diff --git a/HellionChat/AutoTellTabsService.cs b/HellionChat/AutoTellTabsService.cs
index 8bc3436..64eb8f5 100644
--- a/HellionChat/AutoTellTabsService.cs
+++ b/HellionChat/AutoTellTabsService.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.Threading;
 using Dalamud.Game.Text;
 using Dalamud.Game.Text.SeStringHandling;
 using HellionChat.Code;
@@ -19,6 +20,14 @@ internal sealed class AutoTellTabsService : IDisposable
     private readonly MessageStore _store;
     private readonly object _tempTabsLock = new();
 
+    // F2.1: lock-free counter mirrors Config.Tabs.Count(IsTempTab) so the
+    // hot-path getter doesn't contend with HandleTell on every render frame.
+    // Bumped from inside the existing mutation paths so it stays consistent
+    // with the underlying list — see SpawnTempTab, DropOldestTempTab, OnLogout
+    // and ResyncTempTabCounter (used by Plugin.cs snapshot-restore).
+    // TEST-MIRROR: ../../Hellion Build test/_Helpers/TempTabCounterTests.cs
+    private int _activeTempTabCount;
+
     private bool _initialized;
 
     internal AutoTellTabsService(Plugin plugin, MessageManager messageManager, MessageStore store)
@@ -28,16 +37,7 @@ internal sealed class AutoTellTabsService : IDisposable
         _store = store;
     }
 
-    internal int ActiveTempTabCount
-    {
-        get
-        {
-            lock (_tempTabsLock)
-            {
-                return Plugin.Config.Tabs.Count(t => t.IsTempTab);
-            }
-        }
-    }
+    internal int ActiveTempTabCount => Volatile.Read(ref _activeTempTabCount);
 
     internal void Initialize()
     {
@@ -46,11 +46,31 @@ internal sealed class AutoTellTabsService : IDisposable
             return;
         }
 
+        // Seed the counter from the persisted Tabs list so a config that already
+        // contains TempTabs from a prior session starts in sync. Plugin.cs:168
+        // crash-recovery has already dropped TempTabs by the time we get here,
+        // so the snapshot reflects post-recovery reality.
+        Interlocked.Exchange(
+            ref _activeTempTabCount,
+            Plugin.Config.Tabs.Count(t => t.IsTempTab)
+        );
+
         _messageManager.MessageProcessed += HandleTell;
         Plugin.ClientState.Logout += OnLogout;
         _initialized = true;
     }
 
+    // F2.1: callable from outside paths that mutate Config.Tabs directly
+    // (Plugin.cs snapshot-restore). Atomically re-pegs the counter to the
+    // live IsTempTab count.
+    internal void ResyncTempTabCounter()
+    {
+        Interlocked.Exchange(
+            ref _activeTempTabCount,
+            Plugin.Config.Tabs.Count(t => t.IsTempTab)
+        );
+    }
+
     public void Dispose()
     {
         if (!_initialized)
@@ -184,6 +204,7 @@ internal sealed class AutoTellTabsService : IDisposable
         }
 
         Plugin.Config.Tabs.RemoveAt(victim.Index);
+        Interlocked.Decrement(ref _activeTempTabCount);
 
         // Re-anchor active tab to avoid silent switch when tab is dropped
         if (victim.Index <= _plugin.LastTab)
@@ -208,6 +229,7 @@ internal sealed class AutoTellTabsService : IDisposable
         }
 
         Plugin.Config.Tabs.Add(tab);
+        Interlocked.Increment(ref _activeTempTabCount);
     }
 
     private static Tab BuildTempTab(string playerName, uint worldRowId)
@@ -361,7 +383,8 @@ internal sealed class AutoTellTabsService : IDisposable
                 }
             }
 
-            Plugin.Config.Tabs.RemoveAll(t => t.IsTempTab);
+            var removed = Plugin.Config.Tabs.RemoveAll(t => t.IsTempTab);
+            Interlocked.Add(ref _activeTempTabCount, -removed);
 
             // Force switch to tab 0 if active tab was temp or index is now out of range
             var stillValid = lastIndex >= 0 && lastIndex < Plugin.Config.Tabs.Count;
diff --git a/HellionChat/Plugin.cs b/HellionChat/Plugin.cs
index a8411f5..0a33a1c 100755
--- a/HellionChat/Plugin.cs
+++ b/HellionChat/Plugin.cs
@@ -641,6 +641,11 @@ public sealed class Plugin : IAsyncDalamudPlugin
 
         Config.Tabs.Clear();
         Config.Tabs.AddRange(snapshot);
+
+        // F2.1: snapshot-restore preserves IsTempTab tabs but the mid-step
+        // RemoveAll bypasses AutoTellTabsService, so re-peg the counter.
+        // Null-conditional because SaveConfig can fire before Phase-2 init.
+        AutoTellTabsService?.ResyncTempTabCounter();
     }
 
     internal void LanguageChanged(string langCode)