diff --git a/explorer.qmd b/explorer.qmd
index d73f9e3..b3cb2d8 100644
--- a/explorer.qmd
+++ b/explorer.qmd
@@ -1368,8 +1368,10 @@ zoomWatcher = {
     const POINT_BUDGET = DEFAULT_POINT_BUDGET;
 
     // Viewport cache: avoid re-querying same area
-    let cachedBounds = null;  // { south, north, west, east }
-    let cachedData = null;    // array of rows
+    let cachedBounds = null;       // { south, north, west, east }
+    let cachedData = null;         // array of rows
+    let cachedTotalCount = null;   // real in-view count (issue #206)
+    let cachedCapReached = false;  // whether the LIMIT was hit (issue #206)
 
     // --- H3 cluster loading (existing logic) ---
     //
@@ -1505,9 +1507,14 @@ zoomWatcher = {
         const bounds = getViewportBounds();
         if (!bounds) return;
 
-        // If viewport is within cached area, just re-render from cache
+        // If viewport is within cached area, just re-render from cache.
+        // Re-apply the cached count/cap state to the stat boxes so panning
+        // inside the padded cache window doesn't leave stale figures on
+        // screen (#206 Codex review).
         if (isWithinCache(bounds) && cachedData) {
             renderSamplePoints(cachedData, bounds);
+            const total = cachedTotalCount != null ? cachedTotalCount : cachedData.length;
+            updateStats('Samples', cachedData.length, total, null, 'Samples Rendered', 'Samples in View');
             return;
         }
 
@@ -1527,14 +1534,22 @@ zoomWatcher = {
             performance.mark('sp-s');
             // facetFilterSQL() returns a portable `pid IN (...)` predicate,
             // so the same query works whether or not facet filters are active.
-            const query = `
-                SELECT pid, label, source, latitude, longitude,
-                       place_name, result_time
-                FROM read_parquet('${lite_url}')
+            //
+            // ORDER BY pid (issue #206): without explicit ordering, which
+            // POINT_BUDGET-worth of rows the LIMIT returns is undefined and
+            // can differ across browsers/sessions for the same query.
+            const whereClause = `
                 WHERE latitude BETWEEN ${padded.south} AND ${padded.north}
                   AND longitude BETWEEN ${padded.west} AND ${padded.east}
                   ${sourceFilterSQL('source')}
                   ${facetFilterSQL()}
+            `;
+            const query = `
+                SELECT pid, label, source, latitude, longitude,
+                       place_name, result_time
+                FROM read_parquet('${lite_url}')
+                ${whereClause}
+                ORDER BY pid
                 LIMIT ${POINT_BUDGET}
             `;
             const data = await db.query(query);
@@ -1548,15 +1563,55 @@ zoomWatcher = {
                 return;
             }
 
-            // Cache the padded bounds + data
+            // Real in-view count (issue #206). Without this, the "Samples in
+            // View" counter caps at POINT_BUDGET, silently understating dense
+            // regions (Cyprus/Polis: real count 23,421 vs displayed 5,000).
+            // Only query when we hit the cap — when LIMIT returned fewer
+            // rows than the budget, that count IS the real count and a
+            // second query would be wasteful.
+            let totalCount = data.length;
+            let capReached = false;
+            if (data.length >= POINT_BUDGET) {
+                try {
+                    const countRow = await db.query(`
+                        SELECT count(*) AS n
+                        FROM read_parquet('${lite_url}')
+                        ${whereClause}
+                    `);
+                    if (myReqId !== requestId) return;  // stale guard
+                    totalCount = Number(countRow[0]?.n ?? data.length);
+                    capReached = totalCount > data.length;
+                } catch(err) {
+                    // Stale guard before any state mutation/logging:
+                    // a newer request may have started while count was in
+                    // flight (Codex review of PR #210).
+                    if (myReqId !== requestId) return;
+                    // Don't fail the whole load if the count query fails;
+                    // just fall back to the displayed-count behavior.
+                    console.warn("Real-count query failed; falling back to rendered count:", err);
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Cache the padded bounds + data + count state so cache-hit
+            // pans preserve the same stat-box display (Codex review).
             cachedBounds = padded;
             cachedData = Array.from(data);
+            cachedTotalCount = totalCount;
+            cachedCapReached = capReached;
 
             renderSamplePoints(cachedData, bounds);
 
-            updateStats('Samples', cachedData.length, cachedData.length, `${(elapsed/1000).toFixed(1)}s`, 'Samples in View', 'Samples in View');
-            updatePhaseMsg(`${cachedData.length.toLocaleString()} individual samples. Click one for details.`, 'done');
-            console.log(`Point mode: ${cachedData.length} samples in ${elapsed.toFixed(0)}ms`);
+            // Stat boxes: LEFT (sPoints) always shows rendered count under
+            // "Samples Rendered", RIGHT (sSamples) always shows real in-view
+            // total under "Samples in View". Stable labels even when both
+            // numbers are equal (Codex review preference: avoids label
+            // flipping as the user zooms across the cap boundary).
+            updateStats('Samples', cachedData.length, totalCount, `${(elapsed/1000).toFixed(1)}s`, 'Samples Rendered', 'Samples in View');
+            const phaseMsg = capReached
+                ? `${totalCount.toLocaleString()} samples in view (showing ${cachedData.length.toLocaleString()} — zoom in for more). Click one for details.`
+                : `${cachedData.length.toLocaleString()} individual samples. Click one for details.`;
+            updatePhaseMsg(phaseMsg, 'done');
+            console.log(`Point mode: rendered ${cachedData.length} of ${totalCount} samples in ${elapsed.toFixed(0)}ms${capReached ? ' (cap reached)' : ''}`);
 
         } catch(err) {
             if (myReqId !== requestId) return;
@@ -1614,6 +1669,8 @@ zoomWatcher = {
         if (pushHistory !== false) history.pushState(null, '', buildHash(viewer));
         cachedBounds = null;
         cachedData = null;
+        cachedTotalCount = null;
+        cachedCapReached = false;
 
         // Restore cluster stats with viewport count
         const bounds = getViewportBounds();
@@ -1883,6 +1940,8 @@ zoomWatcher = {
                 if (applied) await tryEnterPointModeIfNeeded();
             } else {
                 cachedBounds = null;
+                cachedTotalCount = null;
+                cachedCapReached = false;
                 await loadViewportSamples();
             }
             refreshFacetCounts();
@@ -1948,6 +2007,8 @@ zoomWatcher = {
             writeQueryState();
             if (mode === 'point') {
                 cachedBounds = null;
+                cachedTotalCount = null;
+                cachedCapReached = false;
                 await loadViewportSamples();
             }
             refreshFacetCounts();