diff --git a/src/AcDream.App/Streaming/StreamingController.cs b/src/AcDream.App/Streaming/StreamingController.cs
index 30b690cc..f5f9f43d 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.App/Streaming/StreamingController.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.App/Streaming/StreamingController.cs
@@ -336,15 +336,10 @@ public sealed class StreamingController
 
         // --- Step 1: drain the deferred buffer first (items held from a prior
         //     priority-hunt that overshot the cap). Apply up to `budget` of them.
-        int deferredApplied = 0;
-        while (deferredApplied < budget && _deferredApply.Count > 0)
-        {
-            var item = _deferredApply[0];
-            _deferredApply.RemoveAt(0);
-            ApplyResult(item);
-            deferredApplied++;
-        }
-        budget -= deferredApplied;
+        int i1 = 0;
+        while (i1 < budget && i1 < _deferredApply.Count) { ApplyResult(_deferredApply[i1]); i1++; }
+        if (i1 > 0) _deferredApply.RemoveRange(0, i1);
+        budget -= i1;
 
         if (budget <= 0) return;
 
@@ -385,13 +380,9 @@ public sealed class StreamingController
             {
                 // Now apply up to remaining budget from deferred (mix from the
                 // chunk we just buffered + any pre-existing deferred items).
-                while (budget > 0 && _deferredApply.Count > 0)
-                {
-                    var item = _deferredApply[0];
-                    _deferredApply.RemoveAt(0);
-                    ApplyResult(item);
-                    budget--;
-                }
+                int i2 = 0;
+                while (i2 < budget && i2 < _deferredApply.Count) { ApplyResult(_deferredApply[i2]); i2++; }
+                if (i2 > 0) _deferredApply.RemoveRange(0, i2);
                 return;
             }
             // Priority not found in the outbox this frame: fall through to
diff --git a/tests/AcDream.Core.Tests/Streaming/StreamingControllerPriorityApplyTests.cs b/tests/AcDream.Core.Tests/Streaming/StreamingControllerPriorityApplyTests.cs
index d3af4b57..4668b867 100644
--- a/tests/AcDream.Core.Tests/Streaming/StreamingControllerPriorityApplyTests.cs
+++ b/tests/AcDream.Core.Tests/Streaming/StreamingControllerPriorityApplyTests.cs
@@ -68,10 +68,19 @@ public class StreamingControllerPriorityApplyTests
         var applied = new List<uint>();
         var state = new GpuWorldState();
         var ctrl = new StreamingController(
-            (_, _) => { }, _ => { },
-            max => { var b = new List<LandblockStreamResult>(); while (b.Count < max && outbox.Count > 0) b.Add(outbox.Dequeue()); return b; },
-            (lb, _) => applied.Add(lb.LandblockId),
-            state, 4, 12) { MaxCompletionsPerFrame = 4 };
+            enqueueLoad:       (_, _) => { },
+            enqueueUnload:     _ => { },
+            drainCompletions:  max =>
+            {
+                var batch = new List<LandblockStreamResult>();
+                while (batch.Count < max && outbox.Count > 0) batch.Add(outbox.Dequeue());
+                return batch;
+            },
+            applyTerrain:      (lb, _) => applied.Add(lb.LandblockId),
+            state:             state,
+            nearRadius:        4,
+            farRadius:         12)
+        { MaxCompletionsPerFrame = 4 };
         ctrl.PriorityLandblockId = priority;
 
         ctrl.Tick(169, 180);  // priority + some others
@@ -82,4 +91,59 @@ public class StreamingControllerPriorityApplyTests
         Assert.Contains(priority, applied);
         Assert.Equal(6, applied.Count);  // all six applied, none lost
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void PriorityNeverArrives_noThrow_noLoss_noDoubleApply()
+    {
+        // While a PriorityLandblockId is set but the matching completion never
+        // arrives (e.g. the load failed), the hunt moves outbox completions into
+        // _deferredApply and they drain at the per-frame budget — same backpressure
+        // as the normal throttle, just relocated — until the caller clears
+        // PriorityLandblockId (the TAS MaxContinue safety net does this on timeout).
+        uint priority  = StreamingRegion.EncodeLandblockIdForTest(169, 180);
+        uint otherId0  = StreamingRegion.EncodeLandblockIdForTest(1, 0);
+        uint otherId1  = StreamingRegion.EncodeLandblockIdForTest(1, 1);
+        uint otherId2  = StreamingRegion.EncodeLandblockIdForTest(1, 2);
+
+        var outbox = new Queue<LandblockStreamResult>(new LandblockStreamResult[]
+        {
+            LoadedOf(otherId0),
+            LoadedOf(otherId1),
+            LoadedOf(otherId2),
+        });
+
+        var applied = new List<uint>();
+        var state = new GpuWorldState();
+        var ctrl = new StreamingController(
+            enqueueLoad:      (_, _) => { },
+            enqueueUnload:    _ => { },
+            drainCompletions: max =>
+            {
+                var batch = new List<LandblockStreamResult>();
+                while (batch.Count < max && outbox.Count > 0) batch.Add(outbox.Dequeue());
+                return batch;
+            },
+            applyTerrain:     (lb, _) => applied.Add(lb.LandblockId),
+            state:            state,
+            nearRadius:       4,
+            farRadius:        12)
+        { MaxCompletionsPerFrame = 4 };
+
+        // Set a priority id that will NEVER appear in the outbox.
+        ctrl.PriorityLandblockId = priority;
+
+        // Tick several times — should not throw and every non-priority completion
+        // must still be applied without duplication.
+        ctrl.Tick(169, 180);
+        ctrl.Tick(169, 180);
+        ctrl.Tick(169, 180);
+
+        // (a) no throw — covered by reaching here without exception
+        // (b) every non-priority completion is applied (no loss)
+        Assert.Contains(otherId0, applied);
+        Assert.Contains(otherId1, applied);
+        Assert.Contains(otherId2, applied);
+        // (c) no double-apply: applied count matches completions enqueued
+        Assert.Equal(3, applied.Count);
+    }
 }