diff --git a/client/scripts/main.gd b/client/scripts/main.gd
index 34a553f59..c6aa484aa 100644
--- a/client/scripts/main.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/main.gd
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 
 	# Connect to simulation (test mode sets CONNECTED immediately).
 	# Guard: Option A flow leaves SimBridge CONNECTED when main.tscn loads — don't drop it.
+	# Option A state handoff: main_menu polls and applies the snapshot first,
+	# seeding GameState (including bookmark_catalog) via the autoload before the
+	# scene swap. main.tscn then re-applies the next snapshot on top. Both paths
+	# write through GameState — which is autoloaded, so catalog state survives.
 	if SimBridge.state == SimBridge.ConnectionState.DISCONNECTED:
 		SimBridge.connect_to_sim()
 
@@ -267,19 +271,9 @@ func _process(delta: float) -> void:
 			elif err != OK:
 				push_error("main.gd: LOAD_GAME send_input failed: %s" % error_string(err))
 			continue
-		# #528: ESC/OPEN_MENU — priority chain: MetaStack modal → implant app → settings dialog
+		# #528: ESC/OPEN_MENU — delegate to ordered priority chain
 		if input.action == InputMapper.Action.OPEN_MENU:
-			if MetaStack.handle_escape():
-				continue
-			if HudGroups.is_implant_active():
-				HudGroups.close_app()
-				continue
-			if settings_dialog:
-				if settings_dialog.is_open():
-					settings_dialog.close()
-				else:
-					MetaStack.push(settings_dialog)
-					settings_dialog.open()
+			_handle_menu_key()
 			continue
 		if input.action == InputMapper.Action.INTERACT:
 			# D-057: prefer interaction list (multi-verb), fall back to prompt (v0.1)
@@ -314,6 +308,24 @@ func _process(delta: float) -> void:
 		_pending_record_inputs.clear()
 
 
+# #528: ESC/OPEN_MENU priority chain — first handler to consume wins.
+# Order matters: MetaStack modal > open implant app > settings dialog.
+# Adding a fourth handler: append a new step here; don't re-inline in _process.
+func _handle_menu_key() -> void:
+	if MetaStack.handle_escape():
+		return
+	if HudGroups.is_implant_active():
+		HudGroups.close_app()
+		return
+	if settings_dialog == null:
+		return
+	if settings_dialog.is_open():
+		settings_dialog.close()
+	else:
+		MetaStack.push(settings_dialog)
+		settings_dialog.open()
+
+
 # #496: Finalize gauntlet stats on disconnect
 func _on_connection_state_changed(
 	_old_state: SimBridge.ConnectionState, new_state: SimBridge.ConnectionState
diff --git a/client/ui/meta/meta_screen.gd b/client/ui/meta/meta_screen.gd
index 4d47e17ca..7ece24053 100644
--- a/client/ui/meta/meta_screen.gd
+++ b/client/ui/meta/meta_screen.gd
@@ -22,8 +22,7 @@ func open() -> void:
 		return
 	_phase = Phase.OPENING
 	visible = true
-	if captures_input:
-		mouse_filter = Control.MOUSE_FILTER_STOP
+	mouse_filter = Control.MOUSE_FILTER_STOP if captures_input else Control.MOUSE_FILTER_IGNORE
 	on_open()
 	_phase = Phase.OPEN
 
@@ -34,6 +33,7 @@ func close() -> void:
 	_phase = Phase.CLOSING
 	on_close()
 	visible = false
+	mouse_filter = Control.MOUSE_FILTER_IGNORE
 	_phase = Phase.HIDDEN
 	closed.emit()
 
@@ -43,7 +43,16 @@ func is_open() -> bool:
 
 
 ## Called by MetaStack when ESC is pressed with this screen on top.
-## Return true to consume the event (prevent stack pop); false to allow pop.
+##
+## Return true: consumed-and-held — keep this screen open (e.g. "are you sure"
+## prompt was shown, do not close the underlying screen).
+## Return false: did nothing internally — let MetaStack close this screen.
+##
+## To express "consume-and-hold" — the screen must remain open and ESC must NOT
+## fall through to gameplay/implant — set `closable_by_escape = false` instead.
+## MetaStack treats that as: call on_escape (to let the screen react), do not
+## pop, return true so the event stops here. Returning true from `on_escape` is
+## the per-event variant; setting the flag is the screen-wide variant.
 func on_escape() -> bool:
 	escape_pressed.emit()
 	return false
diff --git a/client/ui/meta/meta_stack.gd b/client/ui/meta/meta_stack.gd
index 1462502b6..bb8e0cc80 100644
--- a/client/ui/meta/meta_stack.gd
+++ b/client/ui/meta/meta_stack.gd
@@ -38,12 +38,18 @@ func is_active() -> bool:
 
 ## Handle ESC key. Call from main.gd before HudGroups ESC handling.
 ## Returns true if the event was consumed (callers must return after).
+##
+## A screen on the stack always consumes the event. `closable_by_escape = false`
+## means "I refuse to close on ESC" — not "pass the event through to the
+## implant/gameplay layer." Otherwise an un-escapable screen (e.g. LoadingScreen)
+## would leak ESC to main.gd and open the settings dialog behind it.
 func handle_escape() -> bool:
 	var t = top()
 	if t == null:
 		return false
 	if not t.closable_by_escape:
-		return t.on_escape()
+		t.on_escape()
+		return true
 	if t.on_escape():
 		return true
 	t.close()
diff --git a/client/ui/meta/screens/bug_report/bug_report_dialog.gd b/client/ui/meta/screens/bug_report/bug_report_dialog.gd
index 56c2bced9..405f64212 100644
--- a/client/ui/meta/screens/bug_report/bug_report_dialog.gd
+++ b/client/ui/meta/screens/bug_report/bug_report_dialog.gd
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ const RING_SIZE := 60
 
 var _line_edit: LineEdit = null
 var _captured_screenshot: Image = null
+var _completed: bool = false  # set by _on_text_submitted; suppresses on_close cancel
 
 # #507: Pre-allocated ring buffers (no per-tick allocation after _ready).
 # Input ring: replay-format PlayerInput arrays, one per tick.
@@ -210,6 +211,7 @@ func _get_filled_snapshot_count() -> int:
 func start_capture() -> void:
 	if is_open():
 		return
+	_completed = false  # reset completion flag for this capture session
 	# Capture screenshot BEFORE showing the dialog overlay
 	_captured_screenshot = get_viewport().get_texture().get_image()
 	MetaStack.push(self)
@@ -236,17 +238,24 @@ func on_close() -> void:
 		_line_edit.queue_free()
 		_line_edit = null
 	_captured_screenshot = null
+	# Any close path that did not complete is a cancel — covers ESC, MetaStack
+	# pop, programmatic close(). _completed flips to true in _on_text_submitted
+	# right before capture_completed fires, so the two signals stay exclusive.
+	if not _completed:
+		capture_cancelled.emit()
+	_completed = false
 
 
 func on_escape() -> bool:
-	capture_cancelled.emit()
+	# on_close() will emit capture_cancelled — don't double-emit here.
 	return false  # let MetaStack close
 
 
 func _on_text_submitted(text: String) -> void:
 	_save_report(text)
-	close()
+	_completed = true
 	capture_completed.emit()
+	close()
 
 
 func _save_report(description: String) -> void:
diff --git a/client/ui/meta/screens/debug_console/debug_console.gd b/client/ui/meta/screens/debug_console/debug_console.gd
index c2166a646..8fc2f6697 100644
--- a/client/ui/meta/screens/debug_console/debug_console.gd
+++ b/client/ui/meta/screens/debug_console/debug_console.gd
@@ -108,10 +108,11 @@ func _unhandled_input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
 		_toggle()
 		return
 	if is_open():
-		# Consume all keyboard events — prevent movement/action leaking through
-		get_viewport().set_input_as_handled()
-		if event.keycode == KEY_ESCAPE:
-			close()
+		# Consume keyboard events so movement/action don't leak to main.gd,
+		# but let ESC fall through to OPEN_MENU → MetaStack.handle_escape().
+		# MetaStack finds this console at the top of the stack and closes it.
+		if event.keycode != KEY_ESCAPE:
+			get_viewport().set_input_as_handled()
 
 
 func _on_input_key(event: InputEvent) -> void:
diff --git a/client/ui/meta/screens/main_menu/main_menu.gd b/client/ui/meta/screens/main_menu/main_menu.gd
index 479a90fa7..55b1badd6 100644
--- a/client/ui/meta/screens/main_menu/main_menu.gd
+++ b/client/ui/meta/screens/main_menu/main_menu.gd
@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@ extends MetaScreen
 ## New Game: opens character creation screen, then starts game.
 ## Continue: loads most recent save directory.
 ## Load Game: shows sorted save list for manual selection (#257).
+##
+## LoadingScreen lifecycle: this scene instantiates its own LoadingScreen child
+## (see `_ensure_loading_screen`). main.tscn has a separate `$MetaLayer/LoadingScreen`.
+## Safe today because main_menu.tscn and main.tscn never co-exist — the scene
+## transition in `_start_game` replaces the tree wholesale. If that invariant
+## ever changes (e.g. embedding the menu as an overlay), promote LoadingScreen
+## to an autoload to enforce single-instance across the MetaStack.
 
 const GAME_SCENE := "res://scenes/main.tscn"
 const CHARACTER_CREATION_SCENE := "res://scenes/character_creation.tscn"
diff --git a/decisions/architecture.md b/decisions/architecture.md
index 384b2876c..ffb340960 100644
--- a/decisions/architecture.md
+++ b/decisions/architecture.md
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ Technical foundation decisions that constrain implementation: engine, client-ser
 
 ### D-192: Drop PROTOCOL_VERSION lockstep handshake
 
-- **Decision:** Remove the `version` field from the snapshot envelope, the `PROTOCOL_VERSION` constants on both server (`server/src/bridge/types.rs`) and client (`client/scripts/protocol/protocol.gd`), and the version-mismatch guard in `Protocol.decode_snapshot()`. Genuine schema mismatches surface as MessagePack decode errors or missing-field errors at the consumer; that signal is sufficient for our deployment model.
+- **Decision:** Deprecate the snapshot envelope `version` field, the `PROTOCOL_VERSION` constants on both server (`server/src/bridge/types.rs`) and client (`client/scripts/protocol/protocol.gd`), and the version-mismatch guard in `Protocol.decode_snapshot()`. Removal is tracked in ticket **#868** (server + client coordinated, sprint 37 or later). Once removed, genuine schema mismatches will surface as MessagePack decode errors or missing-field errors at the consumer; that signal is sufficient for our deployment model. Until #868 lands, the field and guard stay in place — they are no longer load-bearing, but removing them requires coordinated edits on both sides and fresh fixture regeneration.
 - **Rationale:** The version constants were designed for a network deployment where client and server can ship out of sync. Our actual deployment is a subprocess: the Godot client launches the Rust server it was built with. They are *always* in sync at runtime — the version check has never caught a real mismatch in the field, only dev-time forgetfulness. The cost has been measurable: every protocol-shaping sprint requires bumping two constants in lockstep, and we accumulated tautological tests asserting `PROTOCOL_VERSION == N` (deleted in sprint 36 — see ticket from this D-record). Removing the handshake makes the per-sprint cost zero. **Reversibility:** When/if networked multiplayer arrives (no firm date — see [D-005](#d-005-architecture-godot-client--rust-server-via-subprocess)), the natural fit is a one-time handshake at connection time (a single client-version vs. server-version exchange in the connection protocol), not a per-snapshot version stamp. So even the multiplayer path doesn't argue for keeping the per-snapshot field — that field would be doubly redundant once a connection-time check exists. The design space hasn't been narrowed.
 - **What we lose:** A single eager, human-readable error at connect time ("client v22 ↔ server v23"). A genuine dev-time schema drift will now surface as a downstream decode/missing-field error, possibly seconds into a session rather than at handshake.
 - **What we keep:** All field-presence and roundtrip tests in `test_protocol_bridge.gd`, `test_signal_sprint24.gd`, etc. — these cover the *behavior* the version constant was meant to gate. Decode failure in `Messagepack.decode()` still rejects malformed payloads.