diff --git a/components/ChangelogTabs.tsx b/components/ChangelogTabs.tsx
index a92d8f5..87ee996 100644
--- a/components/ChangelogTabs.tsx
+++ b/components/ChangelogTabs.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 'use client'
 
-import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { PortableTextRenderer } from '@/components/PortableTextRenderer'
 import { RoadmapItem } from '@/components/RoadmapItem'
 import type { ChangelogEntry, RoadmapItemData, Tab, VoteState } from '@/types/changelog'
@@ -48,15 +48,21 @@ export function ChangelogTabs({
 
   const { user } = useAuth()
   const [showSignInPrompt, setShowSignInPrompt] = useState(false)
+  const signInTimerRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null)
   const [votesFetched, setVotesFetched] = useState(false)
 
+  // Clear sign-in prompt timer on unmount
+  useEffect(() => () => { if (signInTimerRef.current) clearTimeout(signInTimerRef.current) }, [])
+
+  // Stable key for roadmapItems identity — avoids unstable array reference in deps
+  const roadmapIdKey = roadmapItems.map((i) => i._id).join(',')
+
   // Fetch vote state when the What's Next tab is first viewed
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (activeTab !== 'whats-next' || votesFetched || roadmapItems.length === 0) return
+    if (activeTab !== 'whats-next' || votesFetched || !roadmapIdKey) return
     setVotesFetched(true)
 
-    const ids = roadmapItems.map((i) => i._id).join(',')
-    fetch(`/api/roadmap/votes?ids=${encodeURIComponent(ids)}`, {
+    fetch(`/api/roadmap/votes?ids=${encodeURIComponent(roadmapIdKey)}`, {
       credentials: 'include',
     })
       .then((r) => (r.ok ? r.json() : {}))
@@ -72,12 +78,13 @@ export function ChangelogTabs({
       .catch(() => {
         // Spring Boot not yet available — silently keep count=0
       })
-  }, [activeTab, votesFetched, roadmapItems])
+  }, [activeTab, votesFetched, roadmapIdKey]) // eslint-disable-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
 
   async function handleVote(id: string) {
     if (!user) {
+      if (signInTimerRef.current) clearTimeout(signInTimerRef.current)
       setShowSignInPrompt(true)
-      setTimeout(() => setShowSignInPrompt(false), 4000)
+      signInTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => setShowSignInPrompt(false), 4000)
       return
     }