diff --git a/.changeset/f751ace2.md b/.changeset/f751ace2.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3ee9f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/f751ace2.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+bump: patch
+---
+
+Drop phantom tiles instantly instead of fading them out: when a window was closed externally before you reopened the overlay, the cached tile briefly appeared and then animated away. It's now removed silently as soon as the fresh window list comes back.
diff --git a/Sources/cmdcmd/Overlay.swift b/Sources/cmdcmd/Overlay.swift
index eb473a2..2bd02f1 100644
--- a/Sources/cmdcmd/Overlay.swift
+++ b/Sources/cmdcmd/Overlay.swift
@@ -307,13 +307,16 @@ final class Overlay {
             let candidates = content.windows
                 .filter(Self.isCapturable)
                 .filter { Self.windowMostlyOn(displayBounds: displayBounds, window: $0) }
-            self.reconcileTiles(candidates: candidates)
+            // The first reconcile after a show fixes up phantom tiles from the
+            // prewarm cache: windows closed externally before the user reopened
+            // the overlay never really "appeared," so don't fade them out.
+            self.reconcileTiles(candidates: candidates, silentRemovals: true)
         }
     }
 
     private static let reconcileDuration: TimeInterval = 0.2
 
-    private func reconcileTiles(candidates: [SCWindow]) {
+    private func reconcileTiles(candidates: [SCWindow], silentRemovals: Bool = false) {
         let newIDs = Set(candidates.map { CGWindowID($0.windowID) })
         let currentIDs = Set(allTiles.map { CGWindowID($0.scWindow.windowID) })
         let addedIDs = newIDs.subtracting(currentIDs)
@@ -354,6 +357,23 @@ final class Overlay {
             ? CGWindowID(tiles[selectedIndex].scWindow.windowID)
             : nil
 
+        // For silent removals, drop the layers immediately — these tiles only
+        // showed up because of the stale prewarm cache and shouldn't be in the
+        // animated layout pass at all.
+        if silentRemovals && !removed.isEmpty {
+            CATransaction.begin()
+            CATransaction.setDisableActions(true)
+            for t in removed { t.layer.removeFromSuperlayer() }
+            CATransaction.commit()
+            Task(priority: .utility) {
+                await withTaskGroup(of: Void.self) { group in
+                    for t in removed {
+                        group.addTask(priority: .utility) { await t.stop() }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         // Insert new layers invisibly so rebuildDisplayed's layout can place them
         // before we animate them in.
         CATransaction.begin()
@@ -373,9 +393,11 @@ final class Overlay {
         // rebuildDisplayed unconditionally sets opacity = 1; restore the entrance state
         // for added tiles and trigger the fade-out for removed tiles.
         for t in added { t.layer.opacity = 1 }
-        for t in removed {
-            t.layer.opacity = 0
-            t.layer.zPosition = -1
+        if !silentRemovals {
+            for t in removed {
+                t.layer.opacity = 0
+                t.layer.zPosition = -1
+            }
         }
         CATransaction.commit()
         resumeFrames(after: duration)
@@ -386,13 +408,15 @@ final class Overlay {
             updateSelection()
         }
 
-        DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + duration) { [weak self] in
-            for t in removed { t.layer.removeFromSuperlayer() }
-            guard self != nil, !removed.isEmpty else { return }
-            Task(priority: .utility) {
-                await withTaskGroup(of: Void.self) { group in
-                    for t in removed {
-                        group.addTask(priority: .utility) { await t.stop() }
+        if !silentRemovals && !removed.isEmpty {
+            DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + duration) { [weak self] in
+                for t in removed { t.layer.removeFromSuperlayer() }
+                guard self != nil else { return }
+                Task(priority: .utility) {
+                    await withTaskGroup(of: Void.self) { group in
+                        for t in removed {
+                            group.addTask(priority: .utility) { await t.stop() }
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }