diff --git a/crates/snowbound/src/prefetch.rs b/crates/snowbound/src/prefetch.rs
index 17c6764037d229aa0a756664785be0df8cbbff1e..5e450671a70c2e5d345f59d593b4566891cd95cf 100644
--- a/crates/snowbound/src/prefetch.rs
+++ b/crates/snowbound/src/prefetch.rs
@@ -208,6 +208,9 @@ fn prepare(job: Job, layouts: &Mutex<TextEngine>, scenes: &Scenes) -> Result<(),
             last,
             notify,
         } => {
+            let Some(_structure) = library.structure.try_lock() else {
+                return Ok(());
+            };
             let replica = library.prefetch(&path, notify)?;
             let pages = replica.pages()?;
             let space = last
@@ -360,6 +363,47 @@ impl State {
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
+    #[test]
+    fn section_prefetch_skips_while_notebook_structure_changes() {
+        use notebook::session::Notebook;
+
+        let root = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("snowbound-prefetch-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let _ = notebook::fs::remove_dir_all(&root);
+        notebook::fs::create_dir_all(&root).unwrap();
+        let cache = root.join("cache");
+        let page = onestore::PageCreation::new(None, Some("original"), "Fixture").unwrap();
+        let notebook =
+            Notebook::create(root.join("Personal"), &cache, Notebook::NEW_COLOR, &page).unwrap();
+        let path = "New Section 1.one";
+        let replica = notebook.replica_path(path).unwrap();
+        drop(notebook);
+        let library = Arc::new(Library::notebook(
+            root.join("Personal").to_str().unwrap(),
+            &cache,
+        ));
+        if let Some(background) = &library.background {
+            background.stop();
+        }
+        assert!(notebook::fs::metadata(&replica).is_err());
+        {
+            let _changing = library.structure.try_lock().unwrap();
+            prepare(
+                Job::Section {
+                    library: Arc::clone(&library),
+                    path: path.into(),
+                    last: None,
+                    notify: Box::new(|| {}),
+                },
+                &Mutex::new(TextEngine::default()),
+                &Scenes::new(Mutex::new(Recent::new(SCENES))),
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+            assert!(notebook::fs::metadata(&replica).is_err());
+        }
+        drop(library);
+        notebook::fs::remove_dir_all(root).unwrap();
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn the_least_recent_go_first_past_the_count() {
         let mut recent = Recent::new(2);