diff --git a/src/ext/hx-head.js b/src/ext/hx-head.js
index d78bc324e..7fe0b4660 100644
--- a/src/ext/hx-head.js
+++ b/src/ext/hx-head.js
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 (function () {
 
     let api
+    const pendingResources = new WeakSet()
+    const resourceLoadTimeout = 3000
 
     // Appends a new head node, returning a promise for render-critical resources
     // (blocking scripts, stylesheets) or null for fire-and-forget resources.
@@ -17,8 +19,16 @@
         // stylesheet: await CSSOM or content will flash unstyled
         if (newNode.tagName === "LINK" && newNode.rel === "stylesheet") {
             return new Promise(resolve => {
-                newElt.onload = resolve
-                newElt.onerror = resolve  // failed stylesheet shouldn't block swap
+                let timeout
+                const finish = () => {
+                    clearTimeout(timeout)
+                    pendingResources.delete(newElt)
+                    resolve()
+                }
+                pendingResources.add(newElt)
+                timeout = setTimeout(finish, resourceLoadTimeout)
+                newElt.onload = finish
+                newElt.onerror = finish  // failed stylesheet shouldn't block swap
                 document.head.appendChild(newElt)
             })
         }
@@ -26,8 +36,17 @@
         // blocking external script (no async/defer): must init before swap
         if (newNode.tagName === "SCRIPT" && newNode.src && !newNode.async && !newNode.defer) {
             return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-                newElt.onload = resolve
-                newElt.onerror = reject
+                let timeout
+                const finish = error => {
+                    clearTimeout(timeout)
+                    pendingResources.delete(newElt)
+                    if (error) reject(error)
+                    else resolve()
+                }
+                pendingResources.add(newElt)
+                timeout = setTimeout(() => finish(), resourceLoadTimeout)
+                newElt.onload = () => finish()
+                newElt.onerror = finish
                 document.head.appendChild(newElt)
             })
         }
@@ -95,7 +114,7 @@
                     } else {
                         if (mergeStrategy !== "append" || (currentHeadElt.tagName === "TITLE" && newTitle)) {
                             // if this is a merge, or a title being replaced, remove it
-                            if (api.triggerHtmxEvent(document.body, "htmx:head:before:remove", {headElement: currentHeadElt}) !== false) {
+                            if (!pendingResources.has(currentHeadElt) && api.triggerHtmxEvent(document.body, "htmx:head:before:remove", {headElement: currentHeadElt}) !== false) {
                                 removed.push(currentHeadElt)
                             }
                         } else if (isReAppended) {
diff --git a/src/htmx.js b/src/htmx.js
index 7e811e5e1..501d5f7c0 100644
--- a/src/htmx.js
+++ b/src/htmx.js
@@ -581,8 +581,13 @@ var htmx = (() => {
                 ctx.request.headers["HX-Request-Type"] = (ctx.target === document.body || ctx.select) ? "full" : "partial";
                 if (!this.__trigger(elt, "htmx:before:request", {ctx})) return;
 
+                let targetWasConnected = ctx.target?.isConnected;
                 let response = await ctx.fetch(ctx.request.action, ctx.request);
 
+                // Ignore responses whose connected target was removed while the request was in flight.
+                // This must happen before response hooks (such as hx-head) can apply page-level effects.
+                if (targetWasConnected && !ctx.target.isConnected) return;
+
                 ctx.response = {
                     raw: response,
                     status: response.status,
diff --git a/test/tests/ext/hx-head.js b/test/tests/ext/hx-head.js
index 0561a49d5..727e8930b 100644
--- a/test/tests/ext/hx-head.js
+++ b/test/tests/ext/hx-head.js
@@ -200,6 +200,37 @@ describe('hx-head extension', function() {
         assert.isAtMost(headMergeTime, swapTime, 'head merge must complete before swap');
     });
 
+    it('keeps a stylesheet while another head merge is waiting for it', async function() {
+        let addedLink;
+        const disableStylesheet = event => {
+            const headElement = event.detail.headElement;
+            if (headElement.tagName === 'LINK' && headElement.rel === 'stylesheet' && headElement.href.endsWith('/pending.css')) {
+                headElement.setAttribute('disabled', '');
+            }
+        };
+        document.body.addEventListener('htmx:head:before:add', disableStylesheet);
+
+        mockResponse('GET', '/slow', '<html><head hx-head="merge"><link rel="stylesheet" href="/pending.css"></head><body><p>slow response</p></body></html>');
+        mockResponse('GET', '/fast', '<html><head hx-head="merge"></head><body><p>fast response</p></body></html>');
+
+        const slowTarget = createProcessedHTML('<div></div>');
+        const fastTarget = createProcessedHTML('<div></div>');
+        const slowRequest = htmx.ajax('GET', '/slow', {target: slowTarget, swap: 'innerHTML'});
+
+        await waitForEvent('htmx:head:before:add', 500);
+        document.body.removeEventListener('htmx:head:before:add', disableStylesheet);
+        addedLink = document.head.querySelector('link[href="/pending.css"]');
+        assert.isNotNull(addedLink, 'first response should add its stylesheet');
+        if (addedLink) addedHeadElts.push(addedLink);
+
+        await htmx.ajax('GET', '/fast', {target: fastTarget, swap: 'innerHTML'});
+
+        assert.isTrue(addedLink.isConnected, 'concurrent merge must not remove a stylesheet still loading');
+        addedLink.dispatchEvent(new Event('load'));
+        await slowRequest;
+        assert.equal(slowTarget.innerHTML, '<p>slow response</p>');
+    });
+
     it('replaces title in append mode when new title differs', async function() {
         let title = document.createElement('title');
         title.textContent = 'Page 1';
diff --git a/test/tests/unit/ajax.js b/test/tests/unit/ajax.js
index d98e1d733..2c8011914 100644
--- a/test/tests/unit/ajax.js
+++ b/test/tests/unit/ajax.js
@@ -333,6 +333,25 @@ describe('ajax() unit Tests', function() {
         assert.isTrue(errorFired);
     });
 
+    it('ignores a response when its target is removed while the request is in flight', async function() {
+        const seq = mockSequentialResponses('GET', '/test', '<title>Old page</title><p>old</p>');
+        const target = createProcessedHTML('<div id="target"></div>');
+        document.title = 'Current page';
+
+        const promise = htmx.ajax('GET', '/test', {
+            target,
+            swap: 'innerHTML'
+        });
+
+        await htmx.timeout(1);
+        target.remove();
+        await seq.next();
+        await promise;
+
+        assert.equal(document.title, 'Current page');
+        assert.equal(target.innerHTML, '');
+    });
+
     it('sets full URL for cross-origin GET requests with query params', async function() {
         let capturedAction;
         document.addEventListener('htmx:before:request', function handler(evt) {