diff --git a/docs/web-ui.md b/docs/web-ui.md
index a3036da0..8f086622 100644
--- a/docs/web-ui.md
+++ b/docs/web-ui.md
@@ -160,15 +160,9 @@ the previous process's socket release resolves itself.
 ### Container row
 
 A full-height **square agent icon** on the left (the agent's
-`/icon`, an `<img>` absolutely positioned inside a wrapper div so
-its load state can never reflow the row), and the card body on
-the right with three stacked lines
-(`assets/app.js::renderContainers`). The `<img>` points straight
-at `<url>/icon`; if it actually fails to load (container stopped
-or mid-transient, web server not answering) the `error` handler
-falls it back to the dimmed hyperhive mark (`/favicon.svg`)
-instead of an empty box — a real load-failure fallback, not a
-guess from container state.
+`/icon`, painted as a background-image div so its load state can
+never reflow the row), and the card body on the right with three
+stacked lines (`assets/app.js::renderContainers`):
 
 - Line 1: agent name (link → new tab), m1nd/ag3nt chip, status
   badges — `⊘ rate limited` (red, while the harness is parked
diff --git a/hive-c0re/assets/app.js b/hive-c0re/assets/app.js
index 42309267..e23d222d 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/assets/app.js
+++ b/hive-c0re/assets/app.js
@@ -578,27 +578,15 @@
       const pending = transientsState.get(c.name)?.kind || null;
       const li = el('li', { class: 'container-row' + (pending ? ' pending' : '') });
 
-      // Full-height square agent icon, left of the card body. The
-      // icon is an <img> absolutely positioned inside a wrapper div:
-      // the div is the flex child and sizes itself via aspect-ratio +
-      // stretch, the <img> is out of flow so its load state — pending,
-      // loaded or broken — can never contribute intrinsic size or
-      // reflow the row. (issue #177)
-      //
-      // The icon points straight at the agent's `<url>/icon`. We don't
-      // guess whether the agent is reachable from the container row —
-      // we just let the <img> try, and if it actually fails to load
-      // (agent stopped, restarting, rebuilding — web server not
-      // answering) the error handler falls it back to the dimmed
-      // hyperhive mark (`/favicon.svg`, served by the dashboard
-      // itself, always reachable). (issues #195, #202)
-      const iconImg = el('img', { class: 'container-icon-img', src: `${url}icon`, alt: '' });
-      const icon = el('div', { class: 'container-icon' }, iconImg);
-      iconImg.addEventListener('error', () => {
-        if (iconImg.dataset.fallback) return;  // guard: don't loop if the favicon itself 404s
-        iconImg.dataset.fallback = '1';
-        icon.classList.add('icon-unreachable');
-        iconImg.src = '/favicon.svg';
+      // Full-height square agent icon, left of the card body. A
+      // background-image on a div (not <img>) contributes no intrinsic
+      // size, so loading or failing it can't shift the row layout, and
+      // a failed load (stopped container, web server down) just shows
+      // the placeholder fill — no broken-image glyph, no collapse.
+      // (issue #177)
+      const icon = el('div', {
+        class: 'container-icon',
+        style: `background-image:url("${url}icon")`,
       });
       // Card body: the three stacked content lines, right of the icon.
       const body = el('div', { class: 'card-body' });
diff --git a/hive-c0re/assets/dashboard.css b/hive-c0re/assets/dashboard.css
index 5b3e8a86..0e05cc9e 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/assets/dashboard.css
+++ b/hive-c0re/assets/dashboard.css
@@ -89,29 +89,14 @@ a:hover {
   gap: 0.7em;
 }
 .container-row:not(.tombstone) > .container-icon {
-  position: relative;
-  overflow: hidden;
   flex: none;
   align-self: stretch;
   aspect-ratio: 1;
   border-radius: 6px;
   background-color: rgba(17, 17, 27, 0.6);
-}
-/* The icon image fills the square wrapper and is taken out of flow
-   (absolute) so its load state — pending, loaded, broken — can never
-   contribute intrinsic size or reflow the row. (issue #177) */
-.container-row:not(.tombstone) > .container-icon > .container-icon-img {
-  position: absolute;
-  inset: 0;
-  width: 100%;
-  height: 100%;
-  object-fit: contain;
-}
-/* When the <img> fails to load it falls back to the dimmed hyperhive
-   mark, standing in for the unreachable agent icon (issues #195, #202). */
-.container-row:not(.tombstone) > .container-icon.icon-unreachable {
-  filter: grayscale(1);
-  opacity: 0.4;
+  background-size: contain;
+  background-position: center;
+  background-repeat: no-repeat;
 }
 .container-row .card-body {
   flex: 1;