diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/skills/catalog/AddCatalogDialog.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/skills/catalog/AddCatalogDialog.tsx
index bcc00670..42b1c3d7 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/sections/skills/catalog/AddCatalogDialog.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/sections/skills/catalog/AddCatalogDialog.tsx
@@ -85,6 +85,8 @@ export const AddCatalogDialog: React.FC<AddCatalogDialogProps> = ({ open, onOpen
   const { t } = useI18n();
   const scanRepo = useSkillsCatalogStore((s) => s.scanRepo);
   const loadCatalog = useSkillsCatalogStore((s) => s.loadCatalog);
+  const loadSource = useSkillsCatalogStore((s) => s.loadSource);
+  const setSelectedSource = useSkillsCatalogStore((s) => s.setSelectedSource);
   const isScanning = useSkillsCatalogStore((s) => s.isScanning);
   const defaultGitIdentityId = useGitIdentitiesStore((s) => s.defaultGitIdentityId);
   const loadDefaultGitIdentityId = useGitIdentitiesStore((s) => s.loadDefaultGitIdentityId);
@@ -248,6 +250,8 @@ export const AddCatalogDialog: React.FC<AddCatalogDialogProps> = ({ open, onOpen
       setExistingCatalogs(updated);
       toast.success(t('settings.skills.catalog.add.toast.catalogAdded'));
       await loadCatalog({ refresh: true });
+      await loadSource(next.id, { refresh: true });
+      setSelectedSource(next.id);
       onOpenChange(false);
     } catch (error) {
       toast.error(error instanceof Error ? error.message : t('settings.skills.catalog.add.toast.saveFailed'));
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/lib/persistence.test.ts b/packages/ui/src/lib/persistence.test.ts
index 2d63e89e..5f11b95f 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/lib/persistence.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/lib/persistence.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,41 @@
 import { afterAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test';
 
-import { applyPersistedHomeDirectoryToWindow } from './persistence';
+import type { RuntimeAPIs, SettingsPayload } from '@/lib/api/types';
+import { registerRuntimeAPIs } from '@/contexts/runtimeAPIRegistry';
+import { applyPersistedHomeDirectoryToWindow, updateDesktopSettings } from './persistence';
 
-type TestWindow = { __OPENCHAMBER_HOME__?: string };
+type TestWindow = {
+  __OPENCHAMBER_HOME__?: string;
+  dispatchEvent: (event: Event) => boolean;
+};
 
 let createdWindow = false;
+let createdLocalStorage = false;
+
+const ensureLocalStorage = (): void => {
+  if (typeof localStorage !== 'undefined') {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const values = new Map<string, string>();
+  Object.defineProperty(globalThis, 'localStorage', {
+    value: {
+      getItem: (key: string) => values.get(key) ?? null,
+      setItem: (key: string, value: string) => {
+        values.set(key, value);
+      },
+      removeItem: (key: string) => {
+        values.delete(key);
+      },
+      clear: () => {
+        values.clear();
+      },
+    },
+    configurable: true,
+    writable: true,
+  });
+  createdLocalStorage = true;
+};
 
 const getWindow = (): TestWindow => {
   if (typeof window === 'undefined') {
@@ -15,22 +46,41 @@ const getWindow = (): TestWindow => {
     });
     createdWindow = true;
   }
-  return window as unknown as TestWindow;
+  const testWindow = window as unknown as Partial<TestWindow>;
+  testWindow.dispatchEvent ??= () => true;
+  ensureLocalStorage();
+  return testWindow as TestWindow;
 };
 
+const delay = (ms: number): Promise<void> => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
+
+const registerSettingsSave = (save: (changes: Partial<SettingsPayload>) => Promise<SettingsPayload>): void => {
+  registerRuntimeAPIs({
+    runtime: { platform: 'web', isDesktop: false, isVSCode: false },
+    settings: {
+      load: async () => ({ settings: {}, source: 'web' }),
+      save,
+    },
+  } as unknown as RuntimeAPIs);
+};
+
+afterAll(() => {
+  registerRuntimeAPIs(null);
+  if (createdWindow) {
+    delete (globalThis as { window?: unknown }).window;
+  } else if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
+    delete getWindow().__OPENCHAMBER_HOME__;
+  }
+  if (createdLocalStorage) {
+    delete (globalThis as { localStorage?: unknown }).localStorage;
+  }
+});
+
 describe('applyPersistedHomeDirectoryToWindow', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     delete getWindow().__OPENCHAMBER_HOME__;
   });
 
-  afterAll(() => {
-    if (createdWindow) {
-      delete (globalThis as { window?: unknown }).window;
-    } else {
-      delete getWindow().__OPENCHAMBER_HOME__;
-    }
-  });
-
   test('does not overwrite an injected desktop home directory', () => {
     getWindow().__OPENCHAMBER_HOME__ = '/Users/example';
 
@@ -45,3 +95,79 @@ describe('applyPersistedHomeDirectoryToWindow', () => {
     expect(getWindow().__OPENCHAMBER_HOME__).toBe('/Users/example/projects/app');
   });
 });
+
+describe('updateDesktopSettings', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    getWindow();
+    registerRuntimeAPIs(null);
+  });
+
+  test('waits for the debounced settings save to finish before resolving', async () => {
+    let saveStarted = false;
+    let saveFinished = false;
+    let updateResolved = false;
+
+    registerSettingsSave(async () => {
+      saveStarted = true;
+      await delay(100);
+      saveFinished = true;
+      return {};
+    });
+
+    const update = updateDesktopSettings({
+      skillCatalogs: [{ id: 'custom:test', label: 'Test', source: 'owner/repo' }],
+    });
+    update.then(() => {
+      updateResolved = true;
+    }).catch(() => {
+      updateResolved = true;
+    });
+
+    await delay(50);
+    expect(saveStarted).toBe(false);
+    expect(updateResolved).toBe(false);
+
+    await delay(200);
+    expect(saveStarted).toBe(true);
+    expect(saveFinished).toBe(false);
+    expect(updateResolved).toBe(false);
+
+    await update;
+    expect(saveFinished).toBe(true);
+    expect(updateResolved).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test('coalesces rapid settings updates and resolves every caller after one merged save', async () => {
+    const saveCalls: Array<Partial<SettingsPayload>> = [];
+    let firstResolved = false;
+    let secondResolved = false;
+
+    registerSettingsSave(async (changes) => {
+      saveCalls.push(changes);
+      await delay(50);
+      return {};
+    });
+
+    const first = updateDesktopSettings({ themeVariant: 'dark' });
+    first.then(() => {
+      firstResolved = true;
+    }).catch(() => {
+      firstResolved = true;
+    });
+
+    await delay(50);
+
+    const second = updateDesktopSettings({ fontSize: 14 });
+    second.then(() => {
+      secondResolved = true;
+    }).catch(() => {
+      secondResolved = true;
+    });
+
+    await Promise.all([first, second]);
+
+    expect(saveCalls).toEqual([{ themeVariant: 'dark', fontSize: 14 }]);
+    expect(firstResolved).toBe(true);
+    expect(secondResolved).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/lib/persistence.ts b/packages/ui/src/lib/persistence.ts
index 88e944fe..076e02a7 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/lib/persistence.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/lib/persistence.ts
@@ -1254,13 +1254,19 @@ export const syncDesktopSettings = async (): Promise<void> => {
 // Coalesce rapid updateDesktopSettings calls into a single PUT
 let _pendingSettingsChanges: Partial<DesktopSettings> | null = null;
 let _settingsFlushTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
+let _settingsFlushWaiters: Array<() => void> = [];
 const SETTINGS_DEBOUNCE_MS = 200;
 
 const _flushSettingsUpdate = async (): Promise<void> => {
   const changes = _pendingSettingsChanges;
+  const waiters = _settingsFlushWaiters;
   _pendingSettingsChanges = null;
   _settingsFlushTimer = null;
-  if (!changes || Object.keys(changes).length === 0) return;
+  _settingsFlushWaiters = [];
+  if (!changes || Object.keys(changes).length === 0) {
+    waiters.forEach((resolve) => resolve());
+    return;
+  }
 
   const runtimeSettings = getRuntimeSettingsAPI();
   if (runtimeSettings) {
@@ -1270,7 +1276,9 @@ const _flushSettingsUpdate = async (): Promise<void> => {
         persistToLocalStorage(updated);
         applyDesktopUiPreferences(updated);
         dispatchSettingsSynced(updated);
+        _settingsCache = null;
       }
+      waiters.forEach((resolve) => resolve());
       return;
     } catch (error) {
       console.warn('Failed to update settings via runtime settings API:', error);
@@ -1302,6 +1310,8 @@ const _flushSettingsUpdate = async (): Promise<void> => {
     }
   } catch (error) {
     console.warn('Failed to update shared settings via API:', error);
+  } finally {
+    waiters.forEach((resolve) => resolve());
   }
 };
 
@@ -1315,7 +1325,11 @@ export const updateDesktopSettings = async (changes: Partial<DesktopSettings>):
   if (_settingsFlushTimer) {
     clearTimeout(_settingsFlushTimer);
   }
+  const flushed = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+    _settingsFlushWaiters.push(resolve);
+  });
   _settingsFlushTimer = setTimeout(() => void _flushSettingsUpdate(), SETTINGS_DEBOUNCE_MS);
+  return flushed;
 };
 
 export const initializeAppearancePreferences = async (): Promise<void> => {