diff --git a/frontend/src/__tests__/ladder-timeline.test.ts b/frontend/src/__tests__/ladder-timeline.test.ts
index 72c2a0f59..0cab49bca 100644
--- a/frontend/src/__tests__/ladder-timeline.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/__tests__/ladder-timeline.test.ts
@@ -147,3 +147,43 @@ test('save errors retain draft and invalid dates do not reach the API', async ()
   expect(document.getElementById('ladder-event-error')!.textContent).toContain('draft is retained');
   expect(date.value).toBe('2030-01-02T00:00');
 });
+
+const flush = async (): Promise<void> => { for (let i = 0; i < 6; i++) await Promise.resolve(); };
+
+test('a 409 offers reload, which discards the draft, reloads and refocuses the purchase', async () => {
+  jest.mocked(amendLadderEvent).mockRejectedValue(Object.assign(new Error('Plan changed'), { status: 409 }));
+  await initLadderTimeline(document.getElementById('timeline')!, [], false);
+  document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('[data-event]')!.click();
+  const reload = document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('.ladder-event-editor [data-reload]')!;
+  expect(reload.hidden).toBe(true);
+  document.querySelector<HTMLFormElement>('.ladder-event-editor form')!.dispatchEvent(new Event('submit', { cancelable: true }));
+  await flush();
+  expect(reload.hidden).toBe(false);
+  expect(document.getElementById('ladder-event-error')!.textContent).toContain('reload it');
+  reload.click();
+  await flush();
+  expect(document.querySelector('.ladder-event-editor')).toBeNull();
+  expect(getLadderEvents).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  expect(document.activeElement).toBe(document.querySelector('[data-event="one"]'));
+});
+
+test('a non-conflict save error does not offer reload', async () => {
+  jest.mocked(amendLadderEvent).mockRejectedValue(Object.assign(new Error('Server error'), { status: 500 }));
+  await initLadderTimeline(document.getElementById('timeline')!, [], false);
+  document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('[data-event]')!.click();
+  document.querySelector<HTMLFormElement>('.ladder-event-editor form')!.dispatchEvent(new Event('submit', { cancelable: true }));
+  await flush();
+  expect(document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('.ladder-event-editor [data-reload]')!.hidden).toBe(true);
+});
+
+test('focus returns to the edited purchase after a successful save and the canvas is not a tab stop', async () => {
+  jest.mocked(amendLadderEvent).mockResolvedValue({ id: 'one', revision: 1, amount_usd_hr: '1.000000', scheduled_date: '2030-01-02T00:00:00.000Z', run_total_usd_hr: '1.000000' });
+  await initLadderTimeline(document.getElementById('timeline')!, [], false);
+  expect(document.querySelector('canvas')!.hasAttribute('tabindex')).toBe(false);
+  document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('[data-event]')!.click();
+  (document.getElementById('ladder-event-date') as HTMLInputElement).value = '2030-01-02T00:00:00';
+  document.querySelector<HTMLFormElement>('.ladder-event-editor form')!.dispatchEvent(new Event('submit', { cancelable: true }));
+  await flush();
+  expect(document.querySelector('.ladder-event-editor')).toBeNull();
+  expect(document.activeElement).toBe(document.querySelector('[data-event="one"]'));
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/ladder-timeline-editor.ts b/frontend/src/ladder-timeline-editor.ts
index 3b217abd0..677a32c0e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ladder-timeline-editor.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/ladder-timeline-editor.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
+import type { ApiError } from './api/types';
 import { amendLadderEvent, type LadderEvent, type LadderRun } from './api/ladder';
 import { openModal, closeModal } from './modal';
 import { escapeHtml } from './utils';
 import { formatLadderUnits, ladderAmountUnits, ladderTotal } from './ladder-timeline-filters';
 
-export function openLadderEventEditor(event: LadderEvent, run: LadderRun, siblings: readonly LadderEvent[], onSaved: () => void): void {
+export function openLadderEventEditor(event: LadderEvent, run: LadderRun, siblings: readonly LadderEvent[], onReload: () => void): void {
   const modal = document.createElement('div');
   modal.className = 'modal hidden ladder-event-editor';
   modal.setAttribute('role', 'dialog');
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ export function openLadderEventEditor(event: LadderEvent, run: LadderRun, siblin
     <p id="ladder-event-error" role="alert"></p>
     <div class="modal-footer"><button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary" data-cancel>Cancel</button>
       <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary" data-reset>Undo draft changes</button>
+      <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary" data-reload hidden>Reload and discard draft</button>
       <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary">Save planned purchase</button></div>
     </form></div>`;
   document.body.append(modal);
@@ -37,6 +39,7 @@ export function openLadderEventEditor(event: LadderEvent, run: LadderRun, siblin
   const error = modal.querySelector<HTMLElement>('#ladder-event-error')!;
   const save = modal.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('button[type="submit"]')!;
   const cancel = modal.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('[data-cancel]')!;
+  const reload = modal.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('[data-reload]')!;
   let pending = false;
   const initialDate = new Date(event.scheduled_date).toISOString().slice(0, 19);
   const originalTotal = ladderAmountUnits(ladderTotal(siblings));
@@ -61,6 +64,7 @@ export function openLadderEventEditor(event: LadderEvent, run: LadderRun, siblin
   const initialControlDate = date.value;
   amount.addEventListener('input', updatePreview);
   modal.querySelector('[data-reset]')!.addEventListener('click', restore);
+  reload.addEventListener('click', () => { closeModal(modal); onReload(); });
   modal.querySelector('[data-cancel]')!.addEventListener('click', () => { if (!pending) closeModal(modal); });
   modal.addEventListener('keydown', e => {
     if (pending && e.key === 'Escape') {
@@ -87,9 +91,11 @@ export function openLadderEventEditor(event: LadderEvent, run: LadderRun, siblin
     try {
       await amendLadderEvent(event.id, { expected_revision: event.revision, scheduled_date: date.value === initialControlDate ? event.scheduled_date : proposed.toISOString(), amount_usd_hr: amount.value });
       closeModal(modal);
-      onSaved();
+      onReload();
     } catch (err) {
-      error.textContent = `${err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Save failed'}. Your draft is retained. Reload the timeline before retrying a changed plan.`;
+      const conflict = (err as ApiError).status === 409;
+      reload.hidden = !conflict;
+      error.textContent = `${err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Save failed'}. Your draft is retained.${conflict ? ' The plan changed; reload it to edit the current values.' : ''}`;
     } finally {
       pending = false;
       form.querySelectorAll<HTMLInputElement | HTMLButtonElement>('input,button').forEach(input => { input.disabled = false; });
diff --git a/frontend/src/ladder-timeline.ts b/frontend/src/ladder-timeline.ts
index fa0e7e2d8..485472943 100644
--- a/frontend/src/ladder-timeline.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/ladder-timeline.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export async function initLadderTimeline(root: HTMLElement, configs: readonly La
     <button type="button" data-reset>Clear filters</button></div>
     <p>Service, instance type, region and currency filters are unavailable because saved ladder tranches do not contain those fields.</p>
     <p data-summary aria-live="polite"></p><p data-snapshot></p>
-    <div class="ladder-timeline-chart"><canvas tabindex="0" aria-label="Planned purchase timeline. Use the purchase table below to select a purchase with the keyboard." role="img"></canvas></div>
+    <div class="ladder-timeline-chart"><canvas aria-label="Planned purchase timeline. Use the purchase table below to select a purchase with the keyboard." role="img"></canvas></div>
     <div data-table></div></div>`;
   const provider = root.querySelector<HTMLSelectElement>('[data-provider]')!;
   const account = root.querySelector<HTMLSelectElement>('[data-account]')!;
@@ -42,14 +42,17 @@ export async function initLadderTimeline(root: HTMLElement, configs: readonly La
   const summary = root.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-summary]')!;
   const table = root.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-table]')!;
   root.querySelector<HTMLInputElement>('[data-date="from"]')!.value = filters.from;
+  const focusEvent = (id: string): void => {
+    Array.from(table.querySelectorAll<HTMLButtonElement>('[data-event]')).find(button => button.dataset['event'] === id)?.focus();
+  };
   const selectEvent = (event: LadderEvent): void => {
     selectedID = event.id;
     render();
-    Array.from(table.querySelectorAll<HTMLButtonElement>('[data-event]')).find(button => button.dataset['event'] === event.id)?.focus();
+    focusEvent(event.id);
     const reason = ladderEditReason(event);
     const run = runs.find(item => item.id === event.run_id);
     if (!reason && run && canAccess('update', 'config')) {
-      openLadderEventEditor(event, run, events.filter(item => item.run_id === event.run_id), () => { void load(); });
+      openLadderEventEditor(event, run, events.filter(item => item.run_id === event.run_id), () => { void load().then(() => focusEvent(event.id)); });
     }
   };
   const render = (): void => {