diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/repos_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/repos_helper.go
index 6257327e9..a61ad0013 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/repos_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/repos_helper.go
@@ -43,13 +43,20 @@ func NewRecentReposHelper(
 }
 
 func (self *ReposHelper) EnterSubmodule(submodule *models.SubmoduleConfig) error {
+	// Check before pushing onto the repo-path stack, so a refused switch
+	// doesn't leave a stale entry there (which escape would later switch back
+	// to, needlessly reloading the current repo).
+	if self.switchRefusedBecauseBusy() {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	wd, err := os.Getwd()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	self.c.State().GetRepoPathStack().Push(wd)
 
-	return self.DispatchSwitchToRepo(submodule.FullPath(), context.NO_CONTEXT)
+	return self.switchTo(submodule.FullPath(), self.c.Tr.ErrRepositoryMovedOrDeleted, context.NO_CONTEXT)
 }
 
 func (self *ReposHelper) getCurrentBranch(path string) string {
@@ -129,10 +136,16 @@ func (self *ReposHelper) CreateRecentReposMenu() error {
 				style.FgMagenta.Sprint(path),
 			},
 			OnPress: func() error {
+				// Check before clearing the stack, so a refused switch doesn't
+				// forget the submodule breadcrumb (which would leave escape
+				// unable to return to the parent repo).
+				if self.switchRefusedBecauseBusy() {
+					return nil
+				}
 				// if we were in a submodule, we want to forget about that stack of repos
 				// so that hitting escape in the new repo does nothing
 				self.c.State().GetRepoPathStack().Clear()
-				return self.DispatchSwitchToRepo(path, context.NO_CONTEXT)
+				return self.switchTo(path, self.c.Tr.ErrRepositoryMovedOrDeleted, context.NO_CONTEXT)
 			},
 		}
 	})
@@ -140,17 +153,49 @@ func (self *ReposHelper) CreateRecentReposMenu() error {
 	return self.c.Menu(types.CreateMenuOptions{Title: self.c.Tr.RecentRepos, Items: menuItems})
 }
 
-func (self *ReposHelper) DispatchSwitchToRepo(path string, contextKey types.ContextKey) error {
-	return self.DispatchSwitchTo(path, self.c.Tr.ErrRepositoryMovedOrDeleted, contextKey)
+// SwitchToParentRepo switches back to the repo the current submodule was
+// entered from (the top of the repo-path stack). Like the other callers that do
+// work before switching, it checks for an in-flight operation *before* popping
+// the stack, so a refused switch leaves the stack intact — otherwise the entry
+// would be consumed and escape would no longer return to the parent once the
+// operation finished. The caller must only call this when the stack is
+// non-empty.
+func (self *ReposHelper) SwitchToParentRepo() error {
+	if self.switchRefusedBecauseBusy() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return self.switchTo(self.c.State().GetRepoPathStack().Pop(), self.c.Tr.ErrRepositoryMovedOrDeleted, context.NO_CONTEXT)
 }
 
-// DispatchSwitchTo switches lazygit to the repository (or worktree) at the
-// given path. It runs synchronously on the UI thread: the switch swaps
-// gui.State (in resetState) and reassigns gui.git and the process cwd, all of
-// which the UI thread also reads, so doing it here rather than on a worker
-// avoids racing those reads. The heavy data loading is still dispatched
-// asynchronously by the refresh that onNewRepo kicks off.
 func (self *ReposHelper) DispatchSwitchTo(path string, errMsg string, contextKey types.ContextKey) error {
+	if self.switchRefusedBecauseBusy() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return self.switchTo(path, errMsg, contextKey)
+}
+
+// switchRefusedBecauseBusy reports (and shows a toast) whether a repo switch
+// must be refused because a foreground git operation is in flight. Switching
+// reassigns gui.git and the process cwd, so switching mid-operation would run
+// the operation's remaining git commands against the wrong repo. Callers that
+// do work before the switch (creating a worktree, recording the repo-path
+// stack) check this up front, so they don't do that work only to have the
+// switch refused; the switch itself (switchTo) is then unguarded.
+func (self *ReposHelper) switchRefusedBecauseBusy() bool {
+	if self.c.GocuiGui().Busy() {
+		self.c.ErrorToast(self.c.Tr.CantSwitchWhileOperationInProgress)
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// switchTo switches lazygit to the repository (or worktree) at the given path.
+// It runs synchronously on the UI thread: the switch swaps gui.State (in
+// resetState) and reassigns gui.git and the process cwd, all of which the UI
+// thread also reads, so doing it here rather than on a worker avoids racing
+// those reads. The heavy data loading is still dispatched asynchronously by the
+// refresh that onNewRepo kicks off.
+func (self *ReposHelper) switchTo(path string, errMsg string, contextKey types.ContextKey) error {
 	env.UnsetGitLocationEnvVars()
 	originalPath, err := os.Getwd()
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/worktree_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/worktree_helper.go
index 2a189a752..abfd1c0f6 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/worktree_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/worktree_helper.go
@@ -426,6 +426,13 @@ func (self *WorktreeHelper) promptForWorktreeLocation(dirName string, prompt str
 }
 
 func (self *WorktreeHelper) createWorktree(opts git_commands.NewWorktreeOpts, contextKey types.ContextKey) error {
+	// Check now, before we create the worktree, rather than when we come to
+	// switch to it afterwards: by then this operation's own waiting-status
+	// spinner would make Busy() true and refuse our own switch.
+	if self.reposHelper.switchRefusedBecauseBusy() {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	return self.c.WithWaitingStatus(self.c.Tr.AddingWorktree, func(gocui.Task) error {
 		self.c.LogAction(self.c.Tr.Actions.AddWorktree)
 		if err := self.c.Git().Worktree.New(opts); err != nil {
@@ -434,9 +441,11 @@ func (self *WorktreeHelper) createWorktree(opts git_commands.NewWorktreeOpts, co
 
 		// The switch swaps gui.State and must run on the UI thread, but
 		// we're on a worker here (creating the worktree is git work), so
-		// dispatch it rather than calling it directly.
+		// dispatch it. It's unguarded (switchTo, not DispatchSwitchTo)
+		// because we checked above and creating the worktree is now
+		// complete, so switching to it is safe.
 		self.c.OnUIThread(func() error {
-			return self.reposHelper.DispatchSwitchTo(opts.Path, self.c.Tr.ErrWorktreeMovedOrRemoved, contextKey)
+			return self.reposHelper.switchTo(opts.Path, self.c.Tr.ErrWorktreeMovedOrRemoved, contextKey)
 		})
 		return nil
 	})
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/quit_actions.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/quit_actions.go
index 40ad6f7e3..9a7082542 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/quit_actions.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/quit_actions.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package controllers
 
 import (
 	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/gocui"
-	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/gui/context"
 	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/gui/types"
 )
 
@@ -81,9 +80,8 @@ func (self *QuitActions) Escape() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	repoPathStack := self.c.State().GetRepoPathStack()
-	if !repoPathStack.IsEmpty() {
-		return self.c.Helpers().Repos.DispatchSwitchToRepo(repoPathStack.Pop(), context.NO_CONTEXT)
+	if !self.c.State().GetRepoPathStack().IsEmpty() {
+		return self.c.Helpers().Repos.SwitchToParentRepo()
 	}
 
 	if self.c.UserConfig().QuitOnTopLevelReturn {
diff --git a/pkg/i18n/english.go b/pkg/i18n/english.go
index 0ee0a9e86..69ea7012f 100644
--- a/pkg/i18n/english.go
+++ b/pkg/i18n/english.go
@@ -769,6 +769,7 @@ type TranslationSet struct {
 	ErrStageDirWithInlineMergeConflicts      string
 	ErrRepositoryMovedOrDeleted              string
 	ErrWorktreeMovedOrRemoved                string
+	CantSwitchWhileOperationInProgress       string
 	CommandLog                               string
 	ToggleShowCommandLog                     string
 	FocusCommandLog                          string
@@ -1921,6 +1922,7 @@ func EnglishTranslationSet() *TranslationSet {
 		ErrRepositoryMovedOrDeleted:              "Cannot find repo. It might have been moved or deleted ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯",
 		CommandLog:                               "Command log",
 		ErrWorktreeMovedOrRemoved:                "Cannot find worktree. It might have been moved or removed ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯",
+		CantSwitchWhileOperationInProgress:       "Can't switch repositories while an operation is in progress",
 		ToggleShowCommandLog:                     "Toggle show/hide command log",
 		FocusCommandLog:                          "Focus command log",
 		CommandLogHeader:                         "You can hide/focus this panel by pressing '%s'\n",