diff --git a/scripts/UI/GameOverScreen.cs b/scripts/UI/GameOverScreen.cs
index 7f82ba4..1a98455 100644
--- a/scripts/UI/GameOverScreen.cs
+++ b/scripts/UI/GameOverScreen.cs
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ public partial class GameOverScreen : Control
     private void OnMainMenuClicked()
     {
         GameStateStore.Instance?.ResetAll();
+        SpeedRunManager.Instance?.StopTimer();
         GetTree().ChangeSceneToPacked(MainMenuScene);
     }
 
diff --git a/scripts/UI/PauseMenu.cs b/scripts/UI/PauseMenu.cs
index 9457e06..e8bb83a 100644
--- a/scripts/UI/PauseMenu.cs
+++ b/scripts/UI/PauseMenu.cs
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ public partial class PauseMenu : Control
     {
         GameManager.ResumeGame();
         GameStateStore.Instance?.ResetSession();
+        // The run is over once you leave to the menu; otherwise the timer keeps ticking there.
+        SpeedRunManager.Instance?.StopTimer();
         GetTree().ChangeSceneToPacked(MainMenuScene);
     }
 
diff --git a/scripts/UI/SpeedRunHud.cs b/scripts/UI/SpeedRunHud.cs
index fcb3ea2..0a695dd 100644
--- a/scripts/UI/SpeedRunHud.cs
+++ b/scripts/UI/SpeedRunHud.cs
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 using Godot;
-using Mr.BrickAdventures;
 using Mr.BrickAdventures.Autoloads;
 
 namespace Mr.BrickAdventures.scripts.UI;
@@ -11,11 +10,26 @@ public partial class SpeedRunHud : Control
 
     public override void _Ready()
     {
-        SpeedRunManager.Instance.TimeUpdated += OnTimerUpdated;
+        if (SpeedRunManager.Instance != null)
+            SpeedRunManager.Instance.TimeUpdated += OnTimerUpdated;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Detaches from the autoload's signal. Without this, every level load left another handler
+    /// attached to a freed HUD: SpeedRunManager outlives the scene, so it kept calling them and each
+    /// one touched a disposed Label. It stayed hidden only because the timer was never started on
+    /// Continue, so the signal never fired outside a fresh run.
+    /// </summary>
+    public override void _ExitTree()
+    {
+        if (SpeedRunManager.Instance != null)
+            SpeedRunManager.Instance.TimeUpdated -= OnTimerUpdated;
     }
 
     private void OnTimerUpdated(double totalTime, double levelTime)
     {
+        if (_timerLabel == null || !IsInstanceValid(_timerLabel)) return;
+
         _timerLabel.Text = SpeedRunManager.FormatTime(totalTime);
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}