diff --git a/src/lib/components/ArticleComposer.svelte b/src/lib/components/ArticleComposer.svelte
index f180755..4f810d6 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/ArticleComposer.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/ArticleComposer.svelte
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@
 	let coverUploading = $state(false);
 	let initialized = $state(false);
 	let lastContent = '';
-	let saveSequence = 0;
+	let saveTimer: number | undefined;
+	let saveInFlight = false;
+	let saveQueued = false;
 	const groupedTags = $derived.by(() => {
 		const groups: Record<string, ComposerTag[]> = {};
 		for (const tag of data.tags as ComposerTag[]) (groups[tag.group] ??= []).push(tag);
@@ -35,6 +37,40 @@
 			coverImageId, coverAlt, coverCaption, version };
 	}
 
+	function scheduleSave() {
+		if (saveTimer !== undefined) window.clearTimeout(saveTimer);
+		saveTimer = window.setTimeout(() => {
+			saveTimer = undefined;
+			void saveDraft();
+		}, 900);
+	}
+
+	async function saveDraft() {
+		if (saveInFlight || !saveQueued) return;
+		saveInFlight = true;
+		saveQueued = false;
+		const draft = { ...payload(), tagIds: [...selectedTags] };
+		try {
+			const response = await fetch('/api/articles/draft', {
+				method: 'POST', headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify(draft)
+			});
+			const result = await response.json();
+			if (response.status === 409) {
+				saveState = 'conflict';
+				return;
+			}
+			if (!response.ok) throw new Error(result.message || 'Draft save failed.');
+			version = result.version;
+			saveState = saveQueued ? 'saving' : 'saved';
+		} catch (error) {
+			saveState = 'error';
+			toast.error('Draft not saved', error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Try again.');
+		} finally {
+			saveInFlight = false;
+			if (saveQueued && saveState !== 'conflict') scheduleSave();
+		}
+	}
+
 	$effect(() => {
 		const content = JSON.stringify({ title, deck, document, selectedTags, channel, coverImageId, coverAlt, coverCaption });
 		if (!initialized) {
@@ -44,29 +80,13 @@
 		}
 		if (content === lastContent) return;
 		lastContent = content;
-		const sequence = ++saveSequence;
+		saveQueued = true;
 		saveState = 'saving';
-		const timer = window.setTimeout(async () => {
-			try {
-				const response = await fetch('/api/articles/draft', {
-					method: 'POST', headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify(payload())
-				});
-				const result = await response.json();
-				if (sequence !== saveSequence) return;
-				if (response.status === 409) {
-					saveState = 'conflict';
-					return;
-				}
-				if (!response.ok) throw new Error(result.message || 'Draft save failed.');
-				version = result.version;
-				saveState = 'saved';
-			} catch (error) {
-				if (sequence !== saveSequence) return;
-				saveState = 'error';
-				toast.error('Draft not saved', error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Try again.');
-			}
-		}, 900);
-		return () => window.clearTimeout(timer);
+		if (!saveInFlight) scheduleSave();
+		return () => {
+			if (saveTimer !== undefined) window.clearTimeout(saveTimer);
+			saveTimer = undefined;
+		};
 	});
 
 	function toggleTag(id: string) {
@@ -115,7 +135,7 @@
 		<div class="article-publication-note"><p>{visibility === 'private' ? 'Only you can open this draft.' : visibility === 'unlisted' ? 'Anyone with the direct URL can read it.' : 'Listed in discovery and visible to everyone.'}</p>{#if data.article.pendingRevisionId}<strong>MODERATION REVIEW PENDING</strong>{/if}</div>
 		<PendingForm action="?/publish" class="article-publish-form">
 			<input type="hidden" name="articleId" value={data.article.id}/><input type="hidden" name="title" value={title}/><input type="hidden" name="deck" value={deck}/><input type="hidden" name="document" value={document}/><input type="hidden" name="tagIds" value={JSON.stringify(selectedTags)}/><input type="hidden" name="channel" value={channel}/><input type="hidden" name="coverImageId" value={coverImageId}/><input type="hidden" name="coverAlt" value={coverAlt}/><input type="hidden" name="coverCaption" value={coverCaption}/><input type="hidden" name="version" value={version}/><input type="hidden" name="visibility" value={visibility}/>
-			<button class="primary">{visibility === 'private' ? 'SAVE AS PRIVATE' : data.article.kind === 'guide' ? 'SUBMIT FOR PUBLICATION' : 'PUBLISH ARTICLE'}</button>
+			<button class="primary" disabled={saveState === 'saving' || coverUploading}>{visibility === 'private' ? 'SAVE AS PRIVATE' : data.article.kind === 'guide' ? 'SUBMIT FOR PUBLICATION' : 'PUBLISH ARTICLE'}</button>
 		</PendingForm>
 	</section>