diff --git a/src/lib/components/chat/Chat.svelte b/src/lib/components/chat/Chat.svelte
index 5b70c68eed..fbd91e512c 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/chat/Chat.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/chat/Chat.svelte
@@ -2413,8 +2413,11 @@
 					taskIds = newTaskIds;
 				}
 
-				// Backend returns chat_id for new chats — set store + URL
-				if (res.chat_id && $chatId !== res.chat_id) {
+				// Backend returns chat_id for new chats — set store + URL.
+				// Only update if the user hasn't navigated to a different chat
+				// while the request was in flight (prevents overwriting $chatId
+				// and causing spurious toast notifications / state duplication).
+				if (res.chat_id && $chatId !== res.chat_id && $chatId === _chatId) {
 					await chatId.set(res.chat_id);
 					if (!$temporaryChatEnabled) {
 						window.history.replaceState(history.state, '', `/c/${res.chat_id}`);
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
index e8cb71b8c0..2902f1f08d 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
@@ -425,13 +425,13 @@
 			return;
 		}
 
-		let isFocused = document.visibilityState !== 'visible';
+		let isInBackground = document.visibilityState !== 'visible';
 		if (window.electronAPI) {
 			const res = await window.electronAPI.send({
 				type: 'window:isFocused'
 			});
 			if (res) {
-				isFocused = res.isFocused;
+				isInBackground = !res.isFocused;
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if ((event.chat_id !== $chatId && !$temporaryChatEnabled) || isFocused) {
+		if ((event.chat_id !== $chatId && !$temporaryChatEnabled) || isInBackground) {
 			if (type === 'chat:completion') {
 				const { done, content, title } = data;
 				const displayTitle = title || $i18n.t('New Chat');
@@ -639,17 +639,17 @@
 		// check url path
 		const channel = $page.url.pathname.includes(`/channels/${event.channel_id}`);
 
-		let isFocused = document.visibilityState !== 'visible';
+		let isInBackground = document.visibilityState !== 'visible';
 		if (window.electronAPI) {
 			const res = await window.electronAPI.send({
 				type: 'window:isFocused'
 			});
 			if (res) {
-				isFocused = res.isFocused;
+				isInBackground = !res.isFocused;
 			}
 		}
 
-		if ((!channel || isFocused) && event?.user?.id !== $user?.id) {
+		if ((!channel || isInBackground) && event?.user?.id !== $user?.id) {
 			await tick();
 			const type = event?.data?.type ?? null;
 			const data = event?.data?.data ?? null;