diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Deployment/DebugView.razor b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Deployment/DebugView.razor
index b5a041ca..dff73ec0 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Deployment/DebugView.razor
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Deployment/DebugView.razor
@@ -421,15 +421,31 @@
         {
             _selectedSiteId = siteId;
             await LoadInstancesForSite();
+
+            // Membership guard, mirroring the ?instanceId= path above. A stored instance that
+            // has since been disabled (or deleted, or moved to another site) is not in the list
+            // the picker was handed, so it renders a blank field while the page holds a non-zero
+            // id and auto-connects to it anyway. Forget the stored instance instead — the site
+            // stays selected and loaded, so the operator just picks again.
+            var stored = _siteInstances.FirstOrDefault(i => i.Id == instanceId);
+            if (stored == null)
+            {
+                await JS.InvokeVoidAsync("localStorage.removeItem", "debugView.instanceId");
+                _toast.ShowInfo(
+                    "The instance from your previous session is no longer available for debug streaming.",
+                    autoDismissMs: 8000);
+                StateHasChanged();
+                return;
+            }
+
             _selectedInstanceId = instanceId;
             _connectedFromStorage = true;
             StateHasChanged();
             await Connect();
 
             // Auto-reconnect notice — the user didn't initiate this connection.
-            var inst = _siteInstances.FirstOrDefault(i => i.Id == instanceId);
             _toast.ShowInfo(
-                $"Auto-reconnected to {inst?.UniqueName ?? "instance"} from previous session.",
+                $"Auto-reconnected to {stored.UniqueName} from previous session.",
                 autoDismissMs: 8000);
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Deployment/FlowDebugger.razor.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Deployment/FlowDebugger.razor.cs
index 9e98afb1..0c9608b9 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Deployment/FlowDebugger.razor.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI/Components/Pages/Deployment/FlowDebugger.razor.cs
@@ -447,9 +447,9 @@ public partial class FlowDebugger : ComponentBase, IDisposable
                 return;
             }
 
-            _instances = (await TemplateEngineRepository.GetInstancesBySiteIdAsync(_selectedSiteId))
-                .OrderBy(i => i.UniqueName, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase).ToList();
-            // The picker nests these itself (InstanceTreeBuilder), so order does not matter here.
+            // Neither list is sorted here: the picker nests and orders both itself
+            // (InstanceTreeBuilder). The OrderBy this replaces dated from the flat <select>.
+            _instances = (await TemplateEngineRepository.GetInstancesBySiteIdAsync(_selectedSiteId)).ToList();
             _areas = (await TemplateEngineRepository.GetAreasBySiteIdAsync(_selectedSiteId)).ToList();
         }
         finally
diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.Tests/Deployment/DebugViewInstancePickerTests.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.Tests/Deployment/DebugViewInstancePickerTests.cs
index 31b7e37c..b7273e81 100644
--- a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.Tests/Deployment/DebugViewInstancePickerTests.cs
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.Tests/Deployment/DebugViewInstancePickerTests.cs
@@ -186,6 +186,31 @@ public class DebugViewInstancePickerTests : BunitContext
             Assert.False(cut.Find("[data-test='debug-instance-input']").HasAttribute("disabled")));
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The localStorage auto-reconnect must apply the same membership guard the
+    /// <c>?instanceId=</c> deep link does. Off01 is Disabled, so the page filters it out of the
+    /// list the picker is handed — restoring it anyway left the field blank while the page held
+    /// a non-zero id and auto-connected to it. The stored id is dropped instead, and the site
+    /// stays selected and loaded so the operator can pick again.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public void AutoReconnect_FromStorage_SkipsAnInstanceThatIsNoLongerAvailable()
+    {
+        RegisterServices();
+        JSInterop.Setup<string>("localStorage.getItem", "debugView.siteId").SetResult(SiteId.ToString());
+        JSInterop.Setup<string>("localStorage.getItem", "debugView.instanceId").SetResult("8");
+
+        var cut = Render<DebugViewPage>();
+
+        cut.WaitForAssertion(() =>
+            Assert.Equal(string.Empty, cut.Find("[data-test='debug-instance-input']").GetAttribute("value")));
+
+        // Nothing is selected, so Connect stays disabled — and the stale id is forgotten.
+        var connect = cut.FindAll("button.btn.btn-primary.btn-sm").First(b => b.TextContent.Contains("Connect"));
+        Assert.True(connect.HasAttribute("disabled"));
+        JSInterop.VerifyInvoke("localStorage.removeItem");
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public void WhileConnected_ThePickerIsDisabled()
     {
diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.Tests/Deployment/FlowDebuggerPageTests.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.Tests/Deployment/FlowDebuggerPageTests.cs
index 1b0e19d0..6bde8719 100644
--- a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.Tests/Deployment/FlowDebuggerPageTests.cs
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.CentralUI.Tests/Deployment/FlowDebuggerPageTests.cs
@@ -816,6 +816,37 @@ public class FlowDebuggerPageTests : BunitContext
             Assert.Equal("Sim01", cut.Find("[data-test='flow-instance-input']").GetAttribute("value")));
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The same deep link, but the instance sits two areas deep. The picker resolves the field
+    /// text from <c>SelectedInstanceId</c> against the flat instance list, not by walking the
+    /// tree — so a nested instance must show its name with the panel never opened (and therefore
+    /// with Line1 / Cell A never expanded).
+    /// </summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public void ScriptEntry_DeepLink_InstanceIdInsideAnArea_ShowsItsNameWithoutOpeningThePanel()
+    {
+        RegisterServices();
+        WireInstance();
+        _templates.GetAreasBySiteIdAsync(1, Arg.Any<CancellationToken>())
+            .Returns(Task.FromResult<IReadOnlyList<Area>>(
+                [new Area("Line1") { Id = 1, SiteId = 1 }, new Area("Cell A") { Id = 2, SiteId = 1, ParentAreaId = 1 }]));
+        var nested = new Instance("Sim01") { Id = 7, SiteId = 1, TemplateId = 10, AreaId = 2 };
+        _templates.GetInstancesBySiteIdAsync(1, Arg.Any<CancellationToken>())
+            .Returns(Task.FromResult<IReadOnlyList<Instance>>([nested]));
+        _templates.GetInstanceByIdAsync(7, Arg.Any<CancellationToken>()).Returns(nested);
+
+        var nav = Services.GetRequiredService<NavigationManager>();
+        nav.NavigateTo("/deployment/flow-debugger?instanceId=7");
+
+        var cut = Render<FlowDebuggerPage>();
+
+        cut.WaitForAssertion(() =>
+            Assert.Equal("Sim01", cut.Find("[data-test='flow-instance-input']").GetAttribute("value")));
+        // The panel was never opened, so nothing of the tree is rendered.
+        Assert.Empty(cut.FindAll("[data-test='flow-instance-panel']"));
+        Assert.Empty(cut.FindAll("[data-test='flow-instance-row']"));
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// The picker must stay disabled for the WHOLE site load, not just until the site id lands.
     /// Blazor renders as soon as <c>OnSiteChangedAsync</c> hits its first await, and at that point