diff --git a/lib/src/components/theme-picker/ThemeStoreDialog.test.tsx b/lib/src/components/theme-picker/ThemeStoreDialog.test.tsx
index f5cec80b4..2b68cf09d 100644
--- a/lib/src/components/theme-picker/ThemeStoreDialog.test.tsx
+++ b/lib/src/components/theme-picker/ThemeStoreDialog.test.tsx
@@ -16,12 +16,23 @@ vi.mock('../../lib/themes', () => ({
   setActiveThemeId: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
-import { searchThemes } from '../../lib/themes';
+import { searchThemes, type OpenVSXExtension } from '../../lib/themes';
 import { ThemeStoreDialog } from './ThemeStoreDialog';
 import { setNativeFieldValue } from '../../lib/dom';
 
 const searchThemesMock = vi.mocked(searchThemes);
 
+function extension(name: string, displayName: string): OpenVSXExtension {
+  return {
+    namespace: 'test',
+    name,
+    displayName,
+    description: '',
+    version: '1.0.0',
+    downloadCount: 1,
+  };
+}
+
 globalThis.IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT = true;
 
 // jsdom does not implement the native <dialog> modal methods.
@@ -89,4 +100,89 @@ describe('ThemeStoreDialog', () => {
       vi.useRealTimers();
     }
   });
+
+  it('discards a search already in flight when the store closes', async () => {
+    let resolveSearch!: (result: { extensions: OpenVSXExtension[] }) => void;
+    searchThemesMock.mockImplementationOnce(
+      () => new Promise((resolve) => { resolveSearch = resolve; }),
+    );
+
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      render(true);
+      typeQuery('dracula');
+      act(() => { vi.advanceTimersByTime(300); }); // the request leaves
+      expect(searchThemesMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+      render(false); // close while it is still in flight
+      await act(async () => {
+        resolveSearch({ extensions: [extension('dracula', 'Dracula Official')] });
+      });
+      render(true);
+
+      expect(container.textContent).not.toContain('Dracula Official');
+      expect(container.textContent).toContain('Search for a VS Code theme to install');
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('stops searching when the box is emptied while a request is in flight', async () => {
+    let resolveSearch!: (result: { extensions: OpenVSXExtension[] }) => void;
+    searchThemesMock.mockImplementationOnce(
+      () => new Promise((resolve) => { resolveSearch = resolve; }),
+    );
+
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      render(true);
+      typeQuery('dracula');
+      act(() => { vi.advanceTimersByTime(300); });
+
+      // Emptying the box supersedes the in-flight request, so nothing it
+      // resolves with may show — but the spinner it turned on must still go.
+      typeQuery('');
+      act(() => { vi.advanceTimersByTime(300); });
+      await act(async () => {
+        resolveSearch({ extensions: [extension('dracula', 'Dracula Official')] });
+      });
+
+      expect(container.textContent).not.toContain('Searching...');
+      expect(container.textContent).not.toContain('Dracula Official');
+      expect(container.textContent).toContain('Search for a VS Code theme to install');
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('ignores a superseded search whose response arrives last', async () => {
+    let resolveFirst!: (result: { extensions: OpenVSXExtension[] }) => void;
+    let resolveSecond!: (result: { extensions: OpenVSXExtension[] }) => void;
+    searchThemesMock
+      .mockImplementationOnce(() => new Promise((resolve) => { resolveFirst = resolve; }))
+      .mockImplementationOnce(() => new Promise((resolve) => { resolveSecond = resolve; }));
+
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      render(true);
+      typeQuery('dra');
+      act(() => { vi.advanceTimersByTime(300); });
+      typeQuery('nord');
+      act(() => { vi.advanceTimersByTime(300); });
+      expect(searchThemesMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+
+      // The newer query answers first; the older one lands afterwards.
+      await act(async () => {
+        resolveSecond({ extensions: [extension('nord', 'Nord Theme')] });
+      });
+      await act(async () => {
+        resolveFirst({ extensions: [extension('dracula', 'Dracula Official')] });
+      });
+
+      expect(container.textContent).toContain('Nord Theme');
+      expect(container.textContent).not.toContain('Dracula Official');
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
 });
diff --git a/lib/src/components/theme-picker/ThemeStoreDialog.tsx b/lib/src/components/theme-picker/ThemeStoreDialog.tsx
index f56d878cf..426170011 100644
--- a/lib/src/components/theme-picker/ThemeStoreDialog.tsx
+++ b/lib/src/components/theme-picker/ThemeStoreDialog.tsx
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ export function ThemeStoreDialog({
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const debounceRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null);
   const dialogRef = useRef<HTMLDialogElement>(null);
+  // Every search takes a new epoch, and so does every close, so only the newest
+  // search may write its outcome. Cancelling the debounce below stops the
+  // searches that have not started yet; a search already in flight needs this,
+  // in two shapes — an earlier query answering after a later one, and a request
+  // outliving the close, repopulating the slate the reset effect just cleared.
+  const searchEpoch = useRef(0);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const dialog = dialogRef.current;
@@ -46,6 +52,7 @@ export function ThemeStoreDialog({
       // Cancel any debounce scheduled by the last keystroke; otherwise it fires
       // doSearch after close and repopulates results/loading for the old query.
       if (debounceRef.current) clearTimeout(debounceRef.current);
+      searchEpoch.current += 1;
       setQuery('');
       setResults([]);
       setError(null);
@@ -60,19 +67,25 @@ export function ThemeStoreDialog({
   }, []);
 
   const doSearch = useCallback(async (value: string) => {
+    const epoch = ++searchEpoch.current;
+    const newest = () => searchEpoch.current === epoch;
     if (!value.trim()) {
       setResults([]);
+      // An emptied box is the newest search, so it inherits the spinner any
+      // request it just superseded turned on: that request's `finally` is
+      // gated off, and nothing else here would clear `loading`.
+      setLoading(false);
       return;
     }
     setLoading(true);
     setError(null);
     try {
       const response = await searchThemes(value, 0, 20);
-      setResults(response.extensions);
+      if (newest()) setResults(response.extensions);
     } catch (reason) {
-      setError(reason instanceof Error ? reason.message : 'Search failed');
+      if (newest()) setError(reason instanceof Error ? reason.message : 'Search failed');
     } finally {
-      setLoading(false);
+      if (newest()) setLoading(false);
     }
   }, []);