diff --git a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-client-activity.test.tsx b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-client-activity.test.tsx
index 61f86d188..b89eab1fc 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-client-activity.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-client-activity.test.tsx
@@ -49,7 +49,10 @@ vi.mock("@server/client/daemon-client", () => ({}));
 function createTestClient() {
   return {
     isConnected: true,
-    subscribeConnectionStatus: vi.fn(() => vi.fn()),
+    subscribeConnectionStatus: vi.fn((listener: (state: { status: "connected" }) => void) => {
+      listener({ status: "connected" });
+      return vi.fn();
+    }),
     sendHeartbeat: vi.fn<(payload: HeartbeatPayload) => void>(),
   };
 }
@@ -68,13 +71,15 @@ function heartbeatTimeMs(client: ReturnType<typeof createTestClient>): number {
 
 async function renderActivityHook({
   client = createTestClient(),
+  focusedAgentId = "agent-1",
 }: {
   client?: ReturnType<typeof createTestClient>;
+  focusedAgentId?: string | null;
 } = {}) {
-  function Probe() {
+  function Probe({ focusedAgentId }: { focusedAgentId: string | null }) {
     useClientActivity({
       client: client as unknown as Parameters<typeof useClientActivity>[0]["client"],
-      focusedAgentId: "agent-1",
+      focusedAgentId,
     });
     return null;
   }
@@ -84,10 +89,16 @@ async function renderActivityHook({
   const root = createRoot(container);
 
   await act(async () => {
-    root.render(<Probe />);
+    root.render(<Probe focusedAgentId={focusedAgentId} />);
   });
 
-  return { client, root };
+  const rerender = async (nextFocusedAgentId: string | null) => {
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(<Probe focusedAgentId={nextFocusedAgentId} />);
+    });
+  };
+
+  return { client, rerender, root };
 }
 
 async function advance(ms: number) {
@@ -138,6 +149,24 @@ describe("useClientActivity", () => {
     expect(getDesktopSystemIdleTimeMs).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("sends one immediate heartbeat when the focused agent changes", async () => {
+    const rendered = await renderActivityHook();
+    root = rendered.root;
+
+    expect(rendered.client.sendHeartbeat).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    rendered.client.sendHeartbeat.mockClear();
+
+    vi.setSystemTime(new Date("2026-04-19T10:00:05.000Z"));
+    await rendered.rerender("agent-2");
+
+    expect(rendered.client.subscribeConnectionStatus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(rendered.client.sendHeartbeat).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(latestHeartbeat(rendered.client)).toMatchObject({
+      focusedAgentId: "agent-2",
+      lastActivityAt: "2026-04-19T10:00:05.000Z",
+    });
+  });
+
   it("drives lastActivityAt forward from Electron idle polling", async () => {
     platformState.isElectron = true;
     getDesktopSystemIdleTimeMs.mockResolvedValue(0);
diff --git a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-client-activity.ts b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-client-activity.ts
index a244df33b..b659a6164 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/hooks/use-client-activity.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/hooks/use-client-activity.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { AppState } from "react-native";
 import type { DaemonClient } from "@server/client/daemon-client";
 import { getIsElectron, isWeb, isNative } from "@/constants/platform";
 import { getDesktopSystemIdleTimeMs } from "@/desktop/electron/idle";
+import { useStableEvent } from "@/hooks/use-stable-event";
 
 const HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_MS = 15_000;
 const ACTIVITY_HEARTBEAT_THROTTLE_MS = 5_000;
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ export function useClientActivity({
     lastActivityAtRef.current = new Date();
   }, []);
 
-  const sendHeartbeat = useCallback(() => {
+  const sendHeartbeat = useStableEvent(() => {
     if (!client.isConnected) return;
     client.sendHeartbeat({
       deviceType,
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ export function useClientActivity({
       appVisible: appVisibleRef.current,
       appVisibilityChangedAt: appVisibilityChangedAtRef.current.toISOString(),
     });
-  }, [client, deviceType, focusedAgentId]);
+  });
 
   const setAppVisible = useCallback(
     (nextVisible: boolean) => {
@@ -191,10 +192,6 @@ export function useClientActivity({
       }
     });
 
-    if (client.isConnected) {
-      startHeartbeat();
-    }
-
     return () => {
       unsubscribe();
       stopHeartbeat();
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-metadata-generator.unit.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-metadata-generator.unit.test.ts
index ec42106c4..718483cd4 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-metadata-generator.unit.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-metadata-generator.unit.test.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ const ELIGIBLE_WORKTREE_SNAPSHOT: WorkspaceGitRuntimeSnapshot = {
     featuresEnabled: false,
     pullRequest: null,
     error: null,
-    refreshedAt: null,
   },
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/paseo-worktree-service.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/paseo-worktree-service.test.ts
index d4ede9deb..6e18aa09b 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/paseo-worktree-service.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/paseo-worktree-service.test.ts
@@ -296,7 +296,6 @@ function createWorkspaceGitSnapshot(cwd: string): WorkspaceGitRuntimeSnapshot {
       featuresEnabled: false,
       pullRequest: null,
       error: null,
-      refreshedAt: null,
     },
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/session.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/session.test.ts
index 5f11238f8..71c1d8d32 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/session.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/session.test.ts
@@ -237,7 +237,6 @@ function createWorkspaceGitSnapshot(
       featuresEnabled: false,
       pullRequest: null,
       error: null,
-      refreshedAt: null,
       ...overrides?.github,
     },
   };
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/session.ts b/packages/server/src/server/session.ts
index b84ed7f2e..8b1751dd3 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/session.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/session.ts
@@ -5837,7 +5837,6 @@ export class Session {
       featuresEnabled: snapshot.github.featuresEnabled,
       pullRequest: snapshot.github.pullRequest,
       error: snapshot.github.error,
-      refreshedAt: snapshot.github.refreshedAt,
     };
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/session.workspace-git-watch.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/session.workspace-git-watch.test.ts
index 4aaac5dd5..28362bebf 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/session.workspace-git-watch.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/session.workspace-git-watch.test.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ function createWorkspaceRuntimeSnapshot(
       featuresEnabled: true,
       pullRequest: null,
       error: null,
-      refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:00:00.000Z",
     },
   };
 
@@ -477,7 +476,6 @@ describe("workspace git watch targets", () => {
             headRefName: "workspace-git-service",
             isMerged: true,
           },
-          refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:05:00.000Z",
         },
       }),
     );
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts
index 51aca6a88..3a74e2d3e 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/session.workspaces.test.ts
@@ -134,7 +134,6 @@ function createNoopWorkspaceGitService() {
           featuresEnabled: false,
           pullRequest: null,
           error: null,
-          refreshedAt: null,
         },
       },
       unsubscribe: () => {},
@@ -159,7 +158,6 @@ function createNoopWorkspaceGitService() {
         featuresEnabled: false,
         pullRequest: null,
         error: null,
-        refreshedAt: null,
       },
     }),
     resolveRepoRemoteUrl: async () => null,
@@ -210,7 +208,6 @@ function createWorkspaceRuntimeSnapshot(
         isMerged: false,
       },
       error: null,
-      refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:00:00.000Z",
     },
   };
 
@@ -2592,7 +2589,6 @@ describe("workspace aggregation", () => {
           headRefName: "runtime-branch",
           isMerged: false,
         },
-        refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:05:00.000Z",
       },
     });
     const workspaceGitService = createNoopWorkspaceGitService();
@@ -2674,7 +2670,6 @@ describe("workspace aggregation", () => {
             isMerged: false,
           },
           error: null,
-          refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:05:00.000Z",
         },
       }),
     ]);
@@ -2696,7 +2691,6 @@ describe("workspace aggregation", () => {
           headRefName: "feature/runtime-payloads",
           isMerged: true,
         },
-        refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:10:00.000Z",
       },
     });
     const workspaceGitService = createNoopWorkspaceGitService();
@@ -2770,7 +2764,6 @@ describe("workspace aggregation", () => {
               title: "Updated runtime payloads",
               isMerged: true,
             }),
-            refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:10:00.000Z",
           }),
         }),
       },
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/websocket-server.ts b/packages/server/src/server/websocket-server.ts
index 0d5b3c2fc..f2efd12fd 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/websocket-server.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/websocket-server.ts
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ function createFallbackWorkspaceGitService(): WorkspaceGitServiceImpl {
           featuresEnabled: false,
           pullRequest: null,
           error: null,
-          refreshedAt: null,
         },
       },
       unsubscribe: () => {},
@@ -114,7 +113,6 @@ function createFallbackWorkspaceGitService(): WorkspaceGitServiceImpl {
         featuresEnabled: false,
         pullRequest: null,
         error: null,
-        refreshedAt: null,
       },
     }),
     refresh: async () => {},
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.primitive.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.primitive.test.ts
index 6060e74a9..85cd27f46 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.primitive.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.primitive.test.ts
@@ -137,7 +137,6 @@ function createSnapshot(
         isMerged: false,
       },
       error: null,
-      refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:00:00.000Z",
     },
   };
 
@@ -412,9 +411,6 @@ describe("WorkspaceGitServiceImpl primitive refresh entrypoint", () => {
         currentBranch: "feature",
         diffStat: { additions: 4, deletions: 2 },
       },
-      github: {
-        refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:00:16.000Z",
-      },
     });
     await expect(Promise.all([first, second])).resolves.toEqual([freshSnapshot, freshSnapshot]);
     expect(getCheckoutStatus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.test.ts
index 4ed4d0c9e..c6c46a2c7 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.test.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ function createSnapshot(
         isMerged: false,
       },
       error: null,
-      refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:00:00.000Z",
     },
   };
 
@@ -267,7 +266,6 @@ describe("WorkspaceGitServiceImpl", () => {
             headRefName: "workspace-git-service",
             isMerged: false,
           },
-          refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T02:03:04.000Z",
         },
       }),
     );
@@ -276,6 +274,26 @@ describe("WorkspaceGitServiceImpl", () => {
     service.dispose();
   });
 
+  test("non-forced GitHub refresh does not emit when pull request state is unchanged", async () => {
+    let nowMs = Date.parse("2026-04-12T00:00:00.000Z");
+    const getPullRequestStatus = vi.fn(async () => createPullRequestStatusResult());
+    const service = createService({
+      getPullRequestStatus,
+      now: () => new Date(nowMs),
+    });
+    const listener = vi.fn();
+    const subscription = await service.subscribe({ cwd: "/tmp/repo" }, listener);
+
+    nowMs += 3_000;
+    await service.refresh("/tmp/repo");
+
+    expect(getPullRequestStatus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(listener).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    subscription.unsubscribe();
+    service.dispose();
+  });
+
   test("cold getSnapshot calls share one workspace target setup and cache the snapshot", async () => {
     const checkoutStatusDeferred = createDeferred<CheckoutStatusGit>();
     const getCheckoutStatus = vi.fn(async () => checkoutStatusDeferred.promise);
@@ -361,13 +379,7 @@ describe("WorkspaceGitServiceImpl", () => {
 
     nowMs += 3_000;
     await service.refresh("/tmp/repo");
-    await expect(service.getSnapshot("/tmp/repo/.")).resolves.toEqual(
-      createSnapshot("/tmp/repo", {
-        github: {
-          refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:00:03.000Z",
-        },
-      }),
-    );
+    await expect(service.getSnapshot("/tmp/repo/.")).resolves.toEqual(createSnapshot("/tmp/repo"));
 
     expect(getPullRequestStatus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
     expect(resolveAbsoluteGitDir).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
@@ -460,7 +472,6 @@ describe("WorkspaceGitServiceImpl", () => {
             headRefName: "feature",
             isMerged: true,
           },
-          refreshedAt: "2026-04-12T00:05:00.000Z",
         },
       }),
     );
@@ -534,7 +545,6 @@ describe("WorkspaceGitServiceImpl", () => {
         github: {
           featuresEnabled: false,
           pullRequest: null,
-          refreshedAt: null,
         },
       }),
     );
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.ts b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.ts
index c42c41c5e..32166db81 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.ts
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ export type WorkspaceGitRuntimeSnapshot = {
       reviewDecision?: "approved" | "changes_requested" | "pending" | null;
     } | null;
     error: { message: string } | null;
-    refreshedAt: string | null;
   };
 };
 
@@ -1499,7 +1498,6 @@ async function loadGitHubSnapshot(options: {
       featuresEnabled: false,
       pullRequest: null,
       error: null,
-      refreshedAt: null,
     };
   }
 
@@ -1510,7 +1508,6 @@ async function loadGitHubSnapshot(options: {
       featuresEnabled: false,
       pullRequest: null,
       error: null,
-      refreshedAt: null,
     };
   }
 
@@ -1523,7 +1520,6 @@ async function loadGitHubSnapshot(options: {
       featuresEnabled: true,
       pullRequest: result.status,
       error: null,
-      refreshedAt: options.now.toISOString(),
     };
   } catch (error) {
     return {
@@ -1532,7 +1528,6 @@ async function loadGitHubSnapshot(options: {
       error: {
         message: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error),
       },
-      refreshedAt: options.now.toISOString(),
     };
   }
 }
@@ -1607,7 +1602,6 @@ function buildNotGitSnapshot(cwd: string): WorkspaceGitRuntimeSnapshot {
       featuresEnabled: false,
       pullRequest: null,
       error: null,
-      refreshedAt: null,
     },
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-registry-bootstrap.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-registry-bootstrap.test.ts
index c77be207e..8d3f925da 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-registry-bootstrap.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-registry-bootstrap.test.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ function createNoopWorkspaceGitService(): WorkspaceGitService {
           featuresEnabled: false,
           pullRequest: null,
           error: null,
-          refreshedAt: null,
         },
       },
       unsubscribe: () => {},
@@ -57,7 +56,6 @@ function createNoopWorkspaceGitService(): WorkspaceGitService {
         featuresEnabled: false,
         pullRequest: null,
         error: null,
-        refreshedAt: null,
       },
     }),
     resolveRepoRemoteUrl: async () => null,