diff --git a/panel/src/components/PhaseBadge.test.ts b/panel/src/components/PhaseBadge.test.ts
index 6868243..58f7472 100644
--- a/panel/src/components/PhaseBadge.test.ts
+++ b/panel/src/components/PhaseBadge.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
-import { PHASE_COLOR, phaseColor, phaseVariant, startFailure } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
+import { PHASE_COLOR, pendingPower, phaseColor, phaseVariant, shownPhase, startFailure } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
 import type { Phase } from "@/lib/types";
 
 // The closed lifecycle set felis-api can emit — the Go source of truth is
@@ -59,3 +59,34 @@ describe("start failure", () => {
     expect(startFailure({ phase: "Failed", desiredState: "Running", startGaveUp: true })).toBe("gaveUp");
   });
 });
+
+describe("a server asked to move", () => {
+  // desiredState flips the moment a wake or stop is accepted; the phase follows
+  // once the operator acts. Every pair the two can be in:
+  const cases: [Phase, "Running" | "Stopped" | undefined, "start" | "stop" | null, Phase][] = [
+    ["Stopped", "Running", "start", "Starting"],
+    ["Unknown", "Running", "start", "Starting"],
+    // Woken while going down: it comes back up once it is down.
+    ["Stopping", "Running", "start", "Starting"],
+    ["Starting", "Running", null, "Starting"],
+    ["Running", "Running", null, "Running"],
+    // A failed start keeps its own badge and retry.
+    ["Failed", "Running", null, "Failed"],
+    ["Running", "Stopped", "stop", "Stopping"],
+    ["Starting", "Stopped", "stop", "Stopping"],
+    ["Stopping", "Stopped", null, "Stopping"],
+    ["Stopped", "Stopped", null, "Stopped"],
+    ["Failed", "Stopped", null, "Failed"],
+    ["Unknown", "Stopped", null, "Unknown"],
+    // A view without desiredState shows the phase as it is.
+    ["Stopped", undefined, null, "Stopped"],
+    ["Running", undefined, null, "Running"],
+  ];
+
+  for (const [phase, desiredState, pending, shown] of cases) {
+    it(`${phase} asked ${desiredState ?? "(unknown)"} is pending ${pending} and shows ${shown}`, () => {
+      expect(pendingPower({ phase, desiredState })).toBe(pending);
+      expect(shownPhase({ phase, desiredState })).toBe(shown);
+    });
+  }
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/components/PhaseBadge.tsx b/panel/src/components/PhaseBadge.tsx
index 5424049..11ac3e3 100644
--- a/panel/src/components/PhaseBadge.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/components/PhaseBadge.tsx
@@ -72,6 +72,29 @@ export function startFailure(s: {
   return s.startGaveUp ? "gaveUp" : "retrying";
 }
 
+/** PendingPower is a server asked to move that has not got there yet: asked to
+ *  run with no pod up ("start"), or asked to stop while still up ("stop"). */
+export type PendingPower = "start" | "stop";
+
+/** pendingPower compares the phase with desiredState, the lever a wake or stop
+ *  sets at once; the phase follows once the operator acts. Without desiredState
+ *  (a public view) nothing reads as pending. */
+export function pendingPower(s: { phase: Phase; desiredState?: string }): PendingPower | null {
+  if (s.desiredState === "Running" && (s.phase === "Stopped" || s.phase === "Stopping" || s.phase === "Unknown")) {
+    return "start";
+  }
+  if (s.desiredState === "Stopped" && (s.phase === "Running" || s.phase === "Starting")) return "stop";
+  return null;
+}
+
+/** shownPhase is the phase a person should see: one already asked to start reads
+ *  Starting, one asked to stop reads Stopping, so a wake or stop shows at once
+ *  instead of the old phase lingering until the operator gets to it. */
+export function shownPhase(s: { phase: Phase; desiredState?: string }): Phase {
+  const pending = pendingPower(s);
+  return pending === "start" ? "Starting" : pending === "stop" ? "Stopping" : s.phase;
+}
+
 export function PhaseBadge({
   phase,
   failure = null,
diff --git a/panel/src/components/PowerButton.test.tsx b/panel/src/components/PowerButton.test.tsx
index f6a7411..8216826 100644
--- a/panel/src/components/PowerButton.test.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/components/PowerButton.test.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 // @vitest-environment jsdom
-import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
-import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { act, fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
 import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
 import i18next from "i18next";
-import { PowerButton } from "./PowerButton";
+import type { Phase } from "@/lib/types";
+import { PowerButton, SUBMITTED_HOLD_MS, SUBMITTED_RECHECK_MS } from "./PowerButton";
 
 const { wake, stop } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ wake: vi.fn(), stop: vi.fn() }));
 vi.mock("@/lib/api", async (importOriginal) => {
@@ -18,11 +19,16 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   stop.mockReset();
 });
 
+// A fake-timer test that fails must not leave the clock frozen for the rest.
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.useRealTimers();
+});
+
 describe("PowerButton", () => {
   it("wakes a stopped server and tells the parent", async () => {
     wake.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
     const onChanged = vi.fn();
-    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" live={false} onChanged={onChanged} />);
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Stopped" desiredState="Stopped" onChanged={onChanged} />);
 
     await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:wake") }));
 
@@ -33,7 +39,7 @@ describe("PowerButton", () => {
   it("stays on the page with the reason when the wake is refused", async () => {
     wake.mockRejectedValue({ status: 429, code: "quota_exceeded", message: "raw" });
     const onChanged = vi.fn();
-    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" live={false} onChanged={onChanged} />);
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Stopped" desiredState="Stopped" onChanged={onChanged} />);
 
     await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:wake") }));
 
@@ -45,7 +51,7 @@ describe("PowerButton", () => {
   it("stops an empty server without asking", async () => {
     stop.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
     const onChanged = vi.fn();
-    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" live playersOnline={0} onChanged={onChanged} />);
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Running" desiredState="Running" playersOnline={0} onChanged={onChanged} />);
 
     await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
 
@@ -54,7 +60,7 @@ describe("PowerButton", () => {
   });
 
   it("asks before disconnecting players, and cancel sends nothing", async () => {
-    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" live playersOnline={3} onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Running" desiredState="Running" playersOnline={3} onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
 
     await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
     expect(screen.getByText(t("servers:stop_confirm_players", { count: 3 }))).toBeTruthy();
@@ -67,7 +73,7 @@ describe("PowerButton", () => {
   it("asks when the player count cannot be read", async () => {
     stop.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
     const onChanged = vi.fn();
-    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" live playersOnline={0} playerCountUnknown onChanged={onChanged} />);
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Running" desiredState="Running" playersOnline={0} playerCountUnknown onChanged={onChanged} />);
 
     await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
     expect(stop).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -81,7 +87,7 @@ describe("PowerButton", () => {
   it("keeps the confirmation open with the reason when the stop fails", async () => {
     stop.mockRejectedValue({ status: 409, code: "cooldown", message: "raw" });
     const onChanged = vi.fn();
-    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" live playersOnline={2} onChanged={onChanged} />);
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Running" desiredState="Running" playersOnline={2} onChanged={onChanged} />);
 
     await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
     await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
@@ -94,7 +100,7 @@ describe("PowerButton", () => {
   it("sends one call however fast it is clicked", async () => {
     let resolve!: () => void;
     wake.mockReturnValue(new Promise<void>((r) => (resolve = r)));
-    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" live={false} onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Stopped" desiredState="Stopped" onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
 
     const button = screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:wake") });
     await userEvent.click(button);
@@ -107,7 +113,7 @@ describe("PowerButton", () => {
   it("offers a failed server a retry, which is the wake", async () => {
     wake.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
     const onChanged = vi.fn();
-    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" live={false} failed onChanged={onChanged} />);
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Failed" desiredState="Running" failed onChanged={onChanged} />);
 
     expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: t("servers:wake") })).toBeNull();
     await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:retry_start") }));
@@ -121,7 +127,7 @@ describe("PowerButton", () => {
     let resolve!: () => void;
     stop.mockReturnValue(new Promise<void>((r) => (resolve = r)));
     const onChanged = vi.fn();
-    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" live={false} failed playerCountUnknown onChanged={onChanged} />);
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Failed" desiredState="Running" failed playerCountUnknown onChanged={onChanged} />);
 
     await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
 
@@ -133,3 +139,119 @@ describe("PowerButton", () => {
     await vi.waitFor(() => expect(onChanged).toHaveBeenCalledOnce());
   });
 });
+
+describe("PowerButton after an accepted call", () => {
+  const ok = () => wake.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+  it("keeps the wake in progress until the view shows it, then offers the stop", async () => {
+    ok();
+    const { rerender } = render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Stopped" desiredState="Stopped" onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:wake") }));
+
+    // The parent's first reread can still carry the old status.
+    rerender(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Stopped" desiredState="Stopped" onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:waking") })).toHaveProperty("disabled", true);
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: t("servers:wake") })).toBeNull();
+
+    rerender(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Stopped" desiredState="Running" onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") })).toHaveProperty("disabled", false);
+  });
+
+  it("asks the parent to reread until the view catches up, and no longer after", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    ok();
+    const onChanged = vi.fn();
+    const { rerender } = render(
+      <PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Stopped" desiredState="Stopped" onChanged={onChanged} />,
+    );
+    await act(async () => {
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:wake") }));
+    });
+    const afterClick = onChanged.mock.calls.length;
+
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(SUBMITTED_RECHECK_MS * 2));
+    expect(onChanged.mock.calls.length).toBe(afterClick + 2);
+
+    rerender(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Starting" desiredState="Running" onChanged={onChanged} />);
+    const caughtUp = onChanged.mock.calls.length;
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(SUBMITTED_RECHECK_MS * 3));
+    expect(onChanged.mock.calls.length).toBe(caughtUp);
+  });
+
+  it("gives the button back when the view never catches up", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    ok();
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Stopped" desiredState="Stopped" onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+    await act(async () => {
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:wake") }));
+    });
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:waking") })).toBeTruthy();
+
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(SUBMITTED_HOLD_MS - 1));
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:waking") })).toBeTruthy();
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1));
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:wake") })).toHaveProperty("disabled", false);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps a stop in progress until the server is down", async () => {
+    stop.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    const { rerender } = render(
+      <PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Running" desiredState="Running" playersOnline={0} onChanged={vi.fn()} />,
+    );
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stopping") })).toHaveProperty("disabled", true);
+
+    rerender(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Running" desiredState="Stopped" onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stopping") })).toHaveProperty("disabled", true);
+    rerender(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Stopped" desiredState="Stopped" onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:wake") })).toHaveProperty("disabled", false);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps a retry in progress while the view still shows the failure", async () => {
+    ok();
+    const { rerender } = render(
+      <PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Failed" desiredState="Running" failed onChanged={vi.fn()} />,
+    );
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:retry_start") }));
+
+    rerender(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Failed" desiredState="Running" failed onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:waking") })).toHaveProperty("disabled", true);
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: t("servers:retry_start") })).toBeNull();
+
+    rerender(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Starting" desiredState="Running" onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") })).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("PowerButton on a server already moving", () => {
+  const cases: {
+    phase: Phase;
+    desiredState?: "Running" | "Stopped";
+    shows: string;
+    disabled: boolean;
+  }[] = [
+    { phase: "Stopping", shows: "servers:stopping", disabled: true },
+    { phase: "Stopping", desiredState: "Stopped", shows: "servers:stopping", disabled: true },
+    { phase: "Running", desiredState: "Stopped", shows: "servers:stopping", disabled: true },
+    { phase: "Starting", desiredState: "Stopped", shows: "servers:stopping", disabled: true },
+    // Woken while going down: it comes back up once it is down.
+    { phase: "Stopping", desiredState: "Running", shows: "servers:waking", disabled: true },
+    // Asked to run, no pod yet: Stop is the way out if it never comes up.
+    { phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Running", shows: "servers:stop", disabled: false },
+    { phase: "Unknown", desiredState: "Running", shows: "servers:stop", disabled: false },
+    { phase: "Starting", desiredState: "Running", shows: "servers:stop", disabled: false },
+    // Without desiredState the phase alone decides.
+    { phase: "Starting", shows: "servers:stop", disabled: false },
+    { phase: "Unknown", shows: "servers:wake", disabled: false },
+  ];
+
+  for (const c of cases) {
+    it(`${c.phase} asked ${c.desiredState ?? "(unknown)"} offers ${c.shows}`, () => {
+      render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase={c.phase} desiredState={c.desiredState} onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+      const buttons = screen.getAllByRole("button");
+      expect(buttons).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(buttons[0].textContent).toBe(t(c.shows));
+      expect(buttons[0]).toHaveProperty("disabled", c.disabled);
+    });
+  }
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/components/PowerButton.tsx b/panel/src/components/PowerButton.tsx
index 56734b9..b80ffb7 100644
--- a/panel/src/components/PowerButton.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/components/PowerButton.tsx
@@ -1,14 +1,25 @@
-import { useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { Loader2, Play, RotateCcw, Square } from "lucide-react";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
+import { pendingPower } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
 import { api, humanizeError } from "@/lib/api";
+import type { Phase } from "@/lib/types";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
+/** How long a sent wake or stop shows as in progress when the view never
+ *  reflects it (the parent stopped polling, or someone reversed it at once). */
+export const SUBMITTED_HOLD_MS = 20_000;
+
+/** How often a sent call asks the parent to refetch until its view shows it. */
+export const SUBMITTED_RECHECK_MS = 2_000;
+
 interface Props {
   name: string;
-  /** A pod is up or on its way (Starting/Running/Stopping): offer Stop. */
-  live: boolean;
+  phase: Phase;
+  /** What the server was last asked to be. Absent in a view without it; the
+   *  phase alone then decides. */
+  desiredState?: "Running" | "Stopped";
   /** Its start Failed while meant to run: offer a retry and a stop. */
   failed?: boolean;
   playersOnline?: number;
@@ -20,6 +31,10 @@ interface Props {
   className?: string;
 }
 
+function isUp(phase: Phase): boolean {
+  return phase === "Running" || phase === "Starting";
+}
+
 // PowerButton starts or stops one server. It is busy while the call runs (no
 // double send), shows why a call was refused (quota, cooldown, a phase that
 // moved on), and asks before a stop that would disconnect players: the count
@@ -27,9 +42,17 @@ interface Props {
 // failed gets both ways out: retry (the wake, which felis-api turns into a fresh
 // start) and stop. Nobody is on a server that never came up, so that stop does
 // not ask.
+//
+// An accepted call keeps its spinner, and keeps asking the parent to reread,
+// until the parent's view shows the server asked to move (the list and the
+// console read a cache that lags the write by a moment), so nobody presses Wake
+// again into a 429. A server on its way down offers nothing until it is down;
+// one asked to run with no pod yet offers Stop, which is the way out when it
+// never comes up.
 export function PowerButton({
   name,
-  live,
+  phase,
+  desiredState,
   failed = false,
   playersOnline,
   playerCountUnknown,
@@ -39,8 +62,34 @@ export function PowerButton({
 }: Props) {
   const { t } = useTranslation("servers");
   const [busy, setBusy] = useState<"wake" | "stop" | null>(null);
+  const [submitted, setSubmitted] = useState<"wake" | "stop" | null>(null);
   const [confirming, setConfirming] = useState(false);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const changed = useRef(onChanged);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    changed.current = onChanged;
+  }, [onChanged]);
+
+  const pending = pendingPower({ phase, desiredState });
+  const on = desiredState ? desiredState === "Running" : isUp(phase);
+
+  // A sent call is done once the view shows the lever moved: a wake when the
+  // server is meant to run (a retry once it is no longer Failed), a stop when it
+  // is meant to stop. The hold ends it anyway if the view never gets there.
+  const caughtUp = submitted === "wake" ? on && !failed : submitted === "stop" ? !on : true;
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (submitted === null) return;
+    if (caughtUp) {
+      setSubmitted(null);
+      return;
+    }
+    const recheck = window.setInterval(() => changed.current(), SUBMITTED_RECHECK_MS);
+    const hold = window.setTimeout(() => setSubmitted(null), SUBMITTED_HOLD_MS);
+    return () => {
+      window.clearInterval(recheck);
+      window.clearTimeout(hold);
+    };
+  }, [submitted, caughtUp]);
 
   async function run(kind: "wake" | "stop") {
     if (busy) return;
@@ -49,6 +98,7 @@ export function PowerButton({
     try {
       await (kind === "wake" ? api.wake(name) : api.stop(name));
       setConfirming(false);
+      setSubmitted(kind);
       onChanged();
     } catch (e) {
       setError(humanizeError(e));
@@ -66,9 +116,18 @@ export function PowerButton({
       {busy === "stop" ? t("stopping") : t("stop")}
     </Button>
   );
+  // inProgress is a server on its way somewhere with nothing to press meanwhile.
+  const inProgress = (kind: "wake" | "stop") => (
+    <Button size={size} variant={kind === "stop" ? "outline" : "default"} disabled>
+      {spinner}
+      {kind === "wake" ? t("waking") : t("stopping")}
+    </Button>
+  );
 
   let control;
-  if (failed) {
+  if (submitted !== null) {
+    control = inProgress(submitted);
+  } else if (failed) {
     control = (
       <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-end gap-2">
         <Button size={size} onClick={() => void run("wake")} disabled={busy !== null}>
@@ -78,7 +137,12 @@ export function PowerButton({
         {stopButton("outline", () => void run("stop"))}
       </div>
     );
-  } else if (!live) {
+  } else if (pending === "stop" || (phase === "Stopping" && pending === null)) {
+    control = inProgress("stop");
+  } else if (pending === "start" && phase === "Stopping") {
+    // Woken while stopping: the operator brings it back up once it is down.
+    control = inProgress("wake");
+  } else if (!on) {
     control = (
       <Button size={size} onClick={() => void run("wake")} disabled={busy !== null}>
         {busy === "wake" ? spinner : <Play />}
diff --git a/panel/src/components/States.test.tsx b/panel/src/components/States.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a115dd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/panel/src/components/States.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
+import { NotRunning, RefreshError } from "./States";
+import { humanizeError } from "@/lib/api";
+import type { Phase } from "@/lib/types";
+import type { StartFailure } from "./PhaseBadge";
+
+const { wake, stop } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ wake: vi.fn(), stop: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("@/lib/api", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("@/lib/api")>();
+  return { ...actual, api: { ...actual.api, wake, stop } };
+});
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  wake.mockReset();
+  stop.mockReset();
+});
+
+function notRunning(
+  phase: Phase,
+  desiredState?: "Running" | "Stopped",
+  failure: StartFailure | null = null,
+  onWoken = vi.fn(),
+) {
+  return (
+    <NotRunning
+      title="Server is asleep"
+      body="Wake it to manage players."
+      serverName="survival"
+      phase={phase}
+      desiredState={desiredState}
+      failure={failure}
+      autoRestarts={1}
+      onWoken={onWoken}
+    />
+  );
+}
+
+describe("NotRunning", () => {
+  it("offers the wake for a server that is down and meant to stay down", () => {
+    render(notRunning("Stopped", "Stopped"));
+    expect(screen.getByText("Server is asleep")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByText("Wake it to manage players.")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Wake" })).toHaveProperty("disabled", false);
+  });
+
+  it("says a woken server is starting and offers nothing to press", () => {
+    for (const [phase, desired] of [
+      ["Stopped", "Running"],
+      ["Starting", "Running"],
+      ["Starting", undefined],
+    ] as const) {
+      const { unmount } = render(notRunning(phase, desired));
+      expect(screen.getByText("Server is starting"), `${phase}/${desired}`).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(screen.getByText(/switches over by itself/), `${phase}/${desired}`).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(screen.queryByRole("button"), `${phase}/${desired}`).toBeNull();
+      unmount();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("says a server on its way down is shutting down", () => {
+    for (const [phase, desired] of [
+      ["Stopping", undefined],
+      ["Stopping", "Stopped"],
+      ["Running", "Stopped"],
+    ] as const) {
+      const { unmount } = render(notRunning(phase, desired));
+      expect(screen.getByText("Server is shutting down"), `${phase}/${desired}`).toBeTruthy();
+      expect(screen.queryByRole("button"), `${phase}/${desired}`).toBeNull();
+      unmount();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("offers a failed start its retry and stop", () => {
+    render(notRunning("Failed", "Running", "gaveUp"));
+    expect(screen.getByText("Server failed to start")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Retry start" })).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Stop" })).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  it("counts the retries of a start the operator is still retrying", () => {
+    render(notRunning("Failed", "Running", "retrying"));
+    expect(screen.getByText("Start timed out — retrying")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByText(/1 of 3 retries used/)).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  it("turns into the starting notice once the page rereads a wake sent from it", async () => {
+    wake.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    const onWoken = vi.fn();
+    const { rerender } = render(notRunning("Stopped", "Stopped", null, onWoken));
+
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Wake" }));
+    expect(wake).toHaveBeenCalledWith("survival");
+    expect(onWoken).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Waking…" })).toHaveProperty("disabled", true);
+
+    rerender(notRunning("Stopped", "Running", null, onWoken));
+    expect(screen.getByRole("status").textContent).toContain("Server is starting");
+  });
+});
+
+describe("RefreshError", () => {
+  it("says the shown status is the last one read, and why the reread failed", () => {
+    const err = { status: 429, code: "quota_exceeded", message: "raw" };
+    render(<RefreshError error={err} />);
+    const alert = screen.getByRole("alert");
+    expect(alert.textContent).toContain("Couldn't refresh; what you see is the last status read.");
+    expect(alert.textContent).toContain(humanizeError(err));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/components/States.tsx b/panel/src/components/States.tsx
index 41fd7f9..23cf4d7 100644
--- a/panel/src/components/States.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/components/States.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 import { Loader2, AlertTriangle, Inbox, ShieldX, Construction, Moon, SearchX } from "lucide-react";
 import { Link } from "react-router-dom";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
+import { MAX_AUTO_RESTARTS, shownPhase, type StartFailure } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
 import { PowerButton } from "@/components/PowerButton";
 import { humanizeError } from "@/lib/api";
+import type { Phase } from "@/lib/types";
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 export function Loading({ label }: { label?: string }) {
   const { t } = useTranslation("common");
@@ -32,6 +35,26 @@ export function ErrorState({ error, onRetry }: { error: unknown; onRetry?: () =>
   );
 }
 
+// RefreshError sits above a page whose last read still shows while a later one
+// failed: the page stays usable, and says the status may be out of date.
+export function RefreshError({ error, className }: { error: unknown; className?: string }) {
+  const { t } = useTranslation("common");
+  return (
+    <div
+      role="alert"
+      className={cn(
+        "flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-destructive/30 bg-destructive/5 px-3 py-2 text-xs text-destructive",
+        className,
+      )}
+    >
+      <AlertTriangle className="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0" />
+      <span>
+        {t("refresh_failed")} {humanizeError(error)}
+      </span>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 export function EmptyState({
   title,
   hint,
@@ -141,23 +164,78 @@ export function NotYours({ title, body, linkTo = "/servers", linkLabel }: NotYou
 }
 
 export interface NotRunningProps {
+  /** What the page says about a server that is down, and why it needs it up. */
   title: string;
   body: string;
   /** The server to wake from here. */
   serverName: string;
+  phase: Phase;
+  desiredState?: "Running" | "Stopped";
+  /** From startFailure: a Failed start gets its own copy and a retry. */
+  failure?: StartFailure | null;
+  autoRestarts?: number;
   /** Called once the wake was accepted, so the page refetches its status. */
   onWoken: () => void;
 }
 
-export function NotRunning({ title, body, serverName, onWoken }: NotRunningProps) {
+// NotRunning stands in for a page that needs the server up. It follows where the
+// server is heading, so a wake from here reads as starting until the page's poll
+// finds it running and switches over, a server going down says so, and a failed
+// start offers the retry.
+export function NotRunning({
+  title,
+  body,
+  serverName,
+  phase,
+  desiredState,
+  failure = null,
+  autoRestarts = 0,
+  onWoken,
+}: NotRunningProps) {
+  const { t } = useTranslation("servers");
+  const shown = shownPhase({ phase, desiredState });
+  const transitional = failure === null && (shown === "Starting" || shown === "Stopping");
+
+  let icon = <Moon className="h-8 w-8 text-muted-foreground/70" />;
+  let copy = { title, body };
+  if (failure !== null) {
+    icon = <AlertTriangle className="h-8 w-8 text-destructive" />;
+    copy =
+      failure === "retrying"
+        ? {
+            title: t("server_failed_retrying_title"),
+            body: t("server_failed_retrying_body", { used: autoRestarts, max: MAX_AUTO_RESTARTS }),
+          }
+        : { title: t("server_failed_title"), body: t("server_failed_body") };
+  } else if (transitional) {
+    icon = <Loader2 className="h-8 w-8 animate-spin text-muted-foreground/70" />;
+    copy =
+      shown === "Starting"
+        ? { title: t("server_waking_title"), body: t("server_waking_body") }
+        : { title: t("server_stopping_title"), body: t("server_stopping_body") };
+  }
+
   return (
-    <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-4 rounded-lg border border-dashed border-border bg-muted/20 py-16 text-center">
-      <Moon className="h-8 w-8 text-muted-foreground/70" />
+    <div
+      role="status"
+      aria-live="polite"
+      className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-4 rounded-lg border border-dashed border-border bg-muted/20 py-16 text-center"
+    >
+      {icon}
       <div>
-        <p className="font-medium">{title}</p>
-        <p className="mx-auto mt-1 max-w-sm text-sm text-muted-foreground">{body}</p>
+        <p className="font-medium">{copy.title}</p>
+        <p className="mx-auto mt-1 max-w-sm text-sm text-muted-foreground">{copy.body}</p>
       </div>
-      <PowerButton name={serverName} live={false} onChanged={onWoken} className="items-center" />
+      {!transitional && (
+        <PowerButton
+          name={serverName}
+          phase={phase}
+          desiredState={desiredState}
+          failed={failure !== null}
+          onChanged={onWoken}
+          className="items-center"
+        />
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/common.json b/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/common.json
index 0e54dc9..aab9826 100644
--- a/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/common.json
+++ b/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/common.json
@@ -37,5 +37,6 @@
   "open_menu": "Open menu",
   "copy_address": "Copy address {{address}}",
   "address_copied": "Copied",
-  "address_copy_failed": "Selected — copy it from the menu"
+  "address_copy_failed": "Selected — copy it from the menu",
+  "refresh_failed": "Couldn't refresh; what you see is the last status read."
 }
diff --git a/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/servers.json b/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/servers.json
index 15e0775..663598a 100644
--- a/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/servers.json
+++ b/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/servers.json
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@
   "server_asleep_body": "Wake it to boot a pod — the live console attaches automatically the moment it starts up.",
   "server_shutting_down_title": "Server is shutting down",
   "server_shutting_down_body": "The pod is terminating, so the live console has detached. It will be asleep in a moment.",
+  "server_waking_title": "Server is starting",
+  "server_waking_body": "This usually takes a minute or two. The page switches over by itself once the server is running.",
+  "server_stopping_title": "Server is shutting down",
+  "server_stopping_body": "Once it is down you can wake it again from here.",
   "server_failed_title": "Server failed to start",
   "server_failed_body": "Its automatic retries are spent. The console holds the log of the last attempt; fix the cause, then press Retry start.",
   "server_failed_retrying_title": "Start timed out — retrying",
diff --git a/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/common.json b/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/common.json
index 5b7dd44..c00c5f9 100644
--- a/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/common.json
+++ b/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/common.json
@@ -37,5 +37,6 @@
   "open_menu": "打开菜单",
   "copy_address": "复制地址 {{address}}",
   "address_copied": "已复制",
-  "address_copy_failed": "已选中，请用系统菜单复制"
+  "address_copy_failed": "已选中，请用系统菜单复制",
+  "refresh_failed": "刷新失败，下面是上次读到的状态。"
 }
diff --git a/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/servers.json b/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/servers.json
index 1dc68a2..224b7ff 100644
--- a/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/servers.json
+++ b/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/servers.json
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@
   "server_asleep_body": "启动后将拉起 Pod，实时控制台会自动连接。",
   "server_shutting_down_title": "服务器正在关闭",
   "server_shutting_down_body": "Pod 正在终止，实时控制台已断开。关闭完成后将进入休眠。",
+  "server_waking_title": "服务器正在启动",
+  "server_waking_body": "一般需要一两分钟。服务器运行后，这个页面会自动切换过来。",
+  "server_stopping_title": "服务器正在关闭",
+  "server_stopping_body": "关闭完成后可以在这里重新启动。",
   "server_failed_title": "服务器启动失败",
   "server_failed_body": "自动重试已用完。控制台里是最后一次启动的日志，找到原因修好后点「重试启动」。",
   "server_failed_retrying_title": "启动超时，正在自动重试",
diff --git a/panel/src/lib/hooks.test.tsx b/panel/src/lib/hooks.test.tsx
index 98f3f1a..8cfe73e 100644
--- a/panel/src/lib/hooks.test.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/lib/hooks.test.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // @vitest-environment jsdom
-import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, afterEach } from "vitest";
 import { act, renderHook } from "@testing-library/react";
-import { useAsync, type AsyncOptions } from "./hooks";
+import { useAsync, usePolling, type AsyncOptions } from "./hooks";
 
 // A request the test settles by hand, one per call, in call order.
 function requests() {
@@ -100,3 +100,57 @@ describe("useAsync", () => {
     expect(h.result.current.data).toBe("server b");
   });
 });
+
+describe("usePolling", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    Object.defineProperty(document, "hidden", { configurable: true, value: false });
+  });
+
+  function setHidden(hidden: boolean) {
+    Object.defineProperty(document, "hidden", { configurable: true, value: hidden });
+    document.dispatchEvent(new Event("visibilitychange"));
+  }
+
+  it("reloads on every tick while the tab is in view, and at once when it comes back", () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const reload = vi.fn();
+    renderHook(() => usePolling(reload, 1000));
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(2500);
+    expect(reload).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+
+    setHidden(true);
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(5000);
+    expect(reload).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+
+    setHidden(false);
+    expect(reload).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+  });
+
+  it("follows a new interval and stops when paused or unmounted", () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const reload = vi.fn();
+    const hook = renderHook(({ ms }: { ms: number | null }) => usePolling(reload, ms), {
+      initialProps: { ms: 1000 as number | null },
+    });
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(1000);
+    expect(reload).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    hook.rerender({ ms: 5000 });
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(4000);
+    expect(reload).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(1000);
+    expect(reload).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+
+    hook.rerender({ ms: null });
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(20000);
+    setHidden(false);
+    expect(reload).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+
+    hook.rerender({ ms: 1000 });
+    hook.unmount();
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(5000);
+    expect(reload).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/lib/hooks.ts b/panel/src/lib/hooks.ts
index 22448da..346a9d1 100644
--- a/panel/src/lib/hooks.ts
+++ b/panel/src/lib/hooks.ts
@@ -112,3 +112,26 @@ export function useUnsavedGuard(dirty: boolean): void {
     return () => window.removeEventListener("beforeunload", onBeforeUnload);
   }, [dirty]);
 }
+
+/** How often a server page rereads its status: fast while it waits on the
+ *  server (coming up, going down, or needed up), slow while nothing is due. */
+export const STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS = 4_000;
+export const STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS = 15_000;
+
+/** usePolling re-runs `reload` every `ms` while the tab is visible, and at once
+ *  when the tab comes back into view, so a page watching a server follows it
+ *  without a manual refresh. `ms` null pauses it. */
+export function usePolling(reload: () => void, ms: number | null): void {
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (ms === null) return;
+    const tick = () => {
+      if (!document.hidden) reload();
+    };
+    const id = window.setInterval(tick, ms);
+    document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", tick);
+    return () => {
+      window.clearInterval(id);
+      document.removeEventListener("visibilitychange", tick);
+    };
+  }, [reload, ms]);
+}
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/Dashboard.test.tsx b/panel/src/pages/Dashboard.test.tsx
index 0b0c677..00bb46f 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/Dashboard.test.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/Dashboard.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // @vitest-environment jsdom
-import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
 import { act, fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor, within } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { MemoryRouter } from "react-router-dom";
 import i18next from "i18next";
@@ -158,3 +158,41 @@ describe("Dashboard", () => {
     expect(calls.listImages).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });
+
+describe("Dashboard following the fleet", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+  });
+
+  // The fleet grid names each server with its phase.
+  const tile = () => screen.getByTitle(/^lobby · /).getAttribute("title");
+  const phase = (p: string) => `lobby · ${i18next.t(`servers:phase_${p}`)}`;
+
+  it("rereads the servers on its own, and keeps the last read when a reread fails", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true });
+    calls.myServers.mockResolvedValue([{ ...lobby, phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Stopped", playersOnline: 0 }]);
+    renderDashboard();
+    await screen.findByTitle(/^lobby · /);
+    expect(tile()).toBe(phase("stopped"));
+
+    calls.myServers.mockResolvedValue([lobby]);
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(9_000));
+    expect(calls.myServers).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1_000));
+    expect(calls.myServers).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    await waitFor(() => expect(tile()).toBe(phase("running")));
+
+    calls.myServers.mockRejectedValue(failure("servers unavailable"));
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10_000));
+    const alert = await screen.findByRole("alert");
+    expect(alert.textContent).toContain("servers unavailable");
+    expect(tile()).toBe(phase("running"));
+  });
+
+  it("counts a server just woken as starting", async () => {
+    calls.myServers.mockResolvedValue([{ ...lobby, phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Running", playersOnline: 0 }]);
+    renderDashboard();
+    await screen.findByTitle(/^lobby · /);
+    expect(tile()).toBe(phase("starting"));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx b/panel/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx
index 295fbe2..dbecd78 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/Dashboard.tsx
@@ -19,13 +19,14 @@ import {
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { Card, CardContent, CardHeader, CardTitle } from "@/components/ui/card";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
-import { Loading, ErrorState } from "@/components/States";
+import { Loading, ErrorState, RefreshError } from "@/components/States";
+import { shownPhase } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
 import { StatCard } from "@/components/StatCard";
 import { PageHeader } from "@/components/PageHeader";
 import { ErrorBoundary } from "@/components/ErrorBoundary";
 import { FleetGrid } from "@/components/FleetGrid";
 import { api, humanizeError } from "@/lib/api";
-import { useAsync, useConfig, type AsyncState } from "@/lib/hooks";
+import { useAsync, useConfig, usePolling, type AsyncState } from "@/lib/hooks";
 import { useTier } from "@/lib/tier";
 import { lazyWithReload } from "@/lib/chunk";
 import { webglAvailable } from "@/lib/webgl";
@@ -39,25 +40,39 @@ const VoxelFleet = lazyWithReload(() =>
   import("@/components/VoxelFleet").then((m) => ({ default: m.VoxelFleet })),
 );
 
+// The dashboard follows the fleet the way the server list does.
+const SERVERS_POLL_MS = 10_000;
+
 export function Dashboard() {
   const cfg = useConfig();
   const { isAdmin } = useTier();
   const servers = useAsync(() => api.myServers(), []);
+  usePolling(servers.reload, SERVERS_POLL_MS);
   const link = useAsync(() => api.linkStatus(), []);
   // Only admins may list the image whitelist (a user would get a 403).
   const images = useAsync(() => (isAdmin ? api.listImages() : Promise.resolve([])), [isAdmin]);
 
   const { t } = useTranslation("dashboard");
 
+  // A server just woken or stopped counts, colours and pulses as where it is
+  // heading, the same as its badge in the list.
+  const list = useMemo(
+    () =>
+      (servers.data ?? []).map((s) => ({
+        ...s,
+        phase: shownPhase({ phase: s.phase ?? "Unknown", desiredState: s.desiredState }),
+      })),
+    [servers.data],
+  );
+
   const counts = useMemo(() => {
-    const list = servers.data ?? [];
     const by = (p: Phase) => list.filter((s) => s.phase === p).length;
     return {
       total: list.length,
       running: by("Running"),
       players: list.reduce((n, s) => n + (s.playersOnline ?? 0), 0),
     };
-  }, [servers.data]);
+  }, [list]);
 
   // The page stands on the server list alone. Link status and the image
   // counts are side cards: when they fail only their card degrades, and each
@@ -68,18 +83,21 @@ export function Dashboard() {
 
       {servers.loading && !servers.data ? (
         <Loading />
-      ) : servers.error ? (
+      ) : servers.error && !servers.data ? (
         <ErrorState error={servers.error} onRetry={servers.reload} />
       ) : !cfg ? (
         <Loading />
       ) : (
-        <FleetView
-          servers={servers.data ?? []}
-          counts={counts}
-          link={link}
-          images={images.error ? null : images.data}
-          isAdmin={isAdmin}
-        />
+        <>
+          {servers.error && <RefreshError error={servers.error} className="mb-4" />}
+          <FleetView
+            servers={list}
+            counts={counts}
+            link={link}
+            images={images.error ? null : images.data}
+            isAdmin={isAdmin}
+          />
+        </>
       )}
     </>
   );
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/ServerConsole.test.tsx b/panel/src/pages/ServerConsole.test.tsx
index a9f522c..932418f 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/ServerConsole.test.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/ServerConsole.test.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 // @vitest-environment jsdom
-import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
-import { render, screen, within } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { act, render, screen, waitFor, within } from "@testing-library/react";
 import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
 import { MemoryRouter, Route, Routes } from "react-router-dom";
 import { ServerConsole } from "./ServerConsole";
+import { STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS, STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS } from "@/lib/hooks";
 
 const calls = vi.hoisted(() => ({ status: vi.fn(), myServers: vi.fn(), listImages: vi.fn() }));
 vi.mock("@/lib/tier", () => ({
@@ -94,3 +95,59 @@ describe("ServerConsole edit dialog", () => {
     expect((screen.getByLabelText("CPU Limit") as HTMLInputElement).value).toBe("2");
   });
 });
+
+describe("ServerConsole following the server", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+  });
+
+  const advance = (ms: number) => act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(ms));
+
+  it("picks up a server woken elsewhere without a reload", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true });
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Stopped" }));
+    renderConsole();
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Server is asleep")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Wake" })).toBeTruthy();
+
+    // Nothing is due, so it rereads at the slow pace.
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Running", desiredState: "Running", ready: true }));
+    await advance(STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS - 1_000);
+    expect(calls.status).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    await advance(1_000);
+    expect(await screen.findByTestId("log-stream")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Stop" })).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Server is asleep")).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("shows a wake at once and rereads fast until the pod is up", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true });
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Running" }));
+    renderConsole();
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Server is starting")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByText("Starting")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Stopped")).toBeNull();
+    // Already asked to run: a second Wake would only be refused; Stop is the way out.
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: "Wake" })).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Stop" })).toBeTruthy();
+
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Starting", desiredState: "Running" }));
+    await advance(STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS);
+    expect(calls.status).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(await screen.findByTestId("log-stream")).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the console when a reread fails, and says the status may be old", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true });
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Running", desiredState: "Running", ready: true }));
+    renderConsole();
+    expect(await screen.findByTestId("log-stream")).toBeTruthy();
+
+    calls.status.mockRejectedValue({ status: 409, code: "test_failure", message: "status backend down" });
+    await advance(STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS);
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByText(/Couldn't refresh/)).toBeTruthy());
+    expect(screen.getByText(/status backend down/)).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("log-stream")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Stop" })).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/ServerConsole.tsx b/panel/src/pages/ServerConsole.tsx
index efe8cbe..e50d93b 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/ServerConsole.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/ServerConsole.tsx
@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@ import { Terminal, Moon, Shield, ShieldAlert, HelpCircle, Loader2, Users, Archiv
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { Card, CardContent } from "@/components/ui/card";
 import { BackLink } from "@/components/BackLink";
-import { MAX_AUTO_RESTARTS, PhaseBadge, startFailure, type StartFailure } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
+import { MAX_AUTO_RESTARTS, PhaseBadge, pendingPower, shownPhase, startFailure, type StartFailure } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
 import { PageHeader } from "@/components/PageHeader";
 import { LogConsole } from "@/components/LogConsole";
-import { Loading, ErrorState } from "@/components/States";
+import { Loading, ErrorState, RefreshError } from "@/components/States";
 import { api, consoleStreamURL, humanizeError } from "@/lib/api";
-import { useAsync, useConfig } from "@/lib/hooks";
+import { STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS, STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS, useAsync, useConfig, usePolling } from "@/lib/hooks";
 import { useTier } from "@/lib/tier";
 import { canManage } from "@/lib/ownership";
 import { joinAddress } from "@/lib/config";
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { CopyAddress } from "@/components/CopyAddress";
 import type { Phase, AutostartPolicy } from "@/lib/types";
 import { EditServerDialog } from "@/components/EditServerDialog";
 import { PowerButton } from "@/components/PowerButton";
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { InlineError } from "@/components/MessageLine";
 
 // notStreamingCopy explains why there is no live feed for a phase that has no
@@ -24,9 +25,17 @@ import { InlineError } from "@/components/MessageLine";
 // Stopped/Failed/Stopping each get their own honest line rather than an empty
 // console. `default` covers Unknown plus any future phase the backend may emit
 // that the panel hasn't modelled yet — the screen stays informative regardless.
-function useNotStreamingCopy(phase: Phase): { icon: LucideIcon; title: string; body: string } {
+function useNotStreamingCopy(phase: Phase): { icon: LucideIcon; title: string; body: string; spin?: boolean } {
   const { t } = useTranslation("servers");
   switch (phase) {
+    case "Starting":
+      // Asked to start with no pod yet: the stream attaches once the pod is up.
+      return {
+        icon: Loader2,
+        title: t("server_waking_title"),
+        body: t("server_waking_body"),
+        spin: true,
+      };
     case "Stopped":
       return {
         icon: Moon,
@@ -49,10 +58,10 @@ function useNotStreamingCopy(phase: Phase): { icon: LucideIcon; title: string; b
 }
 
 function NotStreaming({ phase }: { phase: Phase }) {
-  const { icon: Icon, title, body } = useNotStreamingCopy(phase);
+  const { icon: Icon, title, body, spin } = useNotStreamingCopy(phase);
   return (
     <div className="flex items-start gap-3 rounded-md border border-dashed border-border bg-muted/30 p-6 text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-      <Icon className="mt-0.5 h-5 w-5 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground/70" />
+      <Icon className={cn("mt-0.5 h-5 w-5 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground/70", spin && "animate-spin")} />
       <div className="space-y-1">
         <p className="font-medium text-foreground">{title}</p>
         <p>{body}</p>
@@ -218,6 +227,17 @@ export function ServerConsole() {
     () => api.status(name),
     [name],
   );
+  // The header, the power button and whether the stream attaches all follow the
+  // status, so it is reread: fast while the server is on its way somewhere (a
+  // wake or stop just sent, a pod starting, an automatic retry due), slow while
+  // nothing is due, which still catches an idle stop or a wake from the lobby.
+  const moving =
+    !!data &&
+    (data.phase === "Starting" ||
+      data.phase === "Stopping" ||
+      pendingPower(data) !== null ||
+      startFailure(data) === "retrying");
+  usePolling(reload, moving ? STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS : STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS);
   const { data: mine } = useAsync(
     () => (isAdmin ? Promise.resolve([]) : api.myServers()),
     [isAdmin, name],
@@ -242,20 +262,22 @@ export function ServerConsole() {
 
       {loading && !data ? (
         <Loading />
-      ) : error ? (
+      ) : error && !data ? (
         <ErrorState error={error} onRetry={reload} />
       ) : data ? (
         <>
+          {error && <RefreshError error={error} />}
           <PageHeader
             icon={Terminal}
             title={data.displayName || data.name}
             subtitle={cfg ? <CopyAddress address={joinAddress(data.subdomain, cfg)} /> : undefined}
             actions={
               <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
-                <PhaseBadge phase={data.phase} failure={failure} autoRestarts={data.autoRestarts} />
+                <PhaseBadge phase={shownPhase(data)} failure={failure} autoRestarts={data.autoRestarts} />
                 <PowerButton
                   name={name}
-                  live={data.phase === "Running" || data.phase === "Starting" || data.phase === "Stopping"}
+                  phase={data.phase}
+                  desiredState={data.desiredState}
                   failed={failure !== null}
                   playersOnline={data.playersOnline}
                   playerCountUnknown={data.playerCountUnknown}
@@ -273,7 +295,7 @@ export function ServerConsole() {
                 <CardContent className="p-0 flex-1 flex flex-col lg:min-h-0 min-h-0 bg-black">
                   {!streamable ? (
                     <div className="flex-1 flex flex-col justify-center p-6 bg-black">
-                      <NotStreaming phase={data.phase} />
+                      <NotStreaming phase={shownPhase(data)} />
                     </div>
                   ) : cfg ? (
                     <div className="flex-1 flex flex-col lg:min-h-0 min-h-0 bg-black">
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.test.tsx b/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.test.tsx
index 0675f33..f1ffa46 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.test.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.test.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 // @vitest-environment jsdom
-import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
-import { render, screen, within } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { act, render, screen, within } from "@testing-library/react";
 import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
 import { MemoryRouter, Route, Routes } from "react-router-dom";
 import i18next from "i18next";
 import { ServerFiles } from "./ServerFiles";
+import { STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS } from "@/lib/hooks";
 
-const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({ writeServerFile: vi.fn() }));
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({ writeServerFile: vi.fn(), status: vi.fn() }));
 
 vi.mock("@/lib/api", async (importOriginal) => {
   const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("@/lib/api")>();
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/api", async (importOriginal) => {
     ...actual,
     api: {
       ...actual.api,
-      status: () => Promise.resolve({ name: "lobby", subdomain: "lobby", phase: "Stopped", ready: false }),
+      status: mocks.status,
       listServerFiles: () =>
         Promise.resolve({
           path: "",
@@ -43,8 +44,15 @@ async function openEditor() {
   return { dialog, editor: within(dialog).getByRole("textbox") as HTMLTextAreaElement };
 }
 
+const stopped = { name: "lobby", subdomain: "lobby", phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Stopped", ready: false };
+
 beforeEach(() => {
   mocks.writeServerFile.mockReset();
+  mocks.status.mockReset();
+  mocks.status.mockResolvedValue(stopped);
+});
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.useRealTimers();
 });
 
 describe("ServerFiles editor", () => {
@@ -93,3 +101,29 @@ describe("ServerFiles editor", () => {
     expect(dirty.defaultPrevented).toBe(true);
   });
 });
+
+describe("ServerFiles on a running server", () => {
+  it("lists the files once the server has stopped, without a reload", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true });
+    mocks.status.mockResolvedValue({ ...stopped, phase: "Running", desiredState: "Running", ready: true });
+    render(
+      <MemoryRouter initialEntries={["/servers/lobby/files"]}>
+        <Routes>
+          <Route path="/servers/:name/files" element={<ServerFiles />} />
+        </Routes>
+      </MemoryRouter>,
+    );
+    expect(await screen.findByText(t("files:stopped_required_title"))).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("server.properties")).toBeNull();
+
+    mocks.status.mockResolvedValue(stopped);
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS));
+    expect(await screen.findByText("server.properties")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByText(t("files:stopped_required_title"))).toBeNull();
+
+    // Stopped is what it waited for: nothing more to reread.
+    const reads = mocks.status.mock.calls.length;
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS * 3));
+    expect(mocks.status.mock.calls.length).toBe(reads);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.tsx b/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.tsx
index 5963e03..c0cca36 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.tsx
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ import {
   DialogHeader,
   DialogTitle,
 } from "@/components/ui/dialog";
-import { PhaseBadge } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
+import { PhaseBadge, shownPhase } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
 import { Loading, ErrorState, NotYours, EmptyState } from "@/components/States";
 import { PageHeader } from "@/components/PageHeader";
 import { api, humanizeError } from "@/lib/api";
-import { useAsync, useUnsavedGuard } from "@/lib/hooks";
+import { STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS, useAsync, usePolling, useUnsavedGuard } from "@/lib/hooks";
 import { useTier } from "@/lib/tier";
 import { canManage, ownershipPending } from "@/lib/ownership";
 import { formatBytes, formatRelative } from "@/lib/format";
@@ -137,12 +137,7 @@ export function ServerFiles() {
 
   // While the server is not stopped, poll the phase so the first successful
   // stop flips the page from the notice to the listing without a manual reload.
-  const reloadStatus = statusQ.reload;
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (stopped) return;
-    const id = setInterval(reloadStatus, 4000);
-    return () => clearInterval(id);
-  }, [stopped, reloadStatus]);
+  usePolling(statusQ.reload, stopped ? null : STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS);
 
   // Editor state. `editable` false marks a binary file (rendered read-only).
   // `sha256` is the hash the read returned: every save sends it back, so a file
@@ -297,7 +292,7 @@ export function ServerFiles() {
       icon={FolderOpen}
       title={statusQ.data.displayName || statusQ.data.name}
       subtitle={t("title")}
-      actions={<PhaseBadge phase={statusQ.data.phase} />}
+      actions={<PhaseBadge phase={shownPhase(statusQ.data)} />}
       className="mb-6"
     />
   );
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/ServerLuckPerms.test.tsx b/panel/src/pages/ServerLuckPerms.test.tsx
index 3813d21..bf9eb43 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/ServerLuckPerms.test.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/ServerLuckPerms.test.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 // @vitest-environment jsdom
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
-import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { act, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
 import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
 import { MemoryRouter, Route, Routes } from "react-router-dom";
 import i18next from "i18next";
 import { ServerLuckPerms } from "./ServerLuckPerms";
+import { STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS } from "@/lib/hooks";
 
 const calls = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   status: vi.fn(),
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 });
 afterEach(() => {
   vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  vi.useRealTimers();
   return i18next.changeLanguage("en-US");
 });
 
@@ -73,3 +75,34 @@ describe("ServerLuckPerms without LuckPerms", () => {
     expect(screen.queryByText(/success/i)).toBeNull();
   });
 });
+
+describe("ServerLuckPerms on a server that is down", () => {
+  it("switches over once the server is up, and reads who is online then", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true });
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue({ name: "lobby", displayName: "Lobby", phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Stopped" });
+    renderPage();
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Server is asleep")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(calls.accessPlayers).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue({ name: "lobby", displayName: "Lobby", phase: "Running", desiredState: "Running" });
+    calls.accessPlayers.mockResolvedValue({ name: "lobby", online: 1, max: 20, players: ["Alex"], output: "" });
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS));
+    expect(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: /Alex/ })).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(calls.accessPlayers).toHaveBeenCalledWith("lobby");
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Server is asleep")).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("shows a server woken elsewhere as starting", async () => {
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue({ name: "lobby", displayName: "Lobby", phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Running" });
+    renderPage();
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Server is starting")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: "Wake" })).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("says a server asked to stop is shutting down, before its pod is gone", async () => {
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue({ name: "lobby", displayName: "Lobby", phase: "Running", desiredState: "Stopped" });
+    renderPage();
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Server is shutting down")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByPlaceholderText("Steve")).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/ServerLuckPerms.tsx b/panel/src/pages/ServerLuckPerms.tsx
index 7d1cc37..6bdff46 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/ServerLuckPerms.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/ServerLuckPerms.tsx
@@ -15,14 +15,13 @@ import {
   SelectValue,
 } from "@/components/ui/select";
 import { Badge } from "@/components/ui/badge";
-import { PhaseBadge } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
-import { Loading, ErrorState, NotYours, NotRunning } from "@/components/States";
+import { PhaseBadge, shownPhase, startFailure } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
+import { Loading, ErrorState, NotYours, NotRunning, RefreshError } from "@/components/States";
 import { PageHeader } from "@/components/PageHeader";
 import { api, humanizeError } from "@/lib/api";
-import { useAsync } from "@/lib/hooks";
+import { STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS, STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS, useAsync, usePolling } from "@/lib/hooks";
 import { useTier } from "@/lib/tier";
 import { canManage, ownershipPending } from "@/lib/ownership";
-import type { Phase } from "@/lib/types";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 const MC_NAME = /^[A-Za-z0-9_]{1,16}$/;
@@ -61,6 +60,9 @@ export function ServerLuckPerms() {
   
   // Server Status
   const { data, error, loading, reload } = useAsync(() => api.status(name), [name]);
+  // The poll is what switches this page over once a wake lands, and back to
+  // NotRunning when the server stops (idle stop, the console, a player's timeout).
+  usePolling(reload, data && shownPhase(data) === "Running" ? STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS : STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS);
   
   // Ownership verification
   const {
@@ -72,10 +74,12 @@ export function ServerLuckPerms() {
     [isAdmin, name]
   );
 
-  // Online Players
+  // Online Players, read once the server is running: a page opened on a sleeping
+  // server fills the list when the poll sees it come up.
+  const running = data?.phase === "Running";
   const { data: playersData, loading: playersLoading } = useAsync(
-    () => api.accessPlayers(name),
-    [name]
+    () => (running ? api.accessPlayers(name) : Promise.resolve(null)),
+    [name, running]
   );
   const onlinePlayers = playersData?.players ?? [];
 
@@ -290,7 +294,7 @@ export function ServerLuckPerms() {
       </>
     );
   }
-  if (error) {
+  if (error && !data) {
     return (
       <>
         {back}
@@ -302,14 +306,15 @@ export function ServerLuckPerms() {
 
   const pending = ownershipPending(tierLoading, isAdmin, mine, mineError);
   const owned = canManage(isAdmin, mine, name);
-  const phase: Phase = data.phase;
+  const phase = shownPhase(data);
+  const failure = startFailure(data);
 
   const header = (
     <PageHeader
       icon={Shield}
       title={data.displayName || data.name}
       subtitle={t("luckperms_desc")}
-      actions={<PhaseBadge phase={phase} />}
+      actions={<PhaseBadge phase={phase} failure={failure} autoRestarts={data.autoRestarts} />}
       className="mb-6"
     />
   );
@@ -318,6 +323,7 @@ export function ServerLuckPerms() {
     <>
       {back}
       {header}
+      {error && <RefreshError error={error} className="mb-4" />}
       {pending ? (
         <Loading />
       ) : mineError ? (
@@ -325,7 +331,16 @@ export function ServerLuckPerms() {
       ) : !owned ? (
         <NotYours title={t("players_not_yours_title")} body={t("players_not_yours_body")} />
       ) : phase !== "Running" ? (
-        <NotRunning title={t("players_not_running_title")} body={t("players_not_running_body")} serverName={name} onWoken={reload} />
+        <NotRunning
+          title={t("players_not_running_title")}
+          body={t("players_not_running_body")}
+          serverName={name}
+          phase={data.phase}
+          desiredState={data.desiredState}
+          failure={failure}
+          autoRestarts={data.autoRestarts}
+          onWoken={reload}
+        />
       ) : (
         <div className="grid grid-cols-1 lg:grid-cols-4 gap-6 items-start">
           {/* Left Directory Sidebar: Single card for Search + Online Players */}
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/ServerPlayers.test.tsx b/panel/src/pages/ServerPlayers.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b70cb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/panel/src/pages/ServerPlayers.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { act, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { MemoryRouter, Route, Routes } from "react-router-dom";
+import { ServerPlayers } from "./ServerPlayers";
+import { STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS, STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS } from "@/lib/hooks";
+
+const calls = vi.hoisted(() => ({ status: vi.fn(), myServers: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("@/lib/tier", () => ({
+  useTier: () => ({
+    loading: false,
+    identity: { user_id: "admin-1", email: "admin@example.test", role: "admin" },
+    isAdmin: true,
+    isOwner: false,
+  }),
+}));
+vi.mock("@/lib/api", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("@/lib/api")>();
+  return { ...actual, api: { ...actual.api, ...calls } };
+});
+// Each section reads over RCON on its own; here it only matters whether the page shows them.
+vi.mock("@/components/players/OnlineSection", () => ({ OnlineSection: () => <div data-testid="online" /> }));
+vi.mock("@/components/players/WhitelistSection", () => ({ WhitelistSection: () => <div /> }));
+vi.mock("@/components/players/BansSection", () => ({ BansSection: () => <div /> }));
+
+const status = (over: Record<string, unknown>) => ({ name: "lobby", subdomain: "lobby", ready: false, ...over });
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  calls.status.mockReset();
+  calls.myServers.mockReset();
+  calls.myServers.mockResolvedValue([]);
+});
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.useRealTimers();
+});
+
+function renderPage() {
+  render(
+    <MemoryRouter initialEntries={["/servers/lobby/players"]}>
+      <Routes>
+        <Route path="/servers/:name/players" element={<ServerPlayers />} />
+      </Routes>
+    </MemoryRouter>,
+  );
+}
+
+describe("ServerPlayers following the server", () => {
+  it("switches over once the server is up, and back when it stops", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true });
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Stopped" }));
+    renderPage();
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Server is asleep")).toBeTruthy();
+
+    // Waiting on the server: the fast pace.
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Running", desiredState: "Running", ready: true }));
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS));
+    expect(await screen.findByTestId("online")).toBeTruthy();
+
+    // Running: the slow pace, which still sees an idle stop.
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Stopped" }));
+    const reads = calls.status.mock.calls.length;
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS));
+    expect(calls.status.mock.calls.length).toBe(reads);
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS - STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS));
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Server is asleep")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId("online")).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the page when a reread fails, and says the status may be old", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true });
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Running", desiredState: "Running", ready: true }));
+    renderPage();
+    expect(await screen.findByTestId("online")).toBeTruthy();
+
+    calls.status.mockRejectedValue({ status: 409, code: "test_failure", message: "status backend down" });
+    await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS));
+    expect((await screen.findByRole("alert")).textContent).toContain("status backend down");
+    expect(screen.getByTestId("online")).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("ServerPlayers on a server asked to move", () => {
+  it("says a woken server is starting and one asked to stop is shutting down", async () => {
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Running" }));
+    const first = render(
+      <MemoryRouter initialEntries={["/servers/lobby/players"]}>
+        <Routes>
+          <Route path="/servers/:name/players" element={<ServerPlayers />} />
+        </Routes>
+      </MemoryRouter>,
+    );
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Server is starting")).toBeTruthy();
+    first.unmount();
+
+    calls.status.mockResolvedValue(status({ phase: "Running", desiredState: "Stopped", ready: true }));
+    renderPage();
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Server is shutting down")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId("online")).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/ServerPlayers.tsx b/panel/src/pages/ServerPlayers.tsx
index c3093aa..dfdd43e 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/ServerPlayers.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/ServerPlayers.tsx
@@ -2,17 +2,16 @@ import { useParams } from "react-router-dom";
 import { Users } from "lucide-react";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { BackLink } from "@/components/BackLink";
-import { PhaseBadge } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
-import { Loading, ErrorState, NotYours, NotRunning } from "@/components/States";
+import { PhaseBadge, shownPhase, startFailure } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
+import { Loading, ErrorState, NotYours, NotRunning, RefreshError } from "@/components/States";
 import { PageHeader } from "@/components/PageHeader";
 import { OnlineSection } from "@/components/players/OnlineSection";
 import { WhitelistSection } from "@/components/players/WhitelistSection";
 import { BansSection } from "@/components/players/BansSection";
 import { api } from "@/lib/api";
-import { useAsync } from "@/lib/hooks";
+import { STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS, STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS, useAsync, usePolling } from "@/lib/hooks";
 import { useTier } from "@/lib/tier";
 import { canManage, ownershipPending } from "@/lib/ownership";
-import type { Phase } from "@/lib/types";
 
 /** ServerPlayers is the per-server player-management subpage (/servers/:name/players):
  *  whitelist today, online roster and bans as they land. It owns its own gating —
@@ -23,6 +22,9 @@ export function ServerPlayers() {
   const { t } = useTranslation("servers");
   const { isAdmin, loading: tierLoading } = useTier();
   const { data, error, loading, reload } = useAsync(() => api.status(name), [name]);
+  // The poll is what switches this page over once a wake lands, and back to
+  // NotRunning when the server stops (idle stop, the console, a player's timeout).
+  usePolling(reload, data && shownPhase(data) === "Running" ? STATUS_POLL_SLOW_MS : STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS);
   const {
     data: mine,
     error: mineError,
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ export function ServerPlayers() {
       </>
     );
   }
-  if (error) {
+  if (error && !data) {
     return (
       <>
         {back}
@@ -62,14 +64,15 @@ export function ServerPlayers() {
   // NotYours, which would wrongly tell an owner the server isn't theirs on a blip.
   const pending = ownershipPending(tierLoading, isAdmin, mine, mineError);
   const owned = canManage(isAdmin, mine, name);
-  const phase: Phase = data.phase;
+  const phase = shownPhase(data);
+  const failure = startFailure(data);
 
   const header = (
     <PageHeader
       icon={Users}
       title={data.displayName || data.name}
       subtitle={t("players_title")}
-      actions={<PhaseBadge phase={phase} />}
+      actions={<PhaseBadge phase={phase} failure={failure} autoRestarts={data.autoRestarts} />}
     />
   );
 
@@ -77,6 +80,7 @@ export function ServerPlayers() {
     <>
       {back}
       {header}
+      {error && <RefreshError error={error} className="mb-4" />}
       {pending ? (
         <Loading />
       ) : mineError ? (
@@ -84,7 +88,16 @@ export function ServerPlayers() {
       ) : !owned ? (
         <NotYours title={t("players_not_yours_title")} body={t("players_not_yours_body")} />
       ) : phase !== "Running" ? (
-        <NotRunning title={t("players_not_running_title")} body={t("players_not_running_body")} serverName={name} onWoken={reload} />
+        <NotRunning
+          title={t("players_not_running_title")}
+          body={t("players_not_running_body")}
+          serverName={name}
+          phase={data.phase}
+          desiredState={data.desiredState}
+          failure={failure}
+          autoRestarts={data.autoRestarts}
+          onWoken={reload}
+        />
       ) : (
         <div className="space-y-4">
           {/* Ordered as a who-may-be-here gradient: who is on right now → who may
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/servers/ServersPage.test.tsx b/panel/src/pages/servers/ServersPage.test.tsx
index dc6969a..25cd1dc 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/servers/ServersPage.test.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/servers/ServersPage.test.tsx
@@ -163,3 +163,32 @@ describe("ServersPage failed starts", () => {
     expect(flaky.getByRole("button", { name: /Retry start/ })).toBeTruthy();
   });
 });
+
+describe("ServersPage servers asked to move", () => {
+  it("shows a wake or stop at once, in the badge, the button and the counts", async () => {
+    calls.fleet.mockResolvedValue([
+      row("survival", { phase: "Stopped", desiredState: "Running", owned: true }),
+      row("creative", { phase: "Running", desiredState: "Stopped", ready: true, owned: true }),
+    ]);
+    render(
+      <MemoryRouter>
+        <ServersPage />
+      </MemoryRouter>,
+    );
+
+    const survival = await tableRow("survival");
+    expect(survival.getByText("Starting")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(survival.queryByText("Stopped")).toBeNull();
+    // Stop stays offered: the way out of a start that never comes up.
+    expect(survival.getByRole("button", { name: "Stop" })).toHaveProperty("disabled", false);
+
+    const creative = await tableRow("creative");
+    expect(creative.getByText("Stopping")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(creative.getByRole("button", { name: "Stopping…" })).toHaveProperty("disabled", true);
+    expect(creative.queryByRole("button", { name: "Stop" })).toBeNull();
+
+    // The Running card counts neither: one is not up yet, the other is going down.
+    const runningCard = screen.getByText("Running", { selector: "div.mt-1" });
+    expect(runningCard.previousElementSibling?.textContent).toBe("0");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/servers/ServersPage.tsx b/panel/src/pages/servers/ServersPage.tsx
index 0246d30..e49ef0c 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/servers/ServersPage.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/servers/ServersPage.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
+import { useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { Link } from "react-router-dom";
 import {
   Network,
@@ -30,16 +30,16 @@ import {
   SelectContent,
   SelectItem,
 } from "@/components/ui/select";
-import { PhaseBadge, PHASE_KEY, PHASE_COLOR, startFailure } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
+import { PhaseBadge, PHASE_KEY, PHASE_COLOR, shownPhase, startFailure } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
 import { PowerButton } from "@/components/PowerButton";
-import { Loading, ErrorState, EmptyState } from "@/components/States";
+import { Loading, ErrorState, EmptyState, RefreshError } from "@/components/States";
 import { Pagination } from "@/components/Pagination";
 import { CreateServerDialog } from "@/components/CreateServerDialog";
 import { StatCard } from "@/components/StatCard";
 import { CopyAddress } from "@/components/CopyAddress";
 import { PageHeader } from "@/components/PageHeader";
 import { api, humanizeError } from "@/lib/api";
-import { useAsync, useConfig } from "@/lib/hooks";
+import { useAsync, useConfig, usePolling } from "@/lib/hooks";
 import { useTier } from "@/lib/tier";
 import { joinAddress, type RuntimeConfig } from "@/lib/config";
 import { matchScore } from "@/lib/fuzzy";
@@ -107,19 +107,7 @@ export function ServersPage() {
   const [phaseFilter, setPhaseFilter] = useState<Phase | "all">("all");
   const [page, setPage] = useState(1);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const id = window.setInterval(() => {
-      if (!document.hidden) reload();
-    }, REFRESH_MS);
-    const onVisible = () => {
-      if (!document.hidden) reload();
-    };
-    document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", onVisible);
-    return () => {
-      window.clearInterval(id);
-      document.removeEventListener("visibilitychange", onVisible);
-    };
-  }, [reload]);
+  usePolling(reload, REFRESH_MS);
 
   const servers = useMemo<UnifiedServer[]>(() => {
     if (!data) return [];
@@ -177,7 +165,8 @@ export function ServersPage() {
     let playersOnline = 0;
     let playersMax = 0;
     for (const s of servers) {
-      if (counts[s.phase as Phase] !== undefined) counts[s.phase as Phase]++;
+      const phase = shownPhase(s);
+      if (counts[phase] !== undefined) counts[phase]++;
       else counts.Unknown++;
       playersOnline += s.playersOnline ?? 0;
       playersMax += s.playersMax ?? 0;
@@ -187,7 +176,7 @@ export function ServersPage() {
 
   const visible = useMemo(() => {
     const terms = query.trim().toLowerCase().split(/\s+/).filter(Boolean);
-    const phaseOk = (s: UnifiedServer) => phaseFilter === "all" || s.phase === phaseFilter;
+    const phaseOk = (s: UnifiedServer) => phaseFilter === "all" || shownPhase(s) === phaseFilter;
     if (terms.length === 0) return servers.filter(phaseOk);
     const scored: { s: UnifiedServer; score: number }[] = [];
     for (const s of servers) {
@@ -242,12 +231,7 @@ export function ServersPage() {
         <Loading />
       ) : (
         <>
-          {error && (
-            <div role="alert" className="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md border border-destructive/30 bg-destructive/5 px-3 py-2 text-xs text-destructive">
-              <AlertTriangle className="h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0" />
-              {humanizeError(error)}
-            </div>
-          )}
+          {error && <RefreshError error={error} />}
 
           {/* Stats Cards in a full grid row */}
           <div className="grid grid-cols-2 gap-4 xl:grid-cols-4">
@@ -468,7 +452,6 @@ function ServerActions({
     );
   }
 
-  const live = isLive(server.phase);
   return (
     <div className={cn("flex flex-col items-end gap-1", className)}>
       <div className="flex flex-wrap items-start justify-end gap-2 xl:flex-nowrap">
@@ -514,7 +497,8 @@ function ServerActions({
           <>
             <PowerButton
               name={server.name}
-              live={live}
+              phase={server.phase}
+              desiredState={server.desiredState}
               failed={startFailure(server) !== null}
               playersOnline={server.playersOnline}
               playerCountUnknown={server.playerCountUnknown}
@@ -617,7 +601,7 @@ function ServerRow({
       <td className="px-4 py-3 align-middle text-left">
         <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
           <ServerName server={server} />
-          <PhaseBadge phase={server.phase} failure={startFailure(server)} autoRestarts={server.autoRestarts} />
+          <PhaseBadge phase={shownPhase(server)} failure={startFailure(server)} autoRestarts={server.autoRestarts} />
         </div>
         {address && <CopyAddress address={address} className="md:max-w-[16rem]" />}
       </td>
@@ -676,7 +660,7 @@ function ServerMobileCard({
               <div className="flex min-w-0 items-baseline gap-2">
                 <ServerName server={server} />
               </div>
-              <PhaseBadge phase={server.phase} failure={startFailure(server)} autoRestarts={server.autoRestarts} />
+              <PhaseBadge phase={shownPhase(server)} failure={startFailure(server)} autoRestarts={server.autoRestarts} />
             </div>
             {/* Its own line: the join address is what a player came for, so it
                 gets the card's full width rather than sharing it with the badge. */}