', async () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers()
+      axios.put
+        .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('network'))
+        .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('network'))
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce({ status: 200 })
+
+      const done = markRead(601)
+      await vi.runAllTimersAsync()
+
+      expect(await done).toBe(true)
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3)
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        '/api/v1/article/read/601',
+        null,
+        expect.objectContaining({ timeout: expect.any(Number) }),
+      )
+      expect(showMessage.value).toBe(false)
+    })
+
+    it('reports failure once retries are exhausted, and stops withholding the item from a refetch', async () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers()
+      axios.put.mockRejectedValue(new Error('network'))
+
+      const done = markRead(602)
+      // Advance past just the two retry backoffs — not runAllTimersAsync(),
+      // which would also fire showMessageForXSeconds's own 5s auto-hide timer
+      // and reset showMessage before the assertion below.
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(RETRY_BACKOFF_SUM_MS)
+
+      expect(await done).toBe(false)
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3)
+      expect(showMessage.value).toBe(true)
+      expect(message.value).toMatch(/could not mark/i)
+
+      // The mark never committed, so the item genuinely is still unread
+      // server-side — a refetch must be free to show it again, not hide it
+      // forever as "pending".
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        data: {
+          feeds: [{
+            title: 'Feed A',
+            items: [{ id: 602, title: 'A1', content: '', url: 'https://example.test/a1', timestamp: '2026-01-01 10:00:00' }],
+          }],
+        },
+      })
+      await fetchData()
+      expect(feeds.value.map(f => f.id)).toEqual([602])
+    })
+
+    it('does not retry a non-retryable 4xx mark-read failure', async () => {
+      const error = new Error('Not Found')
+      error.response = { status: 404 }
+      axios.put.mockRejectedValueOnce(error)
+
+      const result = await markRead(605)
+
+      expect(result).toBe(false)
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(showMessage.value).toBe(true)
+    })
+
+    it('keeps a still-unconfirmed read article out of a concurrent background refetch', async () => {
+      let resolvePut
+      axios.put.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolvePut = resolve }))
+
+      const done = markRead(603) // simulates a page-turn's fire-and-forget mark-read, still in flight
+
+      // A background sync's trailing fetchData() resolves while that PUT is
+      // still pending — the server hasn't committed the read yet, so it's
+      // still in the response.
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        data: {
+          feeds: [{
+            title: 'Feed A',
+            items: [{ id: 603, title: 'A1', content: '', url: 'https://example.test/a1', timestamp: '2026-01-01 10:00:00' }],
+          }],
+        },
+      })
+      await fetchData()
+
+      expect(feeds.value).toEqual([])
+
+      resolvePut({ status: 200 })
+      await done
+    })
+
+    it('excludes an item whose mark-read PUT settles between a refetch\'s request and its response', async () => {
+      // The PUT commits (and clears the pending id) while the GET below is
+      // still in flight — the GET's response nonetheless reflects the DB as
+      // of before that commit, still reporting the item unread. A snapshot
+      // taken only once the GET resolves would miss this; one taken before
+      // it's dispatched (unioned with the live state) catches it too.
+      axios.put.mockResolvedValueOnce({ status: 200 })
+      const markDone = markRead(604)
+
+      let resolveGet
+      axios.get.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolveGet = resolve }))
+      const fetchPromise = fetchData()
+
+      await markDone // the PUT (and pending-id cleanup) settles first...
+
+      resolveGet({ // ...then the already-in-flight GET resolves, still unread.
+        data: {
+          feeds: [{
+            title: 'Feed A',
+            items: [{ id: 604, title: 'A1', content: '', url: 'https://example.test/a1', timestamp: '2026-01-01 10:00:00' }],
+          }],
+        },
+      })
+      await fetchPromise
+
+      expect(feeds.value).toEqual([])
+    })
+
+    it('keeps an item withheld until every overlapping markRead() call for it settles', async () => {
+      // nextArticle()/prevArticle() can both re-mark the same article (page
+      // forward, back, forward again) — two overlapping calls for one id.
+      let resolveFirst
+      let resolveSecond
+      axios.put
+        .mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolveFirst = resolve }))
+        .mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(resolve => { resolveSecond = resolve }))
+
+      const first = markRead(606)
+      const second = markRead(606)
+
+      resolveSecond({ status: 200 }) // the second (later) call settles first
+      await second
+
+      // The first call is still in flight — a refetch must still withhold it.
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        data: {
+          feeds: [{
+            title: 'Feed A',
+            items: [{ id: 606, title: 'A1', content: '', url: 'https://example.test/a1', timestamp: '2026-01-01 10:00:00' }],
+          }],
+        },
+      })
+      await fetchData()
+      expect(feeds.value).toEqual([])
+
+      resolveFirst({ status: 200 })
+      await first
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('markAllRead resilience', () => {
+    const RETRY_BACKOFF_SUM_MS = 300 + 1000
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    })
+
+    it('reports a partial failure instead of claiming full success', async () => {
+      feeds.value = [
+        { id: 701, title: 'First' },
+        { id: 702, title: 'Second' },
+      ]
+      vi.spyOn(window, 'confirm').mockReturnValue(true)
+      axios.put
+        .mockResolvedValueOnce({ status: 200 }) // 701 succeeds
+        .mockRejectedValue(new Error('network')) // 702 fails every attempt
+
+      vi.useFakeTimers()
+      const done = markAllRead()
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(RETRY_BACKOFF_SUM_MS)
+      await done
+
+      expect(message.value).toContain('1 of 2')
+      expect(message.value).not.toBe('All articles marked as read.')
+    })
+  })
+
   describe('feed filter', () => {
     const twoFeedsResponse = {
       data: {
@@ -237,6 +696,60 @@ describe('useFeeds', () => {
       expect(feeds.value.map(f => f.id)).toEqual([2, 1])
     })
 
+    it('does not resurrect an article-view read-in-place article when re-selecting its feed', async () => {
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce(twoFeedsResponse)
+      axios.put.mockResolvedValue({ status: 200 })
+      await fetchData()
+
+      await setFeedFilter('Feed B')
+      expect(feeds.value.map(f => f.id)).toEqual([2])
+
+      // Article view marks the displayed article read in place (feed.read =
+      // true) without removing it, so currentIndex stays valid while paging —
+      // see markCurrentArticleRead. It's still in the list at this point.
+      markCurrentArticleRead()
+      expect(feeds.value.map(f => f.id)).toEqual([2])
+
+      // Switching to another feed and back must not resurrect it as if it
+      // were still unread.
+      await setFeedFilter('Feed A')
+      await setFeedFilter('Feed B')
+
+      expect(feeds.value).toEqual([])
+    })
+
+    it('marks the newly displayed article read when the filter is switched while in article view', async () => {
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce(twoFeedsResponse)
+      axios.put.mockResolvedValue({ status: 200 })
+      await fetchData()
+      viewMode.value = 'article'
+
+      // Switching into Feed B while in article view immediately displays its
+      // one article's full content — that counts as "viewed", so it's marked
+      // read the same way toggleViewMode()/nextArticle()/prevArticle() do.
+      await setFeedFilter('Feed B')
+
+      expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/read/2', null, expect.anything())
+      expect(feeds.value[0].read).toBe(true)
+
+      // It doesn't resurface either, once dropped on the next switch.
+      await setFeedFilter('Feed A')
+      await setFeedFilter('Feed B')
+      expect(feeds.value).toEqual([])
+    })
+
+    it('does not mark the newly displayed article read when the filter is switched in list view', async () => {
+      axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce(twoFeedsResponse)
+      await fetchData()
+
+      // List view only shows titles — switching filters there must not mark
+      // anything read; that's still driven solely by scroll (handleIntersection).
+      await setFeedFilter('Feed B')
+
+      expect(axios.put).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(feeds.value[0].read).toBeUndefined()
+    })
+
     it('keeps an emptied filtered feed selected and selectable, showing "All caught up"', async () => {
       axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce(twoFeedsResponse)
       axios.put.mockResolvedValue({ status: 200 })
@@ -421,4 +934,55 @@ describe('useFeeds', () => {
     expect(feeds.value[0].content).not.toContain('%7Bsize%7D')
     expect(feeds.value[0].content).not.toContain('<img')
   })
+
+  it('strips Al-Jazeera-style "Recommended Stories" sections', async () => {
+    feeds.value = [{
+      id: 1,
+      title: 'Article one',
+      url: 'https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/article-one',
+      content: '',
+    }]
+    axios.post.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      data: {
+        content: `<html><body><article>
+          <p>some article text long enough for readability to keep the paragraph as the main content body, padded with extra words to pass the content-length heuristics used by Mozilla Readability when scoring candidate nodes.</p>
+          <section class="more-on"><h2 class="more-on__heading">Recommended Stories<!-- --> </h2><span>list of 3 items</span><ul>
+            <li><span>list 1 of 3</span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/a">Unrelated story one</a></li>
+            <li><span>list 2 of 3</span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/b">Unrelated story two</a></li>
+            <li><span>list 3 of 3</span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/c">Unrelated story three</a></li>
+          </ul><span>end of list</span></section>
+          <p>more article text long enough to survive readability's content-length heuristics as well, since it needs to look like part of the main body too.</p>
+        </article></body></html>`,
+      },
+    })
+
+    await getReadable(feeds.value[0], 0)
+
+    expect(feeds.value[0].readable).toBe(true)
+    expect(feeds.value[0].content).toContain('main content body')
+    expect(feeds.value[0].content).not.toContain('Recommended Stories')
+    expect(feeds.value[0].content).not.toContain('Unrelated story')
+  })
+
+  it('keeps other sections that are not the "Recommended Stories" block', async () => {
+    feeds.value = [{
+      id: 1,
+      title: 'Article one',
+      url: 'https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/14/article-one',
+      content: '',
+    }]
+    axios.post.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      data: {
+        content: `<html><body><article>
+          <section><p>some article text long enough for readability to keep the paragraph as the main content body, padded with extra words to pass the content-length heuristics used by Mozilla Readability when scoring candidate nodes.</p></section>
+          <p>more article text long enough to survive readability's content-length heuristics as well, since it needs to look like part of the main body too.</p>
+        </article></body></html>`,
+      },
+    })
+
+    await getReadable(feeds.value[0], 0)
+
+    expect(feeds.value[0].readable).toBe(true)
+    expect(feeds.value[0].content).toContain('main content body')
+  })
 })

vue/src/composables/__tests__/viewModeBoot.spec.js

@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ describe('viewMode boot persistence', () => {
     expect(wrapper.find('.article-single').exists()).toBe(true)
     expect(wrapper.find('#article').exists()).toBe(false)
 
+    // The article shown right after reload must be marked read immediately —
+    // not only once the user pages forward/back at least once.
+    expect(axios.put).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/v1/article/read/1', null, expect.anything())
+
     wrapper.unmount()
   })
 

vue/src/composables/useFeeds.js

@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ function refreshUnreadDisplay() {
   displayedFeedUnreadCounts.value = feedUnreadCounts.value
 }
 const message = ref('')
-const showModal = ref(false)
 const viewMode = ref(localStorage.getItem('viewMode') || 'list') // 'list' | 'article' — toggled from the hamburger menu, persisted per device
 const currentIndex = ref(0)
 const layout = ref(localStorage.getItem('layout') || 'list') // 'list' | 'cards' — list-view display style, toggled from the hamburger menu
@@ -76,6 +75,63 @@ let initialLoad = false
 // genuine scroll-driven exits mark read after that.
 let skipNextObservation = false
 
+// Count of fetchData()/sync() calls currently in flight — a refcount rather
+// than a plain boolean for the same reason as pendingReadCounts below: sync()
+// awaits its own trailing fetchData(), so one call nests inside the other, and
+// fetchData() can also be invoked independently (RssFeeds.vue's boot reload)
+// while a sync() elsewhere is still mid network round-trip. A bare boolean
+// would have whichever call finishes first clear it out from under the other
+// still-running one. Both rebuild allItems/feeds from the server, so the
+// passive/paging mark-as-read paths — handleIntersection's scroll-marking and
+// markCurrentArticleRead's display-marking — must not fire while any is in
+// flight. markAllRead is a deliberate, already-confirmed action and is left
+// ungated.
+const activeSyncCount = ref(0)
+function beginSync() {
+  activeSyncCount.value += 1
+}
+// Ids handleIntersection()/markCurrentArticleRead() couldn't mark while
+// isSyncing (see below) — flushed once every in-flight fetchData()/sync()
+// has finished, rather than left unread forever. Flushing by id (not by
+// re-deriving an index) sidesteps fetchData() having replaced
+// feeds.value/allItems.value wholesale in the meantime — the id is still
+// valid, wherever the item now sits.
+const pendingSuppressedReadIds = new Set()
+
+function endSync() {
+  activeSyncCount.value -= 1
+  if (activeSyncCount.value === 0) {
+    flushPendingSuppressedReads()
+  }
+}
+const isSyncing = computed(() => activeSyncCount.value > 0)
+
+function flushPendingSuppressedReads() {
+  if (pendingSuppressedReadIds.size === 0) return
+  const ids = [...pendingSuppressedReadIds]
+  pendingSuppressedReadIds.clear()
+  for (const id of ids) {
+    // feeds.value is always a filter()/slice() projection of allItems.value
+    // (see applyFilter), so every item in it is the same object reference as
+    // one already in allItems.value — one lookup is enough.
+    const feed = allItems.value.find(f => f.id === id)
+    if (feed) feed.read = true
+    markRead(id)
+  }
+  // A still-open article view marks in place and relies on dropReadArticles()
+  // running at the next leaveArticleView()/setFeedFilter() to clean up — same
+  // invariant markCurrentArticleRead() already keeps while paging, and
+  // removing one here could shift currentIndex out from under whatever's on
+  // screen. List view has no such upcoming transition to rely on (the user
+  // may just keep scrolling), so sweep these out now: this is exactly what a
+  // scroll-triggered mark would already have done immediately, had a sync not
+  // been in flight.
+  if (viewMode.value !== 'article') {
+    dropReadArticles()
+  }
+  refreshUnreadDisplay()
+}
+
 // Timestamp (performance.now()) of the most recent programmatic scroll / list
 // mutation that moves the page without user intent — currently the list-view
 // read-correction below. AppNav's auto-hide handler resyncs its scroll baseline
@@ -215,6 +271,11 @@ async function getReadable(feed, index) {
       const container = el.closest('section') ?? el.closest('article')
       if (container) container.remove()
     })
+    // Al Jazeera embeds a "Recommended Stories" section (a heading followed by
+    // a list of unrelated article teasers), marked up as <section class="more-on">.
+    // It's not part of the article, so strip it before Readability pulls it
+    // into the parsed content.
+    doc.querySelectorAll('section.more-on').forEach(el => el.remove())
     const article = new Readability(doc).parse();
     if (!article) {
       showMessageForXSeconds('Could not extract readable content.', 5)
@@ -228,12 +289,74 @@ async function getReadable(feed, index) {
   }
 }
 
+// Ids with a mark-read PUT in flight (or being retried) — see markRead() and
+// fetchData() below. A refcount rather than a plain Set: nextArticle()/
+// prevArticle() can both re-mark the same article (page forward, back,
+// forward again), so two overlapping markRead() calls for one id must both
+// finish before fetchData() is allowed to trust the server's word on it —
+// otherwise the first call to settle would clear the id out from under the
+// second, still-in-flight one.
+const pendingReadCounts = new Map()
+
+function addPendingRead(id) {
+  pendingReadCounts.set(id, (pendingReadCounts.get(id) ?? 0) + 1)
+}
+
+function removePendingRead(id) {
+  const count = pendingReadCounts.get(id) ?? 0
+  if (count <= 1) {
+    pendingReadCounts.delete(id)
+  } else {
+    pendingReadCounts.set(id, count - 1)
+  }
+}
+
+function delay(ms) {
+  return new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms))
+}
+
+// Short backoff between retries of a failed mark-read PUT — each entry is the
+// wait before that retry attempt.
+const MARK_READ_RETRY_DELAYS_MS = [300, 1000]
+// Bounds how long a hung request (dead connection, captive portal — axios has
+// no default timeout) can keep an id "pending": without this, a request that
+// never settles would never leave pendingReadCounts, silently withholding
+// that article from every fetchData() for the rest of the session.
+const MARK_READ_TIMEOUT_MS = 10000
+
+// 4xx responses (expired token, item not found/not owned — see
+// src/reader/mark_read.rs) mean the request itself is wrong and won't
+// succeed on retry; only a missing response (network error, timeout) or a
+// server-side/rate-limit status is worth retrying.
+function isRetryableMarkReadError(error) {
+  const status = error.response?.status
+  return status === undefined || status >= 500 || status === 429
+}
+
+// Resolves to true once the article is confirmed read server-side, or false
+// once retries (if any) are exhausted / the error isn't retryable.
 async function markRead(id) {
+  addPendingRead(id)
   try {
-    const response = await axios.put("/api/v1/article/read/" + id, null, authHeaders())
-    console.log(response.status)
-  } catch (error) {
-    console.log(error)
+    for (let attempt = 0; ; attempt++) {
+      try {
+        await axios.put("/api/v1/article/read/" + id, null, { ...authHeaders(), timeout: MARK_READ_TIMEOUT_MS })
+        return true
+      } catch (error) {
+        console.error('Error marking article read:', error)
+        if (attempt >= MARK_READ_RETRY_DELAYS_MS.length || !isRetryableMarkReadError(error)) {
+          // Out of retries, or a retry can't help — this mark never committed
+          // server-side, so the item genuinely is still unread there. Surface
+          // it rather than letting it silently vanish from the local list now
+          // only to mysteriously reappear as unread later.
+          showMessageForXSeconds('Could not mark an article as read. It may reappear as unread.', 5)
+          return false
+        }
+        await delay(MARK_READ_RETRY_DELAYS_MS[attempt])
+      }
+    }
+  } finally {
+    removePendingRead(id)
   }
 }
 
@@ -246,6 +369,22 @@ function applyFilter() {
     : allItems.value.slice()
 }
 
+// Article view marks an article read in place (feed.read = true) without
+// removing it — see markCurrentArticleRead — so currentIndex stays valid while
+// paging within that same list. Anything switches the list out from under
+// that index (leaving article view, or re-filtering while still in it) has to
+// drop those read-in-place articles from the master here, or they resurface:
+// re-selecting their feed would otherwise re-project them from allItems as if
+// still unread.
+function dropReadArticles() {
+  // The feeds.value filter here is redundant for the setFeedFilter() caller
+  // (applyFilter() overwrites feeds.value again right after) but is what
+  // leaveArticleView() actually needs — kept shared rather than split into two
+  // near-identical branches.
+  feeds.value = feeds.value.filter(feed => !feed.read)
+  allItems.value = allItems.value.filter(feed => !feed.read)
+}
+
 // Changes the active feed filter and re-projects. Mirrors toggleLayout's
 // observer/scroll-safe pattern: disconnect first, scroll to top, then re-point
 // the observer at the new .observe nodes after Vue has re-rendered. Works in
@@ -254,26 +393,47 @@ function applyFilter() {
 async function setFeedFilter(title) {
   disconnectObserver()
   window.scrollTo(0, 0)
+  dropReadArticles()
   feedFilter.value = title // null for "All feeds"
   currentIndex.value = 0
   applyFilter()
+  // In article view the item at currentIndex is fully displayed, not just
+  // listed — unlike a plain currentIndex reset from paging, this one really is
+  // "shown" to the user, so mark it the same way toggleViewMode()/nextArticle()/
+  // prevArticle() do. List view only shows titles here; its own read-marking
+  // happens via scroll (handleIntersection), so this must not fire there.
+  if (viewMode.value === 'article') markCurrentArticleRead()
   refreshUnreadDisplay()
   await nextTick()
   setupIntersectionObserver()
 }
 
 const fetchData = async () => {
-  const user_id = localStorage.getItem("user-id")
   try {
+    beginSync()
+    const user_id = localStorage.getItem("user-id")
+    // Snapshot ids pending *before* the GET goes out, not just when its
+    // response comes back. A markRead() PUT that commits while this GET is
+    // in flight is invisible to the check below (its id has already been
+    // cleared by the time the response arrives) even though the server read
+    // the DB before that commit and so still reported the item unread — this
+    // snapshot catches that case too.
+    const pendingBeforeFetch = new Set(pendingReadCounts.keys())
     const response = await axios.get("/api/v1/article/get/" + user_id, authHeaders());
     const items = [];
     response.data.feeds.forEach(feed => {
       feed.items.forEach(item => items.push({ ...item, feedTitle: feed.title }));
     });
+    // An item pending at either end of this request may not have committed
+    // server-side yet, so the server can still report it unread here. Drop it
+    // from this snapshot too — otherwise a concurrent background sync's
+    // refetch (see sync()) would resurrect it as unread out from under the
+    // user while markRead() is still confirming or retrying it.
+    const freshItems = items.filter(item => !pendingBeforeFetch.has(item.id) && !pendingReadCounts.has(item.id));
     // timestamps are zero-padded "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS" strings, so a plain
     // lexicographic comparison sorts them chronologically.
-    items.sort((a, b) => b.timestamp.localeCompare(a.timestamp));
-    allItems.value = items;
+    freshItems.sort((a, b) => b.timestamp.localeCompare(a.timestamp));
+    allItems.value = freshItems;
     applyFilter();
     refreshUnreadDisplay();
     await nextTick();
@@ -281,10 +441,13 @@ const fetchData = async () => {
   } catch (error) {
     console.error('Error fetching data:', error)
     showMessageForXSeconds(error, 5)
+  } finally {
+    endSync()
   }
 };
 
 async function sync(silent = false) {
+  beginSync()
   try {
     const response = await axios.post('/api/v1/article/sync', {
       user_id: parseInt(localStorage.getItem("user-id"))
@@ -293,12 +456,14 @@ async function sync(silent = false) {
     if (response.status == 200 && !silent) {
       showMessageForXSeconds('Sync successful.', 5)
     }
-    fetchData();
+    await fetchData();
   } catch (error) {
     console.error('Error sync', error)
     if (!silent) {
       showMessageForXSeconds(error, 5)
     }
+  } finally {
+    endSync()
   }
 }
 
@@ -347,6 +512,17 @@ function handleIntersection(entries, topbarHeight = 0) {
 
   if (readFeeds.length === 0) return
 
+  if (isSyncing.value) {
+    // Don't mutate a list that's mid-reload — queue these ids instead of
+    // dropping them; flushPendingSuppressedReads() marks (and removes) them
+    // once every in-flight fetchData()/sync() has finished. Nothing here
+    // touched the DOM, so there's no observer disconnect/reconnect to do.
+    for (const feed of readFeeds) {
+      pendingSuppressedReadIds.add(feed.id)
+    }
+    return
+  }
+
   // Disconnect before the DOM mutation. In card layout the cards are short
   // enough that the shift caused by removing one can push the next card above
   // the header, which the observer would immediately treat as another read —
@@ -411,29 +587,42 @@ async function markAllRead() {
   allItems.value = allItems.value.filter(feed => !readIds.has(feed.id))
   currentIndex.value = 0
   refreshUnreadDisplay()
-  // markRead swallows its own errors, so Promise.all can't reject here.
-  await Promise.all(ids.map(id => markRead(id)))
-  showMessageForXSeconds('All articles marked as read.', 5)
+  // markRead() resolves to true/false rather than rejecting, so Promise.all
+  // can't reject here — but a false means that article is still unread
+  // server-side, which the message below must not contradict.
+  const results = await Promise.all(ids.map(id => markRead(id)))
+  const failedCount = results.filter(ok => !ok).length
+  if (failedCount === 0) {
+    showMessageForXSeconds('All articles marked as read.', 5)
+  } else {
+    // markRead() already surfaced each individual failure — this summarizes
+    // the batch outcome instead of claiming full success over it.
+    showMessageForXSeconds(`Marked ${ids.length - failedCount} of ${ids.length} as read; ${failedCount} failed and may reappear.`, 5)
+  }
 }
 
 function markCurrentArticleRead() {
   const feed = feeds.value[currentIndex.value]
+  if (!feed) return
+  // Don't mark against a list that's mid-reload — see isSyncing/activeSyncCount.
+  // Queue this article's id instead of dropping it: flushPendingSuppressedReads()
+  // marks it once every in-flight fetchData()/sync() has finished.
+  if (isSyncing.value) {
+    pendingSuppressedReadIds.add(feed.id)
+    return
+  }
   // Marking read here (rather than via removeFeed, as the scroll-based list
   // view does) keeps the array stable so currentIndex stays valid while paging.
   // The local `read` flag lets leaveArticleView() drop these once we're done.
-  if (feed) {
-    feed.read = true
-    markRead(feed.id)
-  }
+  feed.read = true
+  markRead(feed.id)
 }
 
 async function leaveArticleView() {
   // Articles paged past in article view were marked read but deliberately kept
   // in place so currentIndex stayed valid — drop them now so they don't keep
   // showing up in the list view.
-  feeds.value = feeds.value.filter(feed => !feed.read)
-  // Shared references — the paged-past objects carry .read on the master too.
-  allItems.value = allItems.value.filter(feed => !feed.read)
+  dropReadArticles()
   currentIndex.value = 0
   viewMode.value = 'list'
   localStorage.setItem('viewMode', viewMode.value)
@@ -504,11 +693,11 @@ export function useFeeds() {
     setFeedFilter,
     showMessage,
     message,
-    showModal,
     viewMode,
     currentIndex,
     toggleViewMode,
     leaveArticleView,
+    markCurrentArticleRead,
     layout,
     toggleLayout,
     nextArticle,
@@ -525,5 +714,6 @@ export function useFeeds() {
     handleIntersection,
     lastProgrammaticScroll,
     markProgrammaticScroll,
+    isSyncing,
   }
 }