diff --git a/scripts/chain-probe.mjs b/scripts/chain-probe.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3add651
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/chain-probe.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+// Reproduce a multi-hop Wikipedia click chain (Istanbul → Turkish language →
+// Turkey → Aegean Sea) and print the captured parentage, to find missing edges.
+//
+//   node scripts/chain-probe.mjs   (after `npm run build`)
+
+import { chromium } from "playwright";
+import { mkdtempSync } from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+import { dirname, resolve } from "node:path";
+
+const DIST = resolve(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), "../dist");
+const sleep = (ms) => new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, ms));
+
+const context = await chromium.launchPersistentContext(mkdtempSync(resolve(tmpdir(), "hg-")), {
+  headless: false,
+  args: [`--disable-extensions-except=${DIST}`, `--load-extension=${DIST}`],
+});
+
+try {
+  let [sw] = context.serviceWorkers();
+  if (!sw) sw = await context.waitForEvent("serviceworker", { timeout: 10_000 });
+  const extId = new URL(sw.url()).host;
+  sw.on("console", (m) => {
+    const t = m.text();
+    if (t.includes("history-graph")) console.log("  [SW]", t.split(" {")[0]);
+  });
+
+  const page = await context.newPage();
+  // Warm up so the worker doesn't cold-start mid-chain.
+  await page.goto("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page", { waitUntil: "load" });
+  await sleep(1500);
+
+  await page.goto("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul", { waitUntil: "load" });
+  await sleep(1500);
+
+  for (const target of ["/wiki/Turkish_language", "/wiki/Turkey", "/wiki/Aegean_Sea"]) {
+    await page.evaluate((href) => {
+      const a = document.createElement("a");
+      a.href = href;
+      a.textContent = "go";
+      document.body.prepend(a);
+      a.click();
+    }, target);
+    await page.waitForLoadState("load");
+    await sleep(1800);
+  }
+
+  const viewer = await context.newPage();
+  await viewer.goto(`chrome-extension://${extId}/viewer.html`, { waitUntil: "load" });
+  const visits = await viewer.evaluate(async () => {
+    const db = await new Promise((res, rej) => {
+      const q = indexedDB.open("history-graph");
+      q.onsuccess = () => res(q.result);
+      q.onerror = () => rej(q.error);
+    });
+    return await new Promise((res, rej) => {
+      const q = db.transaction("visits").objectStore("visits").getAll();
+      q.onsuccess = () => res(q.result);
+      q.onerror = () => rej(q.error);
+    });
+  });
+
+  const byId = new Map(visits.map((v) => [v.id, v]));
+  const short = (u) => u.replace("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/", "");
+  console.log(`\ncaptured ${visits.length} visit(s):`);
+  for (const v of visits.sort((a, b) => a.ts - b.ts)) {
+    const parent = v.parentId ? short(byId.get(v.parentId)?.url ?? "?") : "(root)";
+    console.log(`  ${short(v.url).padEnd(22)} [${v.transition}] q=${JSON.stringify(v.qualifiers)}  ← ${parent}`);
+  }
+} finally {
+  await context.close();
+}
diff --git a/scripts/orphan-probe.mjs b/scripts/orphan-probe.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ac05236
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/orphan-probe.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+// Verify the orphan-rescue fallback: if the current-visit pointer is lost
+// (storage.session cleared, simulating SW eviction / restart with a stable tab),
+// a follow-on click should still attach to the tab's last page via IndexedDB.
+//
+//   node scripts/orphan-probe.mjs   (after `npm run build`)
+
+import { chromium } from "playwright";
+import { mkdtempSync } from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+import { dirname, resolve } from "node:path";
+
+const DIST = resolve(dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), "../dist");
+const sleep = (ms) => new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, ms));
+
+const context = await chromium.launchPersistentContext(mkdtempSync(resolve(tmpdir(), "hg-")), {
+  headless: false,
+  args: [`--disable-extensions-except=${DIST}`, `--load-extension=${DIST}`],
+});
+
+try {
+  let [sw] = context.serviceWorkers();
+  if (!sw) sw = await context.waitForEvent("serviceworker", { timeout: 10_000 });
+  const extId = new URL(sw.url()).host;
+
+  const page = await context.newPage();
+  await page.goto("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page", { waitUntil: "load" });
+  await sleep(1500);
+  await page.goto("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul", { waitUntil: "load" });
+  await sleep(1500);
+
+  // Simulate a lost current-visit pointer (eviction / browser restart).
+  const wiper = await context.newPage();
+  await wiper.goto(`chrome-extension://${extId}/viewer.html`, { waitUntil: "load" });
+  await wiper.evaluate(() => chrome.storage.session.clear());
+  await wiper.close();
+
+  // Follow-on click — pointer is gone, so this would orphan without the fallback.
+  await page.bringToFront();
+  await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const a = document.createElement("a");
+    a.href = "/wiki/Turkish_language";
+    document.body.prepend(a);
+    a.click();
+  });
+  await page.waitForLoadState("load");
+  await sleep(1800);
+
+  const viewer = await context.newPage();
+  await viewer.goto(`chrome-extension://${extId}/viewer.html`, { waitUntil: "load" });
+  const visits = await viewer.evaluate(async () => {
+    const db = await new Promise((res, rej) => {
+      const q = indexedDB.open("history-graph");
+      q.onsuccess = () => res(q.result);
+      q.onerror = () => rej(q.error);
+    });
+    return await new Promise((res, rej) => {
+      const q = db.transaction("visits").objectStore("visits").getAll();
+      q.onsuccess = () => res(q.result);
+      q.onerror = () => rej(q.error);
+    });
+  });
+
+  const byId = new Map(visits.map((v) => [v.id, v]));
+  const short = (u) => u.replace("https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/", "");
+  console.log("\nafter clearing the pointer, the next click:");
+  for (const v of visits.sort((a, b) => a.ts - b.ts)) {
+    const parent = v.parentId ? short(byId.get(v.parentId)?.url ?? "?") : "(root)";
+    console.log(`  ${short(v.url).padEnd(20)} ← ${parent}`);
+  }
+} finally {
+  await context.close();
+}
diff --git a/src/background/capture.ts b/src/background/capture.ts
index 784e8fc..08e2fc4 100644
--- a/src/background/capture.ts
+++ b/src/background/capture.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { Visit } from "../model/types";
 import { getCurrentVisit, takePendingOpener } from "../storage/sessionMap";
+import { getLatestVisitInTab } from "../storage/db";
 
 /**
  * Transition types that mean "the user deliberately started somewhere new",
@@ -25,6 +26,10 @@ const ROOT_TRANSITIONS = new Set<string>([
  *   2. If the navigation is a "fresh start" transition, it's a root (null).
  *   3. Otherwise it's a follow-on within the tab → child of the tab's current
  *      visit (a clicked link, a form submit, a reload, back/forward...).
+ *   4. If the in-memory current pointer is missing (the service worker was
+ *      evicted mid-navigation, storage.session cleared, etc.), fall back to the
+ *      most recent visit recorded in this tab from durable storage — so a
+ *      follow-on click is linked to its predecessor instead of orphaned.
  */
 export async function determineParentId(
   details: chrome.webNavigation.WebNavigationTransitionCallbackDetails,
@@ -34,7 +39,11 @@ export async function determineParentId(
 
   if (ROOT_TRANSITIONS.has(details.transitionType)) return null;
 
-  return (await getCurrentVisit(details.tabId))?.id ?? null;
+  const current = await getCurrentVisit(details.tabId);
+  if (current) return current.id;
+
+  const latest = await getLatestVisitInTab(details.tabId);
+  return latest?.id ?? null;
 }
 
 let counter = 0;
diff --git a/src/storage/db.ts b/src/storage/db.ts
index 46b52f7..6b11686 100644
--- a/src/storage/db.ts
+++ b/src/storage/db.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,26 @@ export async function clearAllVisits(): Promise<void> {
   });
 }
 
+/** The most recent visit recorded in a tab (any URL). */
+export async function getLatestVisitInTab(tabId: number): Promise<Visit | undefined> {
+  const db = await openDb();
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    let best: Visit | undefined;
+    const req = tx(db, "readonly").index("tabId").openCursor(IDBKeyRange.only(tabId));
+    req.onsuccess = () => {
+      const cursor = req.result;
+      if (cursor) {
+        const v = cursor.value as Visit;
+        if (!best || v.ts > best.ts) best = v;
+        cursor.continue();
+      } else {
+        resolve(best);
+      }
+    };
+    req.onerror = () => reject(req.error);
+  });
+}
+
 /**
  * The most recent visit in a tab whose URL matches. Used by the title handler
  * to attach a title to the right visit even if the "current" pointer has since