diff --git a/packages/obsidian/src/main.ts b/packages/obsidian/src/main.ts
index 8099844..08c1ad8 100644
--- a/packages/obsidian/src/main.ts
+++ b/packages/obsidian/src/main.ts
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ export default class MediaDbPlugin extends Plugin {
 
 		this.watchlist = new WatchlistController(this);
 		// catch-up shortly after startup (let vault index settle), then hourly due-check
-		window.setTimeout(() => void this.watchlist.maybeCatchUp(), 30_000);
+		const catchUpTimeout = window.setTimeout(() => void this.watchlist.maybeCatchUp(), 30_000);
+		this.register(() => window.clearTimeout(catchUpTimeout));
 		this.registerInterval(window.setInterval(() => void this.watchlist.maybeCatchUp(), 3600_000));
 	}
 
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ export default class MediaDbPlugin extends Plugin {
 
 	private registerRibbonAndFileMenu(): void {
 		const ribbonIconEl = this.addRibbonIcon('database', 'Add new Media DB entry', () => this.entryHelper.createEntryWithAdvancedSearchModal());
-		ribbonIconEl.addClass('obsidian-media-db-plugin-ribbon-class');
+		ribbonIconEl.addClass('media-db-sync-ribbon-class');
 
 		this.registerEvent(
 			this.app.workspace.on('file-menu', (menu, file) => {
diff --git a/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/SyncEngine.ts b/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/SyncEngine.ts
index 41f382d..34025d5 100644
--- a/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/SyncEngine.ts
+++ b/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/SyncEngine.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import { buildRecord } from 'packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/build';
 import { renderNote } from 'packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/render';
 
 export interface SyncDeps {
-	listNotes(): Promise<{ path: string; content: string }[]>;
+	listNotes(): Promise<{ path: string }[]>;
+	readNote(path: string): Promise<string>;
 	writeNote(path: string, content: string): Promise<void>;
 	fetchDetail(tmdbId: string, isMovie: boolean): Promise<any>;
 	sleep(ms: number): Promise<void>;
@@ -64,17 +65,19 @@ export async function syncFolder(deps: SyncDeps, opts: SyncOptions = {}): Promis
 	const notes = await deps.listNotes();
 	for (const note of notes) {
 		report.scanned++;
-		const { frontmatter, body } = parseNote(note.content);
-		const ref = noteTmdbRef(frontmatter);
-		if (!ref) {
-			report.skippedNoId++;
-			continue;
-		}
-		if (!opts.full && !isActive(frontmatter)) {
-			report.skippedStatic++;
-			continue;
-		}
 		try {
+			// Read immediately before parse/diff so mid-sync edits aren't clobbered by a stale snapshot.
+			const content = await deps.readNote(note.path);
+			const { frontmatter, body } = parseNote(content);
+			const ref = noteTmdbRef(frontmatter);
+			if (!ref) {
+				report.skippedNoId++;
+				continue;
+			}
+			if (!opts.full && !isActive(frontmatter)) {
+				report.skippedStatic++;
+				continue;
+			}
 			const detail: any = await withRateLimitRetry(() => deps.fetchDetail(ref.tmdbId, ref.isMovie), deps.sleep);
 			const record = buildRecord(detail, ref.isMovie, frontmatter);
 			const rendered = renderNote(record, extractMyNotes(body));
@@ -82,7 +85,7 @@ export async function syncFolder(deps: SyncDeps, opts: SyncOptions = {}): Promis
 			if (strip(frontmatter['watch_status']) === 'Watched' && record.watchStatus === 'Unwatched') {
 				report.flipped.push(note.path);
 			}
-			if (rendered !== note.content) {
+			if (rendered !== content) {
 				report.written++;
 				if (!opts.dryRun) await deps.writeNote(note.path, rendered);
 				deps.log(`${opts.dryRun ? '[dry] ' : ''}updated ${note.path}`);
diff --git a/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/WatchlistController.ts b/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/WatchlistController.ts
index 44bfa5f..5928377 100644
--- a/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/WatchlistController.ts
+++ b/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/WatchlistController.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,13 @@ function patchFrontmatter(content: string, tmdbId: string, mediaType: string): s
 	return `---\ntype: watchlist_item\n${insert}\n---\n\n` + content;
 }
 
+export function shouldNotifySync(quiet: boolean, written: number, errorCount: number): boolean {
+	return !quiet || written > 0 || errorCount > 0;
+}
+
 export class WatchlistController {
+	private syncing = false;
+
 	constructor(private plugin: MediaDbPlugin) {}
 
 	private getKey(): string {
@@ -40,8 +46,8 @@ export class WatchlistController {
 			const res = await obsidianFetch(new Request(url, { headers }));
 			if (res.status === 429) {
 				const err = new TmdbRateLimitError('TMDB 429');
-				const ra = Number(res.headers.get('retry-after') ?? 2);
-				err.retryAfterMs = ra * 1000;
+				const ra = Number(res.headers.get('retry-after'));
+				err.retryAfterMs = Number.isFinite(ra) && ra > 0 ? ra * 1000 : 2000;
 				throw err;
 			}
 			if (res.status !== 200) throw new Error(`TMDB ${res.status} for ${url}`);
@@ -57,9 +63,12 @@ export class WatchlistController {
 			listNotes: async () => {
 				if (!(folder instanceof TFolder)) throw new Error(`Watchlist folder not found: ${this.plugin.settings.watchlistFolder}`);
 				const files = folder.children.filter((f): f is TFile => f instanceof TFile && f.extension === 'md' && !f.name.startsWith('_'));
-				const out: { path: string; content: string }[] = [];
-				for (const f of files) out.push({ path: f.path, content: await app.vault.read(f) });
-				return out;
+				return files.map(f => ({ path: f.path }));
+			},
+			readNote: async path => {
+				const f = app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath(path);
+				if (!(f instanceof TFile)) throw new Error(`Watchlist note not found: ${path}`);
+				return await app.vault.read(f);
 			},
 			writeNote: async (path, content) => {
 				const f = app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath(path);
@@ -71,19 +80,30 @@ export class WatchlistController {
 		};
 	}
 
-	async syncNow(full: boolean, dryRun = false): Promise<SyncReport> {
-		const key = this.getKey();
-		const report = await syncFolder(this.makeDeps(key), { full, dryRun });
-		const mode = dryRun ? 'DRY-RUN ' : '';
-		new Notice(
-			`Watchlist ${mode}sync: ${report.synced} checked, ${report.written} updated, ${report.flipped.length} flipped to Unwatched` +
-				(report.errors.length ? `, ${report.errors.length} errors (see console)` : ''),
-		);
-		if (!dryRun) {
-			this.plugin.settings.watchlistLastSync = Date.now();
-			await this.plugin.saveSettings();
+	async syncNow(full: boolean, dryRun = false, quiet = false): Promise<SyncReport> {
+		if (this.syncing) {
+			new Notice('Watchlist sync already running');
+			return { scanned: 0, synced: 0, written: 0, skippedNoId: 0, skippedStatic: 0, flipped: [], errors: [] };
+		}
+		this.syncing = true;
+		try {
+			const key = this.getKey();
+			const report = await syncFolder(this.makeDeps(key), { full, dryRun });
+			const mode = dryRun ? 'DRY-RUN ' : '';
+			if (shouldNotifySync(quiet, report.written, report.errors.length)) {
+				new Notice(
+					`Watchlist ${mode}sync: ${report.synced} checked, ${report.written} updated, ${report.flipped.length} flipped to Unwatched` +
+						(report.errors.length ? `, ${report.errors.length} errors (see console)` : ''),
+				);
+			}
+			if (!dryRun) {
+				this.plugin.settings.watchlistLastSync = Date.now();
+				await this.plugin.saveSettings();
+			}
+			return report;
+		} finally {
+			this.syncing = false;
 		}
-		return report;
 	}
 
 	async maybeCatchUp(): Promise<void> {
@@ -91,47 +111,57 @@ export class WatchlistController {
 		if (!s.watchlistEnabled) return;
 		const due = s.watchlistLastSync + s.watchlistSyncIntervalHours * 3600_000;
 		if (Date.now() >= due) {
-			await this.syncNow(false).catch(e => console.error('[media-db-sync] scheduled sync failed', e));
+			await this.syncNow(false, false, true).catch(e => console.error('[media-db-sync] scheduled sync failed', e));
 		}
 	}
 
 	async resolveMissingIds(dryRun = false): Promise<ResolveReport> {
-		const key = this.getKey();
-		const deps = this.makeDeps(key);
-		const http = this.makeHttp();
-		const search = (q: string, isMovie: boolean, year?: string) => searchTitle(http, key, q, isMovie, year);
-
-		const report: ResolveReport = { scanned: 0, resolved: 0, ambiguous: 0, errors: [] };
-		const notes = await deps.listNotes();
-		for (const note of notes) {
-			const { frontmatter } = parseNote(note.content);
-			if (noteTmdbRef(frontmatter)) continue;
-			const type = stripQuotes(frontmatter['type']);
-			if (type && type !== 'watchlist_item') continue; // skip type: list dashboards etc.
-			report.scanned++;
-			try {
-				const filename = note.path.split('/').pop() ?? note.path;
-				const result = await withRateLimitRetry(() => resolveNote(frontmatter, filename, search), deps.sleep);
-				if (!result) {
-					report.ambiguous++;
-					deps.log(`ambiguous/no match: ${note.path}`);
-				} else {
-					report.resolved++;
-					const mediaType = result.isMovie ? 'Movie' : 'TV Series';
-					deps.log(`${dryRun ? '[dry] ' : ''}resolved ${note.path} -> tmdb_id ${result.tmdbId} (${result.matchedTitle})`);
-					if (!dryRun) await deps.writeNote(note.path, patchFrontmatter(note.content, result.tmdbId, mediaType));
-				}
-				await deps.sleep(250);
-			} catch (e) {
-				report.errors.push({ path: note.path, error: e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e) });
-				deps.log(`ERROR ${note.path}: ${String(e)}`);
-			}
+		if (this.syncing) {
+			new Notice('Watchlist sync already running');
+			return { scanned: 0, resolved: 0, ambiguous: 0, errors: [] };
+		}
+		this.syncing = true;
+		try {
+			const key = this.getKey();
+			const deps = this.makeDeps(key);
+			const http = this.makeHttp();
+			const search = (q: string, isMovie: boolean, year?: string) => searchTitle(http, key, q, isMovie, year);
+
+			const report: ResolveReport = { scanned: 0, resolved: 0, ambiguous: 0, errors: [] };
+			const notes = await deps.listNotes();
+			for (const note of notes) {
+				const content = await deps.readNote(note.path);
+				const { frontmatter } = parseNote(content);
+				if (noteTmdbRef(frontmatter)) continue;
+				const type = stripQuotes(frontmatter['type']);
+				if (type && type !== 'watchlist_item') continue; // skip type: list dashboards etc.
+				report.scanned++;
+				try {
+					const filename = note.path.split('/').pop() ?? note.path;
+					const result = await withRateLimitRetry(() => resolveNote(frontmatter, filename, search), deps.sleep);
+					if (!result) {
+						report.ambiguous++;
+						deps.log(`ambiguous/no match: ${note.path}`);
+					} else {
+						report.resolved++;
+						const mediaType = result.isMovie ? 'Movie' : 'TV Series';
+						deps.log(`${dryRun ? '[dry] ' : ''}resolved ${note.path} -> tmdb_id ${result.tmdbId} (${result.matchedTitle})`);
+						if (!dryRun) await deps.writeNote(note.path, patchFrontmatter(content, result.tmdbId, mediaType));
+					}
+					await deps.sleep(250);
+				} catch (e) {
+					report.errors.push({ path: note.path, error: e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e) });
+					deps.log(`ERROR ${note.path}: ${String(e)}`);
+				}
+			}
+			const mode = dryRun ? 'DRY-RUN ' : '';
+			new Notice(
+				`Watchlist ${mode}resolve: ${report.scanned} scanned, ${report.resolved} resolved, ${report.ambiguous} ambiguous/no match` +
+					(report.errors.length ? `, ${report.errors.length} errors (see console)` : ''),
+			);
+			return report;
+		} finally {
+			this.syncing = false;
 		}
-		const mode = dryRun ? 'DRY-RUN ' : '';
-		new Notice(
-			`Watchlist ${mode}resolve: ${report.scanned} scanned, ${report.resolved} resolved, ${report.ambiguous} ambiguous/no match` +
-				(report.errors.length ? `, ${report.errors.length} errors (see console)` : ''),
-		);
-		return report;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/watchlist-controller.test.ts b/tests/watchlist-controller.test.ts
index e3efb79..865e671 100644
--- a/tests/watchlist-controller.test.ts
+++ b/tests/watchlist-controller.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test';
-import { WatchlistController } from 'packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/WatchlistController';
+import { WatchlistController, shouldNotifySync } from 'packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/WatchlistController';
+import type { SyncDeps } from 'packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/SyncEngine';
 
 function fakePlugin(overrides: Partial<{ enabled: boolean; last: number; hours: number }> = {}) {
 	return {
@@ -38,3 +39,80 @@ describe('maybeCatchUp', () => {
 		expect(called).toBe(false);
 	});
 });
+
+function deferredDeps(): { deps: SyncDeps; listNotesCalls: () => number; release: () => void } {
+	let listNotesCalls = 0;
+	let release!: () => void;
+	const gate = new Promise<void>(resolve => { release = resolve; });
+	const deps: SyncDeps = {
+		listNotes: async () => { listNotesCalls++; await gate; return []; },
+		readNote: async () => '',
+		writeNote: async () => {},
+		fetchDetail: async () => ({}),
+		sleep: async () => {},
+		log: () => {},
+	};
+	return { deps, listNotesCalls: () => listNotesCalls, release };
+}
+
+describe('concurrency guard', () => {
+	test('overlapping syncNow calls: second short-circuits while first is in flight', async () => {
+		const c = new WatchlistController(fakePlugin());
+		const { deps, listNotesCalls, release } = deferredDeps();
+		(c as any).getKey = () => 'fake-key';
+		(c as any).makeDeps = () => deps;
+
+		const first = c.syncNow(false);
+		const second = await c.syncNow(false);
+
+		expect(listNotesCalls()).toBe(1);
+		expect(second.scanned).toBe(0);
+		expect(second.written).toBe(0);
+
+		release();
+		const firstResult = await first;
+		expect(firstResult.scanned).toBe(0);
+	});
+
+	test('syncNow in flight blocks resolveMissingIds (shared guard)', async () => {
+		const c = new WatchlistController(fakePlugin());
+		const { deps, release } = deferredDeps();
+		(c as any).getKey = () => 'fake-key';
+		(c as any).makeDeps = () => deps;
+
+		const first = c.syncNow(false);
+		const resolveResult = await c.resolveMissingIds();
+
+		expect(resolveResult.scanned).toBe(0);
+		expect(resolveResult.resolved).toBe(0);
+
+		release();
+		await first;
+	});
+
+	test('flag resets after completion → next call runs normally', async () => {
+		const c = new WatchlistController(fakePlugin());
+		(c as any).getKey = () => 'fake-key';
+		let listNotesCalls = 0;
+		(c as any).makeDeps = () => ({
+			listNotes: async () => { listNotesCalls++; return []; },
+			readNote: async () => '',
+			writeNote: async () => {},
+			fetchDetail: async () => ({}),
+			sleep: async () => {},
+			log: () => {},
+		});
+
+		await c.syncNow(false);
+		await c.syncNow(false);
+
+		expect(listNotesCalls).toBe(2);
+	});
+});
+
+describe('shouldNotifySync', () => {
+	test('non-quiet → always notifies', () => expect(shouldNotifySync(false, 0, 0)).toBe(true));
+	test('quiet + no changes + no errors → suppressed', () => expect(shouldNotifySync(true, 0, 0)).toBe(false));
+	test('quiet + written>0 → notifies', () => expect(shouldNotifySync(true, 3, 0)).toBe(true));
+	test('quiet + errors>0 → notifies', () => expect(shouldNotifySync(true, 0, 2)).toBe(true));
+});
diff --git a/tests/watchlist-sync-engine.test.ts b/tests/watchlist-sync-engine.test.ts
index 6318ff8..f0cb251 100644
--- a/tests/watchlist-sync-engine.test.ts
+++ b/tests/watchlist-sync-engine.test.ts
@@ -23,16 +23,18 @@ keep me
 const AIRING_NOTE = ENDED_NOTE.replace('status: Ended', 'status: Returning Series').replace('last_air_date: 2023-11-09', 'last_air_date: 2023-10-01');
 
 function makeDeps(notes: { path: string; content: string }[], detail: any = tvDetail) {
+	const contents = new Map(notes.map(n => [n.path, n.content]));
 	const writes: { path: string; content: string }[] = [];
 	const fetches: string[] = [];
 	const deps: SyncDeps = {
-		listNotes: async () => notes,
+		listNotes: async () => notes.map(n => ({ path: n.path })),
+		readNote: async path => contents.get(path)!,
 		writeNote: async (path, content) => { writes.push({ path, content }); },
 		fetchDetail: async (id) => { fetches.push(id); return detail; },
 		sleep: async () => {},
 		log: () => {},
 	};
-	return { deps, writes, fetches };
+	return { deps, writes, fetches, contents };
 }
 
 describe('withRateLimitRetry', () => {
@@ -133,7 +135,8 @@ describe('syncFolder', () => {
 		let calls = 0;
 		const slept: number[] = [];
 		const deps: SyncDeps = {
-			listNotes: async () => [{ path: 'Loki.md', content: AIRING_NOTE }],
+			listNotes: async () => [{ path: 'Loki.md' }],
+			readNote: async () => AIRING_NOTE,
 			writeNote: async () => {},
 			fetchDetail: async () => {
 				calls++;
@@ -160,4 +163,25 @@ describe('syncFolder', () => {
 		expect(report.errors[0].path).toBe('Bad.md');
 		expect(report.synced).toBe(1);
 	});
+	test('stale-read guard: content edited mid-sync is re-read fresh, not clobbered by early snapshot', async () => {
+		const { deps, writes, contents } = makeDeps([
+			{ path: 'A.md', content: AIRING_NOTE },
+			{ path: 'B.md', content: AIRING_NOTE },
+		]);
+		const originalFetch = deps.fetchDetail;
+		let calls = 0;
+		deps.fetchDetail = async (id, isMovie) => {
+			calls++;
+			if (calls === 1) {
+				// simulate the user editing B.md's "My Notes" while A.md is still mid-sync,
+				// i.e. after listNotes() ran but before B.md is actually processed.
+				contents.set('B.md', AIRING_NOTE.replace('keep me', 'edited during sync'));
+			}
+			return originalFetch(id, isMovie);
+		};
+		await syncFolder(deps);
+		const bWrite = writes.find(w => w.path === 'B.md');
+		expect(bWrite?.content).toContain('edited during sync');
+		expect(bWrite?.content).not.toContain('keep me');
+	});
 });