diff --git a/hscontrol/types/node.go b/hscontrol/types/node.go
index 580df92b..fe120a62 100644
--- a/hscontrol/types/node.go
+++ b/hscontrol/types/node.go
@@ -735,19 +735,21 @@ func (node *Node) ApplyPeerChange(change *tailcfg.PeerChange) {
 	// This might technically not be useful as we replace
 	// the whole hostinfo blob when it has changed.
 	if change.DERPRegion != 0 {
-		if node.Hostinfo == nil {
-			node.Hostinfo = &tailcfg.Hostinfo{
-				NetInfo: &tailcfg.NetInfo{
-					PreferredDERP: change.DERPRegion,
-				},
-			}
-		} else if node.Hostinfo.NetInfo == nil {
-			node.Hostinfo.NetInfo = &tailcfg.NetInfo{
-				PreferredDERP: change.DERPRegion,
-			}
-		} else {
-			node.Hostinfo.NetInfo.PreferredDERP = change.DERPRegion
+		// [NodeStore] publishes snapshots that share the *Hostinfo /
+		// *NetInfo pointers, so writing PreferredDERP in place would race
+		// readers of an already-published snapshot. Clone to fresh pointers
+		// and assign, leaving the previous snapshot untouched.
+		hi := node.Hostinfo.Clone()
+		if hi == nil {
+			hi = &tailcfg.Hostinfo{}
 		}
+
+		if hi.NetInfo == nil {
+			hi.NetInfo = &tailcfg.NetInfo{}
+		}
+
+		hi.NetInfo.PreferredDERP = change.DERPRegion
+		node.Hostinfo = hi
 	}
 
 	node.LastSeen = change.LastSeen
diff --git a/hscontrol/types/node_peerchange_test.go b/hscontrol/types/node_peerchange_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d344d888
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hscontrol/types/node_peerchange_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+package types
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"tailscale.com/tailcfg"
+)
+
+// TestApplyPeerChangeDERPDoesNotMutateSharedHostinfo guards the NodeStore
+// copy-on-write invariant: published snapshots share the *tailcfg.Hostinfo /
+// *tailcfg.NetInfo pointers, so ApplyPeerChange must never write a DERP region
+// through them in place. It must produce fresh pointers, leaving any
+// previously-shared Hostinfo untouched.
+func TestApplyPeerChangeDERPDoesNotMutateSharedHostinfo(t *testing.T) {
+	const newRegion = 2
+
+	t.Run("existing NetInfo", func(t *testing.T) {
+		shared := &tailcfg.Hostinfo{
+			Hostname: "n",
+			NetInfo:  &tailcfg.NetInfo{PreferredDERP: 1},
+		}
+		node := &Node{Hostinfo: shared}
+
+		node.ApplyPeerChange(&tailcfg.PeerChange{DERPRegion: newRegion})
+
+		if got := node.Hostinfo.NetInfo.PreferredDERP; got != newRegion {
+			t.Fatalf("node PreferredDERP = %d, want %d", got, newRegion)
+		}
+
+		if got := shared.NetInfo.PreferredDERP; got != 1 {
+			t.Errorf("shared NetInfo mutated in place: PreferredDERP = %d, want 1", got)
+		}
+
+		if node.Hostinfo == shared {
+			t.Error("node.Hostinfo still aliases the shared Hostinfo pointer")
+		}
+
+		if node.Hostinfo.NetInfo == shared.NetInfo {
+			t.Error("node.Hostinfo.NetInfo still aliases the shared NetInfo pointer")
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("nil NetInfo", func(t *testing.T) {
+		shared := &tailcfg.Hostinfo{Hostname: "n"}
+		node := &Node{Hostinfo: shared}
+
+		node.ApplyPeerChange(&tailcfg.PeerChange{DERPRegion: newRegion})
+
+		if got := node.Hostinfo.NetInfo.PreferredDERP; got != newRegion {
+			t.Fatalf("node PreferredDERP = %d, want %d", got, newRegion)
+		}
+
+		if shared.NetInfo != nil {
+			t.Errorf("shared Hostinfo gained a NetInfo in place: %+v", shared.NetInfo)
+		}
+
+		if node.Hostinfo == shared {
+			t.Error("node.Hostinfo still aliases the shared Hostinfo pointer")
+		}
+	})
+}