diff --git a/js/historyView.js b/js/historyView.js
index 1bf8082b..bb5e58e8 100644
--- a/js/historyView.js
+++ b/js/historyView.js
@@ -572,7 +572,9 @@ export function createWatchHistoryRenderer(config = {}) {
         });
         return engine.run("watch-history", { runtime });
       }
-      const items = await watchHistoryService.loadLatest(actorInput);
+      const items = await watchHistoryService.loadLatest(actorInput, {
+        allowStale: true,
+      });
       const normalized = normalizeHistoryItems(items);
       return { items: normalized, metadata: { engine: "service-fallback" } };
     },
diff --git a/js/watchHistoryService.js b/js/watchHistoryService.js
index a201cd6f..e40f855d 100644
--- a/js/watchHistoryService.js
+++ b/js/watchHistoryService.js
@@ -1250,7 +1250,10 @@ async function loadLatest(actorInput, options = {}) {
 
   const normalizedOptions =
     options && typeof options === "object" ? options : {};
-  const allowStale = normalizedOptions.allowStale !== false;
+  // Only callers that can react to a later fingerprint update should opt into
+  // stale cache reads; everyone else waits for the fresh list so they do not
+  // miss entries.
+  const allowStale = normalizedOptions.allowStale === true;
 
   if (!isFeatureEnabled(actorKey)) {
     if (!state.restored) {
diff --git a/tests/watch-history.test.mjs b/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
index 56a201b0..b913154e 100644
--- a/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/watch-history.test.mjs
@@ -1061,7 +1061,9 @@ async function testWatchHistoryStaleCacheRefresh() {
       return refreshedItems;
     };
 
-    const staleResult = await watchHistoryService.loadLatest(actor);
+    const staleResult = await watchHistoryService.loadLatest(actor, {
+      allowStale: true,
+    });
     assert.equal(
       resolveCallCount,
       1,