diff --git a/src/layer/segmentation/index.ts b/src/layer/segmentation/index.ts
index 92dae493e..70c602250 100644
--- a/src/layer/segmentation/index.ts
+++ b/src/layer/segmentation/index.ts
@@ -796,9 +796,6 @@ export class SegmentationUserLayer extends Base {
   readonly spatialSkeletonState = this.registerDisposer(
     new SpatialSkeletonState(),
   );
-  readonly selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId = new WatchableValue<
-    number | undefined
-  >(undefined);
   readonly selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo = new WatchableValue<
     SelectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo | undefined
   >(undefined);
@@ -994,7 +991,7 @@ export class SegmentationUserLayer extends Base {
   };
 
   ensureSpatialSkeletonInspectionFromSelection = () => {
-    const selectedNodeId = this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value;
+    const selectedNodeId = this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId;
     const selectedNode =
       selectedNodeId === undefined
         ? undefined
@@ -1096,16 +1093,23 @@ export class SegmentationUserLayer extends Base {
       const nextSelectedSegmentId = getSegmentIdFromLayerSelectionValue(
         nextLayerSelectionState,
       );
-      if (this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value !== nextSelectedNodeId) {
-        this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value = nextSelectedNodeId;
-      }
       const selectedNodeInfo = this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value;
-      if (
-        selectedNodeInfo !== undefined &&
-        (selectedNodeInfo.nodeId !== nextSelectedNodeId ||
-          selectedNodeInfo.segmentId !== nextSelectedSegmentId)
+      if (nextSelectedNodeId === undefined) {
+        if (selectedNodeInfo !== undefined) {
+          this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value = undefined;
+        }
+      } else if (
+        selectedNodeInfo?.nodeId !== nextSelectedNodeId ||
+        selectedNodeInfo?.segmentId !== nextSelectedSegmentId
       ) {
-        this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value = undefined;
+        // Preserve rich info (position, sourceState) when only the segment ID
+        // changed for the same node; otherwise replace with minimal state so
+        // the render layer always has a valid nodeId+segmentId even after
+        // history navigation where we have no position or sourceState.
+        this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value =
+          selectedNodeInfo?.nodeId === nextSelectedNodeId
+            ? { ...selectedNodeInfo, segmentId: nextSelectedSegmentId }
+            : { nodeId: nextSelectedNodeId, segmentId: nextSelectedSegmentId };
       }
     };
     this.registerDisposer(
@@ -1598,7 +1602,7 @@ export class SegmentationUserLayer extends Base {
                 displayState,
                 {
                   sources2d: slicePanelSources,
-                  selectedNodeId: this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId,
+                  selectedNodeInfo: this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo,
                   pendingNodePositionVersion:
                     this.spatialSkeletonState.pendingNodePositionVersion,
                   getPendingNodePosition: (nodeId) =>
@@ -1631,7 +1635,7 @@ export class SegmentationUserLayer extends Base {
               mesh,
               displayState,
               {
-                selectedNodeId: this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId,
+                selectedNodeInfo: this.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo,
                 pendingNodePositionVersion:
                   this.spatialSkeletonState.pendingNodePositionVersion,
                 getPendingNodePosition: (nodeId) =>
diff --git a/src/skeleton/frontend.ts b/src/skeleton/frontend.ts
index 24c772ac8..6d850f128 100644
--- a/src/skeleton/frontend.ts
+++ b/src/skeleton/frontend.ts
@@ -1817,9 +1817,14 @@ export abstract class MultiscaleSpatiallyIndexedSkeletonSource extends Multiscal
 type SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonSourceEntry =
   SliceViewSingleResolutionSource<SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonSource>;
 
+interface SelectedSkeletonNodeInfo {
+  readonly nodeId: number;
+  readonly segmentId?: number;
+}
+
 interface SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonLayerOptions {
   sources2d?: SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonSourceEntry[];
-  selectedNodeId?: WatchableValueInterface<number | undefined>;
+  selectedNodeInfo?: WatchableValueInterface<SelectedSkeletonNodeInfo | undefined>;
   pendingNodePositionVersion?: WatchableValueInterface<number>;
   getPendingNodePosition?: (nodeId: number) => ArrayLike<number> | undefined;
   getCachedNode?: (nodeId: number) => SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonNode | undefined;
@@ -2046,8 +2051,8 @@ export class SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonLayer
         computeTextureFormat(new TextureFormat(), dataType, numComponents),
     ));
   }
-  private selectedNodeId:
-    | WatchableValueInterface<number | undefined>
+  private selectedNodeInfo:
+    | WatchableValueInterface<SelectedSkeletonNodeInfo | undefined>
     | undefined;
   private pendingNodePositionVersion:
     | WatchableValueInterface<number>
@@ -2127,21 +2132,21 @@ export class SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonLayer
   }
 
   private getSelectedNodeOutlineColor() {
-    const selectedNodeId = this.selectedNodeId?.value;
-    if (selectedNodeId === undefined) {
+    const nodeInfo = this.selectedNodeInfo?.value;
+    if (nodeInfo === undefined) {
       return SELECTED_NODE_OUTLINE_FALLBACK_COLOR;
     }
     const currentGeneration = this.selectedNodeOutlineColorGeneration;
-    const isCacheValid =
-      this.cachedSelectedNodeOutlineColorGeneration === currentGeneration;
-    if (isCacheValid) {
+    if (this.cachedSelectedNodeOutlineColorGeneration === currentGeneration) {
       return this.selectedNodeOutlineColor;
     }
-    const segmentId = this.displayState.segmentSelectionState.baseValue;
+    const segmentId =
+      nodeInfo.segmentId !== undefined
+        ? BigInt(nodeInfo.segmentId)
+        : this.displayState.segmentSelectionState.baseValue;
     if (segmentId === undefined) {
       return SELECTED_NODE_OUTLINE_FALLBACK_COLOR;
     }
-
     this.cachedSelectedNodeOutlineColorGeneration = currentGeneration;
     return computeHighVisibilityContrastColor(
       this.selectedNodeOutlineColor,
@@ -2379,7 +2384,7 @@ export class SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonLayer
         this.displayState.transform,
       ),
     );
-    this.selectedNodeId = options.selectedNodeId;
+    this.selectedNodeInfo = options.selectedNodeInfo;
     this.pendingNodePositionVersion = options.pendingNodePositionVersion;
     this.getPendingNodePositionOverride = options.getPendingNodePosition;
     this.getCachedNodeInfo = options.getCachedNode;
@@ -2487,10 +2492,9 @@ export class SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonLayer
     );
     this.nodeIdAttributeIndex = nodeIdIndex >= 0 ? nodeIdIndex : undefined;
     const requestRedraw = () => this.redrawNeeded.dispatch();
-    const selectedNodeWatchable = this.selectedNodeId;
-    if (selectedNodeWatchable?.changed) {
+    if (this.selectedNodeInfo?.changed) {
       this.registerDisposer(
-        selectedNodeWatchable.changed.add(() => {
+        this.selectedNodeInfo.changed.add(() => {
           invalidateSelectedNodeOutlineColor();
           requestRedraw();
         }),
@@ -2928,7 +2932,7 @@ export class SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonLayer
     );
     gl.uniform1i(
       nodeShader.uniform("uSelectedNodeId"),
-      this.selectedNodeId?.value ?? -1,
+      this.selectedNodeInfo?.value?.nodeId ?? -1,
     );
 
     const chunkOrigin = vec3.create();
@@ -3051,7 +3055,7 @@ export class SpatiallyIndexedSkeletonLayer
     );
     gl.uniform1i(
       nodeShader.uniform("uSelectedNodeId"),
-      this.selectedNodeId?.value ?? -1,
+      this.selectedNodeInfo?.value?.nodeId ?? -1,
     );
 
     if (renderContext.emitPickID) {
diff --git a/src/ui/skeleton_edit_tools.spec.ts b/src/ui/skeleton_edit_tools.spec.ts
index eb132a76c..a1e6b6c19 100644
--- a/src/ui/skeleton_edit_tools.spec.ts
+++ b/src/ui/skeleton_edit_tools.spec.ts
@@ -664,7 +664,7 @@ describe("spatial_skeleton_edit_tool", () => {
     };
     const tool = {
       layer: {
-        selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId: { value: undefined },
+        selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo: { value: undefined },
         spatialSkeletonState: {
           mergeAnchorNodeId: { value: 101 },
         },
@@ -736,11 +736,7 @@ describe("spatial_skeleton_edit_tool", () => {
         },
       },
       spatialSkeletonMergeMode: makeModeWatchable(),
-      selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId: {
-        value: selectedNode.nodeId,
-        changed: makeChangedSignal(),
-      },
-      selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo: { value: selectedNode },
+      selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo: { value: selectedNode, changed: makeChangedSignal() },
       spatialSkeletonState: {
         mergeAnchorNodeId,
         getCachedNode: vi.fn(),
@@ -834,11 +830,10 @@ describe("spatial_skeleton_edit_tool", () => {
         },
       },
       spatialSkeletonMergeMode: makeModeWatchable(),
-      selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId: {
-        value: selectedNode.nodeId as number | undefined,
+      selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo: {
+        value: selectedNode as typeof selectedNode | undefined,
         changed: selectedNodeChanged,
       },
-      selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo: { value: selectedNode },
       spatialSkeletonState: {
         mergeAnchorNodeId,
         getCachedNode: vi.fn(),
@@ -884,7 +879,7 @@ describe("spatial_skeleton_edit_tool", () => {
           metaKey: false,
         },
       });
-      layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value = undefined;
+      layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value = undefined;
       selectedNodeChanged.dispatch();
 
       expect(selectSegment).toHaveBeenCalledWith(17n, true);
@@ -924,7 +919,6 @@ describe("spatial_skeleton_edit_tool", () => {
         },
       },
       spatialSkeletonSplitMode: makeModeWatchable(),
-      selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId: { value: selectedNode.nodeId },
       selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo: { value: selectedNode },
       spatialSkeletonState: {
         commandHistory: new SpatialSkeletonCommandHistory(),
diff --git a/src/ui/skeleton_edit_tools.ts b/src/ui/skeleton_edit_tools.ts
index 1b90f7252..2f6fa8048 100644
--- a/src/ui/skeleton_edit_tools.ts
+++ b/src/ui/skeleton_edit_tools.ts
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ abstract class SpatialSkeletonToolBase extends LayerTool<SegmentationUserLayer>
     const isVisible = this.isSpatialSkeletonSegmentVisible(pickedSegmentId);
     if (isVisible) {
       this.removeVisibleSegmentByNumber(pickedSegmentId, { deselect: true });
-      const selectedNodeId = this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value;
+      const selectedNodeId = this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId;
       const selectedNode =
         selectedNodeId === undefined
           ? undefined
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ abstract class SpatialSkeletonToolBase extends LayerTool<SegmentationUserLayer>
         sourceState?: SpatialSkeletonSourceState;
       }
     | undefined {
-    const nodeId = this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value;
+    const nodeId = this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId;
     if (
       typeof nodeId !== "number" ||
       !Number.isSafeInteger(nodeId) ||
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ abstract class SpatialSkeletonToolBase extends LayerTool<SegmentationUserLayer>
   }
 
   protected getSelectedSpatialSkeletonNodeSummary() {
-    const nodeId = this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value;
+    const nodeId = this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId;
     if (nodeId === undefined) {
       return undefined;
     }
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ abstract class SpatialSkeletonToolBase extends LayerTool<SegmentationUserLayer>
         event.detail.preventDefault();
         const pinnedSelection = this.layer.manager.root.selectionState.value;
         const hasSpatialSkeletonSelection =
-          this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value !== undefined ||
+          this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId !== undefined ||
           (pinnedSelection?.layers.some(
             ({ layer, state }) =>
               layer === this.layer && hasSpatialSkeletonNodeSelection(state),
@@ -807,7 +807,7 @@ export class SpatialSkeletonEditModeTool extends SpatialSkeletonToolBase {
       layer.spatialSkeletonState.clearPendingNodePositions();
     });
     activation.registerDisposer(
-      layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.changed.add(renderStatus),
+      layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.changed.add(renderStatus),
     );
     activation.registerDisposer(
       layer.manager.root.selectionState.changed.add(renderStatus),
@@ -862,7 +862,7 @@ export class SpatialSkeletonEditModeTool extends SpatialSkeletonToolBase {
           );
           return;
         }
-        const selectedParentNodeId = layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value;
+        const selectedParentNodeId = layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId;
         const addNodeBlockedReason = this.getAddNodeBlockedReason(
           skeletonLayer,
           selectedParentNodeId,
@@ -902,7 +902,7 @@ export class SpatialSkeletonEditModeTool extends SpatialSkeletonToolBase {
               return;
             }
             const selectedParentNodeId =
-              layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value;
+              layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId;
             const addNodeBlockedReason = this.getAddNodeBlockedReason(
               skeletonLayer,
               selectedParentNodeId,
@@ -1196,9 +1196,9 @@ export class SpatialSkeletonMergeModeTool extends SpatialSkeletonToolBase {
       ),
     );
     activation.registerDisposer(
-      this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.changed.add(() => {
+      this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.changed.add(() => {
         if (
-          this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value === undefined &&
+          this.layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId === undefined &&
           this.layer.spatialSkeletonState.mergeAnchorNodeId.value !== undefined
         ) {
           anchorSelection = undefined;
diff --git a/src/ui/skeleton_tab.ts b/src/ui/skeleton_tab.ts
index be24369f3..337387bd3 100644
--- a/src/ui/skeleton_tab.ts
+++ b/src/ui/skeleton_tab.ts
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ export class SpatialSkeletonEditTab extends Tab {
     const applyRowInteractionState = (
       options: { scrollSelectedIntoView?: boolean } = {},
     ) => {
-      const selectedNodeId = layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value;
+      const selectedNodeId = layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId;
       nodesList.forEachRenderedItem((entry, index) => {
         const item = virtualItems[index];
         if (item?.kind !== "node") return;
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ export class SpatialSkeletonEditTab extends Tab {
       }
 
       // Extract selected node and segment ID
-      const selectedId = layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value;
+      const selectedId = layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId;
       const selectedNode =
         selectedId === undefined
           ? undefined
@@ -1178,7 +1178,7 @@ export class SpatialSkeletonEditTab extends Tab {
       const entry = document.createElement("div");
       entry.className = "neuroglancer-spatial-skeleton-tree-entry";
       entry.dataset.selected = String(
-        node.nodeId === layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.value,
+        node.nodeId === layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.value?.nodeId,
       );
       entry.dataset.viewerHovered = String(node.nodeId === hoveredViewerNodeId);
       entry.dataset.listHovered = String(node.nodeId === hoveredListNodeId);
@@ -1717,7 +1717,7 @@ export class SpatialSkeletonEditTab extends Tab {
       }, layer.displayState.segmentationColorGroupState),
     );
     this.registerDisposer(
-      layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeId.changed.add(() => {
+      layer.selectedSpatialSkeletonNodeInfo.changed.add(() => {
         pendingScrollToSelectedNode = true;
         applyRowInteractionState({ scrollSelectedIntoView: true });
       }),