diff --git a/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Hubs/BoardsHub.cs b/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Hubs/BoardsHub.cs
index 205dea7b41..5baefdfb6b 100644
--- a/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Hubs/BoardsHub.cs
+++ b/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Hubs/BoardsHub.cs
@@ -33,6 +33,17 @@ public async Task JoinBoard(Guid boardId)
         if (!permission.Value)
             throw new HubException($"{ErrorCodes.Forbidden}:You do not have access to this board");
 
+        // Safety net: the tracker holds one board per connection, but a JoinBoard that
+        // arrives without a matching LeaveBoard would otherwise leave the connection in
+        // the old SignalR group (ghost presence plus stray old-board mutations).
+        if (_presenceTracker.TryGetBoard(Context.ConnectionId, out var previousBoardId)
+            && previousBoardId != boardId)
+        {
+            await Groups.RemoveFromGroupAsync(Context.ConnectionId, BoardHubGroups.ForBoard(previousBoardId));
+            var previous = _presenceTracker.Leave(previousBoardId, Context.ConnectionId);
+            await PublishPresenceSnapshotAsync(previous);
+        }
+
         await Groups.AddToGroupAsync(Context.ConnectionId, BoardHubGroups.ForBoard(boardId));
         var presence = _presenceTracker.Join(boardId, Context.ConnectionId, userId, displayName);
         await PublishPresenceSnapshotAsync(presence);
diff --git a/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Realtime/IBoardPresenceTracker.cs b/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Realtime/IBoardPresenceTracker.cs
index 19cf2a0c0d..4c6eff637e 100644
--- a/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Realtime/IBoardPresenceTracker.cs
+++ b/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Realtime/IBoardPresenceTracker.cs
@@ -15,4 +15,7 @@ BoardPresenceSnapshot Join(
     BoardPresenceSnapshot? UpdateEditingCard(Guid boardId, string connectionId, Guid? editingCardId);
 
     bool IsConnectionJoinedBoard(string connectionId, Guid boardId);
+
+    /// <summary>The board a connection currently observes, if any.</summary>
+    bool TryGetBoard(string connectionId, out Guid boardId);
 }
diff --git a/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Realtime/InMemoryBoardPresenceTracker.cs b/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Realtime/InMemoryBoardPresenceTracker.cs
index 275187a005..ab135548ab 100644
--- a/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Realtime/InMemoryBoardPresenceTracker.cs
+++ b/backend/src/Taskdeck.Api/Realtime/InMemoryBoardPresenceTracker.cs
@@ -100,6 +100,14 @@ public bool IsConnectionJoinedBoard(string connectionId, Guid boardId)
         }
     }
 
+    public bool TryGetBoard(string connectionId, out Guid boardId)
+    {
+        lock (_gate)
+        {
+            return _boardByConnection.TryGetValue(connectionId, out boardId);
+        }
+    }
+
     private static BoardPresenceSnapshot CreateSnapshot(
         Guid boardId,
         Dictionary<string, ConnectionPresence> boardConnections)
diff --git a/backend/tests/Taskdeck.Api.Tests/BoardsHubSwitchTests.cs b/backend/tests/Taskdeck.Api.Tests/BoardsHubSwitchTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..476f7394cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/Taskdeck.Api.Tests/BoardsHubSwitchTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+using System.Security.Claims;
+using FluentAssertions;
+using Microsoft.AspNetCore.SignalR;
+using Moq;
+using Taskdeck.Api.Hubs;
+using Taskdeck.Api.Realtime;
+using Taskdeck.Application.Services;
+using Taskdeck.Domain.Common;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Taskdeck.Api.Tests;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Hub-level cover for the JoinBoard switch safety net: a JoinBoard that arrives
+/// without a matching LeaveBoard must not strand the connection in the old
+/// SignalR group with ghost presence.
+/// </summary>
+public class BoardsHubSwitchTests
+{
+    private const string ConnectionId = "conn-1";
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task JoinBoard_ShouldLeavePreviousGroupAndRepublishOldSnapshot_WhenSwitchingWithoutLeave()
+    {
+        // Arrange
+        var boardA = Guid.NewGuid();
+        var boardB = Guid.NewGuid();
+        var userId = Guid.NewGuid();
+        var (hub, groups, groupProxies) = CreateHub(userId);
+
+        await hub.JoinBoard(boardA);
+
+        // Act: switch boards without calling LeaveBoard first.
+        await hub.JoinBoard(boardB);
+
+        // Assert: the connection left the old group...
+        groups.Verify(
+            g => g.RemoveFromGroupAsync(ConnectionId, BoardHubGroups.ForBoard(boardA), default),
+            Times.Once);
+
+        // ...the old board's observers saw the departure...
+        groupProxies.Should().ContainKey(BoardHubGroups.ForBoard(boardA));
+        var oldSnapshots = groupProxies[BoardHubGroups.ForBoard(boardA)].Snapshots
+            .Where(s => s.BoardId == boardA)
+            .ToList();
+        oldSnapshots.Should().NotBeEmpty();
+        oldSnapshots.Last().Members.Should().NotContain(m => m.UserId == userId);
+
+        // ...and the new board shows the join.
+        var newSnapshots = groupProxies[BoardHubGroups.ForBoard(boardB)].Snapshots
+            .Where(s => s.BoardId == boardB)
+            .ToList();
+        newSnapshots.Should().ContainSingle()
+            .Which.Members.Should().ContainSingle(m => m.UserId == userId);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task JoinBoard_ShouldNotLeave_WhenRejoiningTheSameBoard()
+    {
+        // Arrange
+        var board = Guid.NewGuid();
+        var (hub, groups, _) = CreateHub(Guid.NewGuid());
+
+        await hub.JoinBoard(board);
+
+        // Act
+        await hub.JoinBoard(board);
+
+        // Assert
+        groups.Verify(
+            g => g.RemoveFromGroupAsync(It.IsAny<string>(), It.IsAny<string>(), It.IsAny<CancellationToken>()),
+            Times.Never);
+        groups.Verify(
+            g => g.AddToGroupAsync(ConnectionId, BoardHubGroups.ForBoard(board), default),
+            Times.Exactly(2));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task JoinBoard_ShouldNotLeave_WhenJoiningTheFirstBoard()
+    {
+        // Arrange
+        var (hub, groups, _) = CreateHub(Guid.NewGuid());
+
+        // Act
+        await hub.JoinBoard(Guid.NewGuid());
+
+        // Assert
+        groups.Verify(
+            g => g.RemoveFromGroupAsync(It.IsAny<string>(), It.IsAny<string>(), It.IsAny<CancellationToken>()),
+            Times.Never);
+    }
+
+    private static (BoardsHub Hub, Mock<IGroupManager> Groups, Dictionary<string, RecordingClientProxy> Proxies)
+        CreateHub(Guid userId)
+    {
+        var authorizationMock = new Mock<IAuthorizationService>();
+        authorizationMock
+            .Setup(a => a.CanReadBoardAsync(It.IsAny<Guid>(), It.IsAny<Guid>()))
+            .ReturnsAsync(Result.Success(true));
+
+        var tracker = new InMemoryBoardPresenceTracker();
+        var hub = new BoardsHub(authorizationMock.Object, tracker);
+
+        var claims = new ClaimsPrincipal(new ClaimsIdentity(new[]
+        {
+            new Claim(ClaimTypes.NameIdentifier, userId.ToString()),
+            new Claim("name", "Switch Tester"),
+        }));
+        var contextMock = new Mock<HubCallerContext>();
+        contextMock.SetupGet(c => c.ConnectionId).Returns(ConnectionId);
+        contextMock.SetupGet(c => c.User).Returns(claims);
+
+        var groupsMock = new Mock<IGroupManager>();
+        var proxies = new Dictionary<string, RecordingClientProxy>(StringComparer.Ordinal);
+        var clientsMock = new Mock<IHubCallerClients>();
+        clientsMock
+            .Setup(c => c.Group(It.IsAny<string>()))
+            .Returns((string groupName) =>
+            {
+                if (!proxies.TryGetValue(groupName, out var proxy))
+                {
+                    proxy = new RecordingClientProxy();
+                    proxies[groupName] = proxy;
+                }
+
+                return proxy;
+            });
+
+        hub.Context = contextMock.Object;
+        hub.Groups = groupsMock.Object;
+        hub.Clients = clientsMock.Object;
+
+        return (hub, groupsMock, proxies);
+    }
+
+    private sealed class RecordingClientProxy : ISingleClientProxy
+    {
+        public List<BoardPresenceSnapshot> Snapshots { get; } = new();
+
+        public Task SendCoreAsync(string method, object?[] args, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (string.Equals(method, "boardPresence", StringComparison.Ordinal)
+                && args is [BoardPresenceSnapshot snapshot, ..])
+            {
+                Snapshots.Add(snapshot);
+            }
+
+            return Task.CompletedTask;
+        }
+
+        public Task<T> InvokeCoreAsync<T>(string method, object?[] args, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            return Task.FromResult<T>(default!);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/backend/tests/Taskdeck.Api.Tests/InMemoryBoardPresenceTrackerTests.cs b/backend/tests/Taskdeck.Api.Tests/InMemoryBoardPresenceTrackerTests.cs
index 669fedaffc..f8bdb54a1c 100644
--- a/backend/tests/Taskdeck.Api.Tests/InMemoryBoardPresenceTrackerTests.cs
+++ b/backend/tests/Taskdeck.Api.Tests/InMemoryBoardPresenceTrackerTests.cs
@@ -45,4 +45,27 @@ public void Leave_ShouldNotDropReverseMap_WhenConnectionNotInRequestedBoard()
         leaveConnectionSnapshot.Should().NotBeNull();
         leaveConnectionSnapshot!.BoardId.Should().Be(boardA);
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void TryGetBoard_ShouldTrackTheObservedBoard()
+    {
+        var tracker = new InMemoryBoardPresenceTracker();
+        var boardA = Guid.NewGuid();
+        var boardB = Guid.NewGuid();
+        const string connectionId = "conn-1";
+        var userId = Guid.NewGuid();
+
+        tracker.TryGetBoard(connectionId, out _).Should().BeFalse();
+
+        tracker.Join(boardA, connectionId, userId, "user");
+        tracker.TryGetBoard(connectionId, out var current).Should().BeTrue();
+        current.Should().Be(boardA);
+
+        tracker.Join(boardB, connectionId, userId, "user");
+        tracker.TryGetBoard(connectionId, out current).Should().BeTrue();
+        current.Should().Be(boardB);
+
+        tracker.Leave(boardB, connectionId);
+        tracker.TryGetBoard(connectionId, out _).Should().BeFalse();
+    }
 }