diff --git a/packages/block-editor/package.json b/packages/block-editor/package.json
index 4577e243..12a50dfb 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/package.json
+++ b/packages/block-editor/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@wrnexus/block-editor",
-  "version": "0.1.1",
+  "version": "0.1.2",
   "type": "module",
   "description": "Hydrated accessible editor runtime for WRNexus block documents.",
   "exports": {
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/runtime.ts b/packages/block-editor/src/runtime.ts
index 03c94919..5f9e194b 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/runtime.ts
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/runtime.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ export interface MountEditorOptions {
 export function mountBlockEditor(root: HTMLElement, options: MountEditorOptions): MountedEditor {
   let manager: DndManager | undefined;
   let cleanups: Array<() => void> = [];
-  const live = document.createElement("div");
+  let destroyed = false;
+  let generation = 0;
+  const owner = root.ownerDocument;
+  const view = owner.defaultView!;
+  const live = owner.createElement("div");
   live.setAttribute("role", "status");
   live.setAttribute("aria-live", "polite");
   live.setAttribute("aria-atomic", "true");
@@ -24,21 +28,65 @@ export function mountBlockEditor(root: HTMLElement, options: MountEditorOptions)
     "position:absolute;width:1px;height:1px;padding:0;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);white-space:nowrap;border:0";
   root.append(live);
   const refresh = () => {
+    if (destroyed) return;
+    const currentGeneration = ++generation;
     cleanups.forEach((cleanup) => cleanup());
     cleanups = [];
     manager?.destroy();
+    let originalChildren = new Map<Node, Node[]>();
+    let gesture = 0;
+    const groups = new Map<string, { parentId: string; slot: string }>();
     manager = createDndManager({
-      direction: options.direction ?? (getComputedStyle(root).direction === "rtl" ? "rtl" : "ltr"),
-      reducedMotion: matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)").matches,
+      direction:
+        options.direction ?? (view.getComputedStyle(root).direction === "rtl" ? "rtl" : "ltr"),
+      reducedMotion: view.matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)").matches,
       announce(announcement) {
+        if (destroyed || generation !== currentGeneration) return;
+        if (announcement.type === "pickedUp") {
+          gesture++;
+          originalChildren = new Map();
+          for (const element of root.querySelectorAll(
+            "[data-block-id][data-block-parent][data-block-slot]",
+          )) {
+            const parent = element.parentNode;
+            if (parent && !originalChildren.has(parent))
+              originalChildren.set(parent, [...parent.childNodes]);
+          }
+        } else if (announcement.type === "cancelled") {
+          // Let the backend finish its own cancellation work before reconciliation.
+          // Keep the actual nodes (and their listeners), not a stale innerHTML copy.
+          const snapshot = originalChildren;
+          const cancelledGesture = gesture;
+          view.setTimeout(() => {
+            if (
+              destroyed ||
+              generation !== currentGeneration ||
+              gesture !== cancelledGesture ||
+              !root.isConnected
+            )
+              return;
+            for (const [parent, children] of snapshot) {
+              if (parent !== root && !root.contains(parent)) continue;
+              let anchor: Node | null = null;
+              for (const child of [...children].reverse()) {
+                // Never resurrect nodes removed by an application rerender.
+                if (!root.contains(child)) continue;
+                parent.insertBefore(child, anchor);
+                anchor = child;
+              }
+            }
+            refresh();
+          }, 0);
+        } else if (announcement.type === "dropped") originalChildren.clear();
         live.textContent = options.announce?.(announcement) ?? announcement.type;
       },
       async onMoveIntent(intent) {
-        const [parentId, slot] = String(intent.to.group).split(":", 2);
-        if (!parentId || !slot) return false;
+        if (destroyed || generation !== currentGeneration) return false;
+        const destination = groups.get(String(intent.to.group));
+        if (!destination) return false;
         return options.onMove({
           nodeIds: intent.ids.map(String),
-          to: { parentId, slot, index: intent.to.index },
+          to: { ...destination, index: intent.to.index },
         });
       },
     });
@@ -48,8 +96,12 @@ export function mountBlockEditor(root: HTMLElement, options: MountEditorOptions)
       const id = element.dataset.blockId!;
       const parent = element.dataset.blockParent!;
       const slot = element.dataset.blockSlot!;
+      const group = JSON.stringify([parent, slot]);
+      groups.set(group, { parentId: parent, slot });
       const siblings = [
-        ...root.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>("[data-block-id][data-block-parent][data-block-slot]"),
+        ...root.querySelectorAll<HTMLElement>(
+          "[data-block-id][data-block-parent][data-block-slot]",
+        ),
       ].filter(
         (candidate) =>
           candidate.dataset.blockParent === parent && candidate.dataset.blockSlot === slot,
@@ -58,7 +110,7 @@ export function mountBlockEditor(root: HTMLElement, options: MountEditorOptions)
       cleanups.push(
         manager.registerSortable({
           id,
-          group: `${parent}:${slot}`,
+          group,
           index: siblings.indexOf(element),
           element,
           handle,
@@ -71,7 +123,11 @@ export function mountBlockEditor(root: HTMLElement, options: MountEditorOptions)
   return {
     refresh,
     destroy() {
+      if (destroyed) return;
+      destroyed = true;
+      generation++;
       cleanups.forEach((cleanup) => cleanup());
+      cleanups = [];
       manager?.destroy();
       live.remove();
     },
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/test/runtime.test.ts b/packages/block-editor/test/runtime.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4721bfd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/block-editor/test/runtime.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+import { expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { Window } from "happy-dom";
+import type { DndManagerOptions, SortableRegistration } from "@wrnexus/dnd";
+import type { MountedEditor, MountEditorOptions } from "../src/runtime.ts";
+
+const code = new Bun.Transpiler({ loader: "ts" })
+  .transformSync(readFileSync(new URL("../src/runtime.ts", import.meta.url), "utf8"))
+  .replace(/^import .*;\s*$/gm, "")
+  .replace("export function mountBlockEditor", "function mountBlockEditor");
+
+function fixture(onMove: MountEditorOptions["onMove"] = () => false) {
+  const window = new Window();
+  const document = window.document;
+  const root = document.createElement("div");
+  document.body.append(root);
+  root.innerHTML =
+    '<div id="left"><button data-block-id="a" data-block-parent="parent:one" data-block-slot="content:main">A</button><span>Keep</span><button data-block-id="b" data-block-parent="parent:one" data-block-slot="content:main">B</button></div><div id="right"><button data-block-id="c" data-block-parent="parent:two" data-block-slot="content">C</button></div>';
+  const backends: Array<{
+    options: DndManagerOptions;
+    registrations: SortableRegistration[];
+    destroyed: number;
+  }> = [];
+  const mount = new Function("createDndManager", code + ";return mountBlockEditor;")(
+    (options: DndManagerOptions) => {
+      const backend = { options, registrations: [] as SortableRegistration[], destroyed: 0 };
+      backends.push(backend);
+      return {
+        registerSortable: (registration: SortableRegistration) => {
+          backend.registrations.push(registration);
+          return () => {};
+        },
+        destroy: () => backend.destroyed++,
+      };
+    },
+  );
+  const editor: MountedEditor = mount(root, { onMove });
+  const emit = (type: "pickedUp" | "cancelled" | "dropped") =>
+    backends.at(-1)!.options.announce!({ type, ids: ["a"] });
+  return {
+    root,
+    document,
+    editor,
+    backends,
+    emit,
+    flush: () => window.happyDOM.whenAsyncComplete(),
+  };
+}
+
+test("cancelled optimistic moves restore original DOM nodes across containers", async () => {
+  const f = fixture();
+  const a = f.root.querySelector('[data-block-id="a"]')!;
+  let clicks = 0;
+  a.addEventListener("click", () => clicks++);
+  f.emit("pickedUp");
+  f.root.querySelector("#right")!.append(a);
+  f.emit("cancelled");
+  await f.flush();
+  expect(f.root.querySelector("#left")!.textContent).toBe("AKeepB");
+  expect(f.root.querySelector("#right")!.textContent).toBe("C");
+  expect(f.root.querySelector('[data-block-id="a"]')).toBe(a);
+  (a as any).click();
+  expect(clicks).toBe(1);
+  expect(f.backends).toHaveLength(2);
+  expect(f.backends[0]!.destroyed).toBe(1);
+  f.editor.destroy();
+});
+
+test("slot and parent identifiers containing colons round-trip without collisions", async () => {
+  const moves: unknown[] = [];
+  const f = fixture((intent) => {
+    moves.push(intent);
+    return true;
+  });
+  const backend = f.backends[0]!;
+  await backend.options.onMoveIntent({
+    ids: ["b"],
+    from: [],
+    to: { group: backend.registrations[0]!.group, index: 0 },
+  });
+  expect(moves).toEqual([
+    { nodeIds: ["b"], to: { parentId: "parent:one", slot: "content:main", index: 0 } },
+  ]);
+  expect(
+    await backend.options.onMoveIntent({
+      ids: ["b"],
+      from: [],
+      to: { group: "unknown", index: 0 },
+    }),
+  ).toBe(false);
+  f.editor.destroy();
+});
+
+test("pending rollback cannot resurrect removed nodes or run after destruction", async () => {
+  for (const destroyed of [false, true]) {
+    const f = fixture();
+    f.emit("pickedUp");
+    f.root.querySelector('[data-block-id="a"]')!.remove();
+    f.emit("cancelled");
+    if (destroyed) {
+      f.editor.destroy();
+      f.editor.destroy();
+      f.editor.refresh();
+    }
+    await f.flush();
+    expect(f.root.querySelector('[data-block-id="a"]')).toBeNull();
+    if (destroyed) expect(f.backends).toHaveLength(1);
+    f.editor.destroy();
+    expect(f.backends.every((backend) => backend.destroyed === 1)).toBe(true);
+  }
+});