diff --git a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
index ec552fe8..ac88d4fa 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
+++ b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
@@ -169,6 +169,13 @@ window.marked = marked;
     if (containersState.delete(ev.name)) renderContainersFromState();
   }
 
+  // Logical name of the manager agent. Populated from `s.manager_name`
+  // on snapshot load so chip lists don't hardcode the manager name.
+  let managerNameState = 'ruth';
+  function syncManagerNameFromSnapshot(s) {
+    if (s.manager_name) managerNameState = s.manager_name;
+  }
+
   // Derived tombstones + meta_inputs. Both are emitted as full
   // snapshots (not diffs) — the lists are tiny and recomputing
   // avoids ordering races between a same-tick destroy + purge.
@@ -2586,14 +2593,12 @@ window.marked = marked;
   // one place. Returns the wrapping `<label class="schedule-field">`
   // ready to append to the form.
   function buildTargetChips({ idPrefix, fieldName, checked, extraNames = [] }) {
-    // Derive the manager's actual name from live state rather than
-    // hardcoding it — surface it first so it always appears before agents.
-    const managerContainer = Array.from(containersState.values()).find((c) => c.is_manager);
-    const managerName = managerContainer?.name;
+    // Surface manager first so it always appears before non-manager agents.
+    const managerName = containersState.has(managerNameState) ? managerNameState : null;
     const candidates = ['operator'];
     if (managerName) candidates.push(managerName);
     const containerNames = Array.from(containersState.values())
-      .filter((c) => !c.is_manager)
+      .filter((c) => c.name !== managerNameState)
       .map((c) => c.name)
       .filter((n) => n !== 'operator')
       .sort();
@@ -2898,10 +2903,9 @@ window.marked = marked;
     const out = [];
     const push = (n) => { if (!seen.has(n)) { seen.add(n); out.push(n); } };
     push('operator');
-    const managerContainer = Array.from(containersState.values()).find((c) => c.is_manager);
-    if (managerContainer) push(managerContainer.name);
+    if (containersState.has(managerNameState)) push(managerNameState);
     const containerNames = Array.from(containersState.values())
-      .filter((c) => !c.is_manager)
+      .filter((c) => c.name !== managerNameState)
       .map((c) => c.name)
       .filter((n) => n !== 'operator')
       .sort();
@@ -3470,6 +3474,7 @@ window.marked = marked;
       // `transientsState` + `containersState`, not from `s.*`).
       syncTransientsFromSnapshot(s);
       syncContainersFromSnapshot(s);
+      syncManagerNameFromSnapshot(s);
       syncTombstonesFromSnapshot(s);
       syncMetaInputsFromSnapshot(s);
       syncRebuildQueueFromSnapshot(s);
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/container_view.rs b/hive-c0re/src/container_view.rs
index f7879a9f..b327f8e9 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/container_view.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/container_view.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use rusqlite::Connection;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
 use crate::coordinator::Coordinator;
-use crate::lifecycle::{self, AGENT_PREFIX, MANAGER_NAME};
+use crate::lifecycle::{self, AGENT_PREFIX};
 
 /// An agent-declared extra navigation link surfaced on the dashboard card.
 /// Written by the `hive-dashboard-links` NixOS oneshot into
@@ -34,10 +34,6 @@ pub struct ContainerView {
     /// not serialized to API responses since the dashboard no longer displays it.
     #[serde(skip)]
     pub container: String,
-    /// True when this is the manager agent. Informational — not used
-    /// to gate any server-side actions. Computed from `name ==
-    /// MANAGER_NAME` so it doesn't add new state.
-    pub is_manager: bool,
     pub port: u16,
     pub running: bool,
     pub needs_update: bool,
@@ -168,7 +164,6 @@ pub async fn build_all(coord: &Coordinator) -> Vec<ContainerView> {
             (false, None, None, false, None, None)
         };
         out.push(ContainerView {
-            is_manager: logical == MANAGER_NAME,
             port: lifecycle::agent_web_port(&logical),
             running,
             container: c.clone(),
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/dashboard.rs b/hive-c0re/src/dashboard.rs
index 5165fafe..dad4646c 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/dashboard.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/dashboard.rs
@@ -173,6 +173,9 @@ struct StateSnapshot {
     /// "apply everything you've buffered".
     seq: u64,
     hostname: String,
+    /// The logical name of the manager agent. Lets the dashboard identify
+    /// the manager container without a separate `is_manager` bool on each row.
+    manager_name: String,
     manager_port: u16,
     any_stale: bool,
     containers: Vec<ContainerView>,
@@ -446,6 +449,7 @@ async fn api_state(headers: HeaderMap, State(state): State<AppState>) -> axum::J
     axum::Json(StateSnapshot {
         seq,
         hostname,
+        manager_name: MANAGER_NAME.to_owned(),
         manager_port: lifecycle::agent_web_port(MANAGER_NAME),
         any_stale,
         containers,