diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/api/signing.ts b/frontend/editor/src/core/api/signing.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c58fad8aac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/api/signing.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import apiClient from "@app/services/apiClient";
+import type {
+  SignRequestSummary,
+  SessionSummary,
+} from "@app/types/signingSession";
+
+export interface SigningSessions {
+  signRequests: SignRequestSummary[];
+  mySessions: SessionSummary[];
+}
+
+/** The two lists the signing UI always needs together. */
+export async function fetchSigningSessions(): Promise<SigningSessions> {
+  const [requests, sessions] = await Promise.all([
+    apiClient.get<SignRequestSummary[]>(
+      "/api/v1/security/cert-sign/sign-requests",
+    ),
+    apiClient.get<SessionSummary[]>("/api/v1/security/cert-sign/sessions"),
+  ]);
+  return { signRequests: requests.data, mySessions: sessions.data };
+}
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/hooks/signing/useSigningSessions.test.tsx b/frontend/editor/src/core/hooks/signing/useSigningSessions.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..14e473e33c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/hooks/signing/useSigningSessions.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,319 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { renderHook, waitFor, act } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import type { ReactNode } from "react";
+import { baseQueryOptions } from "@app/query/queryClient";
+import { TestQueryProvider } from "@app/tests/utils/TestQueryProvider";
+import { useSigningSessions } from "@app/hooks/signing/useSigningSessions";
+import { fetchSigningSessions } from "@app/api/signing";
+import { alert } from "@app/components/toast";
+import { expectConsole } from "@app/tests/failOnConsole";
+
+vi.mock("@app/api/signing", () => ({ fetchSigningSessions: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("@app/components/toast", () => ({ alert: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("react-i18next", () => ({
+  useTranslation: () => ({
+    t: (_k: string, fallback?: string) => fallback ?? _k,
+  }),
+}));
+
+const mockFetch = vi.mocked(fetchSigningSessions);
+const mockAlert = vi.mocked(alert);
+
+const EMPTY = { signRequests: [], mySessions: [] };
+
+function setVisibility(state: "visible" | "hidden") {
+  Object.defineProperty(document, "visibilityState", {
+    configurable: true,
+    get: () => state,
+  });
+  // Bubbles, as the real event does: query-core listens for it on window.
+  document.dispatchEvent(new Event("visibilitychange", { bubbles: true }));
+}
+
+describe("useSigningSessions", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mockFetch.mockResolvedValue(EMPTY);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    setVisibility("visible");
+  });
+
+  it("dedupes concurrent observers of the same key", async () => {
+    const { result } = renderHook(
+      () => ({
+        badge: useSigningSessions({
+          enabled: true,
+          autoRefreshInterval: 60000,
+        }),
+        launcher: useSigningSessions({ enabled: true }),
+        controller: useSigningSessions({
+          enabled: true,
+          autoRefreshInterval: 15000,
+        }),
+      }),
+      { wrapper: TestQueryProvider },
+    );
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.badge.loading).toBe(false));
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("does not fetch while disabled", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const { result } = renderHook(
+      () => useSigningSessions({ enabled: false, autoRefreshInterval: 15000 }),
+      { wrapper: TestQueryProvider },
+    );
+
+    expect(mockFetch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    await act(async () => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(60000);
+    });
+    expect(mockFetch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result.current.signRequests).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("starts fetching when enabled flips on", async () => {
+    const { result, rerender } = renderHook(
+      ({ on }: { on: boolean }) => useSigningSessions({ enabled: on }),
+      { wrapper: TestQueryProvider, initialProps: { on: false } },
+    );
+
+    expect(mockFetch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    rerender({ on: true });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1));
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false));
+  });
+
+  it("polls on the interval", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const { result } = renderHook(
+      () => useSigningSessions({ enabled: true, autoRefreshInterval: 15000 }),
+      { wrapper: TestQueryProvider },
+    );
+
+    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(true);
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    });
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(15000);
+    });
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it("does not raise the spinner while a background poll is in flight", async () => {
+    // Real timers, a held-open poll, and every render recorded. Asserting on
+    // result.current alone is not enough: waitFor returns as soon as the fetch
+    // count moves, before React has re-rendered, so a spinner that did flip on
+    // would be missed.
+    const seen: boolean[] = [];
+    const { result } = renderHook(
+      () => {
+        const state = useSigningSessions({
+          enabled: true,
+          autoRefreshInterval: 50,
+        });
+        seen.push(state.loading);
+        return state;
+      },
+      { wrapper: TestQueryProvider },
+    );
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false));
+
+    // Marked before the poll: waitFor flushes renders, so recording after it
+    // would skip straight past the in-flight one.
+    const fromPollStart = seen.length;
+
+    let release: (v: unknown) => void = () => {};
+    mockFetch.mockReturnValueOnce(
+      new Promise((resolve) => {
+        release = resolve;
+      }) as never,
+    );
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2));
+
+    // Give React room to render the in-flight state, if it produces one.
+    await act(async () => {
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 30));
+    });
+
+    // Mid-poll: this is what the old `silent` flag bought.
+    expect(seen.slice(fromPollStart)).not.toContain(true);
+    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      release(EMPTY);
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("shows the spinner for a user-initiated refresh, not a background poll", async () => {
+    // Real timers: the in-flight window has to be observable, which is exactly
+    // what a fake-timer act() hides.
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useSigningSessions({ enabled: true }), {
+      wrapper: TestQueryProvider,
+    });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false));
+
+    let release: (v: unknown) => void = () => {};
+    mockFetch.mockReturnValueOnce(
+      new Promise((resolve) => {
+        release = resolve;
+      }) as never,
+    );
+
+    let done: Promise<void>;
+    act(() => {
+      done = result.current.refetch();
+    });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.loading).toBe(true));
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      release(EMPTY);
+      await done;
+    });
+    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("toasts a first-load failure", async () => {
+    expectConsole.error(/Failed to fetch signing data/);
+    mockFetch.mockRejectedValue(new Error("down"));
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useSigningSessions({ enabled: true }), {
+      wrapper: TestQueryProvider,
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.error).toBeTruthy());
+    expect(mockAlert).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("stays silent when a background poll fails after a success", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    mockFetch.mockResolvedValueOnce(EMPTY);
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(
+      () => useSigningSessions({ enabled: true, autoRefreshInterval: 15000 }),
+      { wrapper: TestQueryProvider },
+    );
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    });
+    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false);
+    expect(mockAlert).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    mockFetch.mockRejectedValue(new Error("flaky"));
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(15000);
+    });
+
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(mockAlert).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("toasts an explicit refetch failure even with data on screen", async () => {
+    expectConsole.error(/Failed to fetch signing data/);
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useSigningSessions({ enabled: true }), {
+      wrapper: TestQueryProvider,
+    });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false));
+    expect(mockAlert).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    mockFetch.mockRejectedValue(new Error("nope"));
+    await act(async () => {
+      await result.current.refetch();
+    });
+
+    expect(mockAlert).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("stops polling while the tab is hidden", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const { result } = renderHook(
+      () => useSigningSessions({ enabled: true, autoRefreshInterval: 15000 }),
+      { wrapper: TestQueryProvider },
+    );
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    });
+    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false);
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    setVisibility("hidden");
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(60000);
+    });
+    // Four intervals elapsed with the tab in the background.
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    setVisibility("visible");
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(15000);
+    });
+    expect(mockFetch.mock.calls.length).toBeGreaterThan(1);
+  });
+
+  it("refetches on becoming visible rather than waiting out the interval", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    // The app client turns focus refetching off globally; TestQueryProvider
+    // does not, and would pass this on the library default alone.
+    const client = new QueryClient({
+      defaultOptions: {
+        queries: { ...baseQueryOptions, retry: false, gcTime: Infinity },
+      },
+    });
+    const { result } = renderHook(
+      () => useSigningSessions({ enabled: true, autoRefreshInterval: 15000 }),
+      {
+        wrapper: ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => (
+          <QueryClientProvider client={client}>{children}</QueryClientProvider>
+        ),
+      },
+    );
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    });
+    expect(result.current.loading).toBe(false);
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    setVisibility("hidden");
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(60000);
+    });
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    setVisibility("visible");
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    });
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it("stops polling once unmounted", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const { unmount } = renderHook(
+      () => useSigningSessions({ enabled: true, autoRefreshInterval: 15000 }),
+      { wrapper: TestQueryProvider },
+    );
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    });
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    unmount();
+    await act(async () => {
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(60000);
+    });
+    expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/hooks/signing/useSigningSessions.ts b/frontend/editor/src/core/hooks/signing/useSigningSessions.ts
index 785e792414..e001af5441 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/hooks/signing/useSigningSessions.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/hooks/signing/useSigningSessions.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
-import { useState, useCallback, useEffect } from "react";
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
-import apiClient from "@app/services/apiClient";
+import { fetchSigningSessions } from "@app/api/signing";
+import { qk } from "@app/query/keys";
 import { alert } from "@app/components/toast";
 import { SignRequestSummary, SessionSummary } from "@app/types/signingSession";
 
+const EMPTY_REQUESTS: SignRequestSummary[] = [];
+const EMPTY_SESSIONS: SessionSummary[] = [];
+
 export interface UseSigningSessionsOptions {
   enabled?: boolean;
   autoRefreshInterval?: number; // milliseconds, 0 to disable
@@ -18,8 +23,8 @@ export interface UseSigningSessionsResult {
 }
 
 /**
- * Hook to fetch signing sessions data (sign requests and user's sessions).
- * Supports auto-refresh for real-time updates.
+ * Signing sessions. Background polls never raise the spinner or a toast; only a
+ * first load or an explicit refetch does.
  */
 export const useSigningSessions = (
   options: UseSigningSessionsOptions = {},
@@ -27,83 +32,64 @@ export const useSigningSessions = (
   const { enabled = true, autoRefreshInterval = 0 } = options;
   const { t } = useTranslation();
 
-  const [signRequests, setSignRequests] = useState<SignRequestSummary[]>([]);
-  const [mySessions, setMySessions] = useState<SessionSummary[]>([]);
-  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
-  const [error, setError] = useState<Error | null>(null);
+  const { data, isLoading, isLoadingError, error, refetch } = useQuery({
+    queryKey: qk.signingSessions(),
+    queryFn: fetchSigningSessions,
+    enabled,
+    staleTime: 0,
+    refetchInterval: autoRefreshInterval > 0 ? autoRefreshInterval : false,
+    refetchIntervalInBackground: false,
+    // The interval pauses while unfocused, so returning has to catch up: the
+    // client-wide default of false would hold stale data until the next tick.
+    refetchOnWindowFocus: autoRefreshInterval > 0,
+  });
 
-  const fetchData = useCallback(
-    async (opts?: { silent?: boolean }) => {
-      if (!enabled) return;
+  const notifyFailure = useCallback(() => {
+    console.error("Failed to fetch signing data");
+    alert({
+      alertType: "warning",
+      title: t("common.error"),
+      body: t("certSign.fetchFailed", "Failed to load signing data"),
+      expandable: false,
+      durationMs: 2500,
+    });
+  }, [t]);
 
-      // Background auto-refreshes pass { silent: true } to skip the loading spinner
-      // and failure toasts; only the initial load and explicit refetch surface errors.
-      const silent = opts?.silent ?? false;
-
-      if (!silent) setLoading(true);
-      setError(null);
-
-      try {
-        const [requestsResponse, sessionsResponse] = await Promise.all([
-          apiClient.get<SignRequestSummary[]>(
-            "/api/v1/security/cert-sign/sign-requests",
-          ),
-          apiClient.get<SessionSummary[]>(
-            "/api/v1/security/cert-sign/sessions",
-          ),
-        ]);
-
-        setSignRequests(requestsResponse.data);
-        setMySessions(sessionsResponse.data);
-      } catch (err) {
-        const errorObj =
-          err instanceof Error
-            ? err
-            : new Error("Failed to fetch signing data");
-        setError(errorObj);
-        console.error("Failed to fetch signing data:", err);
-
-        if (!silent) {
-          alert({
-            alertType: "warning",
-            title: t("common.error"),
-            body: t("certSign.fetchFailed", "Failed to load signing data"),
-            expandable: false,
-            durationMs: 2500,
-          });
-        }
-      } finally {
-        if (!silent) setLoading(false);
-      }
-    },
-    [enabled, t],
-  );
-
-  // Initial fetch
+  // isLoadingError is "failed with nothing cached", i.e. a first load. A poll
+  // that fails after a success keeps the old data and stays silent.
+  const reportedRef = useRef(false);
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (enabled) {
-      fetchData();
-    }
-  }, [enabled, fetchData]);
-
-  // Auto-refresh
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (!enabled || !autoRefreshInterval || autoRefreshInterval <= 0) {
+    if (!isLoadingError) {
+      reportedRef.current = false;
       return;
     }
+    if (reportedRef.current) return;
+    reportedRef.current = true;
+    notifyFailure();
+  }, [isLoadingError, notifyFailure]);
 
-    const interval = setInterval(() => {
-      fetchData({ silent: true });
-    }, autoRefreshInterval);
+  // Neither isLoading nor isFetching alone matches the old `silent` flag: a
+  // user-initiated refresh showed the spinner even with data on screen, a
+  // background poll never did. isFetching cannot tell them apart, so track it.
+  const [refreshing, setRefreshing] = useState(false);
 
-    return () => clearInterval(interval);
-  }, [enabled, autoRefreshInterval, fetchData]);
+  const explicitRefetch = useCallback(async () => {
+    setRefreshing(true);
+    try {
+      const result = await refetch();
+      // Reported here rather than by the effect: a user-initiated refresh
+      // should say so even when stale data is already on screen.
+      if (result.error && !reportedRef.current) notifyFailure();
+    } finally {
+      setRefreshing(false);
+    }
+  }, [refetch, notifyFailure]);
 
   return {
-    signRequests,
-    mySessions,
-    loading,
-    error,
-    refetch: fetchData,
+    signRequests: data?.signRequests ?? EMPTY_REQUESTS,
+    mySessions: data?.mySessions ?? EMPTY_SESSIONS,
+    loading: isLoading || refreshing,
+    error: (error as Error | null) ?? null,
+    refetch: explicitRefetch,
   };
 };
diff --git a/frontend/editor/src/core/query/keys.ts b/frontend/editor/src/core/query/keys.ts
index d95f674011..3e44395de0 100644
--- a/frontend/editor/src/core/query/keys.ts
+++ b/frontend/editor/src/core/query/keys.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export const qk = {
     ["editor", "endpointEnabled", endpoint] as const,
   footerInfo: () => ["editor", "footerInfo"] as const,
   groupEnabled: (group: string) => ["editor", "groupEnabled", group] as const,
+  signingSessions: () => ["editor", "signingSessions"] as const,
   /** Keyed on the asking identity: two users must never share one answer. */
   portalAccess: (userId: string | null) =>
     ["editor", "portalAccess", userId] as const,