diff --git a/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/hooks/useKOSync.ts b/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/hooks/useKOSync.ts
index 7a4e9f34..7cff20d9 100644
--- a/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/hooks/useKOSync.ts
+++ b/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/hooks/useKOSync.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import { debounce } from '@/utils/debounce';
 import { eventDispatcher } from '@/utils/event';
 import { getCFIFromXPointer, XCFI } from '@/utils/xcfi';
 
+import { useWindowActiveChanged } from './useWindowActiveChanged';
+
 type SyncState = 'idle' | 'checking' | 'conflict' | 'synced' | 'error';
 
 export interface SyncDetails {
@@ -252,53 +254,75 @@ export const useKOSync = (bookKey: string) => {
     [bookKey, appService, kosyncClient, settings.kosync, progress],
   );
 
+  // use a ref to track the current push/pull functions so they can change without triggering effects
+  const syncRefs = useRef({ pushProgress, pullProgress });
+  useEffect(() => {
+    syncRefs.current = { pushProgress, pullProgress };
+  }, [pushProgress, pullProgress]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     const handlePushProgress = (event: CustomEvent) => {
+      const { pushProgress } = syncRefs.current;
       if (event.detail.bookKey !== bookKey) return;
       pushProgress();
       pushProgress.flush();
     };
     const handleFlush = (event: CustomEvent) => {
+      const { pushProgress } = syncRefs.current;
       if (event.detail.bookKey !== bookKey) return;
       pushProgress.flush();
     };
     eventDispatcher.on('push-kosync', handlePushProgress);
     eventDispatcher.on('flush-kosync', handleFlush);
     return () => {
+      const { pushProgress } = syncRefs.current;
       eventDispatcher.off('push-kosync', handlePushProgress);
       eventDispatcher.off('flush-kosync', handleFlush);
       pushProgress.flush();
     };
-  }, [bookKey, pushProgress]);
+  }, [bookKey]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const handlePullProgress = (event: CustomEvent) => {
       if (event.detail.bookKey !== bookKey) return;
+      const { pullProgress } = syncRefs.current;
       pullProgress();
     };
     eventDispatcher.on('pull-kosync', handlePullProgress);
     return () => {
       eventDispatcher.off('pull-kosync', handlePullProgress);
     };
-  }, [bookKey, pullProgress]);
+  }, [bookKey]);
 
   // Pull: pull progress once when the book is opened
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!appService || !kosyncClient || !progress?.location) return;
     if (hasPulledOnce.current) return;
 
-    pullProgress();
-  }, [appService, kosyncClient, progress?.location, pushProgress, pullProgress]);
+    syncRefs.current.pullProgress();
+  }, [appService, kosyncClient, progress?.location]);
 
   // Push: auto-push progress when progress changes with a debounce
   useEffect(() => {
     if (syncState === 'synced' && progress) {
       const { strategy, enabled } = settings.kosync;
       if (strategy !== 'receive' && enabled) {
-        pushProgress();
+        syncRefs.current.pushProgress();
       }
     }
-  }, [progress, syncState, settings.kosync, pushProgress]);
+  }, [progress, syncState, settings.kosync]);
+
+  useWindowActiveChanged((isActive) => {
+    const { pushProgress, pullProgress } = syncRefs.current;
+
+    if (isActive) {
+      hasPulledOnce.current = false;
+      pullProgress();
+    } else {
+      pushProgress();
+      pushProgress.flush();
+    }
+  });
 
   const resolveWithLocal = () => {
     pushProgress();
diff --git a/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/hooks/useWindowActiveChanged.ts b/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/hooks/useWindowActiveChanged.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7d4e6050
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/readest-app/src/app/reader/hooks/useWindowActiveChanged.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+// used to execute a callback when the "active" state of the current window changes.
+// On web and mobile, "active" means "is visible". On desktop, the 'visibilitychange'
+// event is unreliable, so "active" means "has focus".
+
+import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
+
+import { useEnv } from '@/context/EnvContext';
+
+export type ActiveCallback = (isActive: boolean) => void;
+
+type Cleanup = () => void;
+async function activeChangedDesktop(onChange: ActiveCallback): Promise<Cleanup> {
+  const { getCurrentWindow } = await import('@tauri-apps/api/window');
+  const appWindow = getCurrentWindow();
+
+  const unlisten = await appWindow.onFocusChanged(({ payload: isActive }) => onChange(isActive));
+
+  return () => {
+    unlisten();
+  };
+}
+async function activeChangedOther(onChange: ActiveCallback): Promise<Cleanup> {
+  const handler = () => onChange(document.visibilityState === 'visible');
+
+  document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', handler);
+  return () => document.removeEventListener('visibilitychange', handler);
+}
+
+export function useWindowActiveChanged(callback: ActiveCallback) {
+  const onActiveChanged = useRef<ActiveCallback>(callback);
+  const { appService } = useEnv();
+
+  const subscribe = appService?.isDesktopApp ? activeChangedDesktop : activeChangedOther;
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    onActiveChanged.current = callback;
+  }, [callback]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let isAlive = true;
+    let unsub: Cleanup | undefined;
+    const onChange = (isActive: boolean) => {
+      onActiveChanged.current?.(isActive);
+    };
+
+    subscribe(onChange)
+      .then((cleanup) => {
+        if (isAlive) {
+          unsub = cleanup;
+        } else {
+          // component was already unmounted, just clean up immediately
+          cleanup();
+        }
+      })
+      .catch((e) => {
+        console.error('Could not listen for window active changes', e);
+      });
+
+    return () => {
+      isAlive = false;
+      unsub?.();
+    };
+  }, [subscribe]);
+}