diff --git a/backend/tests/test_offline_guard.py b/backend/tests/test_offline_guard.py
index 5e3d2cd9..1d80ae96 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_offline_guard.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_offline_guard.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ run this file serially.
 import os
 import sys
 import threading
+import time
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
@@ -114,5 +115,45 @@ def test_concurrent_threads_share_offline_window():
     assert original == _hf_const().HF_HUB_OFFLINE
 
 
+def test_uncached_load_never_observes_offline_flag_from_concurrent_cached_load():
+    """An uncached (network-needing) load must never inherit the forced
+    offline mode of a concurrent, unrelated cached load — even when both
+    start at nearly the same time.
+    """
+    original = _hf_const().HF_HUB_OFFLINE
+    observations: list[bool] = []
+    errors: list[Exception] = []
+    cached_entered = threading.Event()
+
+    def cached_load():
+        try:
+            with force_offline_if_cached(True, "cached"):
+                cached_entered.set()
+                time.sleep(0.2)
+        except Exception as exc:
+            errors.append(exc)
+
+    def uncached_load():
+        try:
+            assert cached_entered.wait(timeout=5), "cached thread never entered"
+            with force_offline_if_cached(False, "uncached"):
+                observations.append(_hf_const().HF_HUB_OFFLINE)
+        except Exception as exc:
+            errors.append(exc)
+
+    t_cached = threading.Thread(target=cached_load)
+    t_uncached = threading.Thread(target=uncached_load)
+    t_cached.start()
+    t_uncached.start()
+    t_cached.join(timeout=5)
+    t_uncached.join(timeout=5)
+
+    assert not t_cached.is_alive(), "cached thread did not finish"
+    assert not t_uncached.is_alive(), "uncached thread did not finish"
+    assert not errors, errors
+    assert observations == [False], "uncached load observed offline mode forced by a concurrent cached load"
+    assert original == _hf_const().HF_HUB_OFFLINE
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     pytest.main([__file__, "-v"])
diff --git a/backend/utils/hf_offline_patch.py b/backend/utils/hf_offline_patch.py
index 734b8f5c..5b606138 100644
--- a/backend/utils/hf_offline_patch.py
+++ b/backend/utils/hf_offline_patch.py
@@ -22,9 +22,20 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 # ``transformers.utils.hub.is_offline_mode``) read the bools — not the env.
 # We mutate the cached constants directly, guarded by a refcount so
 # concurrent inference threads share a single offline window safely.
+#
+# That refcounted window is process-global, so an *uncached* load (which
+# needs real network access) must never run while it's open — it would
+# silently inherit HF_HUB_OFFLINE=True from an unrelated concurrent cached
+# load and fail to fetch what it needs. Symmetrically, a new offline window
+# must not open while an uncached load is in flight. Both directions wait on
+# a condition variable rather than a plain lock: holding a lock for an
+# entire model load (which can take minutes over the network) would also
+# serialize unrelated *cached* loads against each other, which sharing the
+# window is specifically meant to allow.
 
-_offline_lock = threading.RLock()
+_offline_cv = threading.Condition(threading.RLock())
 _offline_refcount = 0
+_uncached_active = 0
 _saved_env: Optional[str] = None
 _saved_hf_const: Optional[bool] = None
 _saved_transformers_const: Optional[bool] = None
@@ -40,19 +51,36 @@ def force_offline_if_cached(is_cached: bool, model_label: str = ""):
     so multiple concurrent inference threads share a single offline window
     and the last one to exit restores state.
 
-    If *is_cached* is ``False`` the block runs normally (network allowed).
+    If *is_cached* is ``False`` the block waits for any open offline window
+    to close first, then runs with network allowed — and blocks any new
+    offline window from opening until it's done, so it can never observe
+    (or be blamed for breaking) a concurrent cached load's forced-offline
+    state.
 
     Args:
         is_cached: Whether the model weights are already on disk.
         model_label: Human-readable name used in log messages.
     """
+    global _offline_refcount, _uncached_active
+    global _saved_env, _saved_hf_const, _saved_transformers_const
+
     if not is_cached:
-        yield
+        with _offline_cv:
+            while _offline_refcount > 0:
+                _offline_cv.wait()
+            _uncached_active += 1
+        try:
+            yield
+        finally:
+            with _offline_cv:
+                _uncached_active -= 1
+                _offline_cv.notify_all()
         return
 
-    global _offline_refcount, _saved_env, _saved_hf_const, _saved_transformers_const
+    with _offline_cv:
+        while _uncached_active > 0:
+            _offline_cv.wait()
 
-    with _offline_lock:
         if _offline_refcount == 0:
             # Snapshot prior state, apply new state, roll back on *any*
             # failure. Catching only ImportError here would let a partially
@@ -116,7 +144,7 @@ def force_offline_if_cached(is_cached: bool, model_label: str = ""):
     try:
         yield
     finally:
-        with _offline_lock:
+        with _offline_cv:
             _offline_refcount -= 1
             if _offline_refcount == 0:
                 if _saved_env is not None:
@@ -140,6 +168,7 @@ def force_offline_if_cached(is_cached: bool, model_label: str = ""):
                 _saved_env = None
                 _saved_hf_const = None
                 _saved_transformers_const = None
+            _offline_cv.notify_all()
 
 
 _mistral_regex_patched = False