diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SyncStatus.tsx b/frontend/src/components/SyncStatus.tsx
index 56bbb19..39b133d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SyncStatus.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SyncStatus.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { useMutation, useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { Clock, Database, History, Loader2, Pause, Play } from "lucide-react";
-import { api } from "../lib/api";
+import { api, type MyStatus } from "../lib/api";
 import { formatViews } from "../lib/format";
 import Tooltip from "./Tooltip";
 
@@ -22,11 +22,19 @@ export default function SyncStatus({
     queryFn: api.myStatus,
     // Track the scheduler near-real-time: poll even when the tab is backgrounded, and
     // refresh immediately on tab focus (the global default disables focus refetch), so the
-    // "N without full history" count keeps ticking down without a manual reload.
-    refetchInterval: 30_000,
+    // "N without full history" count keeps ticking down without a manual reload. Poll faster
+    // while a job is running or work is pending — so the live "syncing" state is actually
+    // caught — and ease back to a slow idle tick once everything's settled.
+    refetchInterval: (query) => {
+      const d = query.state.data as MyStatus | undefined;
+      const busy =
+        !!d &&
+        (d.sync_active || d.channels_recent_pending > 0 || d.channels_deep_pending > 0);
+      return busy ? 8_000 : 30_000;
+    },
     refetchIntervalInBackground: true,
     refetchOnWindowFocus: true,
-    staleTime: 25_000,
+    staleTime: 5_000,
   });
 
   const toggle = useMutation({