diff --git a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/vchan.rs b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/vchan.rs
index 277eee3..ad5fb5e 100644
--- a/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/vchan.rs
+++ b/src/trx-client/trx-frontend/trx-frontend-http/src/vchan.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,20 @@
 //! registry is the source of truth for metadata (freq/mode per channel) and
 //! drives `SetFreq`/`SetMode` commands to the server when a tab selects or
 //! tunes a channel.
+//!
+//! # Lock ordering
+//!
+//! [`ClientChannelManager`] owns several synchronisation primitives. To
+//! prevent deadlocks, all code in this module acquires them in the following
+//! fixed order:
+//!
+//! 1. `rigs` (RwLock) — primary channel data
+//! 2. `sessions` (RwLock) — session-to-channel mapping
+//! 3. `audio_cmd` / `rig_vchan_audio_cmd` (Mutex / RwLock) — fire-and-forget command senders
+//!
+//! **Rule**: always `drop(rigs)` before acquiring `sessions` or `audio_cmd`.
+//! The command senders are independent of the first two and may be acquired
+//! at any point provided no higher-priority lock is held.
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::sync::{Arc, RwLock};
@@ -132,7 +146,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
 
     /// Wire the global audio-command sender as fallback.
     pub fn set_audio_cmd(&self, tx: mpsc::Sender<VChanAudioCmd>) {
-        *self.audio_cmd.lock().unwrap() = Some(tx);
+        *self.audio_cmd.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()) = Some(tx);
     }
 
     /// Fire-and-forget: send a `VChanAudioCmd`, routing to the per-rig sender
@@ -146,7 +160,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
             }
         }
         // Fall back to global sender.
-        if let Some(tx) = self.audio_cmd.lock().unwrap().as_ref() {
+        if let Some(tx) = self.audio_cmd.lock().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()).as_ref() {
             let _ = tx.try_send(cmd);
         }
     }
@@ -177,7 +191,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
     /// Ensure channel 0 exists for `rig_id`.  Call this when the SSE stream
     /// first delivers rig state so the primary channel reflects the current freq.
     pub fn init_rig(&self, rig_id: &str, freq_hz: u64, mode: &str) {
-        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         let channels = rigs.entry(rig_id.to_string()).or_default();
         if channels.is_empty() {
             channels.push(InternalChannel {
@@ -195,7 +209,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
 
     /// Update channel 0's freq/mode when the server pushes a new rig state.
     pub fn update_primary(&self, rig_id: &str, freq_hz: u64, mode: &str) {
-        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         if let Some(channels) = rigs.get_mut(rig_id) {
             if let Some(ch) = channels.first_mut() {
                 if ch.freq_hz != freq_hz || ch.mode != mode {
@@ -209,7 +223,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
 
     /// List all channels for a rig (returns empty vec if rig unknown).
     pub fn channels(&self, rig_id: &str) -> Vec<ClientChannel> {
-        let rigs = self.rigs.read().unwrap();
+        let rigs = self.rigs.read().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         rigs.get(rig_id)
             .map(|chs| {
                 chs.iter()
@@ -238,7 +252,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         freq_hz: u64,
         mode: &str,
     ) -> Result<ClientChannel, VChanClientError> {
-        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         let channels = rigs.entry(rig_id.to_string()).or_default();
 
         if channels.len() >= self.max_channels {
@@ -276,7 +290,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         drop(rigs);
         self.sessions
             .write()
-            .unwrap()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner())
             .insert(session_id, (rig_id.to_string(), id));
 
         // Request server-side DSP channel + audio subscription.
@@ -305,7 +319,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         // Release previous subscription on this rig.
         self.release_session_on_rig(session_id, rig_id);
 
-        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         let channels = rigs.get_mut(rig_id)?;
         let (idx, ch) = channels
             .iter_mut()
@@ -330,7 +344,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         drop(rigs);
         self.sessions
             .write()
-            .unwrap()
+            .unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner())
             .insert(session_id, (rig_id.to_string(), channel_id));
 
         Some(snapshot)
@@ -340,7 +354,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
     /// Auto-removes non-permanent channels that reach 0 subscribers.
     pub fn release_session(&self, session_id: Uuid) {
         let mapping = {
-            let mut sessions = self.sessions.write().unwrap();
+            let mut sessions = self.sessions.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
             sessions.remove(&session_id)
         };
         if let Some((rig_id, _)) = mapping {
@@ -349,7 +363,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
     }
 
     fn release_session_on_rig(&self, session_id: Uuid, rig_id: &str) {
-        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         let Some(channels) = rigs.get_mut(rig_id) else {
             return;
         };
@@ -386,7 +400,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
 
     /// Explicitly delete a channel by UUID (any session may do this).
     pub fn delete_channel(&self, rig_id: &str, channel_id: Uuid) -> Result<(), VChanClientError> {
-        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         let channels = rigs.get_mut(rig_id).ok_or(VChanClientError::NotFound)?;
         let pos = channels
             .iter()
@@ -401,7 +415,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         self.broadcast_change(rig_id, channels);
         drop(rigs);
 
-        let mut sessions = self.sessions.write().unwrap();
+        let mut sessions = self.sessions.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         for sid in evicted {
             sessions.remove(&sid);
         }
@@ -419,7 +433,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         let evicted_sessions: Vec<Uuid>;
         let rig_id_opt: Option<String>;
         {
-            let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+            let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
             let mut found = false;
             let mut evicted = Vec::new();
             let mut found_rig = None;
@@ -439,7 +453,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         }
         // Clean up session → channel mapping for sessions that were subscribed.
         if rig_id_opt.is_some() {
-            let mut sessions = self.sessions.write().unwrap();
+            let mut sessions = self.sessions.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
             for sid in evicted_sessions {
                 if matches!(sessions.get(&sid), Some((_, ch)) if *ch == channel_id) {
                     sessions.remove(&sid);
@@ -455,7 +469,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         channel_id: Uuid,
         freq_hz: u64,
     ) -> Result<(), VChanClientError> {
-        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         let channels = rigs.get_mut(rig_id).ok_or(VChanClientError::NotFound)?;
         let ch = channels
             .iter_mut()
@@ -480,7 +494,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         channel_id: Uuid,
         mode: &str,
     ) -> Result<(), VChanClientError> {
-        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         let channels = rigs.get_mut(rig_id).ok_or(VChanClientError::NotFound)?;
         let ch = channels
             .iter_mut()
@@ -505,7 +519,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         channel_id: Uuid,
         bandwidth_hz: u32,
     ) -> Result<(), VChanClientError> {
-        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         let channels = rigs.get_mut(rig_id).ok_or(VChanClientError::NotFound)?;
         let ch = channels
             .iter_mut()
@@ -526,12 +540,12 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
 
     /// Return the channel a session is currently subscribed to.
     pub fn session_channel(&self, session_id: Uuid) -> Option<(String, Uuid)> {
-        self.sessions.read().unwrap().get(&session_id).cloned()
+        self.sessions.read().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner()).get(&session_id).cloned()
     }
 
     /// Return the selected channel's tune metadata.
     pub fn selected_channel(&self, rig_id: &str, channel_id: Uuid) -> Option<SelectedChannel> {
-        let rigs = self.rigs.read().unwrap();
+        let rigs = self.rigs.read().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         let channels = rigs.get(rig_id)?;
         let channel = channels.iter().find(|channel| channel.id == channel_id)?;
         Some(SelectedChannel {
@@ -554,7 +568,7 @@ impl ClientChannelManager {
         rig_id: &str,
         desired: &[(String, u64, String, u32, Vec<String>)],
     ) {
-        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap();
+        let mut rigs = self.rigs.write().unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_inner());
         let Some(channels) = rigs.get_mut(rig_id) else {
             return;
         };