diff --git a/sidepanel/sidepanel.js b/sidepanel/sidepanel.js
index 65f3bf5..98d6ef9 100644
--- a/sidepanel/sidepanel.js
+++ b/sidepanel/sidepanel.js
@@ -2378,7 +2378,7 @@ function renderStepsList() {
   }
 
   initializeManualStepActions();
-  updateProgressCounter();
+  renderStepStatuses();
   updateButtonStates();
 }
 
@@ -2399,10 +2399,11 @@ function syncStepDefinitionsForMode(plusModeEnabled = false, options = {}) {
 
 function applySettingsState(state) {
   if (typeof syncStepDefinitionsForMode === 'function') {
-    syncStepDefinitionsForMode(Boolean(state?.plusModeEnabled), { render: true });
+    syncStepDefinitionsForMode(Boolean(state?.plusModeEnabled));
   }
   syncLatestState(state);
   syncAutoRunState(state);
+  renderStepStatuses(latestState);
 
   inputEmail.value = state?.email || '';
   syncPasswordField(state || {});
@@ -3681,9 +3682,6 @@ function updatePanelModeUI() {
 // ============================================================
 
 function updateStepUI(step, status) {
-  const statusEl = document.querySelector(`.step-status[data-step="${step}"]`);
-  const row = document.querySelector(`.step-row[data-step="${step}"]`);
-
   syncLatestState({
     stepStatuses: {
       ...getStepStatuses(),
@@ -3691,16 +3689,31 @@ function updateStepUI(step, status) {
     },
   });
 
-  if (statusEl) statusEl.textContent = STATUS_ICONS[status] || '';
-  if (row) {
-    row.className = `step-row ${status}`;
-  }
-
+  renderSingleStepStatus(step, status);
   updateButtonStates();
   updateProgressCounter();
   updateConfigMenuControls();
 }
 
+function renderSingleStepStatus(step, status) {
+  const normalizedStatus = status || 'pending';
+  const statusEl = document.querySelector(`.step-status[data-step="${step}"]`);
+  const row = document.querySelector(`.step-row[data-step="${step}"]`);
+
+  if (statusEl) statusEl.textContent = STATUS_ICONS[normalizedStatus] || '';
+  if (row) {
+    row.className = `step-row ${normalizedStatus}`;
+  }
+}
+
+function renderStepStatuses(state = latestState) {
+  const statuses = getStepStatuses(state);
+  for (const step of STEP_IDS) {
+    renderSingleStepStatus(step, statuses[step]);
+  }
+  updateProgressCounter();
+}
+
 function updateProgressCounter() {
   const completed = Object.values(getStepStatuses()).filter(isDoneStatus).length;
   stepsProgress.textContent = `${completed} / ${STEP_IDS.length}`;
diff --git a/tests/sidepanel-contribution-mode.test.js b/tests/sidepanel-contribution-mode.test.js
index 069b5a9..d5f150a 100644
--- a/tests/sidepanel-contribution-mode.test.js
+++ b/tests/sidepanel-contribution-mode.test.js
@@ -118,6 +118,59 @@ test('sidepanel html contains contribution mode runtime UI and loads the module
   assert.ok(moduleIndex < sidepanelIndex);
 });
 
+test('sidepanel settings refresh preserves rendered step progress', () => {
+  const applySettingsStateSource = extractFunction('applySettingsState');
+  assert.doesNotMatch(
+    applySettingsStateSource,
+    /syncStepDefinitionsForMode\(Boolean\(state\?\.plusModeEnabled\),\s*\{\s*render:\s*true\s*\}\)/
+  );
+  assert.match(applySettingsStateSource, /renderStepStatuses\(latestState\)/);
+
+  const bundle = [
+    extractFunction('isDoneStatus'),
+    extractFunction('getStepStatuses'),
+    extractFunction('renderSingleStepStatus'),
+    extractFunction('renderStepStatuses'),
+    extractFunction('updateProgressCounter'),
+  ].join('\n');
+
+  const api = new Function(`
+const STATUS_ICONS = {
+  pending: '',
+  running: '',
+  completed: 'C',
+  failed: 'F',
+  stopped: 'S',
+  manual_completed: 'M',
+  skipped: 'K',
+};
+let latestState = { stepStatuses: { 1: 'completed', 2: 'running', 3: 'pending' } };
+let STEP_IDS = [1, 2, 3];
+let STEP_DEFAULT_STATUSES = { 1: 'pending', 2: 'pending', 3: 'pending' };
+const rows = new Map(STEP_IDS.map((step) => [step, { className: 'step-row' }]));
+const statusEls = new Map(STEP_IDS.map((step) => [step, { textContent: '' }]));
+const document = {
+  querySelector(selector) {
+    const match = selector.match(/data-step="(\\d+)"/);
+    const step = match ? Number(match[1]) : 0;
+    return selector.includes('step-status') ? statusEls.get(step) : rows.get(step);
+  },
+};
+const stepsProgress = { textContent: '' };
+${bundle}
+return { renderStepStatuses, rows, statusEls, stepsProgress };
+`)();
+
+  api.renderStepStatuses();
+
+  assert.equal(api.rows.get(1).className, 'step-row completed');
+  assert.equal(api.rows.get(2).className, 'step-row running');
+  assert.equal(api.rows.get(3).className, 'step-row pending');
+  assert.equal(api.statusEls.get(1).textContent, 'C');
+  assert.equal(api.statusEls.get(2).textContent, '');
+  assert.equal(api.stepsProgress.textContent, '1 / 3');
+});
+
 test('collectSettingsPayload omits custom password and local sync settings in contribution mode', () => {
   const bundle = extractFunction('collectSettingsPayload');