diff --git a/explorer.qmd b/explorer.qmd
index fd42c32..b249751 100644
--- a/explorer.qmd
+++ b/explorer.qmd
@@ -1352,7 +1352,13 @@ zoomWatcher = {
     if (!facetFilters) return;  // wait for facet checkboxes
 
     // --- State ---
-    let mode = 'cluster';  // 'cluster' or 'point'
+    // `viewer._globeState.mode` is the single source of truth for cluster/
+    // point mode (issue #208 smell 2). The closure-private `mode` variable
+    // that used to live here was removed; reads now go through the helper
+    // below, writes only via `setExplorerMode()` (in enterPointMode /
+    // exitPointMode).
+    const getMode = () => viewer._globeState.mode;
+    const setExplorerMode = (next) => { viewer._globeState.mode = next; };
     let currentRes = 4;
     let loading = false;
     let requestId = 0;      // stale-request guard
@@ -1651,8 +1657,7 @@ zoomWatcher = {
 
     // --- Mode transitions ---
     function enterPointMode(pushHistory) {
-        mode = 'point';
-        viewer._globeState.mode = 'point';
+        setExplorerMode('point');
         viewer.h3Points.show = false;
         viewer.samplePoints.show = true;
         if (pushHistory !== false) history.pushState(null, '', buildHash(viewer));
@@ -1661,8 +1666,7 @@ zoomWatcher = {
     }
 
     function exitPointMode(pushHistory) {
-        mode = 'cluster';
-        viewer._globeState.mode = 'cluster';
+        setExplorerMode('cluster');
         viewer.samplePoints.show = false;
         viewer.samplePoints.removeAll();
         viewer.h3Points.show = true;
@@ -1739,7 +1743,7 @@ zoomWatcher = {
     // captures the return into `applied` and is immediately followed by
     // `if (applied) await tryEnterPointModeIfNeeded();`.
     async function tryEnterPointModeIfNeeded(opts) {
-        if (mode === 'point') return;
+        if (getMode() === 'point') return;
         if (viewer.camera.positionCartographic.height >= ENTER_POINT_ALT) return;
 
         let res8Ready = currentRes === 8;
@@ -1754,7 +1758,7 @@ zoomWatcher = {
             });
         }
         const hNow = viewer.camera.positionCartographic.height;
-        if (res8Ready && mode !== 'point' && hNow < ENTER_POINT_ALT) {
+        if (res8Ready && getMode() !== 'point' && hNow < ENTER_POINT_ALT) {
             // Propagate `pushHistory` so boot/hash hydration callers can
             // avoid growing the browser history stack (issue #207 item 3).
             enterPointMode(opts && opts.pushHistory);
@@ -1924,7 +1928,7 @@ zoomWatcher = {
         try {
             updateSourceLegendState();
             writeQueryState();
-            if (mode === 'cluster') {
+            if (getMode() === 'cluster') {
                 loading = false;
                 const applied = await loadRes(currentRes, resUrls[currentRes]);
                 // Liveness recovery (issue #190 round-2 review): if the user
@@ -2005,9 +2009,9 @@ zoomWatcher = {
         busyAcquire();
         try {
             const active = hasFacetFilters();
-            if (facetNote) facetNote.style.display = (active && mode === 'cluster') ? 'block' : 'none';
+            if (facetNote) facetNote.style.display = (active && getMode() === 'cluster') ? 'block' : 'none';
             writeQueryState();
-            if (mode === 'point') {
+            if (getMode() === 'point') {
                 cachedBounds = null;
                 cachedTotalCount = null;
                 cachedCapReached = false;
@@ -2045,16 +2049,16 @@ zoomWatcher = {
             // Determine target mode with hysteresis
             const targetMode = h < ENTER_POINT_ALT ? 'point'
                              : h > EXIT_POINT_ALT ? 'cluster'
-                             : mode;
+                             : getMode();
 
-            if (targetMode === 'point' && mode !== 'point') {
+            if (targetMode === 'point' && getMode() !== 'point') {
                 // Cold-cache deep-link: the res8 + samples_map_lite fetches
                 // can take 60-90s (DuckDB-WASM 1.24.0 falls back to a full
                 // HTTP read; see issue #190). Delegate to the shared helper
                 // so the source-filter handler can call the same path on
                 // supersession recovery.
                 await tryEnterPointModeIfNeeded();
-            } else if (targetMode === 'cluster' && mode !== 'cluster') {
+            } else if (targetMode === 'cluster' && getMode() !== 'cluster') {
                 exitPointMode();
                 // Reload appropriate resolution
                 const target = h > 3000000 ? 4 : h > 300000 ? 6 : 8;
@@ -2088,7 +2092,7 @@ zoomWatcher = {
             }
 
             // Update viewport cluster count (cluster mode only; point mode already shows viewport count)
-            if (mode === 'cluster' && viewer._clusterData) {
+            if (getMode() === 'cluster' && viewer._clusterData) {
                 const bounds = getViewportBounds();
                 const inView = countInViewport(bounds);
                 const total = viewer._clusterTotal;
@@ -2235,8 +2239,8 @@ zoomWatcher = {
             viewer._suppressHashWrite = false;
             const s = readHash();
             const wantsPoint = s.mode === 'point' || (s.alt != null && s.alt < ENTER_POINT_ALT);
-            if (wantsPoint && mode !== 'point') enterPointMode(false);
-            else if (!wantsPoint && mode === 'point') exitPointMode(false);
+            if (wantsPoint && getMode() !== 'point') enterPointMode(false);
+            else if (!wantsPoint && getMode() === 'point') exitPointMode(false);
         }, 2000);
 
         // Handle pid / h3 selection (sample mode wins if both present — see