diff --git a/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_components/wizard/use-new-wo-wizard-state.ts b/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_components/wizard/use-new-wo-wizard-state.ts
index 871cb979..9b6c7120 100644
--- a/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_components/wizard/use-new-wo-wizard-state.ts
+++ b/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_components/wizard/use-new-wo-wizard-state.ts
@@ -48,8 +48,14 @@ export function useNewWoWizardState({
   const [isCheckingDuplicate, setIsCheckingDuplicate] = useState(false);
   const openRef = useRef(open);
   const draftRef = useRef(draft);
-  openRef.current = open;
-  draftRef.current = draft;
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    openRef.current = open;
+  }, [open]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    draftRef.current = draft;
+  }, [draft]);
 
   const { data: apiLocations = [] } = useWorkOrderLocations();
   const { data: apiProblems = [] } = useDropdownOptionsByCategory("Problem");
diff --git a/src/domain/work-orders/api/work-orders-api.ts b/src/domain/work-orders/api/work-orders-api.ts
index 4f5fa808..c4c754e6 100644
--- a/src/domain/work-orders/api/work-orders-api.ts
+++ b/src/domain/work-orders/api/work-orders-api.ts
@@ -193,20 +193,26 @@ export const workOrdersApi = {
 
   findByWoNumber: async (woNumber: string): Promise<WorkOrderTableRow | undefined> => {
     const normalized = woNumber.trim();
-    // Skip empty / very short queries — fuzzy board/search would page endlessly for 1–2 chars.
-    const minLength = 3;
-    const maxPages = 5;
+    // board/search contract: only send search when length >= 2.
+    const minLength = 2;
+    // Safety cap — if hit before exhausting results, fail closed (do not treat as unique).
+    const safetyMaxPages = 50;
     if (normalized.length < minLength) {
       return undefined;
     }
 
-    // `board/search` is fuzzy and paginated (0-based); scan a bounded number of pages for an exact WO#.
+    // `board/search` is fuzzy and paginated (0-based); exhaust pages for an exact WO#.
     const pageSize = 100;
     let page = 0;
     let scanned = 0;
     let totalCount = Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
 
-    while (scanned < totalCount && page < maxPages) {
+    while (scanned < totalCount) {
+      if (page >= safetyMaxPages) {
+        throw new Error(
+          "Unable to verify the work order number: search result set exceeded the safety page limit.",
+        );
+      }
       const result = await workOrdersApi.searchBoard({
         search: normalized,
         page,
diff --git a/src/test/domain/work-orders/api/work-orders-api.test.ts b/src/test/domain/work-orders/api/work-orders-api.test.ts
index 4d82981a..cc84a5ed 100644
--- a/src/test/domain/work-orders/api/work-orders-api.test.ts
+++ b/src/test/domain/work-orders/api/work-orders-api.test.ts
@@ -364,13 +364,13 @@ describe("workOrdersApi.findByWoNumber", () => {
     expect(result).toMatchObject({ id: 999, woNumber: "10000009999" });
   });
 
-  it("skips remote search for short WO numbers", async () => {
-    const result = await workOrdersApi.findByWoNumber("12");
+  it("skips remote search for single-character WO numbers", async () => {
+    const result = await workOrdersApi.findByWoNumber("1");
     expect(apiGet).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(result).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
-  it("caps paging when scanning fuzzy board search results", async () => {
+  it("throws when the safety page limit is hit before exhausting results", async () => {
     apiGet.mockResolvedValue({
       items: Array.from({ length: 100 }, (_, index) => ({
         id: index + 1,
@@ -382,9 +382,36 @@ describe("workOrdersApi.findByWoNumber", () => {
       pageSize: 100,
     });
 
+    await expect(workOrdersApi.findByWoNumber("10000005555")).rejects.toThrow(/safety page limit/i);
+    expect(apiGet).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(50);
+  });
+
+  it("returns undefined after exhausting all fuzzy search pages", async () => {
+    apiGet
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        items: Array.from({ length: 100 }, (_, index) => ({
+          id: index + 1,
+          woNumber: `fuzzy-match-${index}`,
+          lifecycleStatusLabel: "Incomplete",
+        })),
+        totalCount: 150,
+        page: 0,
+        pageSize: 100,
+      })
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({
+        items: Array.from({ length: 50 }, (_, index) => ({
+          id: index + 101,
+          woNumber: `fuzzy-match-${index + 100}`,
+          lifecycleStatusLabel: "Incomplete",
+        })),
+        totalCount: 150,
+        page: 1,
+        pageSize: 100,
+      });
+
     const result = await workOrdersApi.findByWoNumber("10000005555");
 
-    expect(apiGet).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(5);
+    expect(apiGet).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
     expect(result).toBeUndefined();
   });
 });