diff --git a/packages/web/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx b/packages/web/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
index 7a9ba55..97c9d62 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/packages/web/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -60,7 +60,9 @@ function useLastDataUpdate(): string {
 
 	useEffect(() => {
 		function refresh() {
-			setNow(Date.now());
+			// No setNow here — calling setNow on every cache event causes a render loop on
+			// CI (each Date.now() call crosses a ms boundary → new value → React re-renders
+			// Sidebar → cache events fire again → loop). setNow belongs only in the interval.
 			const latest = queryClient
 				.getQueryCache()
 				.getAll()
@@ -70,7 +72,10 @@ function useLastDataUpdate(): string {
 
 		refresh();
 		const unsubscribe = queryClient.getQueryCache().subscribe(refresh);
-		const interval = window.setInterval(refresh, 30_000);
+		const interval = window.setInterval(() => {
+			setNow(Date.now()); // refresh relative-time display ("X ago") every 30s
+			refresh();
+		}, 30_000);
 		return () => {
 			unsubscribe();
 			window.clearInterval(interval);
diff --git a/packages/web/src/test/dashboard.test.tsx b/packages/web/src/test/dashboard.test.tsx
index b11c3b8..b97ce83 100644
--- a/packages/web/src/test/dashboard.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/web/src/test/dashboard.test.tsx
@@ -59,6 +59,22 @@ function renderDashboard() {
 describe("Dashboard — unified server-aware view", () => {
 	afterEach(() => localStorage.clear());
 
+	it("does not loop when Date.now advances on each call (CI render-loop repro)", async () => {
+		// On CI, consecutive Date.now() calls cross millisecond boundaries, so setNow(Date.now())
+		// in the cache-event subscriber always produces a new value → React keeps re-rendering
+		// Sidebar → hits the 25-cycle "Maximum update depth exceeded" limit.
+		// This test forces that CI condition locally to catch regressions.
+		let t = 1_000_000;
+		const spy = vi.spyOn(Date, "now").mockImplementation(() => t++);
+		saveStore({ instances: [neo, iris], activeId: "neo" });
+		renderDashboard();
+		await waitFor(() => {
+			expect(screen.getByText("(Neo)")).toBeInTheDocument();
+			expect(screen.getByText("(Iris)")).toBeInTheDocument();
+		});
+		spy.mockRestore();
+	});
+
 	it("lists each server's workspaces labelled with the server name", async () => {
 		saveStore({ instances: [neo, iris], activeId: "neo" });
 		renderDashboard();