diff --git a/src/entities/Font/model/store/fontCatalogStore/fontCatalogStore.svelte.spec.ts b/src/entities/Font/model/store/fontCatalogStore/fontCatalogStore.svelte.spec.ts
index f287091..07a4edb 100644
--- a/src/entities/Font/model/store/fontCatalogStore/fontCatalogStore.svelte.spec.ts
+++ b/src/entities/Font/model/store/fontCatalogStore/fontCatalogStore.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -84,9 +84,10 @@ describe('FontCatalogStore', () => {
             store.destroy();
         });
 
-        it('starts with isEmpty false — initial fetch is in progress', () => {
-            // The observer starts fetching immediately on construction.
-            // isEmpty must be false so the UI shows a loader, not "no results".
+        it('starts with isEmpty false — observer is gated until setParams enables it', () => {
+            // The observer is disabled on construction (no auto-fetch) — see
+            // `#enabled` in the store. isEmpty must still be false so the UI
+            // doesn't flash "no results" before bindings configures the query.
             const store = makeStore();
             expect(store.isEmpty).toBe(false);
             store.destroy();
diff --git a/src/entities/Font/model/store/fontCatalogStore/fontCatalogStore.svelte.ts b/src/entities/Font/model/store/fontCatalogStore/fontCatalogStore.svelte.ts
index c8eae85..c6d7510 100644
--- a/src/entities/Font/model/store/fontCatalogStore/fontCatalogStore.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/entities/Font/model/store/fontCatalogStore/fontCatalogStore.svelte.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@ type FontStoreResult = InfiniteQueryObserverResult<InfiniteData<ProxyFontsRespon
 
 export class FontCatalogStore {
     #params = $state<FontStoreParams>({ limit: 50 });
+    /**
+     * Gates the initial fetch. The observer starts disabled so the constructor
+     * cannot race ahead of the bindings module — which is the single source of
+     * truth for query params. The first setParams flips this on, producing a
+     * single fetch with the correctly merged queryKey.
+     */
+    #enabled = $state(false);
     #result = $state<FontStoreResult>({} as FontStoreResult);
     #observer: InfiniteQueryObserver<
         ProxyFontsResponse,
@@ -45,6 +52,8 @@ export class FontCatalogStore {
     constructor(params: FontStoreParams = {}) {
         this.#params = { limit: 50, ...params };
         this.#observer = new InfiniteQueryObserver(this.#qc, this.buildOptions());
+        // Seed result synchronously; subscribe may not fire on disabled observers.
+        this.#result = this.#observer.getCurrentResult();
         this.#unsubscribe = this.#observer.subscribe(r => {
             this.#result = r;
         });
@@ -88,10 +97,13 @@ export class FontCatalogStore {
         return this.#result.error ?? null;
     }
     /**
-     * True if no fonts were found for the current filter criteria
+     * True if no fonts were found for the current filter criteria.
+     * Always false until the observer has been enabled (via setParams) — otherwise
+     * the UI would briefly render "no results" on mount before bindings configures
+     * the query.
      */
     get isEmpty(): boolean {
-        return !this.isLoading && !this.isFetching && this.fonts.length === 0;
+        return this.#enabled && !this.isLoading && !this.isFetching && this.fonts.length === 0;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -129,10 +141,12 @@ export class FontCatalogStore {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Merge new parameters into existing state and trigger a refetch
+     * Merge new parameters into existing state and trigger a refetch.
+     * The first call also enables the observer (see `#enabled`).
      */
     setParams(updates: Partial<FontStoreParams>) {
         this.#params = { ...this.#params, ...updates };
+        this.#enabled = true;
         this.#observer.setOptions(this.buildOptions());
     }
     /**
@@ -431,6 +445,7 @@ export class FontCatalogStore {
                 const next = lastPage.offset + lastPage.limit;
                 return next < lastPage.total ? { offset: next } : undefined;
             },
+            enabled: this.#enabled,
             staleTime: hasFilters ? 0 : DEFAULT_QUERY_STALE_TIME_MS,
             gcTime: DEFAULT_QUERY_GC_TIME_MS,
         };
diff --git a/src/features/FilterAndSortFonts/model/store/bindings.svelte.ts b/src/features/FilterAndSortFonts/model/store/bindings.svelte.ts
index ed955fa..417fc3e 100644
--- a/src/features/FilterAndSortFonts/model/store/bindings.svelte.ts
+++ b/src/features/FilterAndSortFonts/model/store/bindings.svelte.ts
@@ -42,20 +42,19 @@ $effect.root(() => {
     });
 
     /**
-     * Mirror filter selections + debounced search query into fontCatalogStore params.
+     * Mirror filter selections + debounced search query + sort into fontCatalogStore params.
+     *
+     * Filters and sort are merged into one setParams call to avoid a startup race:
+     * two separate effects each issued setOptions with a different queryKey on the
+     * first flush, producing an orphaned `?limit=50&offset=0` fetch immediately
+     * followed by the real `?limit=50&sort=popularity&offset=0` fetch.
+     *
      * untrack the write so fontCatalogStore's internal $state reads don't feed back
      * into this effect's dependency graph.
      */
     $effect(() => {
         const params = mapAppliedFiltersToParams(appliedFilterStore);
-        untrack(() => fontCatalogStore.setParams(params));
-    });
-
-    /**
-     * Mirror sort selection into fontCatalogStore.
-     */
-    $effect(() => {
-        const apiSort = sortStore.apiValue;
-        untrack(() => fontCatalogStore.setSort(apiSort));
+        const sort = sortStore.apiValue;
+        untrack(() => fontCatalogStore.setParams({ ...params, sort }));
     });
 });