diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/persons/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/persons/+page.svelte
index 919440c6..4a389e23 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/persons/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/persons/+page.svelte
@@ -1,16 +1,24 @@
 <script lang="ts">
 import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
+import { untrack } from 'svelte';
 import { m } from '$lib/paraglide/messages.js';
 
 let { data } = $props();
 
+let q = $state(untrack(() => data.q || ''));
+let qFocused = $state(false);
+
+// Sync URL → local state after navigation, but not while the user is typing.
+$effect(() => {
+	if (!qFocused) q = data.q || '';
+});
+
 let searchTimeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
 
-function handleSearch(e: Event) {
-	const value = (e.target as HTMLInputElement).value;
+function handleSearch() {
 	clearTimeout(searchTimeout);
 	searchTimeout = setTimeout(() => {
-		goto(`/persons?q=${value}`, { keepFocus: true });
+		goto(`/persons?q=${q}`, { keepFocus: true });
 	}, 300);
 }
 </script>
@@ -49,8 +57,10 @@ function handleSearch(e: Event) {
 					id="search"
 					type="text"
 					placeholder={m.persons_search_placeholder()}
-					value={data.q || ''}
+					bind:value={q}
 					oninput={handleSearch}
+					onfocus={() => (qFocused = true)}
+					onblur={() => (qFocused = false)}
 					class="block w-full rounded-sm border border-gray-300 bg-white py-2.5 pr-10 pl-4 font-sans text-sm text-brand-navy placeholder-gray-400 shadow-sm focus:border-brand-navy focus:ring-1 focus:ring-brand-navy focus:outline-none"
 				/>
 				<div
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/persons/page.svelte.spec.ts b/frontend/src/routes/persons/page.svelte.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a092fdd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/persons/page.svelte.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { render } from 'vitest-browser-svelte';
+import { page } from 'vitest/browser';
+import Page from './+page.svelte';
+
+const tick = () => new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 0));
+
+vi.mock('$app/navigation', () => ({ goto: vi.fn() }));
+
+const makePerson = (overrides = {}) => ({
+	id: '1',
+	firstName: 'Max',
+	lastName: 'Mustermann',
+	...overrides
+});
+
+const emptyData = { user: undefined, canWrite: true, q: '', persons: [] };
+const dataWithPersons = { ...emptyData, persons: [makePerson()] };
+
+// ─── Rendering ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('Persons page – rendering', () => {
+	it('renders the search input', async () => {
+		render(Page, { data: emptyData });
+		await expect.element(page.getByRole('textbox')).toBeInTheDocument();
+	});
+
+	it('pre-fills the search input from data.q', async () => {
+		render(Page, { data: { ...emptyData, q: 'Müller' } });
+		await expect.element(page.getByRole('textbox')).toHaveValue('Müller');
+	});
+
+	it('shows empty state when no persons', async () => {
+		render(Page, { data: emptyData });
+		await expect.element(page.getByText('Keine Personen gefunden')).toBeInTheDocument();
+	});
+
+	it('renders person cards', async () => {
+		render(Page, { data: dataWithPersons });
+		await expect.element(page.getByText('Max Mustermann')).toBeInTheDocument();
+	});
+
+	it('links person card to detail page', async () => {
+		render(Page, { data: dataWithPersons });
+		await expect
+			.element(page.getByRole('link', { name: /Max Mustermann/ }))
+			.toHaveAttribute('href', '/persons/1');
+	});
+});
+
+// ─── Keystroke preservation (issue #34) ──────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('Persons page – search input keystroke preservation', () => {
+	it('does not overwrite the search input while the user is focused and stale data arrives', async () => {
+		const { rerender } = render(Page, { data: emptyData });
+
+		const input = page.getByRole('textbox');
+
+		// User types "abc" — input is focused
+		await input.click();
+		await input.fill('abc');
+
+		// Simulate a navigation completing with stale data (q='a') while the user is still typing
+		await rerender({ data: { ...emptyData, q: 'a' } });
+		await tick();
+
+		// Input must still show what the user typed, not the stale URL value
+		await expect.element(input).toHaveValue('abc');
+	});
+});