diff --git a/docs/variable-store-plan.md b/docs/variable-store-plan.md
index 72b9ed6..642e010 100644
--- a/docs/variable-store-plan.md
+++ b/docs/variable-store-plan.md
@@ -109,14 +109,16 @@ The items below are still open.
   (#1) for declarations/modifiers and through `dispatchError` for `/set` and
   `/roll`.
 
-### 7. `topoSortAffected` re-evaluates untouched declarations — low
+### 7. `topoSortAffected` re-evaluates untouched declarations — ✅ fixed
 
 - **Where:** in `var-reactivity.ts`, the visit condition
   `affected.has(dep) || declExprs.has(dep)` pulls declared dependencies that are
   not in `affected` into the result.
 - **Symptom:** `reevaluateDependents` re-evaluates and re-publishes variables
-  that did not change. Mostly harmless, but noisy.
-- **Fix:** only visit/topologically order keys in `affected`.
+  that did not change. Mostly harmless, but noisy — and a re-evaluated
+  declaration could overwrite a value that had just been `/set`.
+- **Fixed:** the visit condition now only follows dependencies in `affected`,
+  so a cascade re-evaluates exactly the changed variable's dependents.
 
 ### 8. Failed `initReactivity` leaves partial state — ✅ fixed
 
diff --git a/src/cli/completions/variable-system.test.ts b/src/cli/completions/variable-system.test.ts
index 9e73dc3..7989084 100644
--- a/src/cli/completions/variable-system.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/completions/variable-system.test.ts
@@ -844,6 +844,25 @@ describe("var-reactivity", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe("computeCascade — declarations", () => {
+    test("does not re-publish or re-evaluate declared dependencies that did not change", () => {
+      initReactivity({
+        declarations: [
+          { key: "$con", expression: "12" },
+          { key: "$hp", expression: "$con * 5" },
+        ],
+        tagModifiers: [],
+      });
+
+      // $con was set to 14; only its dependent $hp should be re-evaluated.
+      setBase("$con", "14");
+      const cascade = computeCascade("$con", "12", store({ $con: "14" }));
+
+      expect(cascade.map((r) => r.key)).toEqual(["$hp"]);
+      expect(cascade[0].value).toBe("70");
+    });
+  });
+
   describe("computeCascade — tag activation/deactivation", () => {
     test("activates tag modifiers when a tag value is set", () => {
       initReactivity({
diff --git a/src/components/journal/var-reactivity.ts b/src/components/journal/var-reactivity.ts
index 344cb35..e6dcce3 100644
--- a/src/components/journal/var-reactivity.ts
+++ b/src/components/journal/var-reactivity.ts
@@ -797,7 +797,10 @@ function topoSortAffected(affected: Set<string>): string[] {
     if (expr) {
       const deps = extractDependencies(expr);
       for (const dep of deps) {
-        if (affected.has(dep) || declExprs!.has(dep)) {
+        // Only order within the affected set. Declared dependencies that did
+        // not change must not be pulled in, or reevaluateDependents would
+        // re-publish variables that were never touched.
+        if (affected.has(dep)) {
           visit(dep);
         }
       }