diff --git a/app/features/user-card/components/UserCard.tsx b/app/features/user-card/components/UserCard.tsx
index 4bd3b6341..648d121aa 100644
--- a/app/features/user-card/components/UserCard.tsx
+++ b/app/features/user-card/components/UserCard.tsx
@@ -95,15 +95,39 @@ export function UserCard({
 	withMutualFriends?: boolean;
 	children: React.ReactNode;
 }) {
-	const { t } = useTranslation(["common", "q"]);
 	const lookedUpData = useUserCardData(userId);
 	const data = dataProp ?? lookedUpData;
 
+	if (!data) return <>{children}</>;
+
+	// keyed so friendship state doesn't carry over to another user e.g. when navigating between user pages
+	return (
+		<UserCardPopover
+			key={data.id}
+			data={data}
+			withMutualFriends={withMutualFriends}
+		>
+			{children}
+		</UserCardPopover>
+	);
+}
+
+function UserCardPopover({
+	data,
+	withMutualFriends,
+	children,
+}: {
+	data: UserCardData;
+	withMutualFriends: boolean;
+	children: React.ReactNode;
+}) {
+	const { t } = useTranslation(["common", "q"]);
+
 	// on narrow viewports the card is placed vertically so React Aria can shift it to stay on-screen
 	const placement = useLayoutSize() === "mobile" ? "bottom" : "right";
 
 	const user = useUser();
-	const isOwnCard = user?.id === data?.id;
+	const isOwnCard = user?.id === data.id;
 
 	const [isOpen, setIsOpen] = React.useState(false);
 	// outside the popover so the modals survive it closing when they take focus
@@ -120,7 +144,6 @@ export function UserCard({
 		if (!nextIsOpen) return;
 		if (friendshipLoadedRef.current) return;
 		if (isOwnCard) return;
-		if (typeof data?.id !== "number") return;
 
 		friendshipLoadedRef.current = true;
 		fetcher.load(
@@ -148,8 +171,6 @@ export function UserCard({
 		setIsReportDialogOpen(true);
 	};
 
-	if (!data) return <>{children}</>;
-
 	return (
 		<>
 			<SendouPopover
diff --git a/changelog/2026-09-25-user-card-friend-request-pending.md b/changelog/2026-09-25-user-card-friend-request-pending.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0a398c25d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/2026-09-25-user-card-friend-request-pending.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+navItem: u
+type: bug
+---
+User card no longer shows a friend request as pending for the wrong user after moving between user pages
diff --git a/e2e/pages/user/user-card.ts b/e2e/pages/user/user-card.ts
index 5fb2f5fd3..a320a9d1b 100644
--- a/e2e/pages/user/user-card.ts
+++ b/e2e/pages/user/user-card.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,17 @@ export class UserCard {
 		);
 	}
 
+	async sendFriendRequest() {
+		await waitForPOSTResponse(this.page, () =>
+			this.locators.sendFriendRequestButton.click(),
+		);
+	}
+
+	async close() {
+		await this.page.keyboard.press("Escape");
+		await expect(this.locators.banner).not.toBeVisible();
+	}
+
 	async openReportDialog() {
 		await this.locators.reportUserButton.click();
 		return new ReportUserDialog(this.page);
diff --git a/e2e/pages/user/user-page.ts b/e2e/pages/user/user-page.ts
index 2454441b8..736d13ebc 100644
--- a/e2e/pages/user/user-page.ts
+++ b/e2e/pages/user/user-page.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { userPage } from "~/utils/urls";
 import { navigate } from "../../helpers/playwright";
 import { TeamPage } from "../team/team-page";
 import { TopSearchPlayerPage } from "../top-search/top-search-player-page";
+import { UserCard } from "./user-card";
 import { UserEditProfilePage } from "./user-edit-profile-page";
 import { UserEditWidgetsPage } from "./user-edit-widgets-page";
 import { UserResultsPage } from "./user-results-page";
@@ -76,6 +77,14 @@ export class UserPage {
 		return this.page.getByRole("heading", { name: username });
 	}
 
+	/** Opens the user card from the username heading. */
+	openUserCard(username: string) {
+		return UserCard.open(
+			this.page,
+			this.usernameHeading(username).getByRole("button"),
+		);
+	}
+
 	async openEditProfile() {
 		await this.locators.editProfileButton.click();
 		return new UserEditProfilePage(this.page);
diff --git a/e2e/user-card.spec.ts b/e2e/user-card.spec.ts
index a0cc0a922..c343a0b0a 100644
--- a/e2e/user-card.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/user-card.spec.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
-import { NZAP_TEST_ID } from "~/db/seed/constants";
+import { NZAP_TEST_DISCORD_ID, NZAP_TEST_ID } from "~/db/seed/constants";
 import { ADMIN_ID } from "~/features/admin/admin-constants";
 import { SENDOUQ_LOOKING_PAGE } from "~/utils/urls";
 import { expect, impersonate, test } from "./helpers/playwright";
 import { FriendsPage } from "./pages/friends/friends-page";
 import { LFGPage } from "./pages/lfg/lfg-page";
+import { GlobalSearchDialog } from "./pages/search/global-search-dialog";
 import { SendouQLookingPage } from "./pages/sendouq/sendouq-looking-page";
+import { UserPage } from "./pages/user/user-page";
 
 test.describe("User card", () => {
 	test("edits banner and bio from the looking page", async ({
@@ -126,4 +128,35 @@ test.describe("User card friend request", () => {
 		await expect(card.locators.pendingFriendRequestButton).toBeDisabled();
 		await expect(card.locators.acceptFriendRequestButton).not.toBeVisible();
 	});
+
+	test("sending a request does not mark another user's card pending after navigating between user pages", async ({
+		page,
+		factories,
+	}) => {
+		const otherUsername = "FriendTarget";
+		await factories.UserFactory.create({ discordName: otherUsername });
+
+		await impersonate(page);
+
+		const userPage = new UserPage(page);
+		await userPage.goto(NZAP_TEST_DISCORD_ID);
+
+		const nzapCard = await userPage.openUserCard("N-ZAP");
+		await nzapCard.sendFriendRequest();
+		await expect(nzapCard.locators.pendingFriendRequestButton).toBeVisible();
+		await nzapCard.close();
+
+		const search = new GlobalSearchDialog(page);
+		await search.open();
+		await search.selectType("users");
+		await search.search(otherUsername);
+		await search.selectOption(otherUsername);
+		await expect(userPage.usernameHeading(otherUsername)).toBeVisible();
+
+		const otherCard = await userPage.openUserCard(otherUsername);
+		await expect(otherCard.locators.sendFriendRequestButton).toBeVisible();
+		await expect(
+			otherCard.locators.pendingFriendRequestButton,
+		).not.toBeVisible();
+	});
 });