diff --git a/src/components/ProductCarousel.js b/src/components/ProductCarousel.js
index cea9d13..e3c7401 100644
--- a/src/components/ProductCarousel.js
+++ b/src/components/ProductCarousel.js
@@ -14,6 +14,55 @@ const AUTO_SCROLL_SPEED = 0.5; // px per frame (~60fps, so ~30px/sec)
 const AUTOSCROLL_RESTART_DELAY = 5000; // 5 seconds of inactivity before restarting autoscroll
 const SCROLLBAR_FLASH_DURATION = 3000; // 3 seconds to show the virtual scrollbar
 
+const CAROUSEL_LOG = "[ProductCarousel]";
+
+function logCarousel(phase, detail) {
+  try {
+    console.log(CAROUSEL_LOG, phase, detail != null ? detail : "");
+  } catch {
+    /* ignore */
+  }
+}
+
+/** Debug summary of getCategoryProducts callback / socket payload. */
+function summarizeResponse(response, maxProducts = 8) {
+  if (response == null) {
+    return { type: "null" };
+  }
+  if (typeof response !== "object") {
+    return { type: typeof response, value: response };
+  }
+  const keys = Object.keys(response);
+  const products = response.products;
+  const n = Array.isArray(products) ? products.length : null;
+  const sample =
+    Array.isArray(products) && products.length > 0
+      ? products.slice(0, maxProducts).map((p) => ({
+          id: p?.id,
+          seoName: p?.seoName,
+          available: p?.available,
+          availableSupplier: p?.availableSupplier,
+          hasPictureList: Boolean(
+            p?.pictureList &&
+              (typeof p.pictureList === "string"
+                ? p.pictureList.trim().length > 0
+                : Array.isArray(p.pictureList)
+                  ? p.pictureList.length > 0
+                  : false)
+          ),
+        }))
+      : [];
+  return { keys, productsLength: n, sample };
+}
+
+function productHasImage(p) {
+  const pl = p?.pictureList;
+  if (!pl) return false;
+  if (typeof pl === "string") return pl.trim().length > 0;
+  if (Array.isArray(pl)) return pl.length > 0;
+  return false;
+}
+
 class ProductCarousel extends React.Component {
   _isMounted = false;
   products = [];
@@ -41,52 +90,282 @@ class ProductCarousel extends React.Component {
     this._isMounted = true;
     const currentLanguage = this.props.languageContext?.currentLanguage || this.props.i18n.language;
 
-    console.log("ProductCarousel componentDidMount: Loading products for categoryId", this.props.categoryId, "language", currentLanguage);
+    logCarousel("mount", {
+      categoryId: this.props.categoryId,
+      language: currentLanguage,
+      filter_availability:
+        typeof sessionStorage !== "undefined"
+          ? sessionStorage.getItem("filter_availability")
+          : "(no sessionStorage)",
+    });
     this.loadProducts(currentLanguage);
   }
 
+  categoryIdsEqual(a, b) {
+    if (Array.isArray(a) && Array.isArray(b)) {
+      return a.length === b.length && a.every((v, i) => v === b[i]);
+    }
+    return a === b;
+  }
+
   componentDidUpdate(prevProps) {
-    console.log("ProductCarousel componentDidUpdate", prevProps.languageContext?.currentLanguage, this.props.languageContext?.currentLanguage);
-    if (prevProps.languageContext?.currentLanguage !== this.props.languageContext?.currentLanguage) {
+    const lang = this.props.languageContext?.currentLanguage || this.props.i18n.language;
+    const langChanged =
+      prevProps.languageContext?.currentLanguage !==
+      this.props.languageContext?.currentLanguage;
+    const catChanged = !this.categoryIdsEqual(
+      prevProps.categoryId,
+      this.props.categoryId
+    );
+    if (langChanged || catChanged) {
+      logCarousel("didUpdate:reload", {
+        langChanged,
+        catChanged,
+        prevCategoryId: prevProps.categoryId,
+        categoryId: this.props.categoryId,
+        language: lang,
+      });
+    }
+    if (langChanged) {
       this.setState({ products: [] }, () => {
-        this.loadProducts(this.props.languageContext?.currentLanguage || this.props.i18n.language);
+        this.loadProducts(lang);
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+    if (catChanged) {
+      this.setState({ products: [] }, () => {
+        this.loadProducts(lang);
       });
     }
   }
 
+  /** Virtual slugs go to the socket as strings; other ids pass through. */
+  normalizeSocketCategoryId(id) {
+    if (id === "neu" || id === "bald") return id;
+    return id;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * neu: stub only (no `full`). bald: `full: true` — one emit ack with the full list.
+   * Carousel does not subscribe to `productList:*` (no second update).
+   */
+  buildGetCategoryProductsPayload(id, language) {
+    const slug = this.normalizeSocketCategoryId(id);
+    const payload = {
+      categoryId: slug,
+      language,
+      requestTranslation: language === "de" ? false : true,
+    };
+    if (slug === "bald") {
+      payload.full = true;
+    }
+    return payload;
+  }
+
+  /** Single getCategoryProducts response (emit ack only). */
+  emitGetCategoryProductsOnce = (rawId, language, onAck) => {
+    const slug = this.normalizeSocketCategoryId(rawId);
+    const payload = this.buildGetCategoryProductsPayload(rawId, language);
+    logCarousel("emit getCategoryProducts (ack only)", { slug, payload });
+    window.socketManager.emit("getCategoryProducts", payload, (response) => {
+      logCarousel("getCategoryProducts CALLBACK", {
+        slug,
+        summary: summarizeResponse(response),
+      });
+      onAck(response);
+    });
+  };
+
+  finalizeCarouselList = (products) => {
+    if (!this._isMounted) {
+      logCarousel("finalizeCarouselList:skip (unmounted)", {
+        incomingLen: products?.length,
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!products || products.length === 0) {
+      logCarousel("finalizeCarouselList:skip (empty)", {});
+      return;
+    }
+    const shuffledProducts = this.shuffleArray(products).slice(0, 15);
+    logCarousel("finalizeCarouselList:ok", {
+      inputCount: products.length,
+      afterShuffleCap15: shuffledProducts.length,
+      ids: shuffledProducts.map((p) => p?.id),
+    });
+
+    this.originalProducts = shuffledProducts;
+    this.products = [...shuffledProducts, ...shuffledProducts];
+    this.setState({ products: this.products });
+    this.startAutoScroll();
+  };
+
+  processLoadedProducts = (rawProducts, sourceTag = "processLoadedProducts") => {
+    if (!this._isMounted) {
+      logCarousel(`${sourceTag}:skip (unmounted)`, {
+        rawLen: rawProducts?.length,
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!rawProducts || rawProducts.length === 0) {
+      logCarousel(`${sourceTag}:skip (empty products)`, {});
+      return;
+    }
+    logCarousel(`${sourceTag}:incoming`, {
+      count: rawProducts.length,
+      idsSample: rawProducts.slice(0, 12).map((p) => p?.id),
+    });
+    this.finalizeCarouselList(rawProducts.slice());
+  };
+
+  /** Merge neu + bald; neu ids win on duplicate. */
+  processNeuAndBaldMerged = (neuRaw, baldRaw) => {
+    const neuList = neuRaw || [];
+    const baldList = baldRaw || [];
+
+    const seen = new Set();
+    const merged = [];
+    for (const p of neuList) {
+      if (p && p.id != null && !seen.has(p.id)) {
+        seen.add(p.id);
+        merged.push(p);
+      }
+    }
+    let baldWithImage = 0;
+    for (const p of baldList) {
+      if (!p || p.id == null || seen.has(p.id)) continue;
+      if (!productHasImage(p)) continue;
+      baldWithImage += 1;
+      seen.add(p.id);
+      merged.push(p);
+    }
+
+    logCarousel("processNeuAndBaldMerged:counts", {
+      neu: neuList.length,
+      bald: baldList.length,
+      baldWithImage,
+      mergedUnique: merged.length,
+      neuIdsSample: neuList.slice(0, 8).map((p) => p?.id),
+      baldIdsSample: baldList.slice(0, 8).map((p) => p?.id),
+    });
+
+    if (merged.length === 0) {
+      logCarousel("processNeuAndBaldMerged:skip (merged empty)", {});
+      return;
+    }
+    this.finalizeCarouselList(merged);
+  };
+
   loadProducts = (language) => {
     const { categoryId } = this.props;
+    const ids = Array.isArray(categoryId) ? categoryId : [categoryId];
+    const filterAvailability =
+      typeof sessionStorage !== "undefined"
+        ? sessionStorage.getItem("filter_availability")
+        : null;
 
-    window.socketManager.emit(
-      "getCategoryProducts",
-      {
-        categoryId: categoryId === "neu" ? "neu" : categoryId,
-        language: language,
-        requestTranslation: language === 'de' ? false : true
-      },
-      (response) => {
-        console.log("ProductCarousel getCategoryProducts response:", response);
-        if (this._isMounted && response && response.products && response.products.length > 0) {
-          // Filter products to only show those with pictures
-          const productsWithPictures = response.products.filter(product =>
-            product.pictureList && product.pictureList.length > 0
-          );
-          console.log("ProductCarousel: Filtered", productsWithPictures.length, "products with pictures from", response.products.length, "total");
+    logCarousel("loadProducts:start", {
+      language,
+      categoryId,
+      ids,
+      filter_availability: filterAvailability,
+    });
 
-          if (productsWithPictures.length > 0) {
-            // Take random 15 products and shuffle them
-            const shuffledProducts = this.shuffleArray(productsWithPictures.slice(0, 15));
-            console.log("ProductCarousel: Selected and shuffled", shuffledProducts.length, "products");
+    if (ids.length === 1) {
+      const slug = this.normalizeSocketCategoryId(ids[0]);
+      this.emitGetCategoryProductsOnce(ids[0], language, (response) => {
+        let products = response?.products ?? [];
+        if (slug === "bald") {
+          const before = products.length;
+          products = products.filter(productHasImage);
+          logCarousel("loadProducts:single:bald filter image", {
+            before,
+            after: products.length,
+          });
+        }
+        if (products.length > 0) {
+          this.processLoadedProducts(products, "single");
+        } else {
+          logCarousel("loadProducts:single: empty", { slug });
+        }
+      });
+      return;
+    }
 
-            this.originalProducts = shuffledProducts;
-            // Duplicate for seamless looping
-            this.products = [...shuffledProducts, ...shuffledProducts];
-            this.setState({ products: this.products });
-            this.startAutoScroll();
+    const neuBaldMode =
+      ids.length === 2 &&
+      ids.map((x) => this.normalizeSocketCategoryId(x)).sort().join(",") ===
+        "bald,neu";
+
+    if (neuBaldMode) {
+      logCarousel("loadProducts:mode neu+bald (stub neu + full bald → merge → shuffle → max 15)", {
+        ids,
+      });
+
+      let neuProducts = null;
+      let baldProducts = null;
+
+      const tryMerge = () => {
+        if (neuProducts === null || baldProducts === null) {
+          return;
+        }
+        logCarousel("loadProducts:neu+bald merge inputs", {
+          neuLen: neuProducts.length,
+          baldLen: baldProducts.length,
+        });
+        this.processNeuAndBaldMerged(neuProducts, baldProducts);
+      };
+
+      this.emitGetCategoryProductsOnce("neu", language, (response) => {
+        neuProducts = response?.products ?? [];
+        tryMerge();
+      });
+      this.emitGetCategoryProductsOnce("bald", language, (response) => {
+        baldProducts = response?.products ?? [];
+        tryMerge();
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    logCarousel("loadProducts:mode generic merge", { ids });
+
+    const mergedById = new Map();
+    let remaining = ids.length;
+
+    const onResponse = (response, idForLog) => {
+      logCarousel("loadProducts:merge CALLBACK", {
+        id: idForLog,
+        summary: summarizeResponse(response),
+      });
+      let products = response?.products ?? [];
+      if (this.normalizeSocketCategoryId(idForLog) === "bald") {
+        products = products.filter(productHasImage);
+      }
+      if (products.length > 0) {
+        for (const p of products) {
+          if (p && p.id != null && !mergedById.has(p.id)) {
+            mergedById.set(p.id, p);
           }
         }
       }
-    );
+      remaining -= 1;
+      if (remaining === 0) {
+        logCarousel("loadProducts:merge complete", {
+          unique: mergedById.size,
+          idsSample: Array.from(mergedById.keys()).slice(0, 15),
+        });
+        this.processLoadedProducts(
+          Array.from(mergedById.values()),
+          "genericMerge"
+        );
+      }
+    };
+
+    ids.forEach((id) => {
+      this.emitGetCategoryProductsOnce(id, language, (response) => {
+        onResponse(response, id);
+      });
+    });
   }
 
   componentWillUnmount() {
diff --git a/src/components/SharedCarousel.js b/src/components/SharedCarousel.js
index 40d735b..7fb1a8c 100644
--- a/src/components/SharedCarousel.js
+++ b/src/components/SharedCarousel.js
@@ -418,8 +418,8 @@ class SharedCarousel extends React.Component {
           </div>
         </div>
 
-        {/* Product Carousel for "neu" category */}
-        <ProductCarousel categoryId="neu" />
+        {/* Product Carousel: virtual categories Neuheiten + Demnächst */}
+        <ProductCarousel categoryId={["neu", "bald"]} />
 
         {/* Manufacturer logo carousel */}
         <ManufacturerCarousel />