diff --git a/apps/client/src/pages/admin/SystemStatusPage.tsx b/apps/client/src/pages/admin/SystemStatusPage.tsx
index 219e6d8..c6d4e85 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/pages/admin/SystemStatusPage.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/pages/admin/SystemStatusPage.tsx
@@ -215,26 +215,44 @@ const SlotsCard = ({ slots }: { slots: Array<Record<string, unknown>> }) => {
   );
 };
 
+// Admin observability page; 15s stale is fine and we don't want a
+// window-focus event to fire 5 simultaneous requests on top of the next
+// poll. CVG-120.
+const POLL_INTERVAL = 15_000;
+const QUERY_OPTS = {
+  refetchInterval: POLL_INTERVAL,
+  refetchOnWindowFocus: false,
+} as const;
+
+const ErrorCard = ({ title, error }: { title: string; error: unknown }) => (
+  <Card>
+    <h3 className="mb-3 text-lg font-medium text-ctp-text">{title}</h3>
+    <Placeholder
+      variant="error"
+      message={
+        error instanceof Error ? error.message : `Failed to load ${title}`
+      }
+    />
+  </Card>
+);
+
 const SystemStatusPage = () => {
-  const POLL_INTERVAL = 5_000;
-
-  const { data, isLoading, error } = useSystemStatusQuery(undefined, {
-    refetchInterval: POLL_INTERVAL,
-  });
-  const { data: callLogData } = useAiCallLogQuery(undefined, {
-    refetchInterval: POLL_INTERVAL,
-  });
-  const { data: queueStatsData } = useQueueStatsQuery(undefined, {
-    refetchInterval: POLL_INTERVAL,
-  });
-  const { data: queueMessagesData } = useQueueMessagesQuery(undefined, {
-    refetchInterval: POLL_INTERVAL,
-  });
-  const { data: workerHealthData } = useWorkerHealthQuery(undefined, {
-    refetchInterval: POLL_INTERVAL,
-  });
-
-  if (isLoading) {
+  const systemStatus = useSystemStatusQuery(undefined, QUERY_OPTS);
+  const callLog = useAiCallLogQuery(undefined, QUERY_OPTS);
+  const queueStats = useQueueStatsQuery(undefined, QUERY_OPTS);
+  const queueMessages = useQueueMessagesQuery(undefined, QUERY_OPTS);
+  const workerHealth = useWorkerHealthQuery(undefined, QUERY_OPTS);
+
+  // Gate the spinner on every query so the page doesn't flash partial
+  // cards as each lands over 200-2000ms.
+  const anyLoading =
+    systemStatus.isLoading ||
+    callLog.isLoading ||
+    queueStats.isLoading ||
+    queueMessages.isLoading ||
+    workerHealth.isLoading;
+
+  if (anyLoading) {
     return (
       <Page title="System Status">
         <Placeholder variant="loading" message="Loading system status..." />
@@ -242,7 +260,7 @@ const SystemStatusPage = () => {
     );
   }
 
-  if (error) {
+  if (systemStatus.error) {
     return (
       <Page title="System Status">
         <Placeholder variant="error" message="Failed to load system status" />
@@ -250,7 +268,7 @@ const SystemStatusPage = () => {
     );
   }
 
-  const status = data?.systemStatus;
+  const status = systemStatus.data?.systemStatus;
 
   if (!status) {
     return (
@@ -297,20 +315,36 @@ const SystemStatusPage = () => {
           details.slots &&
           Array.isArray(details.slots) && <SlotsCard slots={details.slots} />}
 
-        {queueStatsData?.queueStats && (
-          <QueueStatsCard stats={queueStatsData.queueStats} />
+        {queueStats.error ? (
+          <ErrorCard title="Queue Stats" error={queueStats.error} />
+        ) : (
+          queueStats.data?.queueStats && (
+            <QueueStatsCard stats={queueStats.data.queueStats} />
+          )
         )}
 
-        {workerHealthData && (
-          <WorkerHealthCard workers={workerHealthData.workerHealth} />
+        {workerHealth.error ? (
+          <ErrorCard title="Worker Health" error={workerHealth.error} />
+        ) : (
+          workerHealth.data && (
+            <WorkerHealthCard workers={workerHealth.data.workerHealth} />
+          )
         )}
       </div>
 
-      {queueMessagesData && (
-        <QueueMessagesTable connection={queueMessagesData.queueMessages} />
+      {queueMessages.error ? (
+        <ErrorCard title="Queue Messages" error={queueMessages.error} />
+      ) : (
+        queueMessages.data && (
+          <QueueMessagesTable connection={queueMessages.data.queueMessages} />
+        )
       )}
 
-      <AiCallLogTable entries={callLogData?.aiCallLog ?? []} />
+      {callLog.error ? (
+        <ErrorCard title="AI Call Log" error={callLog.error} />
+      ) : (
+        <AiCallLogTable entries={callLog.data?.aiCallLog ?? []} />
+      )}
     </Page>
   );
 };