diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/WordGame.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/WordGame.svelte
index 777f2b2..357f118 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/WordGame.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/WordGame.svelte
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 <script>
-  import { onMount } from 'svelte';
   import { getJSON } from '$lib/api.js';
 
   let { variant = '5', onstatus } = $props();
@@ -143,8 +142,12 @@
     else navigator.clipboard?.writeText(text).then(() => { copied = true; setTimeout(() => (copied = false), 1500); });
   }
 
-  onMount(load);
-  $effect(() => { variant; if (!loading) load(); }); // reload when the variant toggles
+  // Load on mount and whenever the variant toggles. Tracks ONLY `variant` — it
+  // must not depend on `loading`, or load()'s own loading flip would re-fire it.
+  $effect(() => {
+    variant;
+    load();
+  });
 </script>
 
 <svelte:window onkeydown={onKeydown} />