diff --git a/src/camera-manager/camera.ts b/src/camera-manager/camera.ts
index 67ce76c2..8c89e5ab 100644
--- a/src/camera-manager/camera.ts
+++ b/src/camera-manager/camera.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import type { Entity, EntityRegistryManager } from '../ha/registry/entity/types'
 import type { HassStateDifference, HomeAssistant } from '../ha/types';
 import { localize } from '../localize/localize';
 import type { CapabilitiesRaw, CapabilityKey, Endpoint } from '../types';
-import { arrayify } from '../utils/basic';
+import { arrayify, errorToConsole } from '../utils/basic';
 import {
   isGo2RTCLiveProvider,
   liveProviderSupports2WayAudio,
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ export interface CameraInitializationOptions {
 
 type DestroyCallback = () => void | Promise<void>;
 
-export class Camera {
+export class Camera<
+  Options extends CameraInitializationOptions = CameraInitializationOptions,
+> {
   protected _config: CameraConfig;
   protected _engine: CameraManagerEngine;
   protected _capabilities?: Capabilities;
@@ -87,7 +89,7 @@ export class Camera {
     return this._initialized;
   }
 
-  async initialize(options: CameraInitializationOptions): Promise<Camera> {
+  async initialize(options: Options): Promise<this> {
     // Freeze a single HASS snapshot for the whole (async, multi-step)
     // initialization so every step observes a consistent entity world; live
     // subscriptions below still use the manager's current watchers.
@@ -96,40 +98,55 @@ export class Camera {
       return this;
     }
 
-    this._entity = await this._resolveEntity(hass, options);
-    await this._initialize(hass, options);
+    // Subscriptions are registered part-way through, so a later failure would
+    // otherwise strand them on a camera nobody holds a reference to.
+    try {
+      this._entity = await this._resolveEntity(hass, options);
+      await this._initializeBeforeCapabilities(hass, options);
 
-    this._capabilities =
-      options.capabilityOptions?.capabilities ??
-      this._capabilities ??
-      (await this._buildCapabilities(hass, options));
+      this._capabilities =
+        options.capabilityOptions?.capabilities ??
+        this._capabilities ??
+        (await this._buildCapabilities(hass, options));
 
-    // The else path is tested, but the `v8` coverage provider miscounts it: a
-    // missing `else` is given the count of the `if` statement minus the count
-    // of its body, and the engine only counts code after an `await` for the
-    // calls that actually paused there. Calls that took an earlier `??` value
-    // above skipped the `await`, which makes the first number the smaller one
-    // and the result negative.
-    // See: https://github.com/AriPerkkio/ast-v8-to-istanbul/issues/148
-    /* v8 ignore else -- @preserve */
-    if (this._capabilities.has('trigger')) {
-      await this._getTriggerEntities(hass, options);
-      this._config.triggers.entities = uniq(this._config.triggers.entities);
+      // The else path is tested, but the `v8` coverage provider miscounts it: a
+      // missing `else` is given the count of the `if` statement minus the count
+      // of its body, and the engine only counts code after an `await` for the
+      // calls that actually paused there. Calls that took an earlier `??` value
+      // above skipped the `await`, which makes the first number the smaller one
+      // and the result negative.
+      // See: https://github.com/AriPerkkio/ast-v8-to-istanbul/issues/148
+      /* v8 ignore else -- @preserve */
+      if (this._capabilities.has('trigger')) {
+        await this._getTriggerEntities(hass, options);
+        this._config.triggers.entities = uniq(this._config.triggers.entities);
 
-      // Subscribe to state based triggers (sync; no race with destroy).
-      const stateWatcher = options.hassManager.getStateWatcher();
-      stateWatcher.subscribe(this._stateChangeHandler, this._config.triggers.entities);
-      this._onDestroy(() => stateWatcher.unsubscribe(this._stateChangeHandler));
+        // Subscribe to state based triggers (sync; no race with destroy).
+        const stateWatcher = options.hassManager.getStateWatcher();
+        stateWatcher.subscribe(this._stateChangeHandler, this._config.triggers.entities);
+        this._onDestroy(() => stateWatcher.unsubscribe(this._stateChangeHandler));
 
-      // Subscribe to event based triggers. List-form `event_type` expands into
-      // one subscription per type sharing the same data/context matcher.
-      const eventWatcher = options.hassManager.getEventWatcher();
-      for (const event of this._config.triggers.events) {
-        for (const request of this._buildEventSubscriptionRequests(event)) {
-          eventWatcher.subscribe(request);
-          this._onDestroy(() => eventWatcher.unsubscribe(request));
+        // Subscribe to event based triggers. List-form `event_type` expands into
+        // one subscription per type sharing the same data/context matcher.
+        const eventWatcher = options.hassManager.getEventWatcher();
+        for (const event of this._config.triggers.events) {
+          for (const request of this._buildEventSubscriptionRequests(event)) {
+            eventWatcher.subscribe(request);
+            this._onDestroy(() => eventWatcher.unsubscribe(request));
+          }
         }
       }
+
+      await this._initializeAfterCapabilities(options);
+    } catch (e) {
+      try {
+        await this.destroy();
+      } catch (destroyError: unknown) {
+        // A camera that cannot clean up must not replace the failure that is
+        // actually worth reporting.
+        errorToConsole(destroyError);
+      }
+      throw e;
     }
 
     this._initialized = true;
@@ -160,7 +177,7 @@ export class Camera {
 
   private async _resolveEntity(
     hass: HomeAssistant,
-    options: CameraInitializationOptions,
+    options: Options,
   ): Promise<Entity | null> {
     const cameraEntityID = getCameraEntityFromConfig(this._config);
     if (!cameraEntityID || !options.entityRegistryManager) {
@@ -175,14 +192,14 @@ export class Camera {
    */
   protected async _getTriggerEntities(
     hass: HomeAssistant,
-    options: CameraInitializationOptions,
+    options: Options,
   ): Promise<void> {
     await this._getDoorbellEntities(hass, options);
   }
 
   private async _getDoorbellEntities(
     hass: HomeAssistant,
-    options: CameraInitializationOptions,
+    options: Options,
   ): Promise<void> {
     if (
       !this._config.triggers.doorbell ||
@@ -216,16 +233,26 @@ export class Camera {
   /**
    * Subclass initialization hook. Override for async initialization work.
    */
-  protected async _initialize(
+  protected async _initializeBeforeCapabilities(
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
     _hass: HomeAssistant,
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
-    _options: CameraInitializationOptions,
+    _options: Options,
+  ): Promise<void> {}
+
+  /**
+   * Subclass initialization hook for work that needs the built capabilities.
+   * Runs inside the initialization guard, so whatever it registers is released
+   * if it, or anything after it, throws.
+   */
+  protected async _initializeAfterCapabilities(
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
+    _options: Options,
   ): Promise<void> {}
 
   protected async _buildCapabilities(
     hass: HomeAssistant,
-    options: CameraInitializationOptions,
+    options: Options,
   ): Promise<Capabilities> {
     const rawCapabilities = await this._getRawCapabilities(hass, options);
     const config = this.getConfig();
@@ -271,7 +298,7 @@ export class Camera {
    */
   protected async _getRawCapabilities(
     _hass: HomeAssistant,
-    options: CameraInitializationOptions,
+    options: Options,
   ): Promise<CapabilitiesRaw> {
     return {
       live: true,
diff --git a/src/camera-manager/entity-camera.ts b/src/camera-manager/entity-camera.ts
index 149501d2..23cabb9f 100644
--- a/src/camera-manager/entity-camera.ts
+++ b/src/camera-manager/entity-camera.ts
@@ -8,14 +8,16 @@ import { CameraNoEntityError } from './error';
  * subclass turns absence into an error for engines that cannot function
  * without it (motionEye, Reolink, TPLink).
  */
-export class EntityCamera extends Camera {
-  protected override async _initialize(
+export class EntityCamera<
+  Options extends CameraInitializationOptions = CameraInitializationOptions,
+> extends Camera<Options> {
+  protected override async _initializeBeforeCapabilities(
     hass: HomeAssistant,
-    options: CameraInitializationOptions,
+    options: Options,
   ): Promise<void> {
     if (!this._entity) {
       throw new CameraNoEntityError(this.getConfig());
     }
-    await super._initialize(hass, options);
+    await super._initializeBeforeCapabilities(hass, options);
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/camera-manager/frigate/camera.ts b/src/camera-manager/frigate/camera.ts
index 3f20730c..f1f9d8b2 100644
--- a/src/camera-manager/frigate/camera.ts
+++ b/src/camera-manager/frigate/camera.ts
@@ -46,27 +46,25 @@ export const isBirdseye = (cameraConfig: CameraConfig): boolean => {
   return cameraConfig.frigate.camera_name === CAMERA_BIRDSEYE;
 };
 
-export class FrigateCamera extends Camera {
+export class FrigateCamera extends Camera<FrigateCameraInitializationOptions> {
   // Short-circuits subscription when destroy() was invoked while base
   // initialization was still awaiting. Set BEFORE awaiting `super.destroy()` so
   // an in-flight initialize() sees the flip immediately.
   private _destroyed = false;
 
-  public async initialize(options: FrigateCameraInitializationOptions): Promise<Camera> {
-    await super.initialize(options);
-
-    // A destroy() during the await above means the camera is being torn down;
-    // it must not register live subscriptions afterward.
+  protected override async _initializeAfterCapabilities(
+    options: FrigateCameraInitializationOptions,
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    // A destroy() while the base class was still initializing means the camera
+    // is being torn down; it must not register live subscriptions afterward.
     if (this._destroyed) {
-      return this;
+      return;
     }
 
     if (this._capabilities?.has('trigger')) {
       this._subscribeToEvents(options.frigateEventWatcher);
       this._subscribeToReviews(options.frigateReviewWatcher);
     }
-
-    return this;
   }
 
   public override async destroy(): Promise<void> {
@@ -124,7 +122,9 @@ export class FrigateCamera extends Camera {
     return true;
   }
 
-  protected override async _initialize(hass: HomeAssistant): Promise<void> {
+  protected override async _initializeBeforeCapabilities(
+    hass: HomeAssistant,
+  ): Promise<void> {
     const config = this.getConfig();
     const hasCameraName = !!config.frigate?.camera_name;
     const cameraEntity = getCameraEntityFromConfig(config);
diff --git a/src/camera-manager/manager.ts b/src/camera-manager/manager.ts
index eb6f0de8..ad18d7ee 100644
--- a/src/camera-manager/manager.ts
+++ b/src/camera-manager/manager.ts
@@ -16,15 +16,18 @@ import type { Endpoint } from '../types.js';
 import {
   allPromises,
   arrayify,
+  errorToConsole,
   isTruthy,
   recursivelyMergeObjectsNotArrays,
   setify,
 } from '../utils/basic.js';
 import { getCameraID } from '../utils/camera.js';
+import { Generation } from '../utils/concurrency/generation.js';
 import { log } from '../utils/debug.js';
 import { ViewItemClassifier } from '../view/item-classifier.js';
 import type { ViewItem, ViewMedia } from '../view/item.js';
 import type { ViewItemCapabilities } from '../view/types.js';
+import type { Camera } from './camera.js';
 import { Capabilities } from './capabilities.js';
 import { CameraManagerEngineFactory } from './engine-factory.js';
 import type { CameraManagerEngine } from './engine.js';
@@ -137,6 +140,14 @@ export class CameraManager {
   private _store: CameraManagerStore;
   private _requestLimit = new PQueue();
 
+  // Cameras take time to build, so a teardown or a newer initialization can
+  // arrive mid-build and leave the finished cameras with no owner.
+  private _generation = new Generation();
+
+  // Handing cameras to the store is not atomic, so commits and teardowns run
+  // one at a time and cannot observe each other half-applied.
+  private _storeCommits = new PQueue({ concurrency: 1 });
+
   constructor(
     api: CardCameraAPI,
     options?: {
@@ -155,6 +166,11 @@ export class CameraManager {
   }
 
   public async initializeCamerasFromConfig(): Promise<void> {
+    // Taken before the early return below: a call that cannot proceed still
+    // supersedes an older one whose cameras are being built from a
+    // configuration that no longer applies.
+    const generation = this._generation.next();
+
     const config = this._api.getConfigManager().getConfig();
     const hass = this._api.getHASSManager().getHASS();
 
@@ -173,11 +189,12 @@ export class CameraManager {
       recursivelyMergeObjectsNotArrays(config?.cameras_global, camera),
     );
 
-    await this._initializeCameras(cameras);
+    await this._initializeCameras(cameras, generation);
   }
 
   public async destroy(): Promise<void> {
-    await this._store.reset();
+    this._generation.invalidate();
+    await this._storeCommits.add(() => this._store.reset());
   }
 
   private async _getEnginesForCameras(
@@ -221,7 +238,74 @@ export class CameraManager {
     return output;
   }
 
-  private async _initializeCameras(camerasConfig: CameraConfig[]): Promise<void> {
+  /**
+   * Create a camera for each engine, and assign each its ID. An initialized
+   * camera holds live subscriptions, so either every camera is returned ready
+   * for the store to own, or none survive: any failure destroys all of them
+   * before throwing.
+   */
+  private async _createCameras(
+    engineByConfig: Map<CameraConfig, CameraManagerEngine>,
+  ): Promise<Camera[]> {
+    // A camera that fails is taken out of the results rather than abandoning
+    // the others mid-flight, which would leave an initialized camera with
+    // nobody holding a reference to it.
+    const failures: unknown[] = [];
+    const cameras = (
+      await allPromises(engineByConfig, ([cameraConfig, engine]) =>
+        engine.createCamera(cameraConfig).catch((error: unknown) => {
+          failures.push(error);
+          return null;
+        }),
+      )
+    ).filter(isTruthy);
+
+    try {
+      if (failures.length) {
+        throw failures[0];
+      }
+
+      const cameraIDs: Set<string> = new Set();
+
+      // Do the additions based off the result-order, to ensure the map order is
+      // preserved.
+      for (const camera of cameras) {
+        const cameraID = getCameraID(camera.getConfig());
+
+        if (!cameraID) {
+          throw new CameraNoIDError(camera.getConfig());
+        }
+
+        if (cameraIDs.has(cameraID)) {
+          throw new CameraDuplicateIDError(camera.getConfig());
+        }
+
+        // Always ensure the actual ID used in the card is in the configuration itself.
+        camera.setID(cameraID);
+        cameraIDs.add(cameraID);
+      }
+    } catch (e) {
+      await this._destroyCameras(cameras);
+      throw e;
+    }
+
+    return cameras;
+  }
+
+  private async _destroyCameras(cameras: Camera[]): Promise<void> {
+    await allPromises(cameras, async (camera) => {
+      try {
+        await camera.destroy();
+      } catch (error: unknown) {
+        errorToConsole(error);
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+  private async _initializeCameras(
+    camerasConfig: CameraConfig[],
+    generation: number,
+  ): Promise<void> {
     const initializationStartTime = new Date();
     const hass = this._api.getHASSManager().getHASS();
 
@@ -230,19 +314,13 @@ export class CameraManager {
       return;
     }
 
-    const hasAutoTriggers = (config: CameraConfig): boolean => {
-      return (
-        config.triggers.motion || config.triggers.occupancy || config.triggers.doorbell
-      );
-    };
+    const requiresAutoTriggerDetection = camerasConfig.some(
+      ({ triggers }) => triggers.motion || triggers.occupancy || triggers.doorbell,
+    );
 
-    if (
-      // If any camera requires automatic trigger detection ...
-      camerasConfig.some((config) => hasAutoTriggers(config))
-    ) {
-      // ... then we need to populate the entity cache by fetching all entities
-      // from Home Assistant. Attempt to do this once upfront, to avoid each
-      // camera doing needing to fetch entity state.
+    if (requiresAutoTriggerDetection) {
+      // Populate the entity cache by fetching all entities from Home Assistant
+      // once upfront, to avoid each camera needing to fetch entity state.
       await this._api.getEntityRegistryManager().fetchEntityList(hass);
     }
 
@@ -250,38 +328,21 @@ export class CameraManager {
     // engine. See: https://github.com/dermotduffy/advanced-camera-card/issues/941
     const engineByConfig = await this._getEnginesForCameras(camerasConfig);
 
-    // Configuration is initialized in parallel.
-    const cameras = await allPromises(
-      engineByConfig.entries(),
-      async ([cameraConfig, engine]) => await engine.createCamera(cameraConfig),
-    );
+    const cameras = await this._createCameras(engineByConfig);
 
-    const destroyCameras = async () => {
-      await allPromises(cameras, (camera) => camera.destroy());
-    };
-    const cameraIDs: Set<string> = new Set();
-
-    // Do the additions based off the result-order, to ensure the map order is
-    // preserved.
-    for (const camera of cameras) {
-      const cameraID = getCameraID(camera.getConfig());
-
-      if (!cameraID) {
-        await destroyCameras();
-        throw new CameraNoIDError(camera.getConfig());
+    // The store mutates incrementally, so staleness is re-checked inside the
+    // queue rather than before it: a teardown or a later initialization that
+    // arrives mid-commit would otherwise interleave with this one.
+    await this._storeCommits.add(async () => {
+      // Nothing will ever own these cameras, so they are destroyed instead of
+      // being handed to a store that has moved on.
+      if (!this._generation.isCurrent(generation)) {
+        await this._destroyCameras(cameras);
+        return;
       }
 
-      if (cameraIDs.has(cameraID)) {
-        await destroyCameras();
-        throw new CameraDuplicateIDError(camera.getConfig());
-      }
-
-      // Always ensure the actual ID used in the card is in the configuration itself.
-      camera.setID(cameraID);
-      cameraIDs.add(cameraID);
-    }
-
-    await this._store.setCameras(cameras);
+      await this._store.setCameras(cameras);
+    });
 
     log(
       this._api.getConfigManager().getCardWideConfig(),
diff --git a/src/camera-manager/reolink/camera.ts b/src/camera-manager/reolink/camera.ts
index 962eadb0..2ec2aa52 100644
--- a/src/camera-manager/reolink/camera.ts
+++ b/src/camera-manager/reolink/camera.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {
   type PTZCapabilities,
 } from '../../types';
 import { createSelectOptionAction } from '../../utils/action.js';
-import type { Camera, CameraInitializationOptions } from '../camera';
+import type { CameraInitializationOptions } from '../camera';
 import { EntityCamera } from '../entity-camera';
 import { ReolinkInitializationError } from '../error';
 import type { CameraEndpointsContext, CameraProxyConfig } from '../types';
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ const PTZ_BUTTON_ENTITY_KEYS: readonly (keyof PTZButtonEntities)[] = [
   'zoom_out',
 ];
 
-export class ReolinkCamera extends EntityCamera {
+export class ReolinkCamera extends EntityCamera<ReolinkCameraInitializationOptions> {
   // The HostID identifying the camera or NVR.
   private _reolinkHostID: string | null = null;
 
@@ -90,16 +90,6 @@ export class ReolinkCamera extends EntityCamera {
   // Entities used for PTZ control.
   private _ptzEntities: PTZEntities | null = null;
 
-  /**
-   * Reolink cameras require additional options not present in the base class
-   * initialization options, so this ~empty method is used to expand the type
-   * expectations. Without this, callers cannot specify objects (e.g. the device
-   * registry) without TypeScript errors.
-   */
-  public async initialize(options: ReolinkCameraInitializationOptions): Promise<Camera> {
-    return super.initialize(options);
-  }
-
   private async _getChannelFromConfigurationURL(
     hass: HomeAssistant,
     deviceRegistryManager: DeviceRegistryManager,
@@ -171,11 +161,11 @@ export class ReolinkCamera extends EntityCamera {
     this._reolinkCameraUID = reolinkCameraUID;
   }
 
-  protected async _initialize(
+  protected async _initializeBeforeCapabilities(
     hass: HomeAssistant,
     options: ReolinkCameraInitializationOptions,
   ): Promise<void> {
-    await super._initialize(hass, options);
+    await super._initializeBeforeCapabilities(hass, options);
     await this._initializeChannel(hass, options.deviceRegistryManager);
     this._ptzEntities = await this._getPTZEntities(hass, options.entityRegistryManager);
   }
diff --git a/src/camera-manager/tplink/camera.ts b/src/camera-manager/tplink/camera.ts
index 7c2b6c80..27ff4488 100644
--- a/src/camera-manager/tplink/camera.ts
+++ b/src/camera-manager/tplink/camera.ts
@@ -23,14 +23,14 @@ interface PTZEntities {
 }
 type PTZEntity = keyof PTZEntities;
 
-export class TPLinkCamera extends EntityCamera {
+export class TPLinkCamera extends EntityCamera<TPLinkCameraInitializationOptions> {
   private _ptzEntities: PTZEntities | null = null;
 
-  protected async _initialize(
+  protected async _initializeBeforeCapabilities(
     hass: HomeAssistant,
     options: TPLinkCameraInitializationOptions,
   ): Promise<void> {
-    await super._initialize(hass, options);
+    await super._initializeBeforeCapabilities(hass, options);
     this._ptzEntities = await this._getPTZEntities(hass, options.entityRegistryManager);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/camera-manager/tplink/engine-tplink.ts b/src/camera-manager/tplink/engine-tplink.ts
index e816f599..baa874ff 100644
--- a/src/camera-manager/tplink/engine-tplink.ts
+++ b/src/camera-manager/tplink/engine-tplink.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@ import {
 import { TPLinkCamera } from './camera';
 
 export class TPLinkCameraManagerEngine extends GenericCameraManagerEngine {
+  // TPLink cameras require a registry manager to resolve their PTZ entities,
+  // which the constructor below guarantees; the base engine only optionally
+  // has one.
+  protected declare _entityRegistryManager: EntityRegistryManager;
+
   constructor(
     entityRegistryManager: EntityRegistryManager,
     hassManager: HASSManagerReadonlyInterface,
diff --git a/tests/browser/fake-hass.ts b/tests/browser/fake-hass.ts
index b7f8f88c..9133f3dc 100644
--- a/tests/browser/fake-hass.ts
+++ b/tests/browser/fake-hass.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ export class FakeHASS {
   private _isAdmin: boolean;
   private _handlers = new Map<string, WSCommandHandler>();
   private _commandLog: MessageBase[] = [];
+  private _openEventSubscriptions = 0;
 
   constructor(options?: FakeHASSOptions) {
     this._language = options?.language ?? 'en';
@@ -129,6 +130,13 @@ export class FakeHASS {
     this._handlers.set(type, handler);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Number of event subscriptions not yet released.
+   */
+  public getOpenEventSubscriptionCount(): number {
+    return this._openEventSubscriptions;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Every WebSocket command the card has issued, in order.
    */
@@ -202,7 +210,13 @@ export class FakeHASS {
   private _createConnection(): Connection {
     const connection = mock<Connection>();
     connection.subscribeMessage.mockResolvedValue(() => Promise.resolve());
-    connection.subscribeEvents.mockResolvedValue(() => Promise.resolve());
+    connection.subscribeEvents.mockImplementation(async () => {
+      this._openEventSubscriptions++;
+      return () => {
+        this._openEventSubscriptions--;
+        return Promise.resolve();
+      };
+    });
 
     // `callWS` and `sendMessagePromise` are the same request/response channel,
     // so both go through one handler table. Given two tables, a command
diff --git a/tests/browser/mounted-card.ts b/tests/browser/mounted-card.ts
index 89536628..e7e3d843 100644
--- a/tests/browser/mounted-card.ts
+++ b/tests/browser/mounted-card.ts
@@ -491,6 +491,13 @@ export class MountedCard {
     this.card.hass = this._hass.getHASS();
   }
 
+  /**
+   * How many Home Assistant event subscriptions the card currently holds open.
+   */
+  public getOpenEventSubscriptionCount(): number {
+    return this._hass.getOpenEventSubscriptionCount();
+  }
+
   /**
    * Hand the card a new `hass` with nothing in it changed.
    */
diff --git a/tests/camera-manager/camera.test.ts b/tests/camera-manager/camera.test.ts
index 77471835..9fcca3e4 100644
--- a/tests/camera-manager/camera.test.ts
+++ b/tests/camera-manager/camera.test.ts
@@ -726,6 +726,66 @@ describe('Camera', () => {
       expect(eventWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
+    it('should release earlier subscriptions when a later subscription throws', async () => {
+      const camera = new Camera(
+        createCameraConfig({
+          id: 'camera_1',
+          triggers: {
+            events: [{ event_type: 'zha_event' }],
+          },
+        }),
+        new GenericCameraManagerEngine(createHASSManager()),
+      );
+
+      const error = new Error('subscribe failed');
+      const stateWatcher = mock<StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface>();
+      const eventWatcher = mock<EventWatcherSubscriptionInterface>();
+      vi.mocked(eventWatcher.subscribe).mockImplementation(() => {
+        throw error;
+      });
+
+      await expect(
+        camera.initialize({
+          hassManager: createHASSManager({ stateWatcher, eventWatcher }),
+          capabilityOptions: { capabilities: createCapabilities({ trigger: true }) },
+        }),
+      ).rejects.toThrow(error);
+
+      // The state subscription was registered before the failure, so nothing
+      // else can release it.
+      expect(stateWatcher.subscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(stateWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('should report the initialization failure when cleanup also fails', async () => {
+      const camera = new Camera(
+        createCameraConfig({
+          id: 'camera_1',
+          triggers: {
+            events: [{ event_type: 'zha_event' }],
+          },
+        }),
+        new GenericCameraManagerEngine(createHASSManager()),
+      );
+
+      const error = new Error('subscribe failed');
+      const stateWatcher = mock<StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface>();
+      vi.mocked(stateWatcher.unsubscribe).mockRejectedValue(new Error('destroy failed'));
+      const eventWatcher = mock<EventWatcherSubscriptionInterface>();
+      vi.mocked(eventWatcher.subscribe).mockImplementation(() => {
+        throw error;
+      });
+
+      await expect(
+        camera.initialize({
+          hassManager: createHASSManager({ stateWatcher, eventWatcher }),
+          capabilityOptions: { capabilities: createCapabilities({ trigger: true }) },
+        }),
+      ).rejects.toThrow(error);
+
+      expect(stateWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
     it('should attach a context-only matcher when only a context filter is set', async () => {
       const camera = new Camera(
         createCameraConfig({
diff --git a/tests/camera-manager/frigate/camera.test.ts b/tests/camera-manager/frigate/camera.test.ts
index 5ccbebd0..b45cd344 100644
--- a/tests/camera-manager/frigate/camera.test.ts
+++ b/tests/camera-manager/frigate/camera.test.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import type {
   FrigateReviewWatcher,
 } from '../../../src/camera-manager/frigate/watcher';
 import type { ActionsExecutor } from '../../../src/card-controller/actions/types';
+import type { StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface } from '../../../src/card-controller/hass/state-watcher';
 import type { PTZAction } from '../../../src/config/schema/actions/custom/ptz';
 import type { CameraTriggerMediaEventType } from '../../../src/config/schema/cameras';
 import type {
@@ -831,6 +832,46 @@ describe('FrigateCamera', () => {
       );
     });
 
+    it('should release base class subscriptions when subscribing throws', async () => {
+      const camera = new FrigateCamera(
+        createCameraConfig({
+          frigate: {
+            client_id: 'CLIENT_ID',
+            camera_name: 'CAMERA',
+          },
+          triggers: {
+            media_events: ['events'],
+            entities: ['binary_sensor.motion'],
+          },
+        }),
+        mock<CameraManagerEngine>(),
+      );
+
+      const error = new Error('subscribe failed');
+      const eventWatcher = mock<FrigateEventWatcher>();
+      vi.mocked(eventWatcher.subscribe).mockImplementation(() => {
+        throw error;
+      });
+
+      const stateWatcher = mock<StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface>();
+
+      await expect(
+        camera.initialize({
+          hassManager: createHASSManager({ stateWatcher }),
+          entityRegistryManager: mock<EntityRegistryManager>(),
+          frigateEventWatcher: eventWatcher,
+          frigateReviewWatcher: mock<FrigateReviewWatcher>(),
+        }),
+      ).rejects.toThrow(error);
+
+      // The state subscription belongs to the base class, which registered it
+      // before `_initializeAfterCapabilities` ran and therefore before this
+      // failure. Nothing here knows about it, so destroying the whole camera is
+      // the only thing that can release it.
+      expect(stateWatcher.subscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(stateWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
     it('should not subscribe with no trigger events', async () => {
       const camera = new FrigateCamera(
         createCameraConfig({
@@ -969,8 +1010,8 @@ describe('FrigateCamera', () => {
 
       await camera.destroy();
 
-      // `_destroyed` short-circuits initialize() after the pending await, so
-      // neither watcher is ever subscribed.
+      // `_destroyed` short-circuits `_initializeAfterCapabilities`, so neither
+      // watcher is ever subscribed.
       expect(eventWatcher.subscribe).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(reviewWatcher.subscribe).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 
diff --git a/tests/camera-manager/manager.browser.test.ts b/tests/camera-manager/manager.browser.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..666a57f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/camera-manager/manager.browser.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import type { RawAdvancedCameraCardConfig } from '../../src/config/types';
+import { MountedCardFactory, type MountedCard } from '../browser/mounted-card';
+import {
+  createStillCameraHASS,
+  createStillImageCameraConfig,
+  createStillImageCardConfig,
+  getBlockNotificationText,
+} from '../browser/test-utils';
+
+const INIT_FAILED_ISSUE_HEADING = 'Initialization failed';
+
+const TRIGGERING_CAMERA_ENTITY = 'camera.triggering';
+const OTHER_TRIGGERING_CAMERA_ENTITY = 'camera.triggering_too';
+
+/**
+ * A camera that subscribes to a Home Assistant event once initialized, so that
+ * whether it was cleaned up is externally observable.
+ */
+const createSubscribingCameraConfig = (
+  cameraEntity: string,
+  cameraID?: string,
+): RawAdvancedCameraCardConfig => ({
+  ...createStillImageCameraConfig(cameraEntity),
+  ...(cameraID && { id: cameraID }),
+  triggers: {
+    events: [{ event_type: 'acc_test_event' }],
+  },
+});
+
+describe('CameraManager', () => {
+  it('should release the subscriptions of cameras that initialized before initialization failed', async () => {
+    // Duplicate identifiers are rejected only after every camera has been
+    // built, so both cameras are live and subscribed when the failure happens.
+    const DUPLICATE_ID = 'duplicate';
+
+    const card = await MountedCardFactory.createFromSource(
+      createStillImageCardConfig({
+        cameras: [
+          createSubscribingCameraConfig(TRIGGERING_CAMERA_ENTITY, DUPLICATE_ID),
+          createSubscribingCameraConfig(OTHER_TRIGGERING_CAMERA_ENTITY, DUPLICATE_ID),
+        ],
+        view: { issues: { retry_seconds: 0 } },
+      }),
+      createStillCameraHASS({
+        cameras: [TRIGGERING_CAMERA_ENTITY, OTHER_TRIGGERING_CAMERA_ENTITY],
+      }),
+    );
+
+    await vi.waitFor(() =>
+      expect(getBlockNotificationText(card.card)).toContain(INIT_FAILED_ISSUE_HEADING),
+    );
+
+    // Both cameras are unreachable once initialization has failed, so nothing
+    // else could ever release what they subscribed to.
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(card.getOpenEventSubscriptionCount()).toBe(0));
+
+    card.destroy();
+  });
+
+  it('should release camera subscriptions when the card is taken off the page', async () => {
+    const card: MountedCard = await MountedCardFactory.createFromSource(
+      createStillImageCardConfig({
+        cameras: [createSubscribingCameraConfig(TRIGGERING_CAMERA_ENTITY)],
+      }),
+      createStillCameraHASS({ cameras: [TRIGGERING_CAMERA_ENTITY] }),
+    );
+
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(card.getOpenEventSubscriptionCount()).toBe(1));
+
+    card.detach();
+
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(card.getOpenEventSubscriptionCount()).toBe(0));
+
+    card.destroy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/camera-manager/manager.test.ts b/tests/camera-manager/manager.test.ts
index 2f1623db..0b46b7f5 100644
--- a/tests/camera-manager/manager.test.ts
+++ b/tests/camera-manager/manager.test.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   CameraQueryClassifier,
   QueryResultClassifier,
 } from '../../src/camera-manager/manager.js';
+import type { CameraManagerStore } from '../../src/camera-manager/store.js';
 import {
   Engine,
   QueryResultsType,
@@ -266,6 +267,11 @@ describe('CameraManager', () => {
     engine?: CameraManagerEngine,
     cameras: {
       config?: CameraConfig;
+
+      // Replaces what the engine does for this camera, for cases the default
+      // path cannot express (e.g. failing, or completing out of order).
+      createCamera?: (cameraConfig: CameraConfig) => Promise<Camera>;
+
       engineType?: Engine | null;
       capabilties?: Capabilities;
       stateWatcher?: StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface;
@@ -290,13 +296,14 @@ describe('CameraManager', () => {
         camera.engineType === undefined ? Engine.Generic : camera.engineType;
       if (engineType) {
         vi.mocked(mockEngine.createCamera).mockImplementationOnce(
-          async (cameraConfig: CameraConfig): Promise<Camera> =>
-            await createInitializedCamera(
-              cameraConfig,
-              mockEngine,
-              camera.capabilties ?? createCapabilities(),
-              camera.stateWatcher,
-            ),
+          camera.createCamera ??
+            (async (cameraConfig: CameraConfig): Promise<Camera> =>
+              await createInitializedCamera(
+                cameraConfig,
+                mockEngine,
+                camera.capabilties ?? createCapabilities(),
+                camera.stateWatcher,
+              )),
         );
       }
       vi.mocked(mockFactory.getEngineForCamera).mockResolvedValueOnce(engineType);
@@ -437,6 +444,237 @@ describe('CameraManager', () => {
       expect(order).toEqual(['destroy-done', 'destroy-done', 'throw']);
     });
 
+    describe('should handle a camera that fails to initialize', () => {
+      const createAPI = (): CardController => {
+        const api = createCardAPI();
+        vi.mocked(api.getHASSManager().getHASS).mockReturnValue(createHASS());
+        return api;
+      };
+
+      it('should destroy a camera that initialized before the failure', async () => {
+        const stateWatcher = mock<StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface>();
+        const error = new Error('initialization failed');
+
+        const manager = createCameraManager(createAPI(), mock<CameraManagerEngine>(), [
+          { capabilties: createCapabilities({ trigger: true }), stateWatcher },
+          { createCamera: () => Promise.reject(error) },
+        ]);
+
+        await expect(manager.initializeCamerasFromConfig()).rejects.toThrow(error);
+
+        expect(stateWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(manager.getStore().getCameraCount()).toBe(0);
+      });
+
+      it('should destroy a camera that initialized after the failure', async () => {
+        const engine = mock<CameraManagerEngine>();
+        const stateWatcher = mock<StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface>();
+        const error = new Error('initialization failed');
+
+        let releaseSlowCamera: () => void = () => {};
+        const slowCameraReady = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+          releaseSlowCamera = resolve;
+        });
+
+        const manager = createCameraManager(createAPI(), engine, [
+          { createCamera: () => Promise.reject(error) },
+          {
+            createCamera: async (cameraConfig) => {
+              await slowCameraReady;
+              return await createInitializedCamera(
+                cameraConfig,
+                engine,
+                createCapabilities({ trigger: true }),
+                stateWatcher,
+              );
+            },
+          },
+        ]);
+
+        const initialization = manager.initializeCamerasFromConfig();
+        releaseSlowCamera();
+
+        await expect(initialization).rejects.toThrow(error);
+
+        expect(stateWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      });
+
+      it('should report the initialization failure when a camera cannot be destroyed', async () => {
+        const error = new Error('initialization failed');
+
+        const unluckyWatcher = mock<StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface>();
+        vi.mocked(unluckyWatcher.unsubscribe).mockRejectedValue(
+          new Error('destroy failed'),
+        );
+
+        // Destroy completion is observable through the trigger-path
+        // unsubscribe, without spying on any Camera method.
+        const slowWatcher = mock<StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface>();
+        let releaseSlowDestroy: () => void = () => {};
+        vi.mocked(slowWatcher.unsubscribe).mockImplementation(
+          () =>
+            new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+              releaseSlowDestroy = resolve;
+            }),
+        );
+
+        const cameraEntry = { capabilties: createCapabilities({ trigger: true }) };
+        const manager = createCameraManager(createAPI(), mock<CameraManagerEngine>(), [
+          { ...cameraEntry, stateWatcher: unluckyWatcher },
+          { ...cameraEntry, stateWatcher: slowWatcher },
+          { createCamera: () => Promise.reject(error) },
+        ]);
+
+        let settled = false;
+        const initialization = manager
+          .initializeCamerasFromConfig()
+          .catch((e: unknown) => {
+            settled = true;
+            throw e;
+          });
+
+        await vi.waitFor(() => expect(slowWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled());
+        expect(settled).toBe(false);
+
+        releaseSlowDestroy();
+
+        // The failing destroy neither masks the initialization error nor
+        // prevents the other camera from being destroyed.
+        await expect(initialization).rejects.toThrow(error);
+        expect(unluckyWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('should discard cameras nothing will own', () => {
+      const createSlowManager = (): {
+        manager: CameraManager;
+        stateWatcher: StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface;
+        releaseCamera: () => void;
+      } => {
+        const api = createCardAPI();
+        vi.mocked(api.getHASSManager().getHASS).mockReturnValue(createHASS());
+
+        const engine = mock<CameraManagerEngine>();
+        const stateWatcher = mock<StateWatcherSubscriptionInterface>();
+
+        let releaseCamera: () => void = () => {};
+        const cameraReady = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+          releaseCamera = resolve;
+        });
+
+        const manager = createCameraManager(api, engine, [
+          {
+            createCamera: async (cameraConfig) => {
+              await cameraReady;
+              return await createInitializedCamera(
+                cameraConfig,
+                engine,
+                createCapabilities({ trigger: true }),
+                stateWatcher,
+              );
+            },
+          },
+        ]);
+
+        return { manager, stateWatcher, releaseCamera: () => releaseCamera() };
+      };
+
+      it('should destroy cameras built after the manager was destroyed', async () => {
+        const { manager, stateWatcher, releaseCamera } = createSlowManager();
+
+        const initialization = manager.initializeCamerasFromConfig();
+        await manager.destroy();
+        releaseCamera();
+        await initialization;
+
+        expect(stateWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(manager.getStore().getCameraCount()).toBe(0);
+      });
+
+      it('should destroy cameras built by a superseded initialization', async () => {
+        const { manager, stateWatcher, releaseCamera } = createSlowManager();
+
+        const superseded = manager.initializeCamerasFromConfig();
+
+        // A second initialization takes over. It cannot build cameras of its
+        // own from the exhausted mocks; what is under test is that the first
+        // initialization's cameras are discarded rather than stored.
+        const current = manager.initializeCamerasFromConfig();
+        releaseCamera();
+
+        await expect(current).rejects.toThrow(CameraNoEngineError);
+        await superseded;
+
+        expect(stateWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(manager.getStore().getCameraCount()).toBe(0);
+      });
+
+      it('should discard cameras superseded by a call that cannot proceed', async () => {
+        const { manager, stateWatcher, releaseCamera } = createSlowManager();
+
+        const superseded = manager.initializeCamerasFromConfig();
+
+        // A newer call that returns early still supersedes: the cameras being
+        // built belong to a configuration that no longer applies.
+        vi.mocked(manager['_api'].getConfigManager().getConfig).mockReturnValue(null);
+        await manager.initializeCamerasFromConfig();
+
+        releaseCamera();
+        await superseded;
+
+        expect(stateWatcher.unsubscribe).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(manager.getStore().getCameraCount()).toBe(0);
+      });
+
+      it('should not reset the store while a commit is in flight', async () => {
+        const api = createCardAPI();
+        vi.mocked(api.getHASSManager().getHASS).mockReturnValue(createHASS());
+        vi.mocked(api.getConfigManager().getConfig).mockReturnValue(
+          createConfig({ cameras: [{ id: 'id', engine: 'generic' }] }),
+        );
+
+        const engine = mock<CameraManagerEngine>();
+        const factory = mock<CameraManagerEngineFactory>();
+        vi.mocked(factory.createEngine).mockResolvedValue(engine);
+        vi.mocked(factory.getEngineForCamera).mockResolvedValue(Engine.Generic);
+        vi.mocked(engine.createCamera).mockImplementation(
+          async (cameraConfig: CameraConfig) =>
+            await createInitializedCamera(cameraConfig, engine, createCapabilities()),
+        );
+
+        // The real store mutates incrementally; a mock makes the commit window
+        // externally controllable.
+        const order: string[] = [];
+        const store = mock<CameraManagerStore>();
+        let releaseCommit: () => void = () => {};
+        vi.mocked(store.setCameras).mockImplementation(
+          () =>
+            new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+              order.push('commit-start');
+              releaseCommit = () => {
+                order.push('commit-end');
+                resolve();
+              };
+            }),
+        );
+        vi.mocked(store.reset).mockImplementation(async () => {
+          order.push('reset');
+        });
+
+        const manager = new CameraManager(api, { factory, store });
+
+        const initialization = manager.initializeCamerasFromConfig();
+        await vi.waitFor(() => expect(store.setCameras).toHaveBeenCalled());
+
+        const destruction = manager.destroy();
+        releaseCommit();
+        await Promise.all([initialization, destruction]);
+
+        // The reset waits for the commit rather than interleaving with it.
+        expect(order).toEqual(['commit-start', 'commit-end', 'reset']);
+      });
+    });
+
     it('should reject missing engine', async () => {
       const api = createCardAPI();
       vi.mocked(api.getHASSManager().getHASS).mockReturnValue(createHASS());