diff --git a/custom_components/localthings/observe.py b/custom_components/localthings/observe.py
index e3c5aad..7d51109 100644
--- a/custom_components/localthings/observe.py
+++ b/custom_components/localthings/observe.py
@@ -115,8 +115,22 @@ class ObserveManager:
         could each read the same prior rep and the second writer would
         silently lose the first's fields, reintroducing the exact bug
         this merge fixes.
+
+        `source == 'optimistic'` always bypasses the settle gate below,
+        even while this href is already settling from an earlier write.
+        Several independent selects can share one href -- issue #9's washer
+        packs cycle, detergent, and softener settings onto the same
+        /course/vs/0 -- so a second, different write to the same href
+        while the first's settle window is still open (up to
+        _POST_TIMEOUT_S + _POLL_TIMEOUT_S, tens of seconds -- see
+        coordinator.async_send_command) is an expected, normal sequence,
+        not a stale echo of the first write. Gating it the same as a
+        poll/sweep/observe update would silently drop the user's own
+        second selection from the cache until the first write's guard
+        happened to expire, i.e. the exact symptom this guard exists to
+        prevent, just relocated to whichever write loses the race.
         """
-        if self._is_settling(href):
+        if source != 'optimistic' and self._is_settling(href):
             self.log.debug("dropping %s update for %s (settling)", source, href)
             return False
         with self._cache_lock:
diff --git a/tests/localthings/test_coordinator.py b/tests/localthings/test_coordinator.py
index 72a406e..a396815 100644
--- a/tests/localthings/test_coordinator.py
+++ b/tests/localthings/test_coordinator.py
@@ -808,6 +808,45 @@ async def test_send_command_survives_stale_confirm_poll(
     assert coordinator._cache.get('/test/vs/0') == {'value': 5}
 
 
+async def test_second_write_to_same_href_lands_during_first_writes_settle_window(
+    hass: HomeAssistant, mock_entry, mock_coordinator_observe_session,
+) -> None:
+    """Regression for issue #9: /course/vs/0 backs several independent
+    washer selects (cycle, detergent quantity, softener quantity, ...)
+    sharing one href. The settle window is now sized to tens of seconds
+    (see test_send_command_survives_stale_confirm_poll), which makes a
+    second, different write to that href landing while the first write's
+    window is still open a routine occurrence -- e.g. a user picking a
+    cycle and then adjusting detergent quantity within the same minute --
+    not a rare edge case. The second write's own optimistic value must
+    still show up immediately; a guard meant to protect optimistic writes
+    from stale device echoes must not itself suppress a later one."""
+    from custom_components.localthings.registry.discovery import BoundEntity
+    from custom_components.localthings.registry.entities import NumberDesc
+
+    fake = mock_coordinator_observe_session
+    await hass.config_entries.async_setup(mock_entry.entry_id)
+    await hass.async_block_till_done()
+    coordinator: LocalThingsCoordinator = hass.data[DOMAIN][mock_entry.entry_id]
+
+    desc_a = NumberDesc(key='cycle', field='cycle',
+                        write_fn=lambda p, rep, href: (['test', 'vs', '0'], {'cycle': p}))
+    desc_b = NumberDesc(key='detergent', field='detergent',
+                        write_fn=lambda p, rep, href: (['test', 'vs', '0'], {'detergent': p}))
+    bound_a = BoundEntity(href='/test/vs/0', capability=coordinator.bound[0].capability, desc=desc_a)
+    bound_b = BoundEntity(href='/test/vs/0', capability=coordinator.bound[0].capability, desc=desc_b)
+
+    with patch.object(fake, 'subscribe'):
+        fake.post = lambda *a, **k: (0x44, b'')
+        await coordinator.async_send_command(bound_a, 'Eco')
+        assert coordinator._cache.get('/test/vs/0') == {'cycle': 'Eco'}
+
+        # Still well within the first write's settle window.
+        await coordinator.async_send_command(bound_b, 'High')
+
+    assert coordinator._cache.get('/test/vs/0') == {'cycle': 'Eco', 'detergent': 'High'}
+
+
 class TestRemoteControlEnabled:
     """remote_control_enabled (registry/capabilities/common.py) is the
     single source of truth for the /remotectrl on/off signal, shared by
diff --git a/tests/localthings/test_observe.py b/tests/localthings/test_observe.py
index 7d3fe9a..4ea057d 100644
--- a/tests/localthings/test_observe.py
+++ b/tests/localthings/test_observe.py
@@ -67,6 +67,30 @@ def test_apply_drops_update_during_settle_window():
     assert mgr.cache.get('/oven/vs/0') == {'a': 1}
 
 
+def test_apply_optimistic_bypasses_an_in_progress_settle_window():
+    """Regression for issue #9: /course/vs/0 backs several independent
+    washer selects (cycle, detergent quantity, softener quantity, ...).
+    Picking a second one while the first's settle window is still open
+    (now sized to tens of seconds -- see coordinator._POST_TIMEOUT_S/
+    _POLL_TIMEOUT_S) is a normal sequence, not a stale echo of the first
+    write, and must land in the cache immediately -- not get silently
+    dropped by a guard that exists to protect optimistic writes, not
+    suppress them."""
+    mgr = _manager()
+    mgr.cache.apply_rep('/course/vs/0', {'Course': '1C', 'Detergent': '1'}, source='seed')
+    mgr.mark_write_pending('/course/vs/0', settle_s=30.0)
+
+    result = mgr.apply('/course/vs/0', {'Detergent': '2'}, source='optimistic')
+
+    assert result is True
+    assert mgr.cache.get('/course/vs/0') == {'Course': '1C', 'Detergent': '2'}
+
+    # A poll/sweep/observe update racing in right behind it is still
+    # gated -- the second write's own guard (re-armed by mark_write_pending,
+    # not exercised directly here) is what protects it going forward.
+    assert mgr.apply('/course/vs/0', {'Detergent': '1'}, source='poll') is False
+
+
 def test_apply_accepts_update_after_settle_window_elapses():
     mgr = _manager()
     mgr.mark_write_pending('/oven/vs/0', settle_s=0.05)