diff --git a/docs/web-ui.md b/docs/web-ui.md
index 8f086622..a3036da0 100644
--- a/docs/web-ui.md
+++ b/docs/web-ui.md
@@ -160,9 +160,15 @@ the previous process's socket release resolves itself.
 ### Container row
 
 A full-height **square agent icon** on the left (the agent's
-`/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`):
+`/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.
 
 - 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 e23d222d..42309267 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/assets/app.js
+++ b/hive-c0re/assets/app.js
@@ -578,15 +578,27 @@
       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. 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("${url}icon")`,
+      // Full-height square agent icon, left of the card body. The
+      // icon is an <img> absolutely positioned inside a wrapper div:
+      // the div is the flex child and sizes itself via aspect-ratio +
+      // stretch, the <img> is out of flow so its load state — pending,
+      // loaded or broken — can never contribute intrinsic size or
+      // reflow the row. (issue #177)
+      //
+      // The icon points straight at the agent's `<url>/icon`. We don't
+      // guess whether the agent is reachable from the container row —
+      // we just let the <img> try, and if it actually fails to load
+      // (agent stopped, restarting, rebuilding — web server not
+      // answering) the error handler falls it back to the dimmed
+      // hyperhive mark (`/favicon.svg`, served by the dashboard
+      // itself, always reachable). (issues #195, #202)
+      const iconImg = el('img', { class: 'container-icon-img', src: `${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';
       });
       // 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 0e05cc9e..5b3e8a86 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/assets/dashboard.css
+++ b/hive-c0re/assets/dashboard.css
@@ -89,14 +89,29 @@ 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);
-  background-size: contain;
-  background-position: center;
-  background-repeat: no-repeat;
+}
+/* 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;
 }
 .container-row .card-body {
   flex: 1;