diff --git a/app/gui.py b/app/gui.py
index 85f9528..2ae9c0f 100644
--- a/app/gui.py
+++ b/app/gui.py
@@ -2044,7 +2044,6 @@ class StorePage(QWidget):
         self._cover_attempted.clear()
         for loader in self._loaders:
             loader.cancel()
-        self._loaders = []
         self.grid.clear()
         self.table.setRowCount(0)
         self.status.setText("Loading…")
@@ -2220,10 +2219,12 @@ class StorePage(QWidget):
         self._cover_attempted.clear()
         self._placeholder = QIcon(_placeholder_pixmap(self.ICON_W, self.ICON_H))
 
-        # Cancel any in-flight cover loaders (stale generation).
+        # Cancel any in-flight cover loaders (stale generation). Each loader
+        # removes itself from ``_loaders`` via its own ``finished`` handler once
+        # its thread winds down — dropping the list here would garbage-collect
+        # live QObjects and crash Qt.
         for loader in self._loaders:
             loader.cancel()
-        self._loaders = []
 
         self.grid.clear()
         self.grid.setUpdatesEnabled(False)
@@ -2401,6 +2402,7 @@ class StorePage(QWidget):
         thread.started.connect(loader.run)
         loader.loaded.connect(self._on_date_loaded)
         loader.finished.connect(self._on_date_batch_done)
+        loader.finished.connect(self._on_loader_finished)
         loader.finished.connect(thread.quit)
         thread.finished.connect(self._on_thread_finished)
         self._threads.append(thread)
@@ -2425,6 +2427,21 @@ class StorePage(QWidget):
         if cell is not None:
             cell.setText(date)
 
+    def _on_loader_finished(self):
+        """Drop a finished cover/date loader from tracking.
+
+        Loaders stay in ``_loaders`` until their thread finishes so their
+        QObject wrapper is never garbage-collected while its thread is still
+        winding down (that left a dangling thread affinity and crashed Qt on
+        filter/refresh).
+        """
+        loader = self.sender()
+        if loader is None:
+            return
+        if loader in self._loaders:
+            self._loaders.remove(loader)
+        loader.deleteLater()
+
     def _start_cover_loader(self, gen, tasks):
         if self._closing or not tasks:
             return
@@ -2434,6 +2451,7 @@ class StorePage(QWidget):
         thread.started.connect(loader.run)
         loader.loaded.connect(self._on_cover_loaded)
         loader.finished.connect(self._on_cover_batch_done)
+        loader.finished.connect(self._on_loader_finished)
         loader.finished.connect(thread.quit)
         thread.finished.connect(self._on_thread_finished)
         self._threads.append(thread)