diff --git a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/app.js b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/app.js
index 7056579c..231b0e44 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/app.js
+++ b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/app.js
@@ -41,6 +41,28 @@ window.marked = marked;
 
   // Helpers ($, el, esc, form, fmtAgeSecs) moved to ./common.js (#406).
 
+  // #464 — atomic-swap render helper. Each managed section's render
+  // function used to do `root.innerHTML = ''; root.append(...);` in
+  // sequence; even though both operations sit in the same JS turn,
+  // operators could still see a "blink" on every poll cycle because
+  // (a) on async paths the await yield gave the browser a paint
+  // opportunity, and (b) complex builds with many `el()` allocations
+  // can blow the browser's per-task budget enough for layout to flash
+  // empty before the new children land.
+  //
+  // The fix: build the new content off-DOM into a `DocumentFragment`,
+  // then move it into the live root in a single `replaceChildren`
+  // call. The browser never sees an intermediate empty state. Builder
+  // callbacks receive the fragment as their `root` argument, so each
+  // renderer's existing `root.append(...)` code carries over with
+  // zero internal changes. Early-return inside the builder is fine —
+  // the commit still happens with whatever the builder appended.
+  function paintAtomic(liveRoot, build) {
+    const buf = document.createDocumentFragment();
+    build(buf);
+    liveRoot.replaceChildren(buf);
+  }
+
   // Side panel singleton (Panel) moved to ./common.js (#406).
 
   // Path linkification + file-preview side panel (openFilePanel,
@@ -1827,89 +1849,92 @@ window.marked = marked;
   // agents themselves and the operator already sees them next time
   // they interact with the page.
   async function refreshReminders() {
-    const root = $('reminders-section');
-    if (!root) return;
+    const liveRoot = $('reminders-section');
+    if (!liveRoot) return;
     try {
       const resp = await fetch('/api/reminders');
       if (!resp.ok) {
-        root.innerHTML = '';
-        root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'reminders unavailable: http ' + resp.status));
+        paintAtomic(liveRoot, (root) => {
+          root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'reminders unavailable: http ' + resp.status));
+        });
         return;
       }
       const rows = await resp.json();
       renderReminders(rows);
     } catch (err) {
-      root.innerHTML = '';
-      root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'reminders fetch failed: ' + err));
+      paintAtomic(liveRoot, (root) => {
+        root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'reminders fetch failed: ' + err));
+      });
     }
   }
   function renderReminders(rows) {
-    const root = $('reminders-section');
-    if (!root) return;
-    root.innerHTML = '';
-    if (!rows.length) {
-      root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'no queued reminders'));
-      return;
-    }
-    const ul = el('ul', { class: 'reminders' });
-    for (const r of rows) {
-      const failed = (r.attempt_count || 0) > 0;
-      const li = el('li', { class: 'reminder-row' + (failed ? ' reminder-failed' : '') });
-      const dueIn = r.due_at - Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
-      const dueLabel = dueIn <= 0
-        ? `overdue ${fmtAgo(r.due_at)}`
-        : `in ${fmtDuration(dueIn)}`;
-      const head = el('div', { class: 'reminder-head' },
-        el('span', { class: 'agent' }, r.agent), ' ',
-        el('span', { class: 'meta', title: new Date(r.due_at * 1000).toISOString() }, dueLabel),
-        ' ',
-        el('span', { class: 'meta' }, `· id ${r.id}`),
-      );
-      if (r.file_path) {
-        head.append(' ', el('span', { class: 'meta' }, '· payload → '));
-        appendLinkified(head, r.file_path);
+    const liveRoot = $('reminders-section');
+    if (!liveRoot) return;
+    paintAtomic(liveRoot, (root) => {
+      if (!rows.length) {
+        root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'no queued reminders'));
+        return;
       }
-      if (failed) {
-        head.append(' ', el('span',
-          {
-            class: 'badge badge-warn',
-            title: 'consecutive failed delivery attempts (capped at 5; over the cap the scheduler stops retrying until you click R3TRY or cancel)',
-          },
-          `⚠ ${r.attempt_count} failed`));
-      }
-      const body = el('div', { class: 'reminder-body' });
-      appendLinkified(body, r.message);
-      li.append(head, body);
-      if (r.last_error) {
-        li.append(el('div', { class: 'reminder-error' },
-          el('span', { class: 'msg-sep' }, 'error: '),
-          r.last_error,
-        ));
-      }
-      const actions = el('div', { class: 'reminder-actions' });
-      if (failed) {
-        // Retry resets the failure counters so the scheduler picks
-        // the row up again on its next 5s tick. No data-no-refresh
-        // — the resulting refreshState re-fires refreshReminders.
-        const retryForm = el('form', {
-          method: 'POST', action: '/retry-reminder/' + r.id,
+      const ul = el('ul', { class: 'reminders' });
+      for (const r of rows) {
+        const failed = (r.attempt_count || 0) > 0;
+        const li = el('li', { class: 'reminder-row' + (failed ? ' reminder-failed' : '') });
+        const dueIn = r.due_at - Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
+        const dueLabel = dueIn <= 0
+          ? `overdue ${fmtAgo(r.due_at)}`
+          : `in ${fmtDuration(dueIn)}`;
+        const head = el('div', { class: 'reminder-head' },
+          el('span', { class: 'agent' }, r.agent), ' ',
+          el('span', { class: 'meta', title: new Date(r.due_at * 1000).toISOString() }, dueLabel),
+          ' ',
+          el('span', { class: 'meta' }, `· id ${r.id}`),
+        );
+        if (r.file_path) {
+          head.append(' ', el('span', { class: 'meta' }, '· payload → '));
+          appendLinkified(head, r.file_path);
+        }
+        if (failed) {
+          head.append(' ', el('span',
+            {
+              class: 'badge badge-warn',
+              title: 'consecutive failed delivery attempts (capped at 5; over the cap the scheduler stops retrying until you click R3TRY or cancel)',
+            },
+            `⚠ ${r.attempt_count} failed`));
+        }
+        const body = el('div', { class: 'reminder-body' });
+        appendLinkified(body, r.message);
+        li.append(head, body);
+        if (r.last_error) {
+          li.append(el('div', { class: 'reminder-error' },
+            el('span', { class: 'msg-sep' }, 'error: '),
+            r.last_error,
+          ));
+        }
+        const actions = el('div', { class: 'reminder-actions' });
+        if (failed) {
+          // Retry resets the failure counters so the scheduler picks
+          // the row up again on its next 5s tick. No data-no-refresh
+          // — the resulting refreshState re-fires refreshReminders.
+          const retryForm = el('form', {
+            method: 'POST', action: '/retry-reminder/' + r.id,
+            class: 'inline', 'data-async': '',
+          });
+          retryForm.append(el('button',
+            { type: 'submit', class: 'btn btn-restart' }, '↻ R3TRY'));
+          actions.append(retryForm);
+        }
+        const cancelForm = el('form', {
+          method: 'POST', action: '/cancel-reminder/' + r.id,
           class: 'inline', 'data-async': '',
+          'data-confirm': `cancel reminder ${r.id} for ${r.agent}? this drops the queued delivery; no undo.`,
         });
-        retryForm.append(el('button',
-          { type: 'submit', class: 'btn btn-restart' }, '↻ R3TRY'));
-        actions.append(retryForm);
+        cancelForm.append(el('button', { type: 'submit', class: 'btn btn-deny' }, '✗ C4NC3L'));
+        actions.append(cancelForm);
+        li.append(actions);
+        ul.append(li);
       }
-      const cancelForm = el('form', {
-        method: 'POST', action: '/cancel-reminder/' + r.id,
-        class: 'inline', 'data-async': '',
-        'data-confirm': `cancel reminder ${r.id} for ${r.agent}? this drops the queued delivery; no undo.`,
-      });
-      cancelForm.append(el('button', { type: 'submit', class: 'btn btn-deny' }, '✗ C4NC3L'));
-      actions.append(cancelForm);
-      li.append(actions);
-      ul.append(li);
-    }
-    root.append(ul);
+      root.append(ul);
+    });
   }
   function fmtDuration(secs) {
     if (secs < 60) return secs + 's';
@@ -1939,14 +1964,16 @@ window.marked = marked;
     try {
       const resp = await fetch('/api/schedules');
       if (!resp.ok) {
-        listRoot.innerHTML = '';
-        listRoot.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'schedules unavailable: http ' + resp.status));
+        paintAtomic(listRoot, (root) => {
+          root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'schedules unavailable: http ' + resp.status));
+        });
         return;
       }
       schedulesState = await resp.json();
     } catch (err) {
-      listRoot.innerHTML = '';
-      listRoot.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'schedules fetch failed: ' + err));
+      paintAtomic(listRoot, (root) => {
+        root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'schedules fetch failed: ' + err));
+      });
       return;
     }
     renderScheduleNewForm();
@@ -2063,13 +2090,15 @@ window.marked = marked;
   }
 
   function renderScheduleNewForm() {
-    const root = $('schedule-new-section');
-    if (!root) return;
+    const liveRoot = $('schedule-new-section');
+    if (!liveRoot) return;
     // Preserve any field the operator was mid-typing in by reading
     // current values before we re-render. Only `body` + `description`
     // are big enough to feel — the others are toggle/datetime/number.
-    const carry = readScheduleFormCarry(root);
-    root.innerHTML = '';
+    // Read from the live root BEFORE the swap so we see current
+    // values (the fragment we build into is fresh).
+    const carry = readScheduleFormCarry(liveRoot);
+    paintAtomic(liveRoot, (root) => {
 
     // Targets multi-select pulls from the live containers list. The
     // backend accepts any string (forward-compat for richer recipients),
@@ -2165,6 +2194,7 @@ window.marked = marked;
     form_.append(actions);
 
     root.append(form_);
+    });  // paintAtomic
   }
   function readScheduleFormCarry(root) {
     return {
@@ -2249,23 +2279,24 @@ window.marked = marked;
     }
   }
   function renderSchedulesList() {
-    const root = $('schedules-section');
-    if (!root) return;
-    root.innerHTML = '';
-    if (!schedulesState.length) {
-      root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'no schedules queued'));
-      return;
-    }
-    const ul = el('ul', { class: 'schedules' });
-    // Active schedules first (still firing), then cancelled tail.
-    const sorted = schedulesState.slice().sort((a, b) => {
-      const aDone = a.cancelled_at_unix ? 1 : 0;
-      const bDone = b.cancelled_at_unix ? 1 : 0;
-      if (aDone !== bDone) return aDone - bDone;
-      return a.next_fire_at_unix - b.next_fire_at_unix;
+    const liveRoot = $('schedules-section');
+    if (!liveRoot) return;
+    paintAtomic(liveRoot, (root) => {
+      if (!schedulesState.length) {
+        root.append(el('p', { class: 'empty' }, 'no schedules queued'));
+        return;
+      }
+      const ul = el('ul', { class: 'schedules' });
+      // Active schedules first (still firing), then cancelled tail.
+      const sorted = schedulesState.slice().sort((a, b) => {
+        const aDone = a.cancelled_at_unix ? 1 : 0;
+        const bDone = b.cancelled_at_unix ? 1 : 0;
+        if (aDone !== bDone) return aDone - bDone;
+        return a.next_fire_at_unix - b.next_fire_at_unix;
+      });
+      for (const s of sorted) ul.append(renderScheduleCard(s));
+      root.append(ul);
     });
-    for (const s of sorted) ul.append(renderScheduleCard(s));
-    root.append(ul);
   }
   function renderScheduleCard(s) {
     const cancelled = !!s.cancelled_at_unix;