diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f65d4996f..589c7c987 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 
 ### Bugs fixed
 
+- [#3673](https://github.com/clojure-emacs/cider/pull/3673): Fix buggy `special-display-buffer-names` check.
 - [#3659](https://github.com/clojure-emacs/cider/pull/3659): Fixes completions when using `flex`-like completion styles.
 - [#3600](https://github.com/clojure-emacs/cider/pull/3600): Fix scittle jack-in when using `cider-jack-in-clj`.
 - [#3663](https://github.com/clojure-emacs/cider/issues/3663): Fix `cider-interactive-eval-override` invocation.
diff --git a/cider-popup.el b/cider-popup.el
index 5d7beb564..d5e797b92 100644
--- a/cider-popup.el
+++ b/cider-popup.el
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ by adding BUFFER-NAME to the `special-display-buffer-names' list."
     ;; another time through `cider-popup-buffer-display'):
     (if (and (boundp 'special-display-buffer-names)
              (seq-find (lambda (entry)
-                         (equal (car entry) buffer-name))
+                         ;; Fix issue #3672 Phil Hudson 2024-05-21
+                         ;; entry can be either a list or a string
+                         ;; Previous code falsely assumed entry is always a list
+                         (equal (if (listp entry) (car entry) entry) buffer-name))
                        special-display-buffer-names))
         (progn
           (display-buffer buffer-name)