diff --git a/physics/templates/physics/exam_take.html b/physics/templates/physics/exam_take.html
index dc02a5c3..9915dd82 100755
--- a/physics/templates/physics/exam_take.html
+++ b/physics/templates/physics/exam_take.html
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
                 [<span id="question-number">{{ pos|add:1 }}</span>/<span id="exam-length">{{ exam_length }}</span>]
             </h2>
             <div class="ms-3">
-                {% include 'physics/partials/exam_flag_button.html' %}
+                <!-- flag button moved into the question fragment so it updates with HTMX swaps -->
             </div>
         </div>
 
@@ -69,6 +69,27 @@
             }catch(e){ console && console.error && console.error(e); }
         };
     </script>
+    <script>
+        // Listen for flag button swaps (HTMX) and update the local menu state
+        document.addEventListener('htmx:afterSwap', function(evt){
+            try{
+                var target = (evt.detail && (evt.detail.target || evt.detail.elt)) || evt.target;
+                if(!target) return;
+                // If the flag button was swapped, update flagged array for current pos
+                var container = (target.id === 'flag-button-container') ? target : target.querySelector && target.querySelector('#flag-button-container');
+                if(!container) return;
+                var btn = container.querySelector('button');
+                if(!btn) return;
+                var flaggedNow = btn.classList.contains('btn-warning');
+                var pos = (typeof window.currentQuestionPos === 'number') ? window.currentQuestionPos : NaN;
+                if(!isNaN(pos)){
+                    window.examQuestionFlagged = window.examQuestionFlagged || new Array({{ exam_length }}).fill(false);
+                    window.examQuestionFlagged[pos] = !!flaggedNow;
+                    if(typeof window.updateQuestionMenu === 'function') window.updateQuestionMenu();
+                }
+            }catch(e){ console && console.error && console.error(e); }
+        });
+    </script>
 
     {% include "physics/exam_take_help.html" %}
 
diff --git a/physics/templates/physics/partials/exam_take_fragment.html b/physics/templates/physics/partials/exam_take_fragment.html
index 8d8000a6..5c9155b3 100644
--- a/physics/templates/physics/partials/exam_take_fragment.html
+++ b/physics/templates/physics/partials/exam_take_fragment.html
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 <div class="exam-question-fragment">
+    <!-- Flag button lives inside the fragment so it updates together with other question controls -->
+    {% include 'physics/partials/exam_flag_button.html' %}
     <form method="POST" class="post-form"
           hx-post="{% if cid %}{% url 'physics:exam_take' pk=exam.pk sk=pos cid=cid passcode=passcode %}{% else %}{% url 'physics:exam_take_user' pk=exam.pk sk=pos %}{% endif %}"
           hx-target="#question-fragment" hx-swap="innerHTML">
@@ -134,6 +136,14 @@
 
             // build the question menu locally so it is available after fragment swaps
             $('#menu-list').empty();
+            const serverAnswered = {{ answered_json|default:'null'|safe }};
+            const serverFlagged = {{ flagged_json|default:'null'|safe }};
+            if ((!window.examQuestionAnswered || !Array.isArray(window.examQuestionAnswered)) && Array.isArray(serverAnswered)) {
+                window.examQuestionAnswered = serverAnswered;
+            }
+            if ((!window.examQuestionFlagged || !Array.isArray(window.examQuestionFlagged)) && Array.isArray(serverFlagged)) {
+                window.examQuestionFlagged = serverFlagged;
+            }
             const answeredArr = (window.examQuestionAnswered && Array.isArray(window.examQuestionAnswered)) ? window.examQuestionAnswered : null;
             const flaggedArr = (window.examQuestionFlagged && Array.isArray(window.examQuestionFlagged)) ? window.examQuestionFlagged : null;
             for (let i = 0; i < {{ exam_length }}; i++) {
diff --git a/physics/views.py b/physics/views.py
index 4733828d..40699328 100644
--- a/physics/views.py
+++ b/physics/views.py
@@ -485,6 +485,16 @@ def exam_take_fragment(request, pk: int, sk: int, cid: str | None = None, passco
                 "saved_answer": saved_answer,
                 "answer": answer,
                 "flagged": flagged,
+                "answered_json": json.dumps([
+                    True if (q.cid_user_answers.filter(cid=cid, exam=exam).exists() if cid is not None else q.cid_user_answers.filter(user=request.user, exam=exam).exists()) else False
+                    for q in questions
+                ]),
+                "flagged_json": json.dumps([
+                    (Flag.objects.filter(content_type=ContentType.objects.get_for_model(q), object_id=q.pk).filter(cid_user__cid=cid).exists()
+                     if cid is not None
+                     else Flag.objects.filter(content_type=ContentType.objects.get_for_model(q), object_id=q.pk).filter(user=request.user).exists())
+                    for q in questions
+                ]),
             "passcode": passcode,
             "cid_user_exam": cid_user_exam,
         },