diff --git a/frontend/src/__tests__/board-removal-running-reconcile.test.ts b/frontend/src/__tests__/board-removal-running-reconcile.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ecdbf467
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/__tests__/board-removal-running-reconcile.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+/**
+ * Regression tests for three reported circuit bugs:
+ *
+ *  1. "Deleting a board STARTS the simulation, leaving the circuit
+ *     unresponsive until stopped."
+ *  2. "Selecting New Project sometimes STARTS the simulation."
+ *  3. "Load a multi-board example, then a single-board example — the old
+ *     boards stay behind as residue."
+ *
+ * Root cause for (1) and (2): the flat `running` flag mirrors the ACTIVE
+ * board's run state. `removeBoard` reassigned `activeBoardId` but never
+ * re-derived `running`, so deleting the running/active board left it stale
+ * at `true`. The UI then looked "running" and SimulatorCanvas's auto-start
+ * effect (which treats `running` as a master switch for remote boards) span
+ * a sibling board up. New Project hits the same path — it removes every
+ * board in a loop. The fix re-derives `running` from the new active board
+ * inside removeBoard.
+ *
+ * Root cause for (3): loadExample's single-board path called setBoardType
+ * when boards already existed but never dropped the EXTRA boards a previous
+ * multi-board example had added. The fix removes every board past the first
+ * before retyping.
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+import { useSimulatorStore } from '../store/useSimulatorStore';
+import { useElectricalStore } from '../store/useElectricalStore';
+import { loadExample } from '../utils/loadExample';
+import { exampleProjects } from '../data/examples';
+
+function resetStores() {
+  const sim = useSimulatorStore.getState();
+  for (const id of sim.boards.map((b) => b.id)) sim.removeBoard(id);
+  useElectricalStore.getState().setPaused(false);
+}
+
+function findExample(id: string) {
+  const e = exampleProjects.find((x) => x.id === id);
+  if (!e) throw new Error(`Example not found: ${id}`);
+  return e;
+}
+
+/** Mark a board (and, if active, the flat mirror) as running — without
+ *  spinning up a real simulator/bridge. */
+function markRunning(boardId: string) {
+  useSimulatorStore.setState((s) => ({
+    running: s.activeBoardId === boardId ? true : s.running,
+    boards: s.boards.map((b) => (b.id === boardId ? { ...b, running: true } : b)),
+  }));
+}
+
+describe('removeBoard — running-flag reconciliation (bugs 1 & 2)', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    resetStores();
+  });
+
+  it('deleting the running ACTIVE board clears the global running flag', () => {
+    const { addBoard, setActiveBoardId, removeBoard } = useSimulatorStore.getState();
+    const a = addBoard('arduino-uno', 0, 0);
+    const b = addBoard('arduino-nano', 300, 0);
+    setActiveBoardId(a);
+    markRunning(a);
+    expect(useSimulatorStore.getState().running).toBe(true);
+
+    removeBoard(a);
+
+    const s = useSimulatorStore.getState();
+    expect(s.activeBoardId).toBe(b);
+    // The new active board (b) is NOT running, so the flat flag must follow.
+    expect(s.running).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('deleting the only (running) board leaves running=false with no boards', () => {
+    const { addBoard, setActiveBoardId, removeBoard } = useSimulatorStore.getState();
+    const a = addBoard('arduino-uno', 0, 0);
+    setActiveBoardId(a);
+    markRunning(a);
+
+    removeBoard(a);
+
+    const s = useSimulatorStore.getState();
+    expect(s.boards).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(s.activeBoardId).toBeNull();
+    expect(s.running).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('deleting a NON-active board does not disturb the active board mirror', () => {
+    const { addBoard, setActiveBoardId, removeBoard } = useSimulatorStore.getState();
+    const a = addBoard('arduino-uno', 0, 0);
+    const b = addBoard('arduino-nano', 300, 0);
+    setActiveBoardId(a);
+    markRunning(a);
+
+    removeBoard(b); // remove the inactive one
+
+    const s = useSimulatorStore.getState();
+    expect(s.activeBoardId).toBe(a);
+    expect(s.running).toBe(true); // active board still running
+  });
+
+  it('New Project teardown (remove every board in a loop) ends with running=false', () => {
+    const { addBoard, setActiveBoardId, removeBoard } = useSimulatorStore.getState();
+    const a = addBoard('arduino-uno', 0, 0);
+    addBoard('arduino-nano', 300, 0);
+    setActiveBoardId(a);
+    markRunning(a);
+
+    // Mirror desktop menu.ts::newProject(): drop every board.
+    for (const board of [...useSimulatorStore.getState().boards]) {
+      removeBoard(board.id);
+    }
+
+    const s = useSimulatorStore.getState();
+    expect(s.boards).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(s.running).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('loadExample — multi-board to single-board leaves no residue (bug 3)', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    resetStores();
+  });
+
+  it('a single-board example after a multi-board example ends with exactly one board', async () => {
+    // Multi-board example: STM32 Blue Pill + Arduino Uno.
+    await loadExample(findExample('stm32-uno-gpio-mirror'));
+    expect(useSimulatorStore.getState().boards.length).toBe(2);
+
+    // Single-board example must reduce the canvas back to one board.
+    await loadExample(findExample('blink-led'));
+    expect(useSimulatorStore.getState().boards.length).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it('residue cleanup also applies when extra boards were added manually', async () => {
+    const { addBoard } = useSimulatorStore.getState();
+    addBoard('arduino-nano', 300, 0);
+    addBoard('arduino-mega', 600, 0);
+    expect(useSimulatorStore.getState().boards.length).toBeGreaterThan(1);
+
+    await loadExample(findExample('blink-led'));
+    expect(useSimulatorStore.getState().boards.length).toBe(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/store/useSimulatorStore.ts b/frontend/src/store/useSimulatorStore.ts
index 19c65e1d..36373cf1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/store/useSimulatorStore.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/store/useSimulatorStore.ts
@@ -1231,7 +1231,20 @@ export const useSimulatorStore = create<SimulatorState>((set, get) => {
         const wires = s.wires.filter(
           (w) => w.start.componentId !== boardId && w.end.componentId !== boardId,
         );
-        return { boards, activeBoardId, wires };
+        // Reconcile the flat `running` mirror. This flag tracks the ACTIVE
+        // board's run state (see startBoard/stopBoard/setActiveBoardId's
+        // `isActive` sync). Removing the active board reassigns
+        // `activeBoardId` above, but used to leave `running` stale — so
+        // deleting the running/active board left the UI stuck in a fake
+        // "running" state, and SimulatorCanvas's auto-start effect (which
+        // treats `running` as a master switch for remote boards) then spun
+        // a sibling board up. Re-derive it from whatever board is active
+        // now (false if none remain).
+        const nextActive = activeBoardId
+          ? boards.find((b) => b.id === activeBoardId) ?? null
+          : null;
+        const running = nextActive ? nextActive.running : false;
+        return { boards, activeBoardId, wires, running };
       });
       // Clean up file group in editor store
       if (board) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/loadExample.ts b/frontend/src/utils/loadExample.ts
index 41dc649e..e6c5d95d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/utils/loadExample.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/loadExample.ts
@@ -196,6 +196,17 @@ export async function loadExample(
       currentIds.forEach((id) => removeBoard(id));
     } else {
       const targetBoard = example.boardType || 'arduino-uno';
+      // A previous MULTI-board example may have left several boards on the
+      // canvas. A single-board example must end with exactly one board, so
+      // drop every board past the first before retyping it. Without this
+      // the extra boards (and their editor file groups) linger as residue
+      // from the previous example. setComponents/setWires below already
+      // replace the components and wires wholesale; boards were the one
+      // piece of state this path never reset.
+      const existing = useSimulatorStore.getState().boards;
+      if (existing.length > 1) {
+        existing.slice(1).forEach((b) => removeBoard(b.id));
+      }
       // If boards[] is empty (e.g. a previous analog example removed every
       // board), setBoardType can't work — it only maps over existing entries.
       // Add a fresh board instead.
@@ -207,6 +218,9 @@ export async function loadExample(
         );
         setActiveBoardId(newId);
       } else {
+        // Reuse the surviving board, but make sure it's the active one
+        // first — setBoardType retypes whatever board is active.
+        setActiveBoardId(useSimulatorStore.getState().boards[0].id);
         setBoardType(targetBoard);
       }
     }