diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.navigation.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.navigation.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c414934fa0da6a486562b697632ba562ec4904eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.navigation.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+import { RuntimeRequestId } from "@t3tools/contracts";
+import { act, useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
+import { create, type ReactTestRenderer } from "react-test-renderer";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, expect, it, vi } from "vite-plus/test";
+
+import {
+  togglePendingUserInputOptionSelection,
+  type PendingUserInputDraftAnswer,
+} from "../../pendingUserInput";
+
+vi.mock("../ui/collapsible", () => {
+  const Children = ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => <>{children}</>;
+  return {
+    Collapsible: Children,
+    CollapsiblePanel: Children,
+    CollapsibleTrigger: Children,
+  };
+});
+
+import { ComposerPendingUserInputPanel } from "./ComposerPendingUserInputPanel";
+
+const prompt = {
+  requestId: RuntimeRequestId.make("question-navigation"),
+  createdAt: "2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z",
+  dismissible: false,
+  responseCapability: "live" as const,
+  questions: [0, 1, 2].map((index) => ({
+    id: `question-${index}`,
+    header: `Question ${index + 1}`,
+    question: `Choose for question ${index + 1}`,
+    options: [{ label: "Incremental", description: "One module at a time" }],
+    multiSelect: false,
+  })),
+};
+
+function Questions({ initialIndex = 0 }: { initialIndex?: number }) {
+  const [questionIndex, setQuestionIndex] = useState(initialIndex);
+  const [answers, setAnswers] = useState<Record<string, PendingUserInputDraftAnswer>>({});
+  const advance = () => setQuestionIndex(questionIndex + 1);
+  return (
+    <>
+      <output>{questionIndex}</output>
+      <button onClick={advance}>Next</button>
+      <button onClick={() => setQuestionIndex(questionIndex - 1)}>Previous</button>
+      <ComposerPendingUserInputPanel
+        pendingUserInputs={[prompt]}
+        disabled={false}
+        respondingRequestIds={[]}
+        answers={answers}
+        questionIndex={questionIndex}
+        onAdvance={advance}
+        onToggleOption={(questionId, value) => {
+          const question = prompt.questions.find((entry) => entry.id === questionId)!;
+          setAnswers((existing) => ({
+            ...existing,
+            [questionId]: togglePendingUserInputOptionSelection(
+              question,
+              existing[questionId],
+              value,
+            ),
+          }));
+        }}
+        onDismiss={() => {}}
+      />
+    </>
+  );
+}
+
+let renderer: ReactTestRenderer | undefined;
+beforeEach(() => {
+  vi.useFakeTimers();
+  vi.stubGlobal("IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT", true);
+  vi.stubGlobal("window", {
+    setTimeout: globalThis.setTimeout,
+    clearTimeout: globalThis.clearTimeout,
+  });
+  vi.stubGlobal("document", { addEventListener: vi.fn(), removeEventListener: vi.fn() });
+});
+afterEach(async () => {
+  await act(async () => renderer?.unmount());
+  renderer = undefined;
+  vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+  vi.useRealTimers();
+});
+
+async function chooseOption() {
+  await act(async () => {
+    renderer!.root
+      .findAllByType("button")
+      .find((button) =>
+        button.findAllByType("span").some((span) => span.children.includes("Incremental")),
+      )!
+      .props.onClick();
+  });
+}
+
+async function navigate(label: string) {
+  await act(async () => {
+    renderer!.root
+      .findAllByType("button")
+      .find((button) => button.children.includes(label))!
+      .props.onClick();
+  });
+}
+
+function activeIndex() {
+  return renderer!.root.findByType("output").children.join("");
+}
+
+it("does not skip the next unanswered question after manual advance", async () => {
+  await act(async () => {
+    renderer = create(<Questions />);
+  });
+  await chooseOption();
+  await navigate("Next");
+  expect(activeIndex()).toBe("1");
+  await act(async () => vi.advanceTimersByTime(200));
+  expect(activeIndex()).toBe("1");
+
+  await chooseOption();
+  await act(async () => vi.advanceTimersByTime(200));
+  expect(activeIndex()).toBe("2");
+});
+
+it("does not undo previous-question navigation with a stale timer", async () => {
+  await act(async () => {
+    renderer = create(<Questions initialIndex={1} />);
+  });
+  await chooseOption();
+  await navigate("Previous");
+  await act(async () => vi.advanceTimersByTime(200));
+  expect(activeIndex()).toBe("0");
+});
+
+it("still auto-advances once after the answer draft rerenders the same question", async () => {
+  await act(async () => {
+    renderer = create(<Questions />);
+  });
+  await chooseOption();
+  await act(async () => vi.advanceTimersByTime(200));
+  expect(activeIndex()).toBe("1");
+  await act(async () => vi.advanceTimersByTime(200));
+  expect(activeIndex()).toBe("1");
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.tsx
index 687c92514178b6cdb1b5c2da77e89667e50bbc23..1e8caefac2d405dbc72ab784935a33479bf256d9 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.tsx
@@ -93,13 +93,6 @@ const ComposerPendingUserInputCard = memo(function ComposerPendingUserInputCard(
     onAdvanceRef.current = onAdvance;
   }, [onAdvance]);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (disabled && autoAdvanceTimerRef.current !== null) {
-      window.clearTimeout(autoAdvanceTimerRef.current);
-      autoAdvanceTimerRef.current = null;
-    }
-  }, [disabled]);
-
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!activeQuestion || activeQuestion.multiSelect || !optimisticSingleSelect) {
       return;
@@ -121,14 +114,17 @@ const ComposerPendingUserInputCard = memo(function ComposerPendingUserInputCard(
     progress.selectedOptionValues,
   ]);
 
-  // Clear auto-advance timer on unmount
+  // A delayed answer only advances its own question, while permission remains granted.
   useEffect(() => {
-    return () => {
+    const clearAutoAdvance = () => {
       if (autoAdvanceTimerRef.current !== null) {
         window.clearTimeout(autoAdvanceTimerRef.current);
+        autoAdvanceTimerRef.current = null;
       }
     };
-  }, []);
+    if (disabled || activeQuestion?.id === undefined) clearAutoAdvance();
+    return clearAutoAdvance;
+  }, [activeQuestion?.id, disabled]);
 
   const handleOptionSelection = useCallback(
     (questionId: string, optionValue: string) => {