diff --git a/main.ts b/main.ts
index 69bed12..c666f0b 100644
--- a/main.ts
+++ b/main.ts
@@ -335,6 +335,8 @@ export default class VirtualFooterPlugin extends Plugin {
 	private lastSeparateTabContents: Map<string, { content: string, sourcePath: string }> = new Map();
 	private lastHoveredLink: HTMLElement | null = null;
 	private popoverObserver: MutationObserver | null = null;
+	/** Track the last processed file to avoid redundant refreshes on layout-change */
+	private lastProcessedFile: string | null = null;
 
 	/**
 	 * Called when the plugin is loaded.
@@ -373,17 +375,40 @@ export default class VirtualFooterPlugin extends Plugin {
 		// Define event handlers
 		const handleViewUpdate = () => {
 			// Always trigger an update if the layout is ready.
-			// Used for file-open and layout-change.
+			// Used for file-open.
 			if (this.initialLayoutReadyProcessed) {
 				this.handleActiveViewChange();
 			}
 		};
 
+		const handleLayoutChange = () => {
+			// Only trigger if layout is ready
+			if (!this.initialLayoutReadyProcessed) return;
+
+			const activeView = this.app.workspace.getActiveViewOfType(MarkdownView);
+			const currentFile = activeView?.file?.path ?? null;
+
+			// Only refresh if the active file has actually changed
+			if (currentFile !== this.lastProcessedFile) {
+				this.handleActiveViewChange();
+			} else {
+				// console.log(`[VirtualFooter] layout-change Skipped: file not changed (${currentFile})`);
+			}
+		};
+
 		const handleFocusChange = () => {
 			// This is the "focus change" or "switching files" part, conditional on the setting.
 			// Used for active-leaf-change.
 			if (this.settings.refreshOnFileOpen && this.initialLayoutReadyProcessed) {
-				this.handleActiveViewChange();
+				const activeView = this.app.workspace.getActiveViewOfType(MarkdownView);
+				const currentFile = activeView?.file?.path ?? null;
+
+				// Only refresh if the active file has actually changed
+				if (currentFile !== this.lastProcessedFile) {
+					this.handleActiveViewChange();
+				} else {
+					// console.log(`[VirtualFooter] active-leaf-change Skipped: file not changed (${currentFile})`);
+				}
 			}
 		};
 
@@ -392,7 +417,7 @@ export default class VirtualFooterPlugin extends Plugin {
 			this.app.workspace.on('file-open', handleViewUpdate)
 		);
 		this.registerEvent(
-			this.app.workspace.on('layout-change', handleViewUpdate)
+			this.app.workspace.on('layout-change', handleLayoutChange)
 		);
 		this.registerEvent(
 			this.app.workspace.on('active-leaf-change', handleFocusChange)
@@ -886,6 +911,9 @@ export default class VirtualFooterPlugin extends Plugin {
 	 * @param view The MarkdownView to process.
 	 */
 	private async _processView(view: MarkdownView | null): Promise<void> {
+		if (view?.file) {
+			this.lastProcessedFile = view.file.path;
+		}
 		if (!view || !view.file) {
 			// If 'refresh on focus' is off, we clear the sidebar when focus is lost from a markdown file.
 			// If it's on, we only clear the sidebar if the last markdown file has been closed,