diff --git a/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/MessageList.virtualizedScroll.test.tsx b/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/MessageList.virtualizedScroll.test.tsx
index b65b8398..f217ebf4 100644
--- a/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/MessageList.virtualizedScroll.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/MessageList.virtualizedScroll.test.tsx
@@ -981,6 +981,71 @@ describe('MessageList — virtualized bottom-stick re-asserts as rows measure',
     expect(scrollToOffsetCalls.length).toBeGreaterThan(0) // the prepend restore actually ran
     expect(scrollToIndexCalls).not.toContain('end')       // ...and did not jump to the bottom
   })
+
+  it('suppresses the forced repaint on re-pins while a MAM catch-up is loading', () => {
+    // Baseline: NOT loading -> the stale-paint fix forces a repaint (offsetHeight read) on a
+    // write that actually moved scrollTop, same as every other re-pin test in this file.
+    const { container, rerender } = render(
+      <MessageList messages={makeMessages(50)} conversationId="conv-mam-repaint" isLoadingOlder={false} {...props} />,
+    )
+    const scroller = container.querySelector('[data-message-list]') as HTMLElement
+    const { grow } = instrumentScroller(scroller, 2000)
+    let offsetHeightReads = 0
+    Object.defineProperty(scroller, 'offsetHeight', { get: () => { offsetHeightReads++; return 500 }, configurable: true })
+    rafQueue.length = 0
+
+    offsetHeightReads = 0
+    rerender(<MessageList messages={makeMessages(51)} conversationId="conv-mam-repaint" isLoadingOlder={false} {...props} />)
+    flush(1)
+    grow(3000)
+    flush(14)
+    expect(offsetHeightReads).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+
+    // A MAM page lands (message count grows again) while catch-up is in flight: the re-pin still
+    // writes scrollTop, but the expensive forced repaint must be skipped.
+    offsetHeightReads = 0
+    rerender(<MessageList messages={makeMessages(51)} conversationId="conv-mam-repaint" isLoadingOlder={true} {...props} />)
+    rerender(<MessageList messages={makeMessages(52)} conversationId="conv-mam-repaint" isLoadingOlder={true} {...props} />)
+    flush(1)
+    grow(4000)
+    flush(14)
+    expect(offsetHeightReads).toBe(0)
+  })
+
+  it('fires one clean settle pin when a MAM catch-up completes with no further message growth', () => {
+    // The catch-up's last page can land (messageCount already reflects it) with NOTHING further
+    // changing except isLoadingOlder flipping false — the "new message" effect sees no count/id
+    // change and stays silent, so the completion must be its own trigger.
+    const { container, rerender } = render(
+      <MessageList messages={makeMessages(50)} conversationId="conv-mam-done" isLoadingOlder={true} {...props} />,
+    )
+    const scroller = container.querySelector('[data-message-list]') as HTMLElement
+    instrumentScroller(scroller, 2000)
+    rafQueue.length = 0
+    scrollToIndexCalls.length = 0
+
+    rerender(<MessageList messages={makeMessages(50)} conversationId="conv-mam-done" isLoadingOlder={false} {...props} />)
+
+    expect(scrollToIndexCalls).toContain('end')
+  })
+
+  it('does NOT fire the settle pin on catch-up completion when the reader is scrolled away from the bottom', () => {
+    const { container, rerender } = render(
+      <MessageList messages={makeMessages(50)} conversationId="conv-mam-scrolled" isLoadingOlder={true} {...props} />,
+    )
+    const scroller = container.querySelector('[data-message-list]') as HTMLElement
+    instrumentScroller(scroller, 5000)
+    rafQueue.length = 0
+
+    // Reader scrolls up, away from the bottom -> isAtBottom flips false.
+    scroller.scrollTop = 1000
+    scroller.dispatchEvent(new Event('scroll', { bubbles: true }))
+    scrollToIndexCalls.length = 0
+
+    rerender(<MessageList messages={makeMessages(50)} conversationId="conv-mam-scrolled" isLoadingOlder={false} {...props} />)
+
+    expect(scrollToIndexCalls).not.toContain('end')
+  })
 })
 
 /**
diff --git a/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/pinBottomRun.test.ts b/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/pinBottomRun.test.ts
index d0d3bcbe..25221f20 100644
--- a/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/pinBottomRun.test.ts
+++ b/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/pinBottomRun.test.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,22 @@ describe('shouldForceRepaint — repaint gating policy', () => {
     expect(shouldForceRepaint(true, 'off')).toBe(false)
     expect(shouldForceRepaint(false, 'off')).toBe(false)
   })
+
+  it('on-write: suppresses the repaint when a background load (MAM catch-up) is in flight', () => {
+    expect(shouldForceRepaint(true, 'on-write', true)).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('on-write: repaints as before when no background load is in flight', () => {
+    expect(shouldForceRepaint(true, 'on-write', false)).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('always: the debug escape hatch still forces a repaint during a background load', () => {
+    expect(shouldForceRepaint(true, 'always', true)).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('off: stays suppressed during a background load (already off)', () => {
+    expect(shouldForceRepaint(true, 'off', true)).toBe(false)
+  })
 })
 
 describe('readPinRepaintMode — localStorage override parsing', () => {
diff --git a/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/pinBottomRun.ts b/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/pinBottomRun.ts
index 220cc843..8842c537 100644
--- a/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/pinBottomRun.ts
+++ b/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/pinBottomRun.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ const PIN_SETTLED_FRAMES = 8
  *   repaint and skipping it removes the most expensive step on WebKitGTK.
  * - 'always' / 'off': on-device A/B escape hatches (localStorage
  *   `fluux:pin-repaint`) to validate the gating on the real Linux build.
+ *
+ * `suppressForBackgroundLoad` additionally skips the repaint while a MAM catch-up (or
+ * "load older") query is in flight for the conversation. A catch-up can page in dozens of
+ * merges over 1-2s, each moving scrollTop; forcing a repaint on every single one is the
+ * forced-layout/repaint storm PR #860 already had to cut down for the measurement-settle
+ * case. WebKit isn't painting those intermediate positions anyway without the forced
+ * toggle, so nothing visible is lost — the caller is responsible for forcing one final
+ * repaint once the load completes. 'always' still wins (on-device A/B must stay unconditional).
  */
 export type PinRepaintMode = 'on-write' | 'always' | 'off'
 
@@ -45,11 +53,12 @@ export function readPinRepaintMode(
 
 export function shouldForceRepaint(
   scrollTopMoved: boolean,
-  mode: PinRepaintMode
+  mode: PinRepaintMode,
+  suppressForBackgroundLoad = false
 ): boolean {
   if (mode === 'always') return true
   if (mode === 'off') return false
-  return scrollTopMoved
+  return scrollTopMoved && !suppressForBackgroundLoad
 }
 
 /** Forced-work categories a pin run accumulates for the probe line. */
diff --git a/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/useMessageListScroll.ts b/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/useMessageListScroll.ts
index 7b088884..08c6c623 100644
--- a/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/useMessageListScroll.ts
+++ b/apps/fluux/src/components/conversation/useMessageListScroll.ts
@@ -372,6 +372,13 @@ export function useMessageListScroll({
   const virtualizerRef = useRef<MessageVirtualizer | undefined>(undefined)
   virtualizerRef.current = virtualizer
 
+  // Latest MAM-loading state (forward catch-up on entry, or backward "load older" pagination) for
+  // the active conversation, read imperatively inside pinVirtualizedBottom's stable useCallback —
+  // see the repaint-suppression note in writePin below. Updated synchronously in the render body
+  // (same pattern as virtualizerRef) so it is never stale when the pin loop reads it mid-run.
+  const isLoadingOlderRef = useRef(isLoadingOlder)
+  isLoadingOlderRef.current = isLoadingOlder
+
   // Track conversation
   const prevConversationRef = useRef<string | null>(null)
   const prevMessageCountRef = useRef(0)
@@ -841,7 +848,7 @@ export function useMessageListScroll({
       run.addMs('scroll', performance.now() - started)
       const moved = ss.scrollTop !== before
       if (moved) wroteAny = true
-      if (shouldForceRepaint(moved, repaintMode)) forceRepaint()
+      if (shouldForceRepaint(moved, repaintMode, isLoadingOlderRef.current)) forceRepaint()
       return moved
     }
 
@@ -875,12 +882,14 @@ export function useMessageListScroll({
       if (framesLeft-- <= 0) {
         // Loop ran its full budget without converging. Re-derive isAtBottom from geometry (accurate —
         // the position is correct even when WebKit withheld the paint) and force one final repaint —
-        // if anything was written — so the settled position is actually drawn.
+        // if anything was written — so the settled position is actually drawn. Still suppressed while
+        // a MAM catch-up is in flight: more content is coming, so this isn't the settled position yet —
+        // the catch-up-complete effect below forces the real final repaint once it finishes.
         if (s) {
           flushTailLayout()
           const dist = s.scrollHeight - s.scrollTop - s.clientHeight
           isAtBottomRef.current = dist < AT_BOTTOM_THRESHOLD
-          if (shouldForceRepaint(wroteAny, repaintMode)) forceRepaint()
+          if (shouldForceRepaint(wroteAny, repaintMode, isLoadingOlderRef.current)) forceRepaint()
           debugLog('PIN settled (frames exhausted)', { distFromBottom: dist })
         }
         finish()
@@ -2698,6 +2707,28 @@ export function useMessageListScroll({
     prevLastMessageIdRef.current = lastMessageId
   }, [conversationId, messageCount, lastMessageId, isAtBottomRef, staticMode, lastMessageIsOutgoing, reassertBottom])
 
+  // ==========================================================================
+  // EFFECT: Clean settle pin once a MAM catch-up completes
+  // ==========================================================================
+
+  // writePin above suppresses the forced repaint while isLoadingOlder is true (see pinBottomRun's
+  // shouldForceRepaint doc) — a catch-up pages in merges every ~50-300ms, each moving scrollTop, and
+  // WebKit isn't painting those intermediate positions anyway without the forced toggle. But once the
+  // LAST merge lands, something has to force the final repaint or the view is stuck showing a stale
+  // frame at the (geometrically correct) suppressed position. This fires exactly once on the
+  // isLoadingOlder true -> false transition, while the reader is following the bottom, mirroring the
+  // "new message" effect above but keyed on load completion rather than message-count growth (needed
+  // because the last MAM page can land with no further count change once the switch effect's own
+  // initial cache load already brought it in).
+  const prevIsLoadingOlderRef = useRef(isLoadingOlder)
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const wasLoading = prevIsLoadingOlderRef.current
+    prevIsLoadingOlderRef.current = isLoadingOlder
+    if (wasLoading && !isLoadingOlder && isAtBottomRef.current && !staticMode) {
+      reassertBottom('mam-catchup-complete')
+    }
+  }, [isLoadingOlder, isAtBottomRef, staticMode, reassertBottom])
+
   // ==========================================================================
   // EFFECT: Reset marker scroll tracking when firstNewMessageId changes
   // ==========================================================================