diff --git a/src/components/interests/external-eoi-upload-dialog.tsx b/src/components/interests/external-eoi-upload-dialog.tsx
index ed980395..e8b78d76 100644
--- a/src/components/interests/external-eoi-upload-dialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/interests/external-eoi-upload-dialog.tsx
@@ -81,14 +81,21 @@ export function ExternalEoiUploadDialog({
   // unscannable in any list when a port has multiple deals closing on
   // the same day. Also drives auto-fill on signatory rows tagged
   // role=client.
+  // Cache shape MUST match the parent <InterestDetail> consumer of the same
+  // ['interests', interestId] key, which unwraps the envelope and caches the
+  // inner row. Caching the wrapped { data: ... } here would clobber the
+  // parent's cache and blank the detail page (the rep would see "Unknown
+  // Client" + an empty tab body the moment this dialog opened — UAT
+  // 2026-05-24).
   const { data: interestData } = useQuery<{
-    data: { clientName: string | null; clientPrimaryEmail: string | null };
+    clientName: string | null;
+    clientPrimaryEmail: string | null;
   }>({
     queryKey: ['interests', interestId],
     queryFn: () =>
       apiFetch<{ data: { clientName: string | null; clientPrimaryEmail: string | null } }>(
         `/api/v1/interests/${interestId}`,
-      ),
+      ).then((r) => r.data),
     enabled: open,
     staleTime: 60_000,
   });
@@ -99,11 +106,11 @@ export function ExternalEoiUploadDialog({
   const signatories: SignatoryRow[] = useMemo(() => {
     if (signatoriesOverride !== null) return signatoriesOverride;
     if (prefillSignatories && prefillSignatories.length > 0) return prefillSignatories;
-    if (!interestData?.data) return [];
+    if (!interestData) return [];
     return [
       {
-        name: interestData.data.clientName ?? '',
-        email: interestData.data.clientPrimaryEmail ?? '',
+        name: interestData.clientName ?? '',
+        email: interestData.clientPrimaryEmail ?? '',
         role: 'client' as const,
       },
     ];
@@ -124,7 +131,7 @@ export function ExternalEoiUploadDialog({
       .map((b) => b.mooringNumber)
       .filter((m): m is string => !!m);
     const berthLabel = moorings.length > 0 ? formatBerthRange(moorings) : null;
-    const clientName = interestData?.data?.clientName ?? null;
+    const clientName = interestData?.clientName ?? null;
     const parts = ['External EOI'];
     if (clientName) parts.push(clientName);
     if (berthLabel) parts.push(berthLabel);
diff --git a/src/components/search/command-search.tsx b/src/components/search/command-search.tsx
index e4b5b707..9e0b9024 100644
--- a/src/components/search/command-search.tsx
+++ b/src/components/search/command-search.tsx
@@ -318,7 +318,13 @@ export function CommandSearch() {
           role="listbox"
           aria-label="Search results"
           className={cn(
-            'absolute top-[calc(100%+4px)] left-0 z-50 rounded-md border bg-popover shadow-lg overflow-hidden',
+            // Explicit white/popover background pair guards against subtle
+            // transparency artifacts UAT 2026-05-24 captured (rows on the
+            // Berths page bled through to the table behind even though
+            // bg-popover resolves opaque on paper). bg-white wins the
+            // tailwind-merge race so light mode is unambiguously solid;
+            // dark mode falls through to bg-popover via the dark: prefix.
+            'absolute top-[calc(100%+4px)] left-0 z-50 rounded-md border bg-white dark:bg-popover shadow-lg overflow-hidden',
             // Desktop: anchored to the input width, capped on viewport
             'w-full max-w-[min(720px,calc(100vw-2rem))]',
             // Mobile (<lg): full-screen sheet so cramped phone widths
diff --git a/tests/integration/external-eoi-stage-advance.test.ts b/tests/integration/external-eoi-stage-advance.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..931c1da4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/external-eoi-stage-advance.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+/**
+ * Integration test: external-EOI upload stage-advance gate.
+ *
+ * Regression coverage for the 2026-05-24 critical bug — the previous code
+ * gated on the legacy 9-stage vocabulary (`open` / `details_sent` /
+ * `in_communication` / `eoi_sent`), so uploads against canonical pre-EOI
+ * stages (`enquiry`, `qualified`, `nurturing`) left `pipeline_stage` stuck
+ * while `eoi_status` flipped to `signed`.
+ *
+ * Asserts:
+ *  - canonical pre-EOI stages (enquiry / qualified / nurturing) advance to `eoi`
+ *  - at-or-past-EOI stages (eoi / reservation / deposit_paid / contract) stay put
+ *  - document-metadata writes (dateEoiSigned, eoiStatus, eoiDocStatus) fire on every path
+ *  - the service return reports stageChanged + newStage accurately
+ *
+ * Storage is mocked to a no-op MinIO put so the service can run without S3.
+ */
+
+import { afterEach, beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import { db } from '@/lib/db';
+import { interests } from '@/lib/db/schema/interests';
+import { eq } from 'drizzle-orm';
+
+let uploadExternallySignedEoi: typeof import('@/lib/services/external-eoi.service').uploadExternallySignedEoi;
+let createInterest: typeof import('@/lib/services/interests.service').createInterest;
+let makePort: typeof import('../helpers/factories').makePort;
+let makeClient: typeof import('../helpers/factories').makeClient;
+let makeAuditMeta: typeof import('../helpers/factories').makeAuditMeta;
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  const ext = await import('@/lib/services/external-eoi.service');
+  uploadExternallySignedEoi = ext.uploadExternallySignedEoi;
+  const svc = await import('@/lib/services/interests.service');
+  createInterest = svc.createInterest;
+  const factories = await import('../helpers/factories');
+  makePort = factories.makePort;
+  makeClient = factories.makeClient;
+  makeAuditMeta = factories.makeAuditMeta;
+});
+
+describe('uploadExternallySignedEoi — stage-advance gate', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.doMock('@/lib/storage', async () => {
+      const real = await vi.importActual<typeof import('@/lib/storage')>('@/lib/storage');
+      return {
+        ...real,
+        getStorageBackend: vi.fn(async () => ({
+          put: vi.fn(async () => undefined),
+          get: vi.fn(),
+          head: vi.fn(),
+          delete: vi.fn(async () => undefined),
+          listByPrefix: vi.fn(async () => []),
+          presignUpload: vi.fn(async () => ''),
+          presignDownload: vi.fn(async () => ''),
+        })),
+      };
+    });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.doUnmock('@/lib/storage');
+  });
+
+  async function makeInterest(
+    stage:
+      | 'enquiry'
+      | 'qualified'
+      | 'nurturing'
+      | 'eoi'
+      | 'reservation'
+      | 'deposit_paid'
+      | 'contract',
+  ) {
+    const port = await makePort();
+    const client = await makeClient({ portId: port.id });
+    const meta = makeAuditMeta({ portId: port.id });
+
+    const created = await createInterest(
+      port.id,
+      { clientId: client.id, pipelineStage: 'enquiry', reminderEnabled: false, tagIds: [] },
+      meta,
+    );
+
+    // Set stage directly via DB to bypass the yacht-required gate on
+    // changeInterestStage — this test focuses solely on the external-EOI
+    // advance behaviour given an arbitrary starting stage, not on the
+    // separate yacht-link gate that fronts manual stage transitions.
+    if (stage !== 'enquiry') {
+      await db.update(interests).set({ pipelineStage: stage }).where(eq(interests.id, created.id));
+    }
+
+    return { port, client, meta, interest: created };
+  }
+
+  async function uploadFakeEoi(
+    interestId: string,
+    portId: string,
+    meta: ReturnType<typeof makeAuditMeta>,
+  ) {
+    return uploadExternallySignedEoi({
+      interestId,
+      portId,
+      fileData: {
+        buffer: Buffer.from('%PDF-1.4\n%fake\n'),
+        originalName: 'signed.pdf',
+        mimeType: 'application/pdf',
+        size: 16,
+      },
+      signedAt: new Date('2026-05-24T10:00:00Z'),
+      signatories: [{ name: 'Client', email: 'client@example.com', role: 'client' }],
+      meta,
+    });
+  }
+
+  it.each(['enquiry', 'qualified', 'nurturing'] as const)(
+    'advances %s → eoi',
+    async (startStage) => {
+      const { port, meta, interest } = await makeInterest(startStage);
+
+      const result = await uploadFakeEoi(interest.id, port.id, meta);
+
+      expect(result.stageChanged).toBe(true);
+      expect(result.newStage).toBe('eoi');
+
+      const row = await db.query.interests.findFirst({ where: eq(interests.id, interest.id) });
+      expect(row?.pipelineStage).toBe('eoi');
+      expect(row?.eoiStatus).toBe('signed');
+      expect(row?.eoiDocStatus).toBe('signed');
+      expect(row?.dateEoiSigned).toBeTruthy();
+    },
+  );
+
+  it.each(['eoi', 'reservation', 'deposit_paid', 'contract'] as const)(
+    'leaves %s untouched (metadata still writes)',
+    async (startStage) => {
+      const { port, meta, interest } = await makeInterest(startStage);
+
+      const result = await uploadFakeEoi(interest.id, port.id, meta);
+
+      expect(result.stageChanged).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.newStage).toBe(startStage);
+
+      const row = await db.query.interests.findFirst({ where: eq(interests.id, interest.id) });
+      expect(row?.pipelineStage).toBe(startStage);
+      expect(row?.eoiStatus).toBe('signed');
+      expect(row?.eoiDocStatus).toBe('signed');
+      expect(row?.dateEoiSigned).toBeTruthy();
+    },
+  );
+});