diff --git a/src/blobbi/companion/components/BlobbiCompanionVisual.tsx b/src/blobbi/companion/components/BlobbiCompanionVisual.tsx
index 1c02d652..28fb9bc3 100644
--- a/src/blobbi/companion/components/BlobbiCompanionVisual.tsx
+++ b/src/blobbi/companion/components/BlobbiCompanionVisual.tsx
@@ -123,7 +123,16 @@ const MemoizedBlobbiVisual = memo(function MemoizedBlobbiVisual({
 }, (prev, next) => {
   return (
     prev.stage === next.stage &&
-    prev.blobbi === next.blobbi &&
+    // Compare blobbi by visual-identity primitives, NOT by reference.
+    // This prevents SVG rebuilds (and SMIL animation restarts) when the
+    // upstream companion object gets a new reference with identical content
+    // — e.g. during nausea recovery where only angerRise.level changes.
+    prev.blobbi.id === next.blobbi.id &&
+    prev.blobbi.baseColor === next.blobbi.baseColor &&
+    prev.blobbi.secondaryColor === next.blobbi.secondaryColor &&
+    prev.blobbi.eyeColor === next.blobbi.eyeColor &&
+    prev.blobbi.adult?.evolutionForm === next.blobbi.adult?.evolutionForm &&
+    prev.blobbi.seed === next.blobbi.seed &&
     prev.recipeFingerprint === next.recipeFingerprint &&
     prev.recipeLabel === next.recipeLabel &&
     prev.emotion === next.emotion &&
diff --git a/src/blobbi/ui/BlobbiAdultSvgRenderer.tsx b/src/blobbi/ui/BlobbiAdultSvgRenderer.tsx
index 9b5466ca..12e22a2f 100644
--- a/src/blobbi/ui/BlobbiAdultSvgRenderer.tsx
+++ b/src/blobbi/ui/BlobbiAdultSvgRenderer.tsx
@@ -94,11 +94,12 @@ export function BlobbiAdultSvgRenderer({
     }
 
     return animatedSvg;
-  // recipeFingerprint replaces recipeProp in the dep list so that
-  // level-only changes do NOT trigger a full SVG rebuild. The closure
-  // captures the current recipeProp for the rare structural rebuilds.
+  // Deps use stable primitives from blobbi (not the object reference) and
+  // recipeFingerprint (not recipeProp) so that level-only changes and
+  // upstream reference churn do NOT trigger full SVG rebuilds. The closure
+  // captures the current blobbi/recipeProp for the rare structural rebuilds.
   // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
-  }, [blobbi, recipeFingerprint, recipeLabel, emotion, bodyEffects]);
+  }, [blobbi.id, blobbi.baseColor, blobbi.secondaryColor, blobbi.eyeColor, blobbi.adult?.evolutionForm, blobbi.seed, recipeFingerprint, recipeLabel, emotion, bodyEffects]);
 
   const safeSvg = useMemo(() => sanitizeBlobbiSvg(customizedSvg), [customizedSvg]);
 
diff --git a/src/blobbi/ui/BlobbiBabySvgRenderer.tsx b/src/blobbi/ui/BlobbiBabySvgRenderer.tsx
index e8438d21..ba5f96c1 100644
--- a/src/blobbi/ui/BlobbiBabySvgRenderer.tsx
+++ b/src/blobbi/ui/BlobbiBabySvgRenderer.tsx
@@ -90,8 +90,12 @@ export function BlobbiBabySvgRenderer({
     }
 
     return animatedSvg;
+  // Deps use stable primitives from blobbi (not the object reference) and
+  // recipeFingerprint (not recipeProp) so that level-only changes and
+  // upstream reference churn do NOT trigger full SVG rebuilds. The closure
+  // captures the current blobbi/recipeProp for the rare structural rebuilds.
   // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
-  }, [blobbi, recipeFingerprint, recipeLabel, emotion, bodyEffects]);
+  }, [blobbi.id, blobbi.baseColor, blobbi.secondaryColor, blobbi.eyeColor, blobbi.seed, recipeFingerprint, recipeLabel, emotion, bodyEffects]);
 
   const safeSvg = useMemo(() => sanitizeBlobbiSvg(customizedSvg), [customizedSvg]);