diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/browser.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/browser.rs
index 3703d7ce09..cb7c09c989 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/browser.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/browser.rs
@@ -2824,7 +2824,9 @@ fn inline_rename(app: &mut SolveApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui, row: Rect, label_left: f
     if escape {
         // Dropping the state cancels the edit.
     } else if commit {
-        crate::context_menu::commit_rename(app, &rename);
+        if crate::context_menu::commit_rename(app, &rename).is_err() {
+            app.menu.rename = Some(rename);
+        }
     } else {
         app.menu.rename = Some(rename);
     }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/browser_card_tests.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/browser_card_tests.rs
index 01cdbf6299..e0465f149e 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/browser_card_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/browser_card_tests.rs
@@ -106,6 +106,31 @@ fn f2_on_a_clicked_browser_group_renames_the_group() {
     }
 }
 
+/// #10654: a refused inline rename keeps the editor open and says why, instead of closing
+/// silently and leaving the old name.
+#[test]
+fn a_refused_inline_rename_keeps_the_editor_and_shows_the_error() {
+    let mut h = Harness::new();
+    h.app.run("solid.box", json!({"length":10,"width":10,"height":10,"body_name":"A"})).unwrap();
+    h.app.run("solid.box", json!({"length":10,"width":10,"height":10,"body_name":"B"})).unwrap();
+    h.app.preferences.browser_bodies_folders = crate::prefs::BodiesFolders::Always;
+    h.settle();
+    h.app.menu.rename = Some(crate::context_menu::Rename {
+        what: crate::context_menu::RenameWhat::Body("B".into()),
+        text: "A".into(),
+        at: egui::Pos2::ZERO,
+        focused: true,
+        inline: true,
+    });
+    h.frames(2);
+    h.step(&json!({"key":"Enter"})).unwrap();
+    h.frames(2);
+    assert!(h.app.menu.rename.is_some(), "the editor stays open after a refused rename");
+    let (text, _, error) = h.app.status.clone().expect("the refusal is shown");
+    assert!(error && text.contains("another body is called"), "{text}");
+    assert!(h.app.session.world_state().body("B").is_some(), "the body keeps its name");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn folder_visibility_target_clears_when_the_user_moves_on() {
     for action in ["body click", "selection command", "empty click", "escape", "design tab", "model edit", "tool"] {
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/context_menu.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/context_menu.rs
index b1b10ee429..72d9b2cf12 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/context_menu.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/context_menu.rs
@@ -2036,24 +2036,30 @@ pub fn start_rename(app: &mut SolveApp, what: RenameWhat, at: Pos2) {
     app.menu.rename = Some(Rename { what, text, at, focused: false, inline: false });
 }
 
-pub(crate) fn commit_rename(app: &mut SolveApp, r: &Rename) {
+pub(crate) fn commit_rename(app: &mut SolveApp, r: &Rename) -> Result<(), String> {
     let name = r.text.trim().to_string();
     if name.is_empty() {
-        return;
+        return Ok(());
     }
-    match &r.what {
+    let result = match &r.what {
         RenameWhat::Body(old) => {
             // The command renames the body where it is hidden or locked too.
-            drop(app.run_heavy("body.rename", json!({ "body": old, "name": name })));
+            app.run_heavy("body.rename", json!({ "body": old, "name": name })).map(|_| ())
         }
-        RenameWhat::Feature(f) => drop(app.run("timeline.rename", json!({ "feature": f, "name": name }))),
-        RenameWhat::Component(c) => drop(app.run("component.rename", json!({ "component": c, "name": name }))),
-        RenameWhat::Group(g) => crate::browser::group_action(app, "ui.renameGroup", &json!({ "group": g, "name": name })),
-        RenameWhat::TimelineGroup(g) => drop(app.run("timeline.rename_group", json!({ "group": g, "name": name }))),
-        RenameWhat::Canvas(c) => drop(app.run("canvas.edit", json!({ "canvas": c, "name": name }))),
-        RenameWhat::View(v) => drop(app.run("view.rename", json!({ "view": v, "name": name }))),
-        RenameWhat::Joint(j) => drop(app.run("joint.edit", json!({ "joint": j, "name": name }))),
-    }
+        RenameWhat::Feature(f) => app.run("timeline.rename", json!({ "feature": f, "name": name })).map(|_| ()),
+        RenameWhat::Component(c) => app.run("component.rename", json!({ "component": c, "name": name })).map(|_| ()),
+        RenameWhat::Group(g) => {
+            crate::browser::group_action(app, "ui.renameGroup", &json!({ "group": g, "name": name }));
+            Ok(())
+        }
+        RenameWhat::TimelineGroup(g) => app.run("timeline.rename_group", json!({ "group": g, "name": name })).map(|_| ()),
+        RenameWhat::Canvas(c) => app.run("canvas.edit", json!({ "canvas": c, "name": name })).map(|_| ()),
+        RenameWhat::View(v) => app.run("view.rename", json!({ "view": v, "name": name })).map(|_| ()),
+        RenameWhat::Joint(j) => app.run("joint.edit", json!({ "joint": j, "name": name })).map(|_| ()),
+    };
+    // The command's own status line explains a refusal; the caller decides whether to keep the
+    // editor open on it.
+    result
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -2583,7 +2589,9 @@ fn show_rename(app: &mut SolveApp, ctx: &egui::Context) {
         done = Some(true);
     }
     match done {
-        Some(true) => commit_rename(app, &r),
+        Some(true) => {
+            let _ = commit_rename(app, &r);
+        }
         Some(false) => {}
         None => app.menu.rename = Some(r),
     }
@@ -2596,7 +2604,7 @@ pub fn finish_rename(app: &mut SolveApp, text: Option<&str>, commit: bool) -> bo
         r.text = s.to_string();
     }
     if commit {
-        commit_rename(app, &r);
+        let _ = commit_rename(app, &r);
     }
     true
 }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/history_off_thread_tests.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/history_off_thread_tests.rs
index dd1b8bdf2c..00ee8812ba 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/history_off_thread_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/history_off_thread_tests.rs
@@ -1091,7 +1091,7 @@ fn a_body_renamed_in_the_browser_keeps_the_pattern_after_it() {
     let before = mesh(&h);
     // What Enter does, without the frames after it that would see the rename in.
     let rename = h.app.menu.rename.take().unwrap();
-    crate::context_menu::commit_rename(&mut h.app, &rename);
+    let _ = crate::context_menu::commit_rename(&mut h.app, &rename);
     assert!(h.app.computing_since().is_some(), "computing");
     assert_eq!(names(&h), ["Body1"], "the design is as it was while it computes");
     until_settled(&mut h);
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/timeline_left.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/timeline_left.rs
index d7a9ec220a..c963816b88 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/timeline_left.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/timeline_left.rs
@@ -1068,7 +1068,7 @@ fn timeline_group_name(
     if escape {
         // Dropping the shared state cancels the edit and leaves the old name intact.
     } else if commit {
-        crate::context_menu::commit_rename(app, &rename);
+        let _ = crate::context_menu::commit_rename(app, &rename);
     } else {
         app.menu.rename = Some(rename);
     }