diff --git a/khata/web/main.py b/khata/web/main.py
index 3f2eafe..6153b74 100644
--- a/khata/web/main.py
+++ b/khata/web/main.py
@@ -176,10 +176,12 @@ def save_trade_note(
         if Q.trade_by_id(conn, user_id, trade_id) is None:
             raise HTTPException(404)
         note = Q.set_trade_note(conn, user_id, trade_id, body)
+        # Return only the saved-at stamp so HTMX doesn't re-render the editor
+        # DOM (which would cause EasyMDE to double-mount on every save).
         return TEMPLATES.TemplateResponse(
             request,
-            "partials/note_block.html",
-            {"note": note, "endpoint": f"/notes/trade/{trade_id}"},
+            "partials/note_meta.html",
+            {"note": note},
         )
 
     @app.post("/notes/day/{day}", response_class=HTMLResponse)
@@ -197,8 +199,8 @@ def save_daily_note(
         note = Q.set_daily_note(conn, user_id, d, body)
         return TEMPLATES.TemplateResponse(
             request,
-            "partials/note_block.html",
-            {"note": note, "endpoint": f"/notes/day/{day}"},
+            "partials/note_meta.html",
+            {"note": note},
         )
 
     @app.post("/tags/trade/{trade_id}", response_class=HTMLResponse)
diff --git a/khata/web/static/editor.js b/khata/web/static/editor.js
index 862e2b0..a803dd8 100644
--- a/khata/web/static/editor.js
+++ b/khata/web/static/editor.js
@@ -60,23 +60,22 @@
       previewRender: (text) => easy.markdown(text),
     });
 
-    // Keep the native textarea's value in sync so HTMX form submission works.
+    // Keep the native textarea's value in sync.
     easy.codemirror.on("change", () => easy.codemirror.save());
 
-    // Keep a handle so form submit can flush before send.
-    window._khataEasyMDE = easy;
-
-    // HTMX replaces #note-block after POST → the old CodeMirror DOM gets
-    // unmounted. On htmx:afterSwap, re-wire whatever landed.
-    document.body.addEventListener("htmx:afterSwap", (ev) => {
-      if (ev.target && ev.target.id === "note-block") {
-        const t = document.querySelector("#note-block textarea.khata-editor");
-        if (t) {
-          delete t.dataset.khataMounted;
-          wire(t);
-        }
+    // Trigger an HTMX save when the CodeMirror area loses focus. The form's
+    // hx-trigger includes 'khata-save', so this submits without re-rendering
+    // the editor DOM (the server returns just the saved-at stamp).
+    const form = textarea.closest("form");
+    easy.codemirror.on("blur", () => {
+      easy.codemirror.save();
+      if (form && window.htmx) {
+        window.htmx.trigger(form, "khata-save");
       }
     });
+
+    // Keep a handle so any form-submit onsubmit hook can flush before send.
+    window._khataEasyMDE = easy;
   }
 
   function init() {
diff --git a/khata/web/templates/partials/note_block.html b/khata/web/templates/partials/note_block.html
index b120854..27d11f6 100644
--- a/khata/web/templates/partials/note_block.html
+++ b/khata/web/templates/partials/note_block.html
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
 <div class="note-block" id="note-block">
   <form hx-post="{{ endpoint }}"
-        hx-target="#note-block"
+        hx-target="#note-meta-stamp"
         hx-swap="outerHTML"
+        hx-trigger="submit, khata-save"
         onsubmit="if (window._khataEasyMDE) window._khataEasyMDE.codemirror.save();">
     <textarea name="body"
               class="khata-editor"
               data-upload="{{ upload_endpoint }}"
-              data-autosave="{{ endpoint }}"
               placeholder="What happened? What did you learn? Paste or drop an image to embed it.">{{ note.body_md if note else '' }}</textarea>
     <div class="note-meta">
-      <span class="subtle">{% if note and note.updated_at %}saved {{ note.updated_at[:19].replace('T', ' ') }} UTC{% else %}not saved yet{% endif %}</span>
+      {% include "partials/note_meta.html" %}
       <button type="submit" class="btn btn-muted">save</button>
     </div>
   </form>
diff --git a/khata/web/templates/partials/note_meta.html b/khata/web/templates/partials/note_meta.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c518986
--- /dev/null
+++ b/khata/web/templates/partials/note_meta.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<span id="note-meta-stamp" class="subtle">{% if note and note.updated_at %}saved {{ note.updated_at[:19].replace('T', ' ') }} UTC{% else %}not saved yet{% endif %}</span>
diff --git a/tests/test_web.py b/tests/test_web.py
index ea156fe..f5fdd8a 100644
--- a/tests/test_web.py
+++ b/tests/test_web.py
@@ -137,9 +137,13 @@ def test_trade_404(client):
 
 
 def test_note_save_and_reload(client):
+    # POST returns ONLY the saved-at stamp partial (not the full editor),
+    # so EasyMDE doesn't double-mount. The body itself is checked on reload.
     r = client.post("/notes/trade/1", data={"body": "First thoughts on this trade"})
     assert r.status_code == 200
-    assert "First thoughts" in r.text
+    assert 'id="note-meta-stamp"' in r.text
+    assert "saved" in r.text
+    assert "First thoughts" not in r.text  # editor not re-rendered
     # Reload the page and confirm note persisted
     r2 = client.get("/trade/1")
     assert "First thoughts" in r2.text
@@ -167,7 +171,8 @@ def test_tag_add_and_remove(client):
 def test_daily_note_save(client):
     r = client.post("/notes/day/2026-04-15", data={"body": "Revenge traded after the morning loss"})
     assert r.status_code == 200
-    assert "Revenge traded" in r.text
+    assert 'id="note-meta-stamp"' in r.text
+    assert "Revenge traded" not in r.text  # meta partial only
 
     r2 = client.get("/day/2026-04-15")
     assert "Revenge traded" in r2.text