diff --git a/ui/src/components/IssueLinkQuicklook.tsx b/ui/src/components/IssueLinkQuicklook.tsx
index b6311eff1af..1d66b2d0f79 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/IssueLinkQuicklook.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/IssueLinkQuicklook.tsx
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { timeAgo } from "@/lib/timeAgo";
 import { createIssueDetailPath, withIssueDetailHeaderSeed } from "@/lib/issueDetailBreadcrumb";
 import {
-  fetchIssueDetail,
-  getCachedIssueDetail,
+  getIssueDetailQueryOptions,
   ISSUE_DETAIL_STALE_TIME_MS,
   prefetchIssueDetail,
 } from "@/lib/issueDetailCache";
@@ -98,12 +97,9 @@ export const IssueLinkQuicklook = React.forwardRef<
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
   const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
   const prefetchedState = issuePrefetch ? withIssueDetailHeaderSeed(state, issuePrefetch) : state;
-  const cachedIssue = getCachedIssueDetail(queryClient, issuePathId, issuePrefetch ?? undefined);
   const { data, isLoading } = useQuery({
-    queryKey: queryKeys.issues.detail(issuePathId),
-    queryFn: () => fetchIssueDetail(queryClient, issuePathId),
+    ...getIssueDetailQueryOptions(queryClient, issuePathId, { placeholderIssue: issuePrefetch ?? undefined }),
     enabled: open,
-    initialData: () => cachedIssue,
     staleTime: ISSUE_DETAIL_STALE_TIME_MS,
   });
 
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/issueDetailCache.ts b/ui/src/lib/issueDetailCache.ts
index 8e02e46eb81..a2770b3118d 100644
--- a/ui/src/lib/issueDetailCache.ts
+++ b/ui/src/lib/issueDetailCache.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,20 @@ export async function fetchIssueDetail(
   return seedIssueDetailCache(queryClient, issue, { issueRef });
 }
 
+export function getIssueDetailQueryOptions(
+  queryClient: QueryClient,
+  issueRef: string,
+  options?: {
+    placeholderIssue?: Pick<Issue, "id" | "identifier"> | null;
+  },
+) {
+  return {
+    queryKey: queryKeys.issues.detail(issueRef),
+    queryFn: () => fetchIssueDetail(queryClient, issueRef),
+    placeholderData: getCachedIssueDetail(queryClient, issueRef, options?.placeholderIssue ?? undefined),
+  };
+}
+
 export function prefetchIssueDetail(
   queryClient: QueryClient,
   issueRef: string,
diff --git a/ui/src/lib/issueDetailQuery.test.tsx b/ui/src/lib/issueDetailQuery.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..83be05ddb11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/lib/issueDetailQuery.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+
+import { act } from "react";
+import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client";
+import type { Issue } from "@paperclipai/shared";
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider, useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { issuesApi } from "@/api/issues";
+import { queryKeys } from "@/lib/queryKeys";
+import { getIssueDetailQueryOptions } from "./issueDetailCache";
+
+vi.mock("@/api/issues", () => ({
+  issuesApi: {
+    get: vi.fn(),
+  },
+}));
+
+// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+(globalThis as any).IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT = true;
+
+function makeIssue(overrides: Partial<Issue> = {}): Issue {
+  const now = new Date("2026-04-13T20:00:00.000Z");
+  return {
+    id: "issue-1",
+    companyId: "company-1",
+    projectId: null,
+    projectWorkspaceId: null,
+    goalId: null,
+    parentId: null,
+    title: "Issue title",
+    description: null,
+    status: "todo",
+    priority: "medium",
+    assigneeAgentId: null,
+    assigneeUserId: null,
+    checkoutRunId: null,
+    executionRunId: null,
+    executionAgentNameKey: null,
+    executionLockedAt: null,
+    createdByAgentId: null,
+    createdByUserId: null,
+    issueNumber: 1442,
+    identifier: "PAP-1442",
+    requestDepth: 0,
+    billingCode: null,
+    assigneeAdapterOverrides: null,
+    executionWorkspaceId: null,
+    executionWorkspacePreference: null,
+    executionWorkspaceSettings: null,
+    startedAt: null,
+    completedAt: null,
+    cancelledAt: null,
+    hiddenAt: null,
+    createdAt: now,
+    updatedAt: now,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function IssueDetailQueryHarness({
+  issueRef,
+  placeholderIssue,
+}: {
+  issueRef: string;
+  placeholderIssue?: Pick<Issue, "id" | "identifier"> | null;
+}) {
+  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
+  const query = useQuery({
+    ...getIssueDetailQueryOptions(queryClient, issueRef, { placeholderIssue }),
+  });
+
+  return <div>{query.data?.description ?? "EMPTY"}</div>;
+}
+
+async function flush() {
+  // Multiple act cycles to allow React Query to process the async queryFn
+  for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+    await act(async () => {
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 0));
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+describe("getIssueDetailQueryOptions", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("treats cached issue data as placeholder and still fetches full detail", async () => {
+    const container = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.appendChild(container);
+    const root = createRoot(container);
+    const queryClient = new QueryClient({
+      defaultOptions: {
+        queries: {
+          retry: false,
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    const partialIssue = makeIssue({ description: null });
+    const fullIssue = makeIssue({ description: "GitHub Security Advisory body" });
+
+    queryClient.setQueryData(queryKeys.issues.detail("issue-1"), partialIssue);
+    queryClient.setQueryData(queryKeys.issues.detail("PAP-1442"), partialIssue);
+    vi.mocked(issuesApi.get).mockResolvedValue(fullIssue);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(
+        <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
+          <IssueDetailQueryHarness
+            issueRef="PAP-1442"
+            placeholderIssue={{ id: partialIssue.id, identifier: partialIssue.identifier }}
+          />
+        </QueryClientProvider>,
+      );
+    });
+
+    await flush();
+
+    expect(issuesApi.get).toHaveBeenCalledWith("PAP-1442");
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain("GitHub Security Advisory body");
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.unmount();
+    });
+    queryClient.clear();
+    container.remove();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/IssueDetail.tsx b/ui/src/pages/IssueDetail.tsx
index 0b2912b828e..fd0e0abc5a9 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/IssueDetail.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/pages/IssueDetail.tsx
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ import {
   readIssueDetailHeaderSeed,
   rememberIssueDetailLocationState,
 } from "../lib/issueDetailBreadcrumb";
-import { fetchIssueDetail, getCachedIssueDetail } from "../lib/issueDetailCache";
+import { resolveIssueActiveRun, shouldTrackIssueActiveRun } from "../lib/issueActiveRun";
+import { getIssueDetailQueryOptions } from "../lib/issueDetailCache";
 import {
   hasBlockingShortcutDialog,
   resolveIssueDetailGoKeyAction,
@@ -882,22 +883,18 @@ export function IssueDetail() {
     () => readIssueDetailHeaderSeed(location.state) ?? readIssueDetailHeaderSeed(resolvedIssueDetailState),
     [location.state, resolvedIssueDetailState],
   );
-  const cachedIssue = useMemo(
-    () =>
-      issueId
-        ? getCachedIssueDetail(queryClient, issueId, issueHeaderSeed ? {
-            id: issueHeaderSeed.id,
-            identifier: issueHeaderSeed.identifier,
-          } : null)
-        : undefined,
-    [issueHeaderSeed, issueId, queryClient],
-  );
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setIssueChatInitialTranscriptReady(false);
+  }, [issueId]);
 
   const { data: issue, isLoading, error } = useQuery({
-    queryKey: queryKeys.issues.detail(issueId!),
-    queryFn: () => fetchIssueDetail(queryClient, issueId!),
+    ...getIssueDetailQueryOptions(queryClient, issueId!, {
+      placeholderIssue: issueHeaderSeed ? {
+        id: issueHeaderSeed.id,
+        identifier: issueHeaderSeed.identifier,
+      } : null,
+    }),
     enabled: !!issueId,
-    initialData: () => cachedIssue,
   });
   const resolvedCompanyId = issue?.companyId ?? selectedCompanyId;
   const commentComposerDisabledReason = useMemo(() => {