diff --git a/packages/web/src/stores/instanceStore.failover.test.ts b/packages/web/src/stores/instanceStore.failover.test.ts
index 5952fbf1..7a55b65f 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/stores/instanceStore.failover.test.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/stores/instanceStore.failover.test.ts
@@ -39,16 +39,16 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 });
 
 describe('instanceStore failover triggers', () => {
-  it('fires failover on connected → disconnected transition', async () => {
+  it('fires failover on connected → disconnected transition', () => {
     useInstanceStore.setState({ instances: [inst('https://b.example', 'connected')] });
     useInstanceStore.getState().setInstanceStatus('https://b.example', 'disconnected');
-    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(mockFailover).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith('https://b.example'));
+    expect(mockFailover).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith('https://b.example');
   });
 
-  it('fires failover on connected → error transition', async () => {
+  it('fires failover on connected → error transition', () => {
     useInstanceStore.setState({ instances: [inst('https://b.example', 'connected')] });
     useInstanceStore.getState().setInstanceStatus('https://b.example', 'error');
-    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(mockFailover).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith('https://b.example'));
+    expect(mockFailover).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith('https://b.example');
   });
 
   it('does not fire on connecting → connected', () => {
@@ -67,4 +67,36 @@ describe('instanceStore failover triggers', () => {
     useInstanceStore.getState().setInstanceStatus('https://unknown.example', 'disconnected');
     expect(mockFailover).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it('disconnectInstance runs failover before removeInstanceSpaces', async () => {
+    // Seed a DM pinned to b.example with home as alternative — removeInstanceSpaces
+    // uses spaceStore, which we let run; we just check failover ran first (call order).
+    const spaceModule = await import('./spaceStore');
+    const spaceSpy = vi.spyOn(spaceModule.useSpaceStore.getState(), 'removeInstanceSpaces');
+    const callOrder: string[] = [];
+    mockFailover.mockImplementation(() => { callOrder.push('failover'); });
+    spaceSpy.mockImplementation(() => { callOrder.push('removeInstanceSpaces'); });
+
+    useInstanceStore.setState({ instances: [inst('https://b.example', 'connected')] });
+    useInstanceStore.getState().disconnectInstance('https://b.example');
+    await Promise.resolve();
+
+    expect(callOrder).toEqual(['failover', 'removeInstanceSpaces']);
+    spaceSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
+
+  it('forceRemoveEntry runs failover before removeInstanceSpaces', async () => {
+    const spaceModule = await import('./spaceStore');
+    const spaceSpy = vi.spyOn(spaceModule.useSpaceStore.getState(), 'removeInstanceSpaces');
+    const callOrder: string[] = [];
+    mockFailover.mockImplementation(() => { callOrder.push('failover'); });
+    spaceSpy.mockImplementation(() => { callOrder.push('removeInstanceSpaces'); });
+
+    useInstanceStore.setState({ instances: [inst('https://b.example', 'connected')] });
+    useInstanceStore.getState().forceRemoveEntry('https://b.example');
+    await Promise.resolve();
+
+    expect(callOrder).toEqual(['failover', 'removeInstanceSpaces']);
+    spaceSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/web/src/stores/instanceStore.ts b/packages/web/src/stores/instanceStore.ts
index 7bec2e76..7dcbfa26 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/stores/instanceStore.ts
+++ b/packages/web/src/stores/instanceStore.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ import { connectInstance, disconnectInstance as disconnectWs, disconnectAllRemot
 // Safe because both modules access each other lazily (at call time, not import time).
 // clearPasswordSyncTimers itself does not reference useInstanceStore.
 import { clearPasswordSyncTimers } from '../utils/federationOps';
+// dmOriginFailover lazily reads useInstanceStore/useSpaceStore/useChatStore at call time,
+// so a static import here does not create an import-time cycle.
+import { failoverDmOriginsFromDisconnected } from '../utils/dmOriginFailover';
 import { useUIStore } from './uiStore';
 
 // ─── Types ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -435,11 +438,7 @@ export const useInstanceStore = create<InstanceState>((set, get) => ({
       ),
     }));
     if (prev === 'connected' && (status === 'disconnected' || status === 'error')) {
-      // Dynamic import keeps the circular-dep-safe resolver pattern used elsewhere
-      // in this file. Fire-and-forget: failover reads state at call time.
-      import('../utils/dmOriginFailover').then(({ failoverDmOriginsFromDisconnected }) => {
-        failoverDmOriginsFromDisconnected(origin);
-      });
+      failoverDmOriginsFromDisconnected(origin);
     }
   },
 
@@ -467,7 +466,10 @@ export const useInstanceStore = create<InstanceState>((set, get) => ({
       return { instances: updated, registry, registryUpdatedAt };
     });
 
-    // Remove spaces from this instance from the space store
+    // Failover DMs to a connected sibling BEFORE removeInstanceSpaces wipes
+    // this origin's pins. DMs with a connected alternative survive via rekey;
+    // DMs without one are removed alongside the rest of the instance's content.
+    failoverDmOriginsFromDisconnected(origin);
     useSpaceStore.getState().removeInstanceSpaces(origin);
 
     // Sync updated lists to remaining instances (fire-and-forget)
@@ -757,7 +759,8 @@ export const useInstanceStore = create<InstanceState>((set, get) => ({
       return { instances: updated, registry, registryUpdatedAt };
     });
 
-    // Clean up spaces belonging to this instance
+    // Same rationale as disconnectInstance — preserve DMs with connected alts.
+    failoverDmOriginsFromDisconnected(origin);
     useSpaceStore.getState().removeInstanceSpaces(origin);
 
     get().syncRegistry().catch(() => {});