diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
index 8bb1b1c231a..0c473dd061a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/init.ts
@@ -1439,16 +1439,16 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
   // second cache checking for itself would be told nothing changed.
   let compositionTimingRevision = 0;
 
-  const queryCache = new Map<string, { revision: number; nodes: Element[] }>();
+  const queryCache = new Map<string, Element[]>();
   const queryForTransport = (selector: string): Element[] => {
     if (!compositionTimingObserver || renderCaptureSeekStarted)
       return Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(selector));
     if (recordsMoveTiming(compositionTimingObserver.takeRecords()))
       invalidateCompositionTimingCaches();
     const cached = queryCache.get(selector);
-    if (cached?.revision === compositionTimingRevision) return cached.nodes;
+    if (cached) return cached;
     const nodes = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(selector));
-    queryCache.set(selector, { revision: compositionTimingRevision, nodes });
+    queryCache.set(selector, nodes);
     return nodes;
   };
 
@@ -1461,6 +1461,7 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
 
   const invalidateCompositionTimingCaches = () => {
     compositionTimingRevision += 1;
+    queryCache.clear();
     // The same records that stale the duration caches are what a parked
     // transport is waiting for: a timing attribute edited, a sub-composition
     // mounted, media metadata arriving. One signal, two readers.
@@ -2965,10 +2966,10 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
   // A clip's first visible style pass is slow; playing, each hidden clip gets it once just before its start.
   const clipsNeverStyledVisible = new Set<StylableElement>();
   const clipsStyledVisible = new WeakSet<Element>();
-  let neverStyledStarts = { revision: -1, starts: new Map<StylableElement, number>() };
+  let neverStyledStarts = { revision: -1, starts: new WeakMap<StylableElement, number>() };
   const neverStyledStart = (el: StylableElement, revision: number): number => {
     if (neverStyledStarts.revision !== revision)
-      neverStyledStarts = { revision, starts: new Map() };
+      neverStyledStarts = { revision, starts: new WeakMap() };
     let start = neverStyledStarts.starts.get(el);
     if (start === undefined) {
       start = resolveStartForElement(el, Number.NaN);
@@ -3407,7 +3408,12 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
         style.setProperty("visibility", shown, isVisibleNow ? "" : "important");
       }
       rawNode.toggleAttribute(CLIP_HIDDEN_ATTR, !isRuntimeStamped && !isVisibleNow);
-      if (!isRuntimeStamped && !isVisibleNow && !clipsStyledVisible.has(rawNode))
+      if (
+        !isRuntimeStamped &&
+        !isVisibleNow &&
+        !clipsStyledVisible.has(rawNode) &&
+        rawNode.isConnected
+      )
         clipsNeverStyledVisible.add(rawNode);
       const upcoming =
         (hiddenImagesSkipped || mediaDeferred) &&
@@ -4672,6 +4678,8 @@ export function initSandboxRuntimeModular(): void {
     stopSceneAnimations([host]);
     const placeholder = parkScene(name);
     if (placeholder) moveDisplayHide(host, placeholder);
+    for (const clip of clipsNeverStyledVisible)
+      if (!clip.isConnected) clipsNeverStyledVisible.delete(clip);
     parkedNames.add(name);
     releaseDetachedMedia();
     webAudio.releaseDecodedExcept(webAudioMediaIn(document));
diff --git a/packages/producer/src/services/coreRuntimeBrowser.test.ts b/packages/producer/src/services/coreRuntimeBrowser.test.ts
index 6de55082b6a..6cecc9c46f0 100644
--- a/packages/producer/src/services/coreRuntimeBrowser.test.ts
+++ b/packages/producer/src/services/coreRuntimeBrowser.test.ts
@@ -1597,20 +1597,23 @@ describe("core runtime browser contract", () => {
   const builtAsItRuns = (i: number) =>
     `const tl = gsap.timeline({ paused: true }); tl.to('[data-composition-id="s${i}"] b', { opacity: 0.5, duration: 1 }); window.__timelines["s${i}"] = tl;`;
   it.each([
-    ["its timeline built as the script runs", builtAsItRuns],
+    ["its timeline built as the script runs", builtAsItRuns, true],
+    ["its timeline built as the script runs, scrubbed while paused", builtAsItRuns, false],
     [
       "its timeline driving one built after a font wait",
       (i: number) =>
         `const tl = gsap.timeline({ paused: true }); Promise.all([document.fonts.load("16px serif")]).then(() => { const inner = gsap.timeline({ paused: true }); inner.to('[data-composition-id="s${i}"] b', { opacity: 0.5, duration: 1 }); tl.add(inner.tweenFromTo(0, 1), 0); window.__timelines["s${i}"] = tl; });`,
+      true,
     ],
     [
       "a timeline built after a font wait to pose it once",
       (i: number) =>
         `const tl = gsap.timeline({ paused: true }); window.__timelines["s${i}"] = tl; Promise.all([document.fonts.load("16px serif")]).then(() => { const pose = gsap.timeline({ paused: true }); pose.to('[data-composition-id="s${i}"] b', { opacity: 0.5, duration: 1 }); pose.time(0.5); });`,
+      true,
     ],
-  ])(
-    "lets go of each scene the preview mounts and unmounts while it plays, its captured audio included (%s)",
-    async (_, sceneScript) => {
+  ] as const)(
+    "lets go of each scene the preview mounts and unmounts, its captured audio included (%s)",
+    async (_, sceneScript, plays) => {
       const dir = mkdtempSync(resolve(tmpdir(), "scene-window-memory-"));
       // Its own browser: Web Audio only captures media where the context may start without a gesture.
       const audioBrowser = await puppeteer.launch({
@@ -1659,8 +1662,7 @@ describe("core runtime browser contract", () => {
         await page.waitForFunction(() => window.__playerReady && window.__renderReady);
         const cdp = await page.createCDPSession();
         await cdp.send("Performance.enable");
-        // DOM nodes alive but out of the page, after a full collection.
-        const kept = async () => {
+        const keptOnce = async () => {
           await cdp.send("HeapProfiler.collectGarbage");
           const { metrics } = await cdp.send("Performance.getMetrics");
           const inPage = await page.evaluate(() => {
@@ -1671,19 +1673,30 @@ describe("core runtime browser contract", () => {
           });
           return metrics.find((m) => m.name === "Nodes")!.value - inPage;
         };
+        // DOM nodes alive but out of the page. One collection can leave a freed scene unswept;
+        // a held one survives every collection.
+        const kept = async () => {
+          let count = await keptOnce();
+          for (let round = 0; round < 5; round++) {
+            const next = await keptOnce();
+            if (next >= count) return next;
+            count = next;
+          }
+          return count;
+        };
         const before = await kept();
-        await page.evaluate(async () => {
+        await page.evaluate(async (plays) => {
           const player = window.__player as unknown as {
             play: () => void;
             seek: (time: number, options: { keepPlaying: boolean }) => void;
           };
-          player.play();
+          if (plays) player.play();
           for (const time of [2.5, 4.5, 6.5, 8.5, 10.5]) {
-            player.seek(time, { keepPlaying: true });
+            player.seek(time, { keepPlaying: plays });
             await window.__hfWaitForSeekCompletion?.();
             await new Promise((settle) => setTimeout(settle, 200));
           }
-        });
+        }, plays);
         // The window unmounts only once it has mounted what is ahead.
         await page.waitForFunction(
           () => document.querySelectorAll("[data-hf-parked-scene]").length >= 5,