diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/AgentsPage.tsx b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/AgentsPage.tsx
index fe312ec1..bfcb22b7 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/AgentsPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/AgentsPage.tsx
@@ -115,7 +115,14 @@ export function AgentsPage() {
     >
       {error ? <ApiErrorPanel context="failed to load the agent roster" problem={error} /> : null}
       {!error && rows === null ? <p>loading…</p> : null}
-      {rows ? <Table columns={COLUMNS} rows={rows} rowKey={(a) => a.name} /> : null}
+      {rows ? (
+        <Table
+          columns={COLUMNS}
+          rows={rows}
+          rowKey={(a) => a.name}
+          emptyMessage="no agents yet — the swarm-wide identity store has no agents registered on any hive"
+        />
+      ) : null}
       <Dialog open={createOpen} onClose={() => setCreateOpen(false)} label="create agent">
         <CreateAgentForm />
       </Dialog>
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/ui/table/Table.css b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/ui/table/Table.css
index 68407656..cec0a17c 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/ui/table/Table.css
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/ui/table/Table.css
@@ -21,3 +21,8 @@
 .ui-table tr:last-child td {
   border-bottom: none;
 }
+.ui-table-empty {
+  color: var(--muted);
+  text-align: center;
+  padding: 1.25em 0.75em;
+}
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/ui/table/Table.tsx b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/ui/table/Table.tsx
index e8e82c44..23c1739a 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/ui/table/Table.tsx
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/ui/table/Table.tsx
@@ -22,10 +22,17 @@ export function Table<T>({
   columns,
   rows,
   rowKey,
+  emptyMessage,
 }: {
   columns: TableColumn<T>[];
   rows: T[];
   rowKey: (row: T) => string;
+  // Rendered as a single full-width row when `rows` is empty. Omit to
+  // leave a bare empty `<tbody>` — a caller whose "no rows yet" is
+  // covered by its own loading/error state (rendered instead of the
+  // table entirely) has nothing useful to add here, so this stays
+  // opt-in rather than every table growing a mandatory default string.
+  emptyMessage?: ComponentChildren;
 }) {
   return (
     <div class="ui-table-scroll">
@@ -38,13 +45,21 @@ export function Table<T>({
           </tr>
         </thead>
         <tbody>
-          {rows.map((row) => (
-            <tr key={rowKey(row)}>
-              {columns.map((c) => (
-                <td key={c.key}>{c.render(row)}</td>
-              ))}
+          {rows.length === 0 && emptyMessage ? (
+            <tr>
+              <td class="ui-table-empty" colSpan={columns.length}>
+                {emptyMessage}
+              </td>
             </tr>
-          ))}
+          ) : (
+            rows.map((row) => (
+              <tr key={rowKey(row)}>
+                {columns.map((c) => (
+                  <td key={c.key}>{c.render(row)}</td>
+                ))}
+              </tr>
+            ))
+          )}
         </tbody>
       </table>
     </div>