diff --git a/apps/staged/src/lib/commands.ts b/apps/staged/src/lib/commands.ts
index 464fb650..cafe741c 100644
--- a/apps/staged/src/lib/commands.ts
+++ b/apps/staged/src/lib/commands.ts
@@ -293,9 +293,8 @@ type TimelineJob = {
 };
 
 const TIMELINE_MAX_CONCURRENCY = 1;
-const TIMELINE_CACHE_MAX_AGE_MS = 30_000;
 const timelineQueue: TimelineJob[] = [];
-const timelineCache = new Map<string, { timeline: BranchTimeline; fetchedAt: number }>();
+const timelineCache = new Map<string, { timeline: BranchTimeline }>();
 const inFlightTimelines = new Map<string, Promise<BranchTimeline>>();
 let activeTimelineJobs = 0;
 
@@ -307,7 +306,7 @@ function pumpTimelineQueue() {
     activeTimelineJobs += 1;
     invoke<BranchTimeline>('get_branch_timeline', { branchId: job.branchId })
       .then((timeline) => {
-        timelineCache.set(job.branchId, { timeline, fetchedAt: Date.now() });
+        timelineCache.set(job.branchId, { timeline });
         job.resolve(timeline);
       })
       .catch((error) => {
@@ -334,7 +333,7 @@ export function getBranchTimeline(
 ): Promise<BranchTimeline> {
   if (!force) {
     const cached = timelineCache.get(branchId);
-    if (cached && Date.now() - cached.fetchedAt <= TIMELINE_CACHE_MAX_AGE_MS) {
+    if (cached) {
       return Promise.resolve(cached.timeline);
     }
   }
@@ -357,6 +356,23 @@ export function getBranchTimeline(
   return request;
 }
 
+export function getBranchTimelineWithRevalidation(branchId: string): {
+  cached: BranchTimeline | null;
+  fresh: Promise<BranchTimeline>;
+} {
+  const entry = timelineCache.get(branchId);
+  return {
+    cached: entry?.timeline ?? null,
+    fresh: getBranchTimeline(branchId, { force: true }),
+  };
+}
+
+export function invalidateProjectBranchTimelines(branchIds: string[]): void {
+  for (const id of branchIds) {
+    timelineCache.delete(id);
+  }
+}
+
 // =============================================================================
 // Actions
 // =============================================================================
diff --git a/apps/staged/src/lib/features/branches/BranchCard.svelte b/apps/staged/src/lib/features/branches/BranchCard.svelte
index e16fdffe..b014d583 100644
--- a/apps/staged/src/lib/features/branches/BranchCard.svelte
+++ b/apps/staged/src/lib/features/branches/BranchCard.svelte
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@
 
   let timeline = $state<BranchTimelineData | null>(null);
   let loading = $state(true);
+  let revalidating = $state(false);
   let error = $state<string | null>(null);
   let showBranchDiff = $state(false);
   let loadedTimelineKey = $state<string | null>(null);
@@ -283,12 +284,45 @@
     void loadTimeline();
   });
 
+  let revalidationVersion = 0;
+
   async function loadTimeline() {
     const isInitialLoad = !timeline;
+    error = null;
+    // Cancel any in-flight revalidation so it can't overwrite fresher data
+    revalidationVersion++;
+
     if (isInitialLoad) {
+      const { cached, fresh } = commands.getBranchTimelineWithRevalidation(branch.id);
+      if (cached) {
+        // Show stale data immediately
+        timeline = cached;
+        loading = false;
+        prunedSessionIds = sessionMgr.prunePendingSessionItems(cached);
+        revalidating = true;
+        const version = revalidationVersion;
+        fresh
+          .then((next) => {
+            if (version !== revalidationVersion) return;
+            error = null;
+            timeline = next;
+            prunedSessionIds = sessionMgr.prunePendingSessionItems(next);
+            void loadTimelineReviewDetails(next.reviews);
+          })
+          .catch((e) => {
+            if (version !== revalidationVersion) return;
+            error = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
+          })
+          .finally(() => {
+            if (version !== revalidationVersion) return;
+            revalidating = false;
+          });
+        return;
+      }
+      // No cache — show loading spinner as before
       loading = true;
     }
-    error = null;
+
     try {
       const nextTimeline = await commands.getBranchTimeline(branch.id, { force: !isInitialLoad });
       timeline = nextTimeline;
@@ -715,7 +749,7 @@
           <Spinner size={14} />
           <span>Loading...</span>
         </div>
-      {:else if error}
+      {:else if error && !timeline}
         <div class="error">
           <span>{error}</span>
         </div>
@@ -726,6 +760,7 @@
           pendingDropNotes={isLocal ? pendingDropNotes : undefined}
           pendingItems={sessionMgr.pendingSessionItems}
           {prunedSessionIds}
+          {revalidating}
           deletingItems={timelineDeletingItems}
           reviewCommentBreakdown={timelineReviewDetailsById}
           onSessionClick={(sid) => sessionMgr.handleTimelineSessionClick(sid)}
@@ -772,6 +807,11 @@
             {/if}
           {/snippet}
         </BranchTimeline>
+        {#if error}
+          <div class="error revalidation-error">
+            <span>{error}</span>
+          </div>
+        {/if}
       {/if}
     </div>
   {/if}
@@ -1026,6 +1066,11 @@
     font-size: var(--size-sm);
   }
 
+  .revalidation-error {
+    padding: 4px 12px;
+    color: var(--text-faint);
+  }
+
   /* Worktree error state */
   .worktree-error {
     display: flex;
diff --git a/apps/staged/src/lib/features/projects/ProjectHome.svelte b/apps/staged/src/lib/features/projects/ProjectHome.svelte
index eea84b46..3d23b9ca 100644
--- a/apps/staged/src/lib/features/projects/ProjectHome.svelte
+++ b/apps/staged/src/lib/features/projects/ProjectHome.svelte
@@ -448,6 +448,7 @@
         if (repo.projectId === id) nextRepos.delete(repoId);
       }
       reposById = nextRepos;
+      commands.invalidateProjectBranchTimelines(branchesToClear.map((b) => b.id));
       for (const branch of branchesToClear) {
         workspaceLifecycle.clearBranchState(branch.id);
       }
@@ -583,6 +584,7 @@
           existing.filter((b) => b.id !== branch.id)
         );
       }
+      commands.invalidateBranchTimeline(branch.id);
     } catch (e) {
       console.error('Failed to delete branch:', e);
     } finally {
diff --git a/apps/staged/src/lib/features/timeline/BranchTimeline.svelte b/apps/staged/src/lib/features/timeline/BranchTimeline.svelte
index 54de388e..572e9415 100644
--- a/apps/staged/src/lib/features/timeline/BranchTimeline.svelte
+++ b/apps/staged/src/lib/features/timeline/BranchTimeline.svelte
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@
     onNewCommit?: () => void;
     onNewReview?: (e: MouseEvent) => void;
     newSessionDisabled?: boolean;
+    /** Whether the timeline is being revalidated in the background. */
+    revalidating?: boolean;
     footerActions?: Snippet;
   }
 
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@
     onNewCommit,
     onNewReview,
     newSessionDisabled = false,
+    revalidating = false,
     footerActions,
   }: Props = $props();
 
@@ -458,7 +461,9 @@
           isLast={index === items.length - 1 &&
             !onNewNote &&
             !onNewCommit &&
-            pendingDropNotes.length === 0}
+            pendingDropNotes.length === 0 &&
+            pendingItems.length === 0 &&
+            !revalidating}
           sessionId={item.sessionId}
           deleteDisabledReason={item.deleteDisabledReason}
           {onSessionClick}
@@ -475,6 +480,7 @@
           secondaryMeta="adding..."
           isLast={index === pendingDropNotes.length - 1 &&
             pendingItems.length === 0 &&
+            !revalidating &&
             !onNewNote &&
             !onNewCommit}
         />
@@ -491,10 +497,15 @@
               fallbackHintForPendingType(item.type))
             : item.secondaryMeta}
           sessionId={item.sessionId}
-          isLast={index === pendingItems.length - 1 && !onNewNote && !onNewCommit}
+          isLast={index === pendingItems.length - 1 && !revalidating && !onNewNote && !onNewCommit}
         />
       </div>
     {/each}
+    {#if revalidating}
+      <div transition:slide={{ duration: 200 }}>
+        <TimelineRow type="revalidating" title="Looking for changes..." isLast={true} />
+      </div>
+    {/if}
     {#if onNewNote || onNewCommit || onNewReview || footerActions}
       <div class="footer-row">
         <div class="footer-left-actions">
diff --git a/apps/staged/src/lib/features/timeline/TimelineRow.svelte b/apps/staged/src/lib/features/timeline/TimelineRow.svelte
index 808b768a..1e77809f 100644
--- a/apps/staged/src/lib/features/timeline/TimelineRow.svelte
+++ b/apps/staged/src/lib/features/timeline/TimelineRow.svelte
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@
     | 'review'
     | 'generating-review'
     | 'failed-review'
-    | 'image';
+    | 'image'
+    | 'revalidating';
 
   export type TimelineBadge = {
     icon: 'comment' | 'warning';
@@ -73,7 +74,8 @@
     deleting ||
       type === 'pending-commit' ||
       type === 'generating-note' ||
-      type === 'generating-review'
+      type === 'generating-review' ||
+      type === 'revalidating'
   );
   let isFailed = $derived(
     !deleting && (type === 'failed-commit' || type === 'failed-note' || type === 'failed-review')
@@ -107,6 +109,7 @@
   class:pending={isPending}
   class:failed={isFailed}
   class:clickable={isClickable}
+  class:compact={type === 'revalidating'}
   onclick={handleRowClick}
 >
   <div class="timeline-marker">
@@ -209,6 +212,10 @@
     cursor: default;
   }
 
+  .timeline-row.compact {
+    padding: 6px 8px;
+  }
+
   .timeline-row.failed {
     cursor: default;
   }
@@ -300,6 +307,20 @@
     color: var(--review-color);
   }
 
+  .timeline-row.compact .timeline-icon {
+    background-color: var(--bg-hover);
+    border-color: var(--bg-hover);
+  }
+
+  .timeline-row.compact .timeline-icon :global(.spinner) {
+    color: var(--text-faint);
+  }
+
+  .timeline-row.compact .timeline-title {
+    color: var(--text-faint);
+    font-weight: normal;
+  }
+
   .timeline-icon.failed-icon {
     color: var(--text-muted);
     border-color: var(--border-muted);