diff --git a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
index e0f7d2c2..5d6c8e01 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
+++ b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
@@ -2092,21 +2092,29 @@ window.marked = marked;
     // no-op elsewhere — `approval_added` / `approval_resolved` SSE
     // events route through here on every page that loads the bundle.
     if (!root) return;
+    // Save spawn form input + focus state before the DOM wipe so a live
+    // approval_added/resolved event doesn't erase a partially-typed name
+    // or steal focus from the operator.
+    const savedSpawnName = root.querySelector('.spawnform input[name="name"]')?.value ?? '';
+    const spawnHadFocus = document.activeElement === root.querySelector('.spawnform input[name="name"]');
     root.replaceChildren();
 
     // Spawn request form: submitting it queues a Spawn approval that
     // lands in this same list, so the form belongs here rather than on
     // the containers list (the agent doesn't exist yet).
+    const spawnNameInput = el('input', {
+      name: 'name',
+      placeholder: 'new agent name (≤9 chars)',
+      maxlength: '9', required: '', autocomplete: 'off',
+    });
+    if (savedSpawnName) spawnNameInput.value = savedSpawnName;
+    if (spawnHadFocus) spawnNameInput.focus();
     const spawn = el('form', {
       method: 'POST', action: '/request-spawn',
       class: 'spawnform', 'data-async': '', 'data-no-refresh': '',
     });
     spawn.append(
-      el('input', {
-        name: 'name',
-        placeholder: 'new agent name (≤9 chars)',
-        maxlength: '9', required: '', autocomplete: 'off',
-      }),
+      spawnNameInput,
       el('button', { type: 'submit', class: 'btn btn-spawn' }, '◆ R3QU3ST SP4WN'),
     );
     root.append(spawn);