diff --git a/frontend/context-poller.js b/frontend/context-poller.js
index 0fbbf87..68fa821 100644
--- a/frontend/context-poller.js
+++ b/frontend/context-poller.js
@@ -5,9 +5,12 @@ function createContextPoller({
   isHidden = () => false,
   setTimer = setTimeout,
   clearTimer = clearTimeout,
+  setDeadlineTimer = setTimeout,
+  clearDeadlineTimer = clearTimeout,
   intervalMs = 8000,
+  timeoutMs = 12000,
 }) {
-  let inFlight = null;
+  let activeRequest = null;
   let timer = null;
   let stopped = false;
   let revisions = {};
@@ -27,18 +30,55 @@ function createContextPoller({
     }, intervalMs);
   }
 
-  function refresh() {
+  function abortError() {
+    const error = new Error('Live update superseded.');
+    error.name = 'AbortError';
+    return error;
+  }
+
+  function supersede(request) {
+    if (!request || request.settled) return;
+    request.superseded = true;
+    request.controller.abort();
+    request.rejectDeadline(abortError());
+  }
+
+  function refresh(options = {}) {
     if (stopped || isHidden()) return Promise.resolve(null);
-    if (inFlight) return inFlight;
+    if (activeRequest && !options.force) return activeRequest.promise;
+    if (activeRequest) supersede(activeRequest);
+
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    let rejectDeadline;
+    const deadlinePromise = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      rejectDeadline = reject;
+    });
+    const requestState = {
+      controller,
+      deadline: null,
+      promise: null,
+      rejectDeadline,
+      settled: false,
+      superseded: false,
+    };
+    activeRequest = requestState;
+    requestState.deadline = setDeadlineTimer(() => {
+      if (requestState.settled || requestState.superseded) return;
+      controller.abort();
+      const error = new Error(`Live update timed out after ${timeoutMs}ms.`);
+      error.name = 'TimeoutError';
+      rejectDeadline(error);
+    }, timeoutMs);
 
     let request;
     try {
-      request = fetchContext({ ...revisions });
+      request = fetchContext({ ...revisions }, { signal: controller.signal });
     } catch (error) {
       request = Promise.reject(error);
     }
-    inFlight = Promise.resolve(request)
+    requestState.promise = Promise.race([Promise.resolve(request), deadlinePromise])
       .then((snapshot) => {
+        if (activeRequest !== requestState) return retainedSnapshot;
         const changedSections = ['context', 'events', 'notifications'].filter(
           (section) => Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(snapshot, section)
         );
@@ -48,20 +88,23 @@ function createContextPoller({
         return retainedSnapshot;
       })
       .catch((error) => {
-        onError(error);
+        if (activeRequest === requestState && !stopped) onError(error);
         return null;
       })
       .finally(() => {
-        inFlight = null;
+        requestState.settled = true;
+        clearDeadlineTimer(requestState.deadline);
+        if (activeRequest !== requestState) return;
+        activeRequest = null;
         schedule();
       });
-    return inFlight;
+    return requestState.promise;
   }
 
   function setVisible(visible) {
     cancelTimer();
     if (!visible) return Promise.resolve(null);
-    return refresh();
+    return refresh({ force: true });
   }
 
   return {
@@ -71,6 +114,11 @@ function createContextPoller({
     stop() {
       stopped = true;
       cancelTimer();
+      if (activeRequest) {
+        const request = activeRequest;
+        activeRequest = null;
+        supersede(request);
+      }
     },
   };
 }
diff --git a/frontend/dashboard.js b/frontend/dashboard.js
index 98bd378..e393dc2 100644
--- a/frontend/dashboard.js
+++ b/frontend/dashboard.js
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@
   function setClock() { qs('#clock').textContent = fmt(new Date()); }
   setClock(); setInterval(setClock, 1000);
 
-  async function fetchLiveSnapshot(revisions = {}) {
+  async function fetchLiveSnapshot(revisions = {}, { signal } = {}) {
     const params = new URLSearchParams();
     Object.entries(revisions).forEach(([section, revision]) => {
       if (Number.isInteger(revision) && revision >= 0) params.set(section + '_revision', revision);
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@
     const query = params.toString();
     const res = await fetch('api/v1/live' + (query ? '?' + query : ''), {
       headers: { Accept: 'application/json' },
+      signal,
     });
     if (!res.ok) throw new Error('HTTP ' + res.status);
     return res.json();
@@ -608,7 +609,9 @@
     liveMode = false;
     activeFlushLogin = '';
     if (!hasContextSnapshot && hydrateOfflineWork('outage')) return;
-    setStatus(hasContextSnapshot ? 'Update failed · showing last snapshot' : 'Unavailable');
+    const timeoutStatus = e.name === 'TimeoutError' ?
+      'Update delayed · showing last snapshot' : 'Update failed · showing last snapshot';
+    setStatus(hasContextSnapshot ? timeoutStatus : 'Unavailable');
     if (!hasContextSnapshot) {
       qs('#context').innerHTML = '<div class="muted">Context unavailable.</div>';
       qs('#view-hint').textContent = 'Active view unavailable.';
@@ -2811,7 +2814,7 @@
     isHidden: () => document.hidden,
     intervalMs: 8000,
   });
-  function load() { return contextPoller.refresh(); }
+  function load() { return contextPoller.refresh({ force: true }); }
 
   const offlineStatus = qs('#offline-status');
   const keepWorkOffline = qs('#keep-work-offline');
@@ -2884,7 +2887,7 @@
     offlineStatus.hidden = true;
     setOfflineWorkMode(false);
     setStatus('Reconnecting…');
-    contextPoller.refresh();
+    contextPoller.refresh({ force: true });
   }
   keepWorkOffline.addEventListener('change', () => {
     offlineWorkStore.setEnabled(keepWorkOffline.checked);
diff --git a/tests/test_context_polling.py b/tests/test_context_polling.py
index 4fe4afb..96b0b04 100644
--- a/tests/test_context_polling.py
+++ b/tests/test_context_polling.py
@@ -114,3 +114,113 @@ const poller = createContextPoller({{
             {"context": "timmy", "event": 2, "age": 2, "changed": []},
         ],
     }
+
+
+def test_context_poller_aborts_a_stalled_request_and_recovers_on_schedule():
+    script = f"""
+const createContextPoller = require({json.dumps(str(POLLER))});
+const timers = [];
+const deadlineTimers = [];
+const errors = [];
+const snapshots = [];
+const signals = [];
+let calls = 0;
+const poller = createContextPoller({{
+  fetchContext: (revisions, options) => {{
+    calls += 1;
+    signals.push(options.signal);
+    if (calls === 1) return new Promise(() => {{}});
+    return Promise.resolve({{ context: {{ user: {{ login: 'timmy' }} }} }});
+  }},
+  onSnapshot: snapshot => snapshots.push(snapshot.context.user.login),
+  onError: error => errors.push({{ name: error.name, message: error.message }}),
+  setTimer: (callback, delay) => {{
+    const timer = {{ callback, delay, cancelled: false }};
+    timers.push(timer);
+    return timer;
+  }},
+  clearTimer: timer => {{ timer.cancelled = true; }},
+  setDeadlineTimer: (callback, delay) => {{
+    const timer = {{ callback, delay, cancelled: false }};
+    deadlineTimers.push(timer);
+    return timer;
+  }},
+  clearDeadlineTimer: timer => {{ timer.cancelled = true; }},
+  intervalMs: 8000,
+  timeoutMs: 25,
+}});
+
+(async () => {{
+  const first = poller.start();
+  const deadline = deadlineTimers.find(timer => timer.delay === 25 && !timer.cancelled);
+  deadline.callback();
+  await first;
+  const retry = timers.find(timer => timer.delay === 8000 && !timer.cancelled);
+  retry.callback();
+  await new Promise(resolve => setImmediate(resolve));
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({{
+    calls,
+    firstAborted: signals[0].aborted,
+    errors,
+    snapshots,
+  }}));
+}})();
+"""
+
+    assert run_node(script) == {
+        "calls": 2,
+        "firstAborted": True,
+        "errors": [
+            {"name": "TimeoutError", "message": "Live update timed out after 25ms."}
+        ],
+        "snapshots": ["timmy"],
+    }
+
+
+def test_forced_refresh_retires_stale_generation_without_late_overwrite():
+    script = f"""
+const createContextPoller = require({json.dumps(str(POLLER))});
+let resolveFirst;
+let firstSignal;
+const rendered = [];
+const errors = [];
+let calls = 0;
+const poller = createContextPoller({{
+  fetchContext: (revisions, options) => {{
+    calls += 1;
+    if (calls === 1) {{
+      firstSignal = options.signal;
+      return new Promise(resolve => {{ resolveFirst = resolve; }});
+    }}
+    return Promise.resolve({{ context: {{ user: {{ login: 'fresh' }} }} }});
+  }},
+  onSnapshot: snapshot => rendered.push(snapshot.context.user.login),
+  onError: error => errors.push(error.name),
+  setTimer: () => 1,
+  clearTimer: () => {{}},
+  setDeadlineTimer: () => 1,
+  clearDeadlineTimer: () => {{}},
+}});
+
+(async () => {{
+  const stale = poller.start();
+  const fresh = poller.refresh({{ force: true }});
+  await fresh;
+  resolveFirst({{ context: {{ user: {{ login: 'stale' }} }} }});
+  await stale;
+  await new Promise(resolve => setImmediate(resolve));
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({{
+    calls,
+    firstAborted: firstSignal.aborted,
+    rendered,
+    errors,
+  }}));
+}})();
+"""
+
+    assert run_node(script) == {
+        "calls": 2,
+        "firstAborted": True,
+        "rendered": ["fresh"],
+        "errors": [],
+    }
diff --git a/tests/test_shared_context_snapshot.py b/tests/test_shared_context_snapshot.py
index ba46ead..8fc4999 100644
--- a/tests/test_shared_context_snapshot.py
+++ b/tests/test_shared_context_snapshot.py
@@ -57,3 +57,21 @@ async def test_dashboard_reports_each_live_section_from_its_own_freshness():
     assert "const notificationsFresh = Array.isArray(snapshot.notifications)" not in html
     assert "Unread updates unavailable · showing last known updates" in html
     assert "Activity refresh failed · showing last activity" in html
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_operator_refresh_and_reconnect_supersede_a_stalled_live_request():
+    html = await dashboard()
+
+    assert "async function fetchLiveSnapshot(revisions = {}, { signal } = {})" in html
+    assert "headers: { Accept: 'application/json' },\n      signal," in html
+    assert "function load() { return contextPoller.refresh({ force: true }); }" in html
+    assert "contextPoller.refresh({ force: true });" in html
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_stalled_refresh_keeps_the_last_snapshot_with_specific_guidance():
+    html = await dashboard()
+
+    assert "e.name === 'TimeoutError'" in html
+    assert "Update delayed · showing last snapshot" in html
diff --git a/tests/test_work_pages.py b/tests/test_work_pages.py
index 0eba812..40b759a 100644
--- a/tests/test_work_pages.py
+++ b/tests/test_work_pages.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ async def test_dashboard_announces_offline_mode_and_refreshes_after_reconnect():
     bootstrap = (Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "frontend" / "dashboard.js").read_text()
     assert "window.addEventListener('offline'" in bootstrap
     assert "window.addEventListener('online'" in bootstrap
-    assert "contextPoller.refresh()" in bootstrap
+    assert "contextPoller.refresh({ force: true })" in bootstrap
 
 
 @pytest.mark.anyio