diff --git a/solitaire_engine/src/home_plugin.rs b/solitaire_engine/src/home_plugin.rs
index dd22975..7cc0c36 100644
--- a/solitaire_engine/src/home_plugin.rs
+++ b/solitaire_engine/src/home_plugin.rs
@@ -475,13 +475,19 @@ fn handle_home_cancel_button(
     keys: Option<Res<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>>,
     cancel_buttons: Query<&Interaction, (With<HomeCancelButton>, Changed<Interaction>)>,
     screens: Query<Entity, With<HomeScreen>>,
+    other_modal_scrims: Query<(), (With<crate::ui_modal::ModalScrim>, Without<HomeScreen>)>,
 ) {
     if screens.is_empty() {
         return;
     }
     let click = cancel_buttons.iter().any(|i| *i == Interaction::Pressed);
     let esc = keys.is_some_and(|k| k.just_pressed(KeyCode::Escape));
-    if !click && !esc {
+    // Esc only closes Home when it is the *topmost* modal. With Profile
+    // (or any other ModalScrim) layered on top, the topmost owns the
+    // dismissal — without this gate a single Esc closed the back
+    // modal (Home) and left the front modal orphaned.
+    let esc_targets_home = esc && other_modal_scrims.is_empty();
+    if !click && !esc_targets_home {
         return;
     }
     for entity in &screens {
diff --git a/solitaire_engine/src/profile_plugin.rs b/solitaire_engine/src/profile_plugin.rs
index 9d0d7de..c41348c 100644
--- a/solitaire_engine/src/profile_plugin.rs
+++ b/solitaire_engine/src/profile_plugin.rs
@@ -146,7 +146,17 @@ fn toggle_profile_screen(
     screens: Query<Entity, With<ProfileScreen>>,
 ) {
     let button_clicked = requests.read().count() > 0;
-    if !keys.just_pressed(KeyCode::KeyP) && !button_clicked {
+    let p_pressed = keys.just_pressed(KeyCode::KeyP);
+    let esc_pressed = keys.just_pressed(KeyCode::Escape);
+    let already_open = !screens.is_empty();
+    // P / button toggles open-or-close. Esc only ever closes — when
+    // Profile is layered over Home (clicking the new Home stats chip
+    // opens this on top), Esc must dismiss the *topmost* modal.
+    // Without this branch, Esc fell through to Home's cancel handler
+    // and closed the wrong modal.
+    let want_open = !already_open && (p_pressed || button_clicked);
+    let want_close = already_open && (p_pressed || button_clicked || esc_pressed);
+    if !want_open && !want_close {
         return;
     }
     if let Ok(entity) = screens.single() {