diff --git a/client/src/Components/inputs/Dialog.tsx b/client/src/Components/inputs/Dialog.tsx
index 80d260a55..dafc3845a 100644
--- a/client/src/Components/inputs/Dialog.tsx
+++ b/client/src/Components/inputs/Dialog.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export const DialogInput = ({
 	fullWidth = false,
 	additionalButtons,
 	cancelSx,
+	onEscape,
 }: {
 	open: boolean;
 	title?: string;
@@ -43,6 +44,12 @@ export const DialogInput = ({
 	additionalButtons?: ReactNode;
 	/** Styles the cancel button — e.g. an auto margin to push it left. */
 	cancelSx?: SxProps;
+	/**
+	 * Called when Escape is pressed. Defaults to `onCancel`, which is right when
+	 * cancel simply dismisses — but not when it does something else, so a dialog
+	 * whose cancel slot carries another action passes its own dismiss here.
+	 */
+	onEscape?(): void;
 }) => {
 	const { t } = useTranslation();
 	const theme = useTheme();
@@ -52,7 +59,12 @@ export const DialogInput = ({
 			maxWidth={maxWidth}
 			fullWidth={fullWidth}
 			onClose={(_event, reason) => {
-				if (reason !== "backdropClick" && onCancel) onCancel(undefined);
+				if (reason === "backdropClick") return;
+				if (onEscape) {
+					onEscape();
+					return;
+				}
+				if (onCancel) onCancel(undefined);
 			}}
 		>
 			{title && (
diff --git a/client/src/Pages/Dashboard/Components/CardPicker.tsx b/client/src/Pages/Dashboard/Components/CardPicker.tsx
index 2ff927142..a01346926 100644
--- a/client/src/Pages/Dashboard/Components/CardPicker.tsx
+++ b/client/src/Pages/Dashboard/Components/CardPicker.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import Stack from "@mui/material/Stack";
+import Box from "@mui/material/Box";
 import Typography from "@mui/material/Typography";
 import FormControlLabel from "@mui/material/FormControlLabel";
 import { useTheme } from "@mui/material/styles";
@@ -59,19 +60,34 @@ export const CardPicker = ({
 			onCancel={onReset}
 			cancelText={t("pages.dashboard.picker.reset")}
 			cancelSx={{ marginRight: "auto" }}
+			// Escape must dismiss, not reset. The dialog sends Escape to onCancel by
+			// default, and this one's cancel slot resets the selection — so without
+			// this, Escape would wipe the user's cards instead of closing.
+			onEscape={onClose}
 			// Changes apply immediately, so Done only dismisses; it is the primary
 			// action here and carries the usual contained styling.
 			onConfirm={onClose}
 			confirmText={t("pages.dashboard.picker.done")}
 		>
-			<Stack
-				gap={theme.spacing(LAYOUT.MD)}
+			{/*
+			 * Two columns: seventeen cards in one list makes the dialog scroll,
+			 * which hides most of the catalogue behind a scrollbar. Groups flow
+			 * down the columns and are kept whole, so a group is never split
+			 * across the gap.
+			 */}
+			<Box
 				pt={theme.spacing(LAYOUT.SM)}
+				sx={{
+					columnCount: { xs: 1, sm: 2 },
+					columnGap: theme.spacing(LAYOUT.XL),
+				}}
 			>
 				{grouped.map(({ group, cards }) => (
 					<Stack
 						key={group}
 						gap={theme.spacing(LAYOUT.XXS)}
+						pb={theme.spacing(LAYOUT.MD)}
+						sx={{ breakInside: "avoid" }}
 					>
 						<Typography
 							variant="eyebrow"
@@ -110,7 +126,7 @@ export const CardPicker = ({
 						))}
 					</Stack>
 				))}
-			</Stack>
+			</Box>
 		</Dialog>
 	);
 };
diff --git a/client/src/Pages/Dashboard/useCardSelection.ts b/client/src/Pages/Dashboard/useCardSelection.ts
index a8e939c0a..7d8ae5530 100644
--- a/client/src/Pages/Dashboard/useCardSelection.ts
+++ b/client/src/Pages/Dashboard/useCardSelection.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
 
 import { logger } from "@/Utils/logger";
 import { useIsAdmin } from "@/Hooks/useIsAdmin";
@@ -50,7 +50,17 @@ export const useCardSelection = () => {
 		() => readStored() ?? DEFAULT_CARD_IDS
 	);
 
+	// Skip the write on mount. The value has just been read from storage, so
+	// rewriting it achieves nothing — but if the read failed for any reason and
+	// fell back to the defaults, that write would overwrite the user's real
+	// selection and make the loss permanent.
+	const hasMounted = useRef(false);
+
 	useEffect(() => {
+		if (!hasMounted.current) {
+			hasMounted.current = true;
+			return;
+		}
 		try {
 			window.localStorage.setItem(DASHBOARD_CARDS_STORAGE_KEY, JSON.stringify(selected));
 		} catch (error) {