diff --git a/client/src/data-provider/SSE/__tests__/queries.test.ts b/client/src/data-provider/SSE/__tests__/queries.test.ts
index 1c320d3c98..2afb0e1256 100644
--- a/client/src/data-provider/SSE/__tests__/queries.test.ts
+++ b/client/src/data-provider/SSE/__tests__/queries.test.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ import {
   genTitleQueryKey,
   queueTitleGeneration,
   useActiveJobs,
+  resetActiveJobsGrace,
+  getActiveJobsRefetchInterval,
+  ACTIVE_JOBS_POLL_MS,
+  ACTIVE_JOBS_SUCCESSOR_GRACE_MS,
 } from '../queries';
 
 describe('fetchStreamStatus generation protocol advertisement', () => {
@@ -84,14 +88,65 @@ describe('useActiveJobs focus behaviour', () => {
     expect(options.staleTime).toBe(5_000);
   });
 
-  it('polls only while something is listed', () => {
+  it('polls while something is listed', () => {
     (useQuery as jest.Mock).mockClear();
+    resetActiveJobsGrace();
 
     useActiveJobs();
 
     const options = (useQuery as jest.Mock).mock.calls[0][0];
-    expect(options.refetchInterval({ activeJobIds: ['convo-1'] })).toBe(5_000);
-    expect(options.refetchInterval({ activeJobIds: [] })).toBe(false);
+    expect(options.refetchInterval({ activeJobIds: ['convo-1'] })).toBe(ACTIVE_JOBS_POLL_MS);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('useActiveJobs successor grace', () => {
+  let now = 1_000_000;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    now = 1_000_000;
+    jest.spyOn(Date, 'now').mockImplementation(() => now);
+    resetActiveJobsGrace();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    (Date.now as jest.Mock).mockRestore?.();
+    resetActiveJobsGrace();
+  });
+
+  it('does not poll for an empty list it has never seen fill', () => {
+    expect(getActiveJobsRefetchInterval({ activeJobIds: [] })).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps asking across the handover to a server-started successor', () => {
+    /**
+     * The run ends, the client removes its own job optimistically, and the
+     * backend admits the queued turn (or a background-tool continuation) it
+     * owns. Going quiet on the empty list is what leaves the pane on the
+     * previous turn until a reload.
+     */
+    expect(getActiveJobsRefetchInterval({ activeJobIds: ['convo-1'] })).toBe(ACTIVE_JOBS_POLL_MS);
+
+    now += 1_000;
+    expect(getActiveJobsRefetchInterval({ activeJobIds: [] })).toBe(ACTIVE_JOBS_POLL_MS);
+  });
+
+  it('stops once the handover window has passed without a successor', () => {
+    expect(getActiveJobsRefetchInterval({ activeJobIds: ['convo-1'] })).toBe(ACTIVE_JOBS_POLL_MS);
+
+    now += ACTIVE_JOBS_SUCCESSOR_GRACE_MS + 1;
+    expect(getActiveJobsRefetchInterval({ activeJobIds: [] })).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('renews the window when the successor turns up', () => {
+    getActiveJobsRefetchInterval({ activeJobIds: ['convo-1'] });
+    now += 1_000;
+    getActiveJobsRefetchInterval({ activeJobIds: [] });
+
+    now += 1_000;
+    expect(getActiveJobsRefetchInterval({ activeJobIds: ['convo-1'] })).toBe(ACTIVE_JOBS_POLL_MS);
+
+    now += ACTIVE_JOBS_SUCCESSOR_GRACE_MS - 1;
+    expect(getActiveJobsRefetchInterval({ activeJobIds: [] })).toBe(ACTIVE_JOBS_POLL_MS);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/client/src/data-provider/SSE/queries.ts b/client/src/data-provider/SSE/queries.ts
index ca5834c2f1..d533155949 100644
--- a/client/src/data-provider/SSE/queries.ts
+++ b/client/src/data-provider/SSE/queries.ts
@@ -219,6 +219,40 @@ export function useTitleGeneration(enabled = true) {
  * - Polls while jobs are active
  * - Shows generation indicators in conversation list
  */
+export const ACTIVE_JOBS_POLL_MS = 5_000;
+/**
+ * How long to keep asking after the last job this client knew about ended.
+ *
+ * A successor the server admits for itself — a queued turn handed to the
+ * backend, a background-tool continuation — starts as part of terminalizing
+ * the run before it. But finishing a run also empties this list, partly
+ * because the client removes its own job optimistically the moment `FINAL`
+ * lands. Stopping the poll on an empty list therefore goes quiet at exactly
+ * the moment a successor appears, and with the tab already focused there is no
+ * focus refetch to recover: the pane waits for a reload. Keep asking across
+ * that handover instead.
+ */
+export const ACTIVE_JOBS_SUCCESSOR_GRACE_MS = 30_000;
+
+/** Module-scoped rather than per-observer: this is one shared query, and a
+ *  component mounting mid-handover should inherit the grace, not restart it. */
+let lastListedActiveJobsAt = 0;
+
+/** @internal Test seam — the grace window is wall-clock state. */
+export function resetActiveJobsGrace(): void {
+  lastListedActiveJobsAt = 0;
+}
+
+export function getActiveJobsRefetchInterval(data?: ActiveJobsResponse): number | false {
+  if ((data?.activeJobIds?.length ?? 0) > 0) {
+    lastListedActiveJobsAt = Date.now();
+    return ACTIVE_JOBS_POLL_MS;
+  }
+  return Date.now() - lastListedActiveJobsAt < ACTIVE_JOBS_SUCCESSOR_GRACE_MS
+    ? ACTIVE_JOBS_POLL_MS
+    : false;
+}
+
 export function useActiveJobs(enabled = true) {
   return useQuery({
     queryKey: [QueryKeys.activeJobs],
@@ -231,7 +265,7 @@ export function useActiveJobs(enabled = true) {
      *  invisible until some unrelated refetch, and returning to the tab is
      *  exactly when a pane needs to know whether its history has moved. */
     refetchOnWindowFocus: 'always',
-    refetchInterval: (data) => ((data?.activeJobIds?.length ?? 0) > 0 ? 5_000 : false),
+    refetchInterval: getActiveJobsRefetchInterval,
     retry: false,
   });
 }