diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5e375a6..3235233 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 - Clarified in the README that the button label is a string (#12)
 
 ### Changed
+- Batch action buttons are now `button_to` forms that are truly disabled until rows are selected (#48)
 - Batch action routes are now `POST /<namespace>/administrate_batch_actions/<controller>/<action>`, named `<namespace>_<action>_<controller>`, e.g. `admin_delete_batch_action_users_path`
 
 ## [0.4.0] - 2026-03-26
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/administrate_batch_actions/script.js b/app/assets/javascripts/administrate_batch_actions/script.js
index 068f678..6b7a465 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/administrate_batch_actions/script.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/administrate_batch_actions/script.js
@@ -1,80 +1,122 @@
-const init = function() {
-  var buttons = document.querySelectorAll("[data-batch-action-option='button']");
-  var checkboxes = document.querySelectorAll("[data-batch-action-option='checkbox']");
-  var selectAllCheckboxes = document.querySelector("[data-batch-action-option='select_all']");
+const boundForms = new WeakSet();
+const boundCheckboxes = new WeakSet();
+const boundSelectAllCheckboxes = new WeakSet();
 
-  if (selectAllCheckboxes && checkboxes && buttons) {
+const init = function () {
+  var buttons = document.querySelectorAll(
+    "[data-batch-action-option='button']",
+  );
+  var checkboxes = document.querySelectorAll(
+    "[data-batch-action-option='checkbox']",
+  );
+  var selectAllCheckboxes = document.querySelector(
+    "[data-batch-action-option='select_all']",
+  );
 
-    window.onpageshow = function(event) {
-      if (selectedIds().length > 0) {
-        checkboxes.forEach(function(checkbox) {
+  if (selectAllCheckboxes && checkboxes && buttons) {
+    // Reset selections restored by the browser's back/forward cache
+    window.onpageshow = function (event) {
+      if (selectedItemIds().length > 0) {
+        checkboxes.forEach(function (checkbox) {
           checkbox.checked = false;
         });
 
         selectAllCheckboxes.checked = false;
       }
+
+      checkAndToggleActionButtons();
     };
 
-    selectAllCheckboxes.addEventListener('click', function(){
-      checkboxes.forEach(function(checkbox) {
-        checkbox.checked = selectAllCheckboxes.checked;
+    if (!isBoundElement(boundSelectAllCheckboxes, selectAllCheckboxes)) {
+      boundSelectAllCheckboxes.add(selectAllCheckboxes);
+
+      selectAllCheckboxes.addEventListener("click", function () {
+        checkboxes.forEach(function (checkbox) {
+          checkbox.checked = selectAllCheckboxes.checked;
+        });
+
+        checkAndToggleActionButtons();
       });
+    }
 
-      checkAndToggleActionButtons();
-    });
+    buttons.forEach(function (button) {
+      var form = button.form;
+      if (!form || isBoundElement(boundForms, form)) return;
+      boundForms.add(form);
 
-    buttons.forEach(function(button){
-      var originalHref = button.getAttribute('href');
+      form.addEventListener("submit", function (event) {
+        var confirmMessage = button.dataset.batchActionConfirm;
 
-      button.addEventListener('click', function(event){
-        // Rebuild from the original href so existing query params are kept
-        // and repeated clicks (e.g. a cancelled confirm) don't append twice.
-        var url = new URL(originalHref, window.location.href);
+        if (confirmMessage && confirm(confirmMessage) !== true) {
+          event.preventDefault();
+          return;
+        }
 
-        selectedIds().forEach(function(id) {
-          url.searchParams.append('batch_action_ids[]', id);
-        });
+        // Replace ids from a previous submission (e.g. after navigating back)
+        form
+          .querySelectorAll("[data-batch-action-option='hidden_id']")
+          .forEach(function (hiddenInput) {
+            hiddenInput.remove();
+          });
 
-        button.href = url.toString();
+        selectedItemIds().forEach(function (id) {
+          var hiddenInput = document.createElement("input");
+          hiddenInput.type = "hidden";
+          hiddenInput.name = "batch_action_ids[]";
+          hiddenInput.value = id;
+          hiddenInput.dataset.batchActionOption = "hidden_id";
+          form.appendChild(hiddenInput);
+        });
       });
     });
 
-    checkboxes.forEach(function(checkbox){
-      checkbox.closest('td').addEventListener('click', function(event){
+    checkboxes.forEach(function (checkbox) {
+      if (isBoundElement(boundCheckboxes, checkbox)) {
+        return;
+      }
+      boundCheckboxes.add(checkbox);
+
+      checkbox.closest("td").addEventListener("click", function (event) {
         event.stopImmediatePropagation();
-      })
+      });
 
-      checkbox.addEventListener('click', function(event) {
+      checkbox.addEventListener("click", function (event) {
         event.stopImmediatePropagation();
 
         checkAndToggleActionButtons();
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
+  function selectedItemIds() {
+    return Array.prototype.filter
+      .call(checkboxes, function (checkbox) {
+        return checkbox.checked;
       })
-    })
+      .map(function (checkbox) {
+        return checkbox.value;
+      });
   }
 
-  function selectedIds() {
-    return Array.prototype.filter.call(checkboxes, function(checkbox) {
-      return checkbox.checked;
-    }).map(function(checkbox) {
-      return checkbox.value;
+  function checkAndToggleActionButtons() {
+    var disabled = selectedItemIds().length === 0;
+
+    buttons.forEach(function (button) {
+      button.disabled = disabled;
     });
   }
 
-  function checkAndToggleActionButtons() {
-    if (selectedIds().length > 0) {
-      buttons.forEach(function(button){
-        button.classList.remove('disabled');
-        button.removeAttribute('disabled');
-      });
-    } else {
-      buttons.forEach(function(button){
-        button.classList.add('disabled');
-        button.setAttribute('disabled', 'disabled');
-      });
-    }
+  function isBoundElement(boundElement, incomingElement) {
+    return boundElement.has(incomingElement);
   }
 };
 
-document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { init() });
-document.addEventListener("turbolinks:load", function() { init() });
-document.addEventListener("turbo:load", function() { init() });
+document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function () {
+  init();
+});
+document.addEventListener("turbolinks:load", function () {
+  init();
+});
+document.addEventListener("turbo:load", function () {
+  init();
+});
diff --git a/app/views/shared/administrate_batch_actions/_button.html.erb b/app/views/shared/administrate_batch_actions/_button.html.erb
index f9eea45..517eaba 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/administrate_batch_actions/_button.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/shared/administrate_batch_actions/_button.html.erb
@@ -1 +1,8 @@
-<%= link_to name, path, class: "btn disabled #{html_options[:class]}", data: { batch_action_option: 'button', confirm: html_options[:confirm] }, method: :post %>
+<%= button_to path,
+  class: "btn #{html_options[:class]}",
+  data: { batch_action_option: 'button', batch_action_confirm: html_options[:confirm].presence },
+  form: { data: { turbo: false } },
+  method: :post,
+  disabled: true do %>
+  <%= name %>
+<% end %>
diff --git a/app/views/shared/administrate_batch_actions/_checkbox.html.erb b/app/views/shared/administrate_batch_actions/_checkbox.html.erb
index accd3d4..f39c71f 100644
--- a/app/views/shared/administrate_batch_actions/_checkbox.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/shared/administrate_batch_actions/_checkbox.html.erb
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 <td>
-  <input type="checkbox" value="<%= value %>" name="batch_action_ids[]" data-batch-action-option="checkbox" />
+  <input type="checkbox" value="<%= value %>" data-batch-action-option="checkbox" />
 </td>
diff --git a/spec/helpers_spec.rb b/spec/helpers_spec.rb
index 58471cc..15dadc1 100644
--- a/spec/helpers_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers_spec.rb
@@ -2,15 +2,37 @@
 
 RSpec.describe 'Helpers', type: :helper do
   it 'renders action button (default)' do
-    expect(helper.administrate_batch_actions_button('Delete All', '/')).to include '<a class="btn disabled button" data-batch-action-option="button" rel="nofollow" data-method="post" href="/">Delete All</a>'
+    expected_html = <<~HTML
+      <form data-turbo="false" class="button_to" method="post" action="/"><button class="btn button" data-batch-action-option="button" disabled="disabled" type="submit">
+        Delete All
+      </button></form>
+    HTML
+
+    expect(helper.administrate_batch_actions_button('Delete All', '/').squish).to include(expected_html.squish)
   end
 
   it 'renders action button (with class)' do
-    expect(helper.administrate_batch_actions_button('Delete All', '/', class: 'button text-danger')).to include '<a class="btn disabled button text-danger" data-batch-action-option="button" rel="nofollow" data-method="post" href="/">Delete All</a>'
+    expected_html = <<~HTML
+      <form data-turbo="false" class="button_to" method="post" action="/"><button class="btn button text-danger" data-batch-action-option="button" disabled="disabled" type="submit">
+        Delete All
+      </button></form>
+    HTML
+
+    expect(helper.administrate_batch_actions_button('Delete All', '/', class: 'button text-danger').squish).to include(expected_html.squish)
   end
 
   it 'renders action button (with confirm window)' do
-    expect(helper.administrate_batch_actions_button('Delete All', '/', class: 'button', confirm: 'Are you sure to do this?')).to include '<a class="btn disabled button" data-batch-action-option="button" data-confirm="Are you sure to do this?" rel="nofollow" data-method="post" href="/">Delete All</a>'
+    expected_html = <<~HTML
+      <form data-turbo="false" class="button_to" method="post" action="/"><button class="btn button" data-batch-action-option="button" data-batch-action-confirm="Are you sure to do this?" disabled="disabled" type="submit">
+        Delete All
+      </button></form>
+    HTML
+
+    expect(helper.administrate_batch_actions_button('Delete All', '/', class: 'button', confirm: 'Are you sure to do this?').squish).to include(expected_html.squish)
+  end
+
+  it 'renders action button (keeps query params in the path)' do
+    expect(helper.administrate_batch_actions_button('Delete All', '/?scope=active')).to include 'action="/?scope=active"'
   end
 
   it 'renders select all' do
@@ -18,6 +40,10 @@
   end
 
   it 'renders checkbox' do
-    expect(helper.administrate_batch_actions_checkbox(1)).to include '<input type="checkbox" value="1" name="batch_action_ids[]" data-batch-action-option="checkbox" />'
+    expected_html = <<~HTML
+      <input type="checkbox" value="1" data-batch-action-option="checkbox" />
+    HTML
+
+    expect(helper.administrate_batch_actions_checkbox(1).squish).to include(expected_html.squish)
   end
 end