diff --git a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
index d28e0568..c17feb12 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
+++ b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/tabs.js
@@ -2266,6 +2266,20 @@ window.marked = marked;
     if (entry.step) {
       li.append(el('div', { class: 'rqe-step' }, '↳ ' + entry.step));
     }
+    // Live-log link: when a build_log_id is present the update/create op
+    // opened a build_logs row; the SSE stream endpoint lets the operator
+    // follow output in real time without polling.
+    if (entry.build_log_id != null) {
+      li.append(
+        ' ',
+        el('a', {
+          class: 'rqe-log-link',
+          href: '/api/build-logs/id/' + entry.build_log_id,
+          target: '_blank',
+          title: 'view build log #' + entry.build_log_id,
+        }, 'logs →'),
+      );
+    }
     // Error block, when failed.
     if (entry.error) {
       li.append(el('pre', { class: 'rqe-error', title: entry.error }, truncate(entry.error, 200)));
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs b/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs
index 5e30bd0d..9b573ec6 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/actions.rs
@@ -550,9 +550,19 @@ async fn run_apply_commit(
     // "nixos-container update" label for the whole multi-minute window.
     let hive = coord.hive_env();
     let paths = Coordinator::agent_paths(&approval.agent, agent_dir.to_path_buf());
-    let build_result = lifecycle::rebuild_no_meta(&approval.agent, &hive, &paths, &|step| {
-        coord.set_queue_step(queue_entry_id, step)
-    })
+    let build_result = lifecycle::rebuild_no_meta(
+        &approval.agent,
+        &hive,
+        &paths,
+        &|step| coord.set_queue_step(queue_entry_id, step),
+        &|log_id| {
+            if let Some(qid) = queue_entry_id {
+                if coord.rebuild_queue.set_build_log_id(qid, log_id) {
+                    coord.emit_rebuild_queue_snapshot();
+                }
+            }
+        },
+    )
     .await;
 
     match build_result {
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/auto_update.rs b/hive-c0re/src/auto_update.rs
index 44886d86..3f21a210 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/auto_update.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/auto_update.rs
@@ -84,9 +84,19 @@ pub async fn rebuild_agent(
     // lifecycle_action; this catches the auto-update scan + any
     // other direct caller.
     let guard = coord.transient_guard(name, crate::coordinator::TransientKind::Rebuilding);
-    let result = lifecycle::rebuild(name, &hive, &paths, &|step| {
-        coord.set_queue_step(queue_entry_id, step)
-    })
+    let result = lifecycle::rebuild(
+        name,
+        &hive,
+        &paths,
+        &|step| coord.set_queue_step(queue_entry_id, step),
+        &|log_id| {
+            if let Some(qid) = queue_entry_id {
+                if coord.rebuild_queue.set_build_log_id(qid, log_id) {
+                    coord.emit_rebuild_queue_snapshot();
+                }
+            }
+        },
+    )
     .await;
     drop(guard);
     match &result {
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs
index 0797409a..c11c3bc0 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs
@@ -377,6 +377,7 @@ pub async fn rebuild(
     hive: &HiveEnv,
     paths: &AgentPaths,
     on_step: &(dyn Fn(&str) + Send + Sync),
+    on_build_log_id: &(dyn Fn(i64) + Send + Sync),
 ) -> Result<()> {
     // Sync the meta flake (idempotent — no-op when the rendered
     // flake matches disk) so a manual rebuild from the dashboard
@@ -389,7 +390,7 @@ pub async fn rebuild(
     // `applied/<n>/main` currently points at (deployed/<latest>).
     // Commits the lock if it changed.
     crate::meta::lock_update_for_rebuild(name).await?;
-    rebuild_no_meta(name, hive, paths, on_step).await
+    rebuild_no_meta(name, hive, paths, on_step, on_build_log_id).await
 }
 
 /// Container-level rebuild without touching the meta repo. Callers
@@ -402,11 +403,17 @@ pub async fn rebuild(
 /// label so callers can surface progress (e.g. update the rebuild-queue
 /// step shown in the dashboard). Pass `&|_| ()` when progress reporting
 /// is not needed.
+///
+/// `on_build_log_id` is called with the build-log row id immediately after
+/// the `nixos-container update` log row opens, before the actual update
+/// command starts. Callers can use this to link the queue entry to the log
+/// for live streaming. Pass `&|_| ()` when not needed.
 pub async fn rebuild_no_meta(
     name: &str,
     hive: &HiveEnv,
     paths: &AgentPaths,
     on_step: &(dyn Fn(&str) + Send + Sync),
+    on_build_log_id: &(dyn Fn(i64) + Send + Sync),
 ) -> Result<()> {
     validate(name)?;
     if let Some(other) = port_collision(name).await {
@@ -440,7 +447,7 @@ pub async fn rebuild_no_meta(
             priv_run("stop", name).await?;
         }
         on_step("nixos-container update");
-        let update_result = priv_run("update", name).await;
+        let update_result = priv_run_inner("update", name, Some(on_build_log_id)).await;
         if let Err(ref update_err) = update_result {
             // The update failed (e.g. nix build error). If the agent was
             // running before we stopped it, try to bring it back up on the
@@ -1322,6 +1329,24 @@ fn make_log_callback(
 /// is appended to the build-log row as it arrives, so the dashboard
 /// shows live progress during long `nixos-container create` / `update` runs.
 async fn priv_run(kind: &str, name: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    priv_run_inner(kind, name, None).await
+}
+
+/// Like `priv_run` but calls `on_log_id(log_id)` immediately after the
+/// build-log row is opened — before the actual container op starts.
+/// This lets callers surface the row id for live streaming (e.g. the
+/// rebuild-queue worker sets `build_log_id` on the queue entry so the
+/// dashboard can link to `/api/build-logs/id/{id}/stream`).
+///
+/// The callback fires only when a build-log row is successfully opened
+/// (i.e. the global `BuildLogs` handle is installed AND `h.start()`
+/// succeeds). No-op when `on_log_id` is `None` — that's the path for
+/// all callers that don't need the id.
+async fn priv_run_inner(
+    kind: &str,
+    name: &str,
+    on_log_id: Option<&(dyn Fn(i64) + Send + Sync)>,
+) -> Result<()> {
     let container = container_name(name);
     let cmdline = format!("nixos-container {kind} {container}");
 
@@ -1333,6 +1358,11 @@ async fn priv_run(kind: &str, name: &str) -> Result<()> {
             })
             .ok()
     });
+    // Notify the caller as soon as the log row exists so it can surface
+    // the id for live streaming before the container op even starts.
+    if let (Some(id), Some(cb)) = (log_id, on_log_id) {
+        cb(id);
+    }
 
     // For long-running ops use the streaming protocol so build_logs
     // receives lines in real time rather than as a batch at completion.
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/rebuild_queue.rs b/hive-c0re/src/rebuild_queue.rs
index df225050..72293e1b 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/rebuild_queue.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/rebuild_queue.rs
@@ -214,6 +214,15 @@ pub struct QueueEntry {
     /// most entries; serialised only when non-empty.
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Vec::is_empty")]
     pub depends_on: Vec<u64>,
+    /// Row id of the associated `build_logs` entry (opened by the
+    /// lifecycle worker when `nixos-container update` starts). Set
+    /// shortly after `state` transitions to `Running`; `None` while
+    /// `Queued` or for entries that don't open a build log (`Restart`,
+    /// `PermChange` file-write phase, etc.). Links the queue card to
+    /// the live-streaming `/api/build-logs/id/{id}/stream` endpoint so
+    /// the operator can follow the nix build output in real time.
+    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
+    pub build_log_id: Option<i64>,
 }
 
 /// How many terminal-state entries (`Done` / `Failed` / `Cancelled`)
@@ -429,6 +438,7 @@ impl RebuildQueue {
             step: None,
             perm_payload,
             depends_on,
+            build_log_id: None,
         };
         inner.entries.push_back(entry);
         // Wake the worker. `notify_one` is a no-op when there's no
@@ -521,6 +531,24 @@ impl RebuildQueue {
         true
     }
 
+    /// Link a `build_logs` row to a `Running` entry. Called by the
+    /// lifecycle worker when `nixos-container update` opens a build log
+    /// row so the dashboard can surface a "view logs" link while the
+    /// build is in flight. Returns `true` when the row was found and
+    /// the id was stored; `false` when the entry is no longer in the
+    /// queue or is not `Running`.
+    pub fn set_build_log_id(&self, id: u64, log_id: i64) -> bool {
+        let mut inner = self.inner.lock().expect("rebuild_queue mutex poisoned");
+        let Some(entry) = inner.entries.iter_mut().find(|e| e.id == id) else {
+            return false;
+        };
+        if entry.state != QueueState::Running {
+            return false;
+        }
+        entry.build_log_id = Some(log_id);
+        true
+    }
+
     /// Snapshot the queue for `/api/state` and `RebuildQueueChanged`.
     /// Cheap clone — entries are small (~hundreds of bytes each).
     pub fn snapshot(&self) -> Vec<QueueEntry> {
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/server.rs b/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
index 12cacc92..0fc79567 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ async fn dispatch(req: &HostRequest, coord: Arc<Coordinator>) -> HostResponse {
                 let agent_dir = coord.ensure_runtime(name)?;
                 let hive = coord.hive_env();
                 let paths = Coordinator::agent_paths(name, agent_dir);
-                let result = lifecycle::rebuild(name, &hive, &paths, &|_| ()).await;
+                let result = lifecycle::rebuild(name, &hive, &paths, &|_| (), &|_| ()).await;
                 // Mirror auto_update::rebuild_agent — the manager wants
                 // to know about every rebuild attempt regardless of
                 // which surface triggered it, especially failures