diff --git a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
index a48f51b8..54069c86 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
+++ b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
@@ -2442,6 +2442,15 @@ window.marked = marked;
   }
 
   // ─── rebuild queue ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  // Keyed row cache for the rebuild-queue list. Maps entry.id → { el, fingerprint }.
+  // Same pattern as containerRowCache: reuse <li> nodes whose state hasn't
+  // changed rather than replacing the entire list on every snapshot event.
+  // The elapsed-time ticker (data-rqe-elapsed + 1s setInterval below) already
+  // updates running-entry timestamps in-place, so started_at doesn't need to
+  // invalidate — including it in the fingerprint only matters for the initial
+  // render of a newly-running entry.
+  const rebuildQueueRowCache = new Map();
+
   // Glyph + verb per QueueKind. Mirrors the labels used in
   // hive-c0re::rebuild_queue::QueueKind::as_str.
   const QUEUE_KIND_GLYPH = {
@@ -2461,15 +2470,38 @@ window.marked = marked;
     cancelled: '⊘',
   };
 
+  // Fingerprint for a single rebuild-queue row. Everything visible in the
+  // row except the ticking elapsed seconds (handled by data-rqe-elapsed
+  // ticker, not by re-rendering).
+  function rebuildQueueEntryFingerprint(entry, isChild) {
+    return JSON.stringify({
+      state: entry.state,
+      step: entry.step,
+      kind: entry.kind,
+      agent: entry.agent,
+      source: entry.source,
+      started_at: entry.started_at,
+      enqueued_at: entry.enqueued_at,
+      finished_at: entry.finished_at,
+      reason: entry.reason,
+      error: entry.error,
+      build_log_id: entry.build_log_id,
+      isChild,
+    });
+  }
+
   function renderRebuildQueue(s) {
     const root = $('rebuild-queue-section');
     if (!root) return;
-    root.replaceChildren();
     const queue = s.rebuild_queue || [];
+
     if (!queue.length) {
-      root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'queue is empty — nothing pending or in flight.'));
+      // Queue drained — show placeholder and purge cache.
+      rebuildQueueRowCache.clear();
+      root.replaceChildren(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'queue is empty — nothing pending or in flight.'));
       return;
     }
+
     // Index by id for parent lookup.
     const byId = new Map(queue.map((e) => [e.id, e]));
     // Top-level entries first; children render nested under their parent.
@@ -2481,21 +2513,58 @@ window.marked = marked;
         childrenOf.get(e.parent_id).push(e);
       }
     }
-    const ul = el('ul', { class: 'rebuild-queue' });
-    for (const top of tops) {
-      ul.append(renderQueueEntry(top, byId));
-      for (const child of childrenOf.get(top.id) || []) {
-        ul.append(renderQueueEntry(child, byId, true));
-      }
-    }
     // Children whose parent isn't in the snapshot (history-evicted) still render flat.
     const orphans = queue.filter(
       (e) => e.parent_id != null && !byId.has(e.parent_id),
     );
-    for (const o of orphans) {
-      ul.append(renderQueueEntry(o, byId, true));
+
+    // Build ordered list of <li>, reusing cached nodes for unchanged entries.
+    const orderedLis = [];
+    function addEntry(entry, isChild) {
+      const fp = rebuildQueueEntryFingerprint(entry, isChild);
+      const cached = rebuildQueueRowCache.get(entry.id);
+      let li;
+      if (cached && cached.fingerprint === fp) {
+        li = cached.el;
+      } else {
+        li = renderQueueEntry(entry, byId, isChild);
+        rebuildQueueRowCache.set(entry.id, { el: li, fingerprint: fp });
+      }
+      orderedLis.push(li);
     }
-    root.append(ul);
+    for (const top of tops) {
+      addEntry(top, false);
+      for (const child of childrenOf.get(top.id) || []) {
+        addEntry(child, true);
+      }
+    }
+    for (const o of orphans) {
+      addEntry(o, true);
+    }
+
+    // Drop cache entries for IDs no longer in the snapshot.
+    const liveIds = new Set(queue.map((e) => e.id));
+    for (const [id, entry] of rebuildQueueRowCache) {
+      if (!liveIds.has(id)) {
+        entry.el.remove();
+        rebuildQueueRowCache.delete(id);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Get or create the <ul>; remove any "empty" placeholder if present.
+    let ul = root.querySelector('ul.rebuild-queue');
+    if (!ul) {
+      ul = el('ul', { class: 'rebuild-queue' });
+      root.replaceChildren(ul);
+    }
+
+    // Reconcile DOM order without a wipe.
+    for (let i = 0; i < orderedLis.length; i++) {
+      if (ul.children[i] !== orderedLis[i]) {
+        ul.insertBefore(orderedLis[i], ul.children[i] ?? null);
+      }
+    }
+    while (ul.children.length > orderedLis.length) ul.lastChild.remove();
   }
 
   function renderQueueEntry(entry, _byId, isChild) {