diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 90468991e..16316f97a 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 ## Release channels
 
-This repository ships on two channels:
+This repository publishes on two channels:
 
 | Channel | Branch | Example version | JSR resolution |
 |---------|--------|-----------------|----------------|
diff --git a/deno.json b/deno.json
index f4d060533..1b1da38cf 100644
--- a/deno.json
+++ b/deno.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@deco/deco",
-  "version": "1.197.0",
+  "version": "1.197.1-next.2",
   "lock": false,
   "nodeModulesDir": "auto",
   "exports": {
diff --git a/dev/deno.json b/dev/deno.json
index 15843f936..8fe98eff4 100644
--- a/dev/deno.json
+++ b/dev/deno.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@deco/dev",
-  "version": "1.197.0",
+  "version": "1.197.1-next.2",
   "exports": {
     "./tailwind": "./tailwind.ts"
   },
diff --git a/runtime/middleware.ts b/runtime/middleware.ts
index aa9528f12..177756e16 100644
--- a/runtime/middleware.ts
+++ b/runtime/middleware.ts
@@ -390,27 +390,24 @@ export const middlewareFor = <TAppManifest extends AppManifest = AppManifest>(
         );
         const segment = tryOrDefault(() => JSON.parse(cookieSegment), {});
 
-        const active = new Set(segment.active || []);
-        const inactiveDrawn = new Set(segment.inactiveDrawn || []);
+        // Track only the `active` set. The previous `inactiveDrawn` set was
+        // write-only state — never read by any matcher logic — and its growth
+        // across pages was the main reason `deco_segment` got rewritten on
+        // almost every request, tripping the Set-Cookie kill-switch below and
+        // making HTML uncacheable. Removing it lets cohort assignment stick.
+        const previousActive = [...new Set<string>(segment.active || [])].sort();
+        const active = new Set<string>(previousActive);
         for (const flag of ctx.var.flags) {
-          if (flag.isSegment) {
-            if (flag.value) {
-              active.add(flag.name);
-              inactiveDrawn.delete(flag.name);
-            } else {
-              active.delete(flag.name);
-              inactiveDrawn.add(flag.name);
-            }
-          }
+          if (!flag.isSegment) continue;
+          if (flag.value) active.add(flag.name);
+          else active.delete(flag.name);
         }
-        const newSegment = {
-          active: [...active].sort(),
-          inactiveDrawn: [...inactiveDrawn].sort(),
-        };
-        const value = JSON.stringify(newSegment);
-        const hasFlags = active.size > 0 || inactiveDrawn.size > 0;
-
-        if (hasFlags && cookieSegment !== value) {
+        const newActive = [...active].sort();
+        const activeChanged =
+          JSON.stringify(previousActive) !== JSON.stringify(newActive);
+
+        if (active.size > 0 && activeChanged) {
+          const value = JSON.stringify({ active: newActive });
           const date = new Date();
           date.setTime(date.getTime() + 30 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000); // 1 month
           setCookie(
diff --git a/runtime/routes/_meta.ts b/runtime/routes/_meta.ts
index d4caaee80..c83be5673 100644
--- a/runtime/routes/_meta.ts
+++ b/runtime/routes/_meta.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ export const handler = createHandler(async (ctx) => {
   return new Response(JSON.stringify(value), {
     headers: {
       "Content-Type": "application/json",
-      "cache-control": "must-revalidate",
+      "cache-control":
+        "public, max-age=60, s-maxage=60, stale-while-revalidate=300, must-revalidate",
       etag,
       ...allowCorsFor(ctx.req.raw),
     },
diff --git a/scripts/deno.json b/scripts/deno.json
index a0d56344c..960670403 100644
--- a/scripts/deno.json
+++ b/scripts/deno.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@deco/scripts",
-  "version": "1.197.0",
+  "version": "1.197.1-next.2",
   "exports": {
     "./release": "./release.ts",
     "./update": "./update.run.ts",