diff --git a/docs/swarm/ui.md b/docs/swarm/ui.md
index 9f54c649..860d38f6 100644
--- a/docs/swarm/ui.md
+++ b/docs/swarm/ui.md
@@ -203,6 +203,11 @@ agents doesn't, and the form warns when an edit would.
 A start in the past fires the latest missed time once, right away, in every
 agent chosen, and the form says so.
 
+The form offers the agents of the roster that `/agents` lists. The page reloads
+that roster with the schedules, so an agent created after you opened the page
+shows up without a reload. If the roster fails to load, the form says so instead
+of claiming there are no agents.
+
 Only an operator can change a schedule here or with `swarmctl schedule`; an
 agent has no way to add one. The page needs the controller's `/api/schedules`
 routes.
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/HivesPage.tsx b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/HivesPage.tsx
index 70e02cfb..74bc1f5a 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/HivesPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/HivesPage.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
 } from "../ui/refresh-interval/RefreshInterval.js";
 import { fetchJson, usePolled } from "../ui/polled/usePolled.js";
 import { Table, type TableColumn } from "../ui/table/Table.js";
+import { domainCell } from "./hive-domain.js";
 
 type Freshness = "fresh" | "stale" | "never_reported" | "unknown";
 
@@ -59,16 +60,19 @@ const COLUMNS: TableColumn<HiveStatus>[] = [
   {
     key: "domain",
     header: "domain",
-    render: (h) =>
-      h.domain && h.dashboard ? (
-        <a href={`https://${h.dashboard}/`} target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">
-          {h.domain}
+    render: (h) => {
+      const { text, href } = domainCell(h);
+      if (!text) return "—";
+      return href ? (
+        <a href={href} target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">
+          {text}
         </a>
       ) : (
-        "—"
-      ),
-    sortBy: (h) => h.domain ?? "",
-    filterValue: (h) => h.domain ?? "",
+        text
+      );
+    },
+    sortBy: (h) => domainCell(h).text,
+    filterValue: (h) => domainCell(h).text,
   },
   {
     key: "status",
@@ -137,6 +141,7 @@ export function HivesPage() {
           columns={COLUMNS}
           rows={hives}
           rowKey={(h) => h.name}
+          emptyMessage="no hives in the roster yet"
           storageKey="swarm-ui:hives:table-filters"
         />
       ) : null}
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/hive-domain.ts b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/hive-domain.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0285616a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/hive-domain.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// What the hives table shows in its domain column. The cell, the sort and the
+// text filter all read this one value, so a row sorts and filters under the
+// text it displays.
+
+export interface HiveDomainFields {
+  domain: string | null;
+  dashboard: string | null;
+}
+
+export interface DomainCell {
+  /** The domain, or "" when the hive has none. */
+  text: string;
+  /** The dashboard URL, or null when the hive has no dashboard to open. */
+  href: string | null;
+}
+
+export function domainCell(h: HiveDomainFields): DomainCell {
+  return {
+    text: h.domain ?? "",
+    href: h.domain && h.dashboard ? `https://${h.dashboard}/` : null,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/ScheduleForm.tsx b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/ScheduleForm.tsx
index 27eeee9c..f5d4123c 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/ScheduleForm.tsx
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/ScheduleForm.tsx
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ function nextMinuteUnix(): number {
 export function ScheduleForm({
   schedule,
   agentOptions,
+  agentsError,
   onSaved,
   onCancel,
 }: {
@@ -58,6 +59,8 @@ export function ScheduleForm({
   schedule?: Schedule;
   /** Every agent a schedule can target. */
   agentOptions: string[];
+  /** Why the agent list could not load; unset when it did. */
+  agentsError?: string;
   onSaved: () => void;
   onCancel: () => void;
 }) {
@@ -187,7 +190,11 @@ export function ScheduleForm({
         <div class="ui-schedule-form-agents">
           <span class="ui-form-field-label">agents</span>
           {agentOptions.length === 0 ? (
-            <span class="ui-schedule-form-hint">no agents to pick from</span>
+            <span class="ui-schedule-form-hint">
+              {agentsError
+                ? `could not load the agent list: ${agentsError}`
+                : "no agents to pick from"}
+            </span>
           ) : (
             <MultiselectFilterOptions
               options={agentOptions}
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/SchedulesPage.tsx b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/SchedulesPage.tsx
index bdde1fa8..ddd61323 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/SchedulesPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/SchedulesPage.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 // multiselects). A card being edited keeps its form state across the
 // periodic refetch because `FilterableView` keys cards by schedule id and
 // the open edit is held here by id, not by position.
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "preact/hooks";
+import { useMemo, useState } from "preact/hooks";
 import { ApiErrorPanel } from "@hive/shared/api-error-panel.js";
 import { readApiError, type ProblemDetails } from "@hive/shared/api-error.js";
 import { Button } from "../../ui/button/Button.js";
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { fetchJson, usePolled } from "../../ui/polled/usePolled.js";
 import type { TableColumn } from "../../ui/table/Table.js";
 import type { AgentRow } from "../../agent/AgentTypes.js";
 import { ScheduleCard } from "./ScheduleCard.js";
+import { agentNamesFrom, agentOptionsFor } from "./agent-options.js";
 import { ScheduleForm } from "./ScheduleForm.js";
 import { scheduleState, type Schedule } from "./ScheduleTypes.js";
 
@@ -56,16 +57,6 @@ const COLUMNS: TableColumn<Schedule>[] = [
   },
 ];
 
-// The agent names a schedule can target, from the same roster the agents
-// page lists. A failed load leaves the picker empty rather than blocking
-// the page: the cards themselves do not need it.
-async function loadAgentNames(): Promise<string[]> {
-  const r = await fetch("/api/agents/status");
-  if (!r.ok) return [];
-  const rows = (await r.json()) as AgentRow[];
-  return rows.map((a) => a.name).sort();
-}
-
 export function SchedulesPage() {
   const [intervalMs, setIntervalMs] =
     useState<RefreshIntervalMs>(DEFAULT_INTERVAL_MS);
@@ -76,7 +67,14 @@ export function SchedulesPage() {
   } = usePolled(intervalMs, (signal) =>
     fetchJson<Schedule[]>("/api/schedules", signal),
   );
-  const [agentNames, setAgentNames] = useState<string[]>([]);
+  // The agent names a schedule can target, from the roster the agents page
+  // lists, polled on the same cadence so an agent created after this page
+  // opened shows up. A failed load does not block the page, the cards do not
+  // need it; the form says the list could not load.
+  const { data: roster, error: rosterError } = usePolled(intervalMs, (signal) =>
+    fetchJson<AgentRow[]>("/api/agents/status", signal),
+  );
+  const agentNames = useMemo(() => agentNamesFrom(roster), [roster]);
   // The schedule whose card is currently its edit form, and whether the
   // "new schedule" form is open above the list.
   const [editingId, setEditingId] = useState<string | null>(null);
@@ -85,10 +83,6 @@ export function SchedulesPage() {
   const [removeTarget, setRemoveTarget] = useState<Schedule | null>(null);
   const [actionError, setActionError] = useState<ProblemDetails | null>(null);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    loadAgentNames().then(setAgentNames, () => setAgentNames([]));
-  }, []);
-
   function markPending(id: string, on: boolean) {
     setPendingIds((cur) => {
       const next = new Set(cur);
@@ -139,13 +133,10 @@ export function SchedulesPage() {
     );
   }
 
-  // A schedule may still target an agent that has since left the roster;
-  // its own agents stay pickable so an edit can keep or drop them.
-  const optionsFor = useMemo(
-    () => (s?: Schedule) =>
-      [...new Set([...agentNames, ...(s?.agents ?? [])])].sort(),
-    [agentNames],
-  );
+  const optionsFor = (s?: Schedule) => agentOptionsFor(agentNames, s);
+  const agentsError = rosterError
+    ? (rosterError.detail ?? rosterError.title ?? "the request failed")
+    : undefined;
 
   function saved() {
     setCreating(false);
@@ -186,6 +177,7 @@ export function SchedulesPage() {
       {creating ? (
         <ScheduleForm
           agentOptions={optionsFor()}
+          agentsError={agentsError}
           onSaved={saved}
           onCancel={() => setCreating(false)}
         />
@@ -204,6 +196,7 @@ export function SchedulesPage() {
               <ScheduleForm
                 schedule={s}
                 agentOptions={optionsFor(s)}
+                agentsError={agentsError}
                 onSaved={saved}
                 onCancel={() => setEditingId(null)}
               />
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/agent-options.ts b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/agent-options.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..498497ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/src/pages/schedules/agent-options.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// The agent names a schedule form offers.
+
+/** Sorted names from the agent roster; none while it has not loaded. */
+export function agentNamesFrom(
+  rows: readonly { name: string }[] | null,
+): string[] {
+  return (rows ?? []).map((a) => a.name).sort();
+}
+
+/** The roster names plus the schedule's own agents, sorted without repeats. A
+ * schedule can still target an agent that has since left the roster, so an
+ * edit keeps those pickable and can drop them. */
+export function agentOptionsFor(
+  names: readonly string[],
+  schedule?: { agents: readonly string[] },
+): string[] {
+  return [...new Set([...names, ...(schedule?.agents ?? [])])].sort();
+}
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/agent-options.test.mjs b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/agent-options.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..803dc5ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/agent-options.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import {
+  agentNamesFrom,
+  agentOptionsFor,
+} from "../src/pages/schedules/agent-options.ts";
+
+test("agentNamesFrom: sorted names, empty before the roster loads", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(agentNamesFrom([{ name: "b" }, { name: "a" }]), ["a", "b"]);
+  assert.deepEqual(agentNamesFrom(null), []);
+});
+
+test("agentOptionsFor: roster names alone for a new schedule", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(agentOptionsFor(["b", "a"]), ["a", "b"]);
+});
+
+test("agentOptionsFor: keeps an agent that left the roster, once", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(agentOptionsFor(["a", "b"], { agents: ["b", "gone"] }), [
+    "a",
+    "b",
+    "gone",
+  ]);
+});
+
+test("agentOptionsFor: an empty roster still offers the schedule's agents", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(agentOptionsFor([], { agents: ["x"] }), ["x"]);
+});
diff --git a/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/hive-domain.test.mjs b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/hive-domain.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..64b3a746
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/packages/swarm-ui/test/hive-domain.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { domainCell } from "../src/pages/hive-domain.ts";
+
+test("domainCell: a domain with a dashboard links to it", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    domainCell({ domain: "a.example", dashboard: "d.a.example" }),
+    {
+      text: "a.example",
+      href: "https://d.a.example/",
+    },
+  );
+});
+
+test("domainCell: a domain without a dashboard still shows as text", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(domainCell({ domain: "a.example", dashboard: null }), {
+    text: "a.example",
+    href: null,
+  });
+});
+
+test("domainCell: no domain is empty text and no link", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(domainCell({ domain: null, dashboard: "d.a.example" }), {
+    text: "",
+    href: null,
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(domainCell({ domain: null, dashboard: null }), {
+    text: "",
+    href: null,
+  });
+});