diff --git a/.github/pr-proof/cached-menu-card-shell-swap.log b/.github/pr-proof/cached-menu-card-shell-swap.log
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f24d58cdd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/pr-proof/cached-menu-card-shell-swap.log
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+CodexBar cached menu-card shell swap - native runtime proof
+Captured: 2026-08-20T12:27:38+05:30
+Commit: f411a02817c20ebc7ff5f844d78925fe8f4b177c
+Host: macOS 26.3 (25D125), arm64
+
+Setup
+- Ad-hoc debug app bundle using the binary built from the commit above and launched
+  under a disposable bundle/preferences domain.
+- Keychain access and web extras were disabled. The attached frame contains no
+  account identity or usage values.
+- MenuSwitchFlickerProbe drove the real merged NSMenu and captured its WindowServer
+  composite with CGWindowListCreateImage.
+
+Run
+- Two native-menu sessions, six programmatic provider/overview switches each.
+- 176 + 236 = 412 captured samples; nil captures: 0 in both sessions.
+- Production trace recorded 12 cached-swap paths and one reconcile path (the initial
+  menu construction for session two).
+- The attached frame is the first cached Claude -> Codex switch, captured at
+  session +449.2 ms. The switch was handled at +406 ms; the cached swap ran from
+  process +504.6 ms to +511.3 ms.
+
+Visual check around that cached switch
+- Pre-switch frames at +409.2 ms and +429.0 ms were byte-identical.
+- Post-switch frames at +449.2 ms and +469.9 ms were byte-identical.
+- A system-blue pixel scan found zero blue pixels below y=140 in all four frames.
+  The only system-blue region was the expected selected provider segment in the
+  switcher header. No native blue selection layer appeared behind the card.
+
+Limit
+- This host is macOS 26.3, not the reporter's macOS 27 build. The source regression
+  and subclass-preservation test are deterministic; macOS 27 visual confirmation
+  remains useful.
diff --git a/.github/pr-proof/cached-menu-card-shell-swap.png b/.github/pr-proof/cached-menu-card-shell-swap.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ae006432f8
Binary files /dev/null and b/.github/pr-proof/cached-menu-card-shell-swap.png differ
diff --git a/Sources/CodexBar/StatusItemController+MenuReconcile.swift b/Sources/CodexBar/StatusItemController+MenuReconcile.swift
index dafa499038..f02bda659a 100644
--- a/Sources/CodexBar/StatusItemController+MenuReconcile.swift
+++ b/Sources/CodexBar/StatusItemController+MenuReconcile.swift
@@ -118,7 +118,12 @@ extension StatusItemController {
             let requiresNativeImageReplacement =
                 self.shouldReplaceNativeImageItemDuringReconcile(liveItem) ||
                 self.shouldReplaceNativeImageItemDuringReconcile(newItem)
-            if liveItem.isSeparatorItem == newItem.isSeparatorItem, !requiresNativeImageReplacement {
+            let hasCompatibleItemClass =
+                ObjectIdentifier(type(of: liveItem)) == ObjectIdentifier(type(of: newItem))
+            if liveItem.isSeparatorItem == newItem.isSeparatorItem,
+               hasCompatibleItemClass,
+               !requiresNativeImageReplacement
+            {
                 if !liveItem.isSeparatorItem {
                     self.swapMenuItemContents(liveItem, newItem)
                 }
diff --git a/Tests/CodexBarTests/MenuCardViewRecyclingTests.swift b/Tests/CodexBarTests/MenuCardViewRecyclingTests.swift
index 3d16275311..26a6999ded 100644
--- a/Tests/CodexBarTests/MenuCardViewRecyclingTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/CodexBarTests/MenuCardViewRecyclingTests.swift
@@ -366,6 +366,41 @@ extension StatusMenuTests {
         #expect(displacedIncoming.first === incoming)
     }
 
+    @Test
+    func `cached provider content preserves menu item subclasses across switch back`() {
+        let previousRendering = StatusItemController.menuCardRenderingEnabled
+        StatusItemController.menuCardRenderingEnabled = true
+        defer { StatusItemController.menuCardRenderingEnabled = previousRendering }
+
+        let settings = self.makeSettings()
+        settings.statusChecksEnabled = false
+        let controller = self.makeRecyclingController(settings: settings)
+        defer { controller.releaseStatusItemsForTesting() }
+
+        let plainItem = NSMenuItem(title: "Overview", action: nil, keyEquivalent: "")
+        let cardItem = controller.makeMenuCardItem(Text("Codex"), id: "codex", width: 300)
+        let menu = NSMenu()
+        menu.addItem(plainItem)
+
+        let displacedPlain = controller.replaceMenuContentKeepingRowsVisible(
+            menu,
+            fromIndex: 0,
+            with: [cardItem])
+
+        #expect(menu.items.first === cardItem)
+        #expect(menu.items.first is MenuCardMenuItem)
+        #expect(displacedPlain.first === plainItem)
+
+        let displacedCard = controller.replaceMenuContentKeepingRowsVisible(
+            menu,
+            fromIndex: 0,
+            with: displacedPlain)
+
+        #expect(menu.items.first === plainItem)
+        #expect(!(menu.items.first is MenuCardMenuItem))
+        #expect(displacedCard.first === cardItem)
+    }
+
     @Test
     func `cached provider content swap preserves both item sets for switch back`() {
         let settings = self.makeSettings()