diff --git a/.changeset/every-vans-stand.md b/.changeset/every-vans-stand.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b2771abc9b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/every-vans-stand.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@tanstack/router-core': patch
+---
+
+Avoid quadratic resource handoff scans when navigating with many cached route matches.
diff --git a/packages/router-core/src/load-client.ts b/packages/router-core/src/load-client.ts
index 2b5a32094a3..a8b3f17f71c 100644
--- a/packages/router-core/src/load-client.ts
+++ b/packages/router-core/src/load-client.ts
@@ -1578,7 +1578,7 @@ function publishMatches(
   router.stores.setMatches(matches)
 }
 
-function commitMatches(
+export function commitMatches(
   router: CoordinatorRouter,
   tx: LoadTransaction,
   matches: LaneMatches<'projected'>,
@@ -1641,10 +1641,14 @@ function commitMatches(
   tx[3 /* matches */] = []
   router._cache = cached
   publishMatches(router, matches)
+  // Retained cache objects keep their leases; only departing owners need handoff.
+  const previousMatches = [...previousCached.values(), ...previous]
   transferMatchResources(
     router,
-    [...previousCached.values(), ...previous],
-    [...matches, ...cached.values()],
+    previousMatches.filter(
+      (match: WorkMatch) => match._flight && cached.get(match.id) !== match,
+    ),
+    matches,
   )
   if (process.env.NODE_ENV !== 'production') {
     const handoff = tx[6 /* refresh */]?.[0 /* handoff */]
diff --git a/packages/router-core/tests/cache-commit.bench.ts b/packages/router-core/tests/cache-commit.bench.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..67ceebad3e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/router-core/tests/cache-commit.bench.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+import { bench, describe, expect } from 'vitest'
+import { commitMatches } from '../src/load-client'
+import type { AnyRouteMatch, AnyRouter } from '../src'
+import type { LoaderFlight, LoadTransaction } from '../src/load-client'
+
+type Match = AnyRouteMatch & { _flight?: LoaderFlight }
+
+// Run each family separately with -t to keep GC from other workloads out of
+// short operations. This measures commit/cache maintenance, not navigation.
+for (const family of ['snapshots', 'mixed flights', 'preload flights']) {
+  describe.each([0, 4, 10, 100, 1000, 5000])(
+    `${family}: %i cached matches`,
+    (size) => {
+      for (const retainedFraction of [1, 0.5, 0]) {
+        const retainedCount = Math.floor(size * retainedFraction)
+        let aborts = 0
+        const entries = Array.from({ length: size }, (_, index) => {
+          const retained =
+            retainedFraction === 1 ||
+            (retainedFraction === 0.5 && index % 2 === 1)
+          const hasFlight =
+            family === 'preload flights' ||
+            (family === 'mixed flights' && index % 10 === 0)
+          // Keep loader scheduling and AbortController allocation outside this
+          // ownership benchmark. Real abort events are covered in the unit tests.
+          const flight: LoaderFlight | undefined = hasFlight
+            ? [
+                Promise.resolve([0, undefined]),
+                {
+                  abort: () => {
+                    aborts++
+                  },
+                } as AbortController,
+                1,
+              ]
+            : undefined
+          const match = {
+            id: String(index),
+            routeId: retained ? 'retained' : 'expired',
+            status: 'success',
+            updatedAt: 0,
+            _flight: flight,
+          } as Match
+          return { match, flight, retained }
+        })
+        const cached = new Map(entries.map(({ match }) => [match.id, match]))
+        const departing = entries.filter(
+          (entry) => !entry.retained && entry.flight,
+        )
+        const matches = Array.from({ length: 4 }, (_, index) => ({
+          id: `active-${index}`,
+          routeId: 'retained',
+          status: 'success',
+        })) as Array<Match>
+        const tx = [
+          new AbortController(),
+          0,
+          undefined,
+          [],
+          0,
+          Promise.resolve(),
+        ] as unknown as LoadTransaction
+        const router = {
+          _tx: tx,
+          _committed: matches,
+          _cache: cached,
+          options: {},
+          routesById: {
+            retained: { options: { loader: () => {}, gcTime: Infinity } },
+            expired: { options: { loader: () => {}, gcTime: 0 } },
+          },
+          stores: { setMatches: () => {} },
+        } as unknown as AnyRouter
+        const run = () => {
+          router._cache = cached
+          for (const entry of departing) {
+            entry.match._flight = entry.flight
+            entry.flight![2] = 1
+          }
+          commitMatches(router, tx, matches)
+        }
+        run()
+        expect(router._cache.size).toBe(retainedCount)
+        expect(aborts).toBe(departing.length)
+        for (const entry of entries) {
+          if (entry.retained) {
+            expect(router._cache.get(entry.match.id)).toBe(entry.match)
+            expect(entry.match._flight).toBe(entry.flight)
+            if (entry.flight) {
+              expect(entry.flight[2]).toBe(1)
+            }
+          } else {
+            expect(entry.match._flight).toBeUndefined()
+          }
+        }
+        const batch = size <= 100 ? 100 : 1
+        bench(
+          `${retainedFraction * 100}% retained (${batch} commits)`,
+          () => {
+            for (let index = 0; index < batch; index++) {
+              run()
+            }
+          },
+          { time: 500, warmupTime: 100 },
+        )
+      }
+    },
+  )
+}
diff --git a/packages/router-core/tests/cache-commit.test.ts b/packages/router-core/tests/cache-commit.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..63505fa365d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/router-core/tests/cache-commit.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,216 @@
+import { describe, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { createMemoryHistory } from '@tanstack/history'
+import { BaseRootRoute, BaseRoute } from '../src'
+import { commitMatches } from '../src/load-client'
+import { createTestRouter } from './routerTestUtils'
+import type { AnyRouteMatch, AnyRouter } from '../src'
+import type { LoaderFlight, LoadTransaction } from '../src/load-client'
+
+type Match = AnyRouteMatch & { _flight?: LoaderFlight }
+
+function resource(leases = 1): LoaderFlight {
+  return [Promise.resolve([0, undefined]), new AbortController(), leases]
+}
+
+function match(id: string, flight?: LoaderFlight): Match {
+  return {
+    id,
+    routeId: '/items/$id',
+    status: 'success',
+    updatedAt: 0,
+    _flight: flight,
+  } as Match
+}
+
+function setup(
+  previous: Array<Match>,
+  cached: Array<Match>,
+  next = [match('next')],
+) {
+  const tx = [
+    new AbortController(),
+    0,
+    undefined,
+    next,
+    0,
+    Promise.resolve(),
+  ] as unknown as LoadTransaction
+  const publish = vi.fn()
+  const router = {
+    _tx: tx,
+    _committed: previous,
+    _cache: new Map(cached.map((entry) => [entry.id, entry])),
+    _flights: new Map(
+      [...previous, ...cached, ...next]
+        .filter((entry) => entry._flight)
+        .map((entry) => [entry.id, entry._flight!]),
+    ),
+    options: {},
+    routesById: {
+      '/items/$id': {
+        options: {
+          loader: () => {},
+          gcTime: Infinity,
+          preloadGcTime: Infinity,
+        },
+      },
+    },
+    stores: { setMatches: publish },
+  } as unknown as AnyRouter
+  return {
+    router,
+    publish,
+    tx,
+    next,
+    commit: () => commitMatches(router, tx, next),
+  }
+}
+
+describe('commit cache ownership', () => {
+  test('retains cached identities and releases the committed owner cloned into cache', () => {
+    const retainedFlight = resource()
+    const departedFlight = resource()
+    const retained = match('retained', retainedFlight)
+    const departed = match('departed', departedFlight)
+    const { router, commit } = setup([departed], [retained])
+
+    commit()
+
+    expect(router._cache.get('retained')).toBe(retained)
+    expect(retained._flight).toBe(retainedFlight)
+    expect(retainedFlight[2]).toBe(1)
+    expect(retainedFlight[1].signal.aborted).toBe(false)
+    expect(router._cache.get('departed')).not.toBe(departed)
+    expect((router._cache.get('departed') as Match)._flight).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(departed._flight).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(departedFlight[1].signal.aborted).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  test('keeps a retained generation alive when a departing generation shares its flight', () => {
+    const shared = resource(2)
+    const departed = match('same', shared)
+    const retained = match('same', shared)
+    const { router, commit } = setup([departed], [retained])
+
+    commit()
+
+    expect(router._cache.get('same')).toBe(retained)
+    expect(departed._flight).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(retained._flight).toBe(shared)
+    expect(shared[2]).toBe(1)
+    expect(shared[1].signal.aborted).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  test('releases the old same-id generation without releasing its replacement', () => {
+    const oldFlight = resource()
+    const newFlight = resource()
+    const old = match('same', oldFlight)
+    const replacement = match('same', newFlight)
+    const { router, commit } = setup([], [old], [replacement])
+
+    commit()
+
+    expect(router._cache.has('same')).toBe(false)
+    expect(old._flight).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(oldFlight[1].signal.aborted).toBe(true)
+    expect(replacement._flight).toBe(newFlight)
+    expect(newFlight[1].signal.aborted).toBe(false)
+    expect(router._flights?.get('same')).toBe(newFlight)
+  })
+
+  test('detaches all expired owners before abort listeners run, including duplicate objects', () => {
+    const shared = resource(2)
+    const first = match('first', shared)
+    const second = match('second', shared)
+    first.status = second.status = 'error'
+    const { router, tx, next, commit } = setup([first], [first, second])
+    const onAbort = vi.fn(() => {
+      expect(first._flight).toBeUndefined()
+      expect(second._flight).toBeUndefined()
+      expect(router._cache.size).toBe(0)
+      expect(router._committed).toBe(next)
+      expect(tx[3]).toEqual([])
+    })
+    shared[1].signal.addEventListener('abort', onAbort)
+
+    commit()
+
+    expect(shared[2]).toBe(0)
+    expect(onAbort).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+  })
+
+  test('uses cache contents after synchronous publication mutation', () => {
+    const retainedFlight = resource()
+    const retained = match('retained', retainedFlight)
+    const { router, publish, commit } = setup([], [retained])
+    publish.mockImplementation(() => router._cache.delete('retained'))
+
+    commit()
+
+    expect(retained._flight).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(retainedFlight[1].signal.aborted).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  test('uses the captured cache if publication replaces the router cache', () => {
+    const retainedFlight = resource()
+    const retained = match('retained', retainedFlight)
+    const { router, publish, commit } = setup([], [retained])
+    publish.mockImplementation(() => {
+      router._cache = new Map()
+    })
+
+    commit()
+
+    expect(router._cache.size).toBe(0)
+    expect(retained._flight).toBe(retainedFlight)
+    expect(retainedFlight[1].signal.aborted).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
+
+test('an unrelated navigation retains a fresh preload flight and evicts an expired one', async () => {
+  let freshSignal: AbortSignal | undefined
+  let expiredSignal: AbortSignal | undefined
+  const root = new BaseRootRoute({})
+  const home = new BaseRoute({ getParentRoute: () => root, path: '/' })
+  const other = new BaseRoute({ getParentRoute: () => root, path: '/other' })
+  const freshLoader = vi.fn(
+    ({ abortController }: { abortController: AbortController }) => {
+      freshSignal = abortController.signal
+      return 'fresh data'
+    },
+  )
+  const fresh = new BaseRoute({
+    getParentRoute: () => root,
+    path: '/fresh',
+    loader: freshLoader,
+    staleTime: Infinity,
+    preloadStaleTime: Infinity,
+    preloadGcTime: Infinity,
+  })
+  const expired = new BaseRoute({
+    getParentRoute: () => root,
+    path: '/expired',
+    loader: ({ abortController }) => {
+      expiredSignal = abortController.signal
+      return 'expired data'
+    },
+    preloadGcTime: 0,
+  })
+  const router = createTestRouter({
+    routeTree: root.addChildren([home, other, fresh, expired]),
+    history: createMemoryHistory({ initialEntries: ['/'] }),
+  })
+  await router.load()
+  await router.preloadRoute({ to: '/fresh' })
+  await router.preloadRoute({ to: '/expired' })
+  expect(freshSignal?.aborted).toBe(false)
+  expect(expiredSignal?.aborted).toBe(false)
+
+  await router.navigate({ to: '/other' })
+
+  expect(freshSignal?.aborted).toBe(false)
+  expect(expiredSignal?.aborted).toBe(true)
+  await router.navigate({ to: '/fresh' })
+  expect(freshLoader).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+  expect(router.state.matches.at(-1)?.loaderData).toBe('fresh data')
+})
diff --git a/packages/router-core/tests/cache-navigation.bench.ts b/packages/router-core/tests/cache-navigation.bench.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..16650d7c4b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/router-core/tests/cache-navigation.bench.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import { bench, describe, expect } from 'vitest'
+import { createMemoryHistory } from '@tanstack/history'
+import { BaseRootRoute, BaseRoute } from '../src'
+import { createTestRouter } from './routerTestUtils'
+
+// A public-API cross-check for the isolated commit benchmark. Preload seeding
+// is outside the timed loop; replace navigations keep history size stationary.
+for (const size of [0, 100, 1000, 5000]) {
+  const root = new BaseRootRoute({})
+  const home = new BaseRoute({ getParentRoute: () => root, path: '/' })
+  const other = new BaseRoute({ getParentRoute: () => root, path: '/other' })
+  let loads = 0
+  const item = new BaseRoute({
+    getParentRoute: () => root,
+    path: '/items/$id',
+    loader: ({ params }) => {
+      loads++
+      return params.id
+    },
+    staleTime: Infinity,
+    preloadStaleTime: Infinity,
+    preloadGcTime: Infinity,
+    gcTime: Infinity,
+  })
+  const router = createTestRouter({
+    routeTree: root.addChildren([home, other, item]),
+    history: createMemoryHistory({ initialEntries: ['/'] }),
+  })
+  await router.load()
+  for (let index = 0; index < size; index++) {
+    await router.preloadRoute({
+      to: '/items/$id',
+      params: { id: String(index) },
+    })
+  }
+  const navigate = async () => {
+    await router.navigate({ to: '/other', replace: true })
+    await router.navigate({ to: '/', replace: true })
+  }
+  await navigate()
+  expect(loads).toBe(size)
+  expect(router._cache.size).toBe(size)
+  expect(router.state.location.pathname).toBe('/')
+  describe(`${size} cached preloads`, () => {
+    bench('two unrelated navigations', navigate, {
+      time: 1000,
+      warmupTime: 200,
+    })
+  })
+}