diff --git a/src/hooks/useMarkdownToHTML.ts b/src/hooks/useMarkdownToHTML.ts
index b9e9d0d0..995bb31c 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useMarkdownToHTML.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useMarkdownToHTML.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useState, useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
+import React, { useState, useEffect, useRef, useMemo } from 'react'
 import { RelayPool } from 'applesauce-relay'
 import { extractNaddrUris, replaceNostrUrisInMarkdownWithProfileLabels } from '../utils/nostrUriResolver'
 import { fetchArticleTitles } from '../services/articleTitleResolver'
@@ -23,6 +23,35 @@ export const useMarkdownToHTML = (
 
   // Resolve profile labels progressively as profiles load
   const { labels: profileLabels, loading: profileLoading } = useProfileLabels(markdown || '', relayPool)
+  
+  // Create stable dependencies based on Map contents, not Map objects
+  // This prevents unnecessary reprocessing when Maps are recreated with same content
+  const profileLabelsKey = useMemo(() => {
+    return Array.from(profileLabels.entries()).sort(([a], [b]) => a.localeCompare(b)).map(([k, v]) => `${k}:${v}`).join('|')
+  }, [profileLabels])
+  
+  const profileLoadingKey = useMemo(() => {
+    return Array.from(profileLoading.entries())
+      .filter(([, loading]) => loading)
+      .sort(([a], [b]) => a.localeCompare(b))
+      .map(([k]) => k)
+      .join('|')
+  }, [profileLoading])
+  
+  const articleTitlesKey = useMemo(() => {
+    return Array.from(articleTitles.entries()).sort(([a], [b]) => a.localeCompare(b)).map(([k, v]) => `${k}:${v}`).join('|')
+  }, [articleTitles])
+  
+  // Keep refs to latest Maps for processing without causing re-renders
+  const profileLabelsRef = useRef(profileLabels)
+  const profileLoadingRef = useRef(profileLoading)
+  const articleTitlesRef = useRef(articleTitles)
+  
+  useEffect(() => {
+    profileLabelsRef.current = profileLabels
+    profileLoadingRef.current = profileLoading
+    articleTitlesRef.current = articleTitles
+  }, [profileLabels, profileLoading, articleTitles])
 
   // Fetch article titles
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -54,15 +83,27 @@ export const useMarkdownToHTML = (
     return () => { isCancelled = true }
   }, [markdown, relayPool])
 
-  // Process markdown with progressive profile labels and article titles
+  // Track previous markdown and processed state to detect actual content changes
+  const previousMarkdownRef = useRef<string | undefined>(markdown)
+  const processedMarkdownRef = useRef<string>(processedMarkdown)
+  
   useEffect(() => {
-    console.log(`[profile-loading-debug][markdown-to-html] Processing markdown, profileLabels=${profileLabels.size}, profileLoading=${profileLoading.size}, articleTitles=${articleTitles.size}`)
-    console.log(`[profile-loading-debug][markdown-to-html] Clearing rendered HTML and processed markdown`)
-    // Always clear previous render immediately to avoid showing stale content while processing
-    setRenderedHtml('')
-    setProcessedMarkdown('')
+    processedMarkdownRef.current = processedMarkdown
+  }, [processedMarkdown])
+  
+  // Process markdown with progressive profile labels and article titles
+  // Use stable string keys instead of Map objects to prevent excessive reprocessing
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const labelsSize = profileLabelsRef.current.size
+    const loadingSize = profileLoadingRef.current.size
+    const titlesSize = articleTitlesRef.current.size
+    console.log(`[profile-loading-debug][markdown-to-html] Processing markdown, profileLabels=${labelsSize}, profileLoading=${loadingSize}, articleTitles=${titlesSize}`)
     
     if (!markdown) {
+      setRenderedHtml('')
+      setProcessedMarkdown('')
+      previousMarkdownRef.current = markdown
+      processedMarkdownRef.current = ''
       return
     }
 
@@ -71,21 +112,27 @@ export const useMarkdownToHTML = (
     const processMarkdown = () => {
       try {
         // Replace nostr URIs with profile labels (progressive) and article titles
+        // Use refs to get latest values without causing dependency changes
         const processed = replaceNostrUrisInMarkdownWithProfileLabels(
           markdown,
-          profileLabels,
-          articleTitles,
-          profileLoading
+          profileLabelsRef.current,
+          articleTitlesRef.current,
+          profileLoadingRef.current
         )
         
         if (isCancelled) return
         
-        console.log(`[profile-loading-debug][markdown-to-html] Processed markdown, loading states:`, Array.from(profileLoading.entries()).filter(([, l]) => l).map(([e]) => e.slice(0, 16) + '...'))
+        const loadingStates = Array.from(profileLoadingRef.current.entries())
+          .filter(([, l]) => l)
+          .map(([e]) => e.slice(0, 16) + '...')
+        console.log(`[profile-loading-debug][markdown-to-html] Processed markdown, loading states:`, loadingStates)
         setProcessedMarkdown(processed)
+        processedMarkdownRef.current = processed
       } catch (error) {
         console.error(`[markdown-to-html] Error processing markdown:`, error)
         if (!isCancelled) {
           setProcessedMarkdown(markdown) // Fallback to original
+          processedMarkdownRef.current = markdown
         }
       }
 
@@ -101,12 +148,24 @@ export const useMarkdownToHTML = (
       return () => cancelAnimationFrame(rafId)
     }
 
+    // Only clear previous content if this is the first processing or markdown changed
+    // For profile updates, just reprocess without clearing to avoid flicker
+    const isMarkdownChange = previousMarkdownRef.current !== markdown
+    previousMarkdownRef.current = markdown
+    
+    if (isMarkdownChange || !processedMarkdownRef.current) {
+      console.log(`[profile-loading-debug][markdown-to-html] Clearing rendered HTML and processed markdown (markdown changed: ${isMarkdownChange})`)
+      setRenderedHtml('')
+      setProcessedMarkdown('')
+      processedMarkdownRef.current = ''
+    }
+
     processMarkdown()
 
     return () => {
       isCancelled = true
     }
-  }, [markdown, profileLabels, profileLoading, articleTitles])
+  }, [markdown, profileLabelsKey, profileLoadingKey, articleTitlesKey])
 
   return { renderedHtml, previewRef, processedMarkdown }
 }