diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/dashboard/state_snapshot.rs b/hive-c0re/src/dashboard/state_snapshot.rs
index 2970821a..da62d746 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/dashboard/state_snapshot.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/dashboard/state_snapshot.rs
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ fn build_transient_views(
     containers: &[ContainerView],
     transient_snapshot: &std::collections::HashMap<String, Vec<crate::job_queue::RunningTransient>>,
 ) -> Vec<TransientView> {
-    transient_snapshot
+    let mut out: Vec<TransientView> = transient_snapshot
         .iter()
         .filter(|(name, _)| !containers.iter().any(|c| &c.name == *name))
         // One row per running node, so an agent with several shows several
@@ -389,7 +389,18 @@ fn build_transient_views(
                 .max(0)
                 .cast_unsigned(),
         })
-        .collect()
+        .collect();
+    // The caller rebuilds this map on every poll, so its iteration order
+    // differs between renders and the rows would shuffle under an operator
+    // watching an operation run. Sorted for the same reason
+    // `build_port_conflicts` sorts its clusters.
+    out.sort_by(|a, b| {
+        a.name
+            .cmp(&b.name)
+            .then_with(|| a.kind.cmp(&b.kind))
+            .then_with(|| a.secs.cmp(&b.secs))
+    });
+    out
 }
 
 /// Render each pending approval into its dashboard view (short sha for
@@ -717,7 +728,82 @@ pub(super) async fn dashboard_stream(
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use super::{ContainerView, build_port_conflicts};
+    use std::collections::HashMap;
+
+    use chrono::{Duration, Utc};
+
+    use super::{ContainerView, build_port_conflicts, build_transient_views};
+    use crate::job_queue::RunningTransient;
+
+    fn rt(agent: &str, label: &str, age_secs: i64) -> RunningTransient {
+        RunningTransient {
+            agent: agent.to_owned(),
+            label: label.to_owned(),
+            takes_container_down: false,
+            since: Utc::now() - Duration::seconds(age_secs),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn snapshot(rows: Vec<RunningTransient>) -> HashMap<String, Vec<RunningTransient>> {
+        let mut m: HashMap<String, Vec<RunningTransient>> = HashMap::new();
+        for r in rows {
+            m.entry(r.agent.clone()).or_default().push(r);
+        }
+        m
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn an_agent_whose_container_exists_is_not_transient() {
+        let snap = snapshot(vec![rt("alice", "spawn", 5)]);
+        let live = [cv("alice", 8101, true)];
+        assert!(build_transient_views(&live, &snap).is_empty());
+        // Control: with no container by that name it *is* reported, so the
+        // emptiness above is the filter and not an inert builder.
+        assert_eq!(build_transient_views(&[], &snap).len(), 1);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn an_agent_with_several_running_nodes_gets_a_row_each() {
+        let snap = snapshot(vec![rt("alice", "spawn", 5), rt("alice", "update", 3)]);
+        assert_eq!(build_transient_views(&[], &snap).len(), 2);
+    }
+
+    /// The snapshot is a fresh `HashMap` per poll, so its iteration order is
+    /// not stable across renders. Sorting is what keeps a row still.
+    #[test]
+    fn rows_are_ordered_by_name_then_kind() {
+        let snap = snapshot(vec![
+            rt("zoe", "spawn", 1),
+            rt("adam", "update", 1),
+            rt("adam", "spawn", 1),
+        ]);
+        let got: Vec<(String, String)> = build_transient_views(&[], &snap)
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|v| (v.name, v.kind))
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(
+            got,
+            [
+                ("adam".to_owned(), "spawn".to_owned()),
+                ("adam".to_owned(), "update".to_owned()),
+                ("zoe".to_owned(), "spawn".to_owned()),
+            ]
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// A `since` in the future yields a negative duration, and casting that
+    /// unsigned would render an age near `u64::MAX` rather than a small one.
+    #[test]
+    fn a_future_since_clamps_to_zero_instead_of_wrapping() {
+        let snap = snapshot(vec![rt("alice", "spawn", -600)]);
+        let got = build_transient_views(&[], &snap);
+        assert_eq!(got[0].secs, 0, "clamped, not wrapped");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn an_empty_snapshot_produces_no_rows() {
+        assert!(build_transient_views(&[], &snapshot(vec![])).is_empty());
+    }
 
     fn cv(name: &str, port: u16, running: bool) -> ContainerView {
         ContainerView {