diff --git a/src/hooks/useArticleLoader.ts b/src/hooks/useArticleLoader.ts
index 149d04c3..74b25d74 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useArticleLoader.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useArticleLoader.ts
@@ -74,19 +74,18 @@ export function useArticleLoader({
         try {
           setHighlightsLoading(true)
           setHighlights([]) // Clear old highlights
-          const highlightsMap = new Map<string, Highlight>()
           
           await fetchHighlightsForArticle(
             relayPool, 
             articleCoordinate, 
             article.event.id,
             (highlight) => {
-              // Deduplicate highlights by ID as they arrive
-              if (!highlightsMap.has(highlight.id)) {
-                highlightsMap.set(highlight.id, highlight)
-                const highlightsList = Array.from(highlightsMap.values())
-                setHighlights(highlightsList.sort((a, b) => b.created_at - a.created_at))
-              }
+              // Merge streaming results with existing UI state to preserve locally created highlights
+              setHighlights((prev) => {
+                if (prev.some(h => h.id === highlight.id)) return prev
+                const next = [highlight, ...prev]
+                return next.sort((a, b) => b.created_at - a.created_at)
+              })
             },
             settings
           )
diff --git a/src/hooks/useExternalUrlLoader.ts b/src/hooks/useExternalUrlLoader.ts
index ecd103fe..fe792ff9 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useExternalUrlLoader.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useExternalUrlLoader.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,13 @@ export function useExternalUrlLoader({
           
           // Seed with cached highlights first
           if (cachedUrlHighlights.length > 0) {
-            setHighlights(cachedUrlHighlights.sort((a, b) => b.created_at - a.created_at))
+            setHighlights((prev) => {
+              // Seed with cache but keep any locally created highlights already in state
+              const seen = new Set<string>(cachedUrlHighlights.map(h => h.id))
+              const localOnly = prev.filter(h => !seen.has(h.id))
+              const next = [...cachedUrlHighlights, ...localOnly]
+              return next.sort((a, b) => b.created_at - a.created_at)
+            })
           } else {
             setHighlights([])
           }
@@ -106,7 +112,7 @@ export function useExternalUrlLoader({
                 seen.add(highlight.id)
                 setHighlights((prev) => {
                   if (prev.some(h => h.id === highlight.id)) return prev
-                  const next = [...prev, highlight]
+                  const next = [highlight, ...prev]
                   return next.sort((a, b) => b.created_at - a.created_at)
                 })
               },
diff --git a/src/hooks/useHighlightInteractions.ts b/src/hooks/useHighlightInteractions.ts
index b0be1bc7..024db59a 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useHighlightInteractions.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useHighlightInteractions.ts
@@ -113,32 +113,6 @@ export const useHighlightInteractions = ({
     }, 10)
   }, [onTextSelection, onClearSelection])
 
-  // Listen to document-level selection changes to catch keyboard/touch/ios cases
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const handler = () => {
-      // Defer to allow DOM selection to settle
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        const selection = window.getSelection()
-        if (!selection || selection.rangeCount === 0) {
-          onClearSelection?.()
-          return
-        }
-
-        const range = selection.getRangeAt(0)
-        const text = selection.toString().trim()
-
-        if (text.length > 0 && contentRef.current?.contains(range.commonAncestorContainer)) {
-          onTextSelection?.(text)
-        } else {
-          onClearSelection?.()
-        }
-      }, 10)
-    }
-
-    document.addEventListener('selectionchange', handler)
-    return () => document.removeEventListener('selectionchange', handler)
-  }, [onTextSelection, onClearSelection])
-
   return { contentRef, handleSelectionEnd }
 }