diff --git a/apps/Frontend/src/pages/claims-page.tsx b/apps/Frontend/src/pages/claims-page.tsx
index fca13944..f17b7197 100755
--- a/apps/Frontend/src/pages/claims-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/Frontend/src/pages/claims-page.tsx
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ export default function ClaimsPage() {
   const [isClaimFormOpen, setIsClaimFormOpen] = useState(false);
   const [selectedPatientId, setSelectedPatientId] = useState<number | null>(null);
   const [chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKey, setChatbotAutoSubmitSiteKey] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined);
+  // Mirrors chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKey but survives closeClaim(), which resets the state
+  // synchronously right after the selenium job is kicked off — well before the job's async
+  // completion handlers (which gate the PDF preview popup) actually run.
+  const chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKeyRef = useRef<string | undefined>(undefined);
   const [chatbotInitialTab, setChatbotInitialTab] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined);
   const [chatbotAutoSubmitPreauthSiteKey, setChatbotAutoSubmitPreauthSiteKey] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined);
   // for redirect from appointment page directly, then passing to claimform
@@ -156,11 +160,12 @@ export default function ClaimsPage() {
       if (jobResult.pdfFileId) {
         advanceAiClaimQueue();
         const advancedToNext = advanceChatbotClaimQueue();
-        if (!advancedToNext && !chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKey) {
+        if (!advancedToNext && !chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKeyRef.current) {
           setPreviewPdfId(jobResult.pdfFileId);
           setPreviewFallbackFilename(jobResult.pdfFilename ?? `cca_claim_${jobResult.claimNumber ?? "unknown"}.pdf`);
           setPreviewOpen(true);
         }
+        chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKeyRef.current = undefined;
         dispatch(setTaskStatus({
           key: "claimSubmit",
           status: "success",
@@ -240,6 +245,7 @@ export default function ClaimsPage() {
         const parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
         if (parsed?.autoSubmit && parsed?.siteKey) {
           setChatbotAutoSubmitSiteKey(parsed.siteKey);
+          chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKeyRef.current = parsed.siteKey;
         }
       }
     } catch {}
@@ -308,6 +314,7 @@ export default function ClaimsPage() {
               const parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
               if (parsed?.autoSubmit && parsed?.siteKey) {
                 setChatbotAutoSubmitSiteKey(parsed.siteKey);
+                chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKeyRef.current = parsed.siteKey;
               }
             }
           } catch {}
@@ -994,11 +1001,12 @@ export default function ClaimsPage() {
       // Pop up the final PDF so the user doesn't need to navigate to Documents
       // (skip if we're about to navigate to the next queued patient's claim,
       // or if this claim was submitted via the AI chat column)
-      if (result.pdfFileId && !advancedToNext && !chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKey) {
+      if (result.pdfFileId && !advancedToNext && !chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKeyRef.current) {
         setPreviewPdfId(result.pdfFileId);
         setPreviewFallbackFilename(result.fileName ?? null);
         setPreviewOpen(true);
       }
+      chatbotAutoSubmitSiteKeyRef.current = undefined;
 
       return result;
     } catch (error: any) {