diff --git a/src/renderer/components/team/useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher.test.tsx b/src/renderer/components/team/useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d9bd186e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/components/team/useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,180 @@
+import React, { act } from 'react';
+import { createRoot, type Root } from 'react-dom/client';
+
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+const hoisted = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  state: {
+    leadActivityByTeam: {} as Record<string, 'active' | 'idle' | undefined>,
+    teamDataByName: {} as Record<string, { isAlive?: boolean } | undefined>,
+    provisioningActiveByTeam: {} as Record<string, boolean | undefined>,
+    fetchTeamAgentRuntime: vi.fn(async (_teamName: string): Promise<void> => undefined),
+  },
+}));
+
+vi.mock('@renderer/store', () => ({
+  useStore: <T,>(selector: (state: typeof hoisted.state) => T): T => selector(hoisted.state),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('@renderer/store/slices/teamSlice', () => ({
+  isTeamProvisioningActive: (state: typeof hoisted.state, teamName: string): boolean =>
+    state.provisioningActiveByTeam[teamName] === true,
+  selectTeamDataForName: (
+    state: typeof hoisted.state,
+    teamName: string
+  ): { isAlive?: boolean } | undefined => state.teamDataByName[teamName],
+}));
+
+import {
+  __resetTeamAgentRuntimeWatcherForTests,
+  useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher,
+} from './useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher';
+
+interface HookProbeProps {
+  teamName: string;
+  enabled: boolean;
+  isTeamProvisioning?: boolean;
+  isTeamAlive?: boolean;
+}
+
+const HookProbe = (props: HookProbeProps): null => {
+  useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher(props);
+  return null;
+};
+
+const mountedRoots: Root[] = [];
+
+async function renderWatcher(props: HookProbeProps): Promise<Root> {
+  const host = document.createElement('div');
+  document.body.appendChild(host);
+  const root = createRoot(host);
+  mountedRoots.push(root);
+
+  await act(async () => {
+    root.render(React.createElement(HookProbe, props));
+    await Promise.resolve();
+  });
+
+  return root;
+}
+
+describe('useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.stubGlobal('IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT', true);
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    vi.setSystemTime(0);
+    __resetTeamAgentRuntimeWatcherForTests();
+    hoisted.state.leadActivityByTeam = {};
+    hoisted.state.teamDataByName = {};
+    hoisted.state.provisioningActiveByTeam = {};
+    hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime.mockReset();
+    hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    for (const root of mountedRoots.splice(0)) {
+      act(() => {
+        root.unmount();
+      });
+    }
+    document.body.innerHTML = '';
+    __resetTeamAgentRuntimeWatcherForTests();
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+  });
+
+  it('backs off polling for an alive idle team', async () => {
+    hoisted.state.teamDataByName['team-a'] = { isAlive: true };
+
+    await renderWatcher({ teamName: 'team-a', enabled: true });
+
+    expect(hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime).toHaveBeenCalledWith('team-a');
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+
+    expect(hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(10_000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+
+    expect(hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps active teams on the fast polling cadence', async () => {
+    hoisted.state.leadActivityByTeam['team-a'] = 'active';
+
+    await renderWatcher({ teamName: 'team-a', enabled: true });
+
+    expect(hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+
+    expect(hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('does not overlap runtime refreshes for the same team', async () => {
+    hoisted.state.leadActivityByTeam['team-a'] = 'active';
+    let resolveFirstRefresh: () => void = () => undefined;
+    const firstRefresh = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      resolveFirstRefresh = resolve;
+    });
+    hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime
+      .mockImplementationOnce(() => firstRefresh)
+      .mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+    await renderWatcher({ teamName: 'team-a', enabled: true });
+
+    expect(hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+
+    expect(hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      resolveFirstRefresh();
+      await firstRefresh;
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000);
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+
+    expect(hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('coalesces multiple mounted watchers for one team', async () => {
+    hoisted.state.leadActivityByTeam['team-a'] = 'active';
+    const host = document.createElement('div');
+    document.body.appendChild(host);
+    const root = createRoot(host);
+    mountedRoots.push(root);
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(
+        React.createElement(
+          React.Fragment,
+          null,
+          React.createElement(HookProbe, { teamName: 'team-a', enabled: true }),
+          React.createElement(HookProbe, { teamName: 'team-a', enabled: true })
+        )
+      );
+      await Promise.resolve();
+    });
+
+    expect(hoisted.state.fetchTeamAgentRuntime).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/team/useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher.ts b/src/renderer/components/team/useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher.ts
index e65cbcfb..e293d1bb 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/team/useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/components/team/useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,66 @@ import { useStore } from '@renderer/store';
 import { isTeamProvisioningActive, selectTeamDataForName } from '@renderer/store/slices/teamSlice';
 import { useShallow } from 'zustand/react/shallow';
 
-const TEAM_AGENT_RUNTIME_REFRESH_MS = 5_000;
+const TEAM_AGENT_RUNTIME_ACTIVE_REFRESH_MS = 5_000;
+const TEAM_AGENT_RUNTIME_IDLE_REFRESH_MS = 15_000;
+const TEAM_AGENT_RUNTIME_REFRESH_GRACE_MS = 500;
+
+type FetchTeamAgentRuntime = (teamName: string) => Promise<void>;
+
+const runtimeRefreshInFlightByTeam = new Map<string, Promise<void>>();
+const runtimeRefreshLastStartedAtByTeam = new Map<string, number>();
+
+function getTeamAgentRuntimeRefreshMs({
+  isTeamProvisioning,
+  leadActivity,
+}: {
+  isTeamProvisioning: boolean | undefined;
+  leadActivity: string | undefined;
+}): number {
+  return isTeamProvisioning || leadActivity === 'active'
+    ? TEAM_AGENT_RUNTIME_ACTIVE_REFRESH_MS
+    : TEAM_AGENT_RUNTIME_IDLE_REFRESH_MS;
+}
+
+function requestTeamAgentRuntimeRefresh(
+  teamName: string,
+  fetchTeamAgentRuntime: FetchTeamAgentRuntime,
+  minRefreshGapMs: number
+): Promise<void> {
+  const inFlight = runtimeRefreshInFlightByTeam.get(teamName);
+  if (inFlight) {
+    return inFlight;
+  }
+
+  const now = Date.now();
+  const lastStartedAt = runtimeRefreshLastStartedAtByTeam.get(teamName);
+  if (lastStartedAt !== undefined && now - lastStartedAt < minRefreshGapMs) {
+    return Promise.resolve();
+  }
+
+  runtimeRefreshLastStartedAtByTeam.set(teamName, now);
+
+  let refreshPromise: Promise<void>;
+  try {
+    refreshPromise = fetchTeamAgentRuntime(teamName);
+  } catch (error) {
+    runtimeRefreshLastStartedAtByTeam.delete(teamName);
+    return Promise.reject(error);
+  }
+
+  const trackedPromise = refreshPromise.finally(() => {
+    if (runtimeRefreshInFlightByTeam.get(teamName) === trackedPromise) {
+      runtimeRefreshInFlightByTeam.delete(teamName);
+    }
+  });
+  runtimeRefreshInFlightByTeam.set(teamName, trackedPromise);
+  return trackedPromise;
+}
+
+export function __resetTeamAgentRuntimeWatcherForTests(): void {
+  runtimeRefreshInFlightByTeam.clear();
+  runtimeRefreshLastStartedAtByTeam.clear();
+}
 
 interface TeamAgentRuntimeWatcherOptions {
   teamName: string;
@@ -41,10 +100,16 @@ export function useTeamAgentRuntimeWatcher({
       leadActivity === 'idle';
     if (!shouldWatch) return;
 
-    void fetchTeamAgentRuntime(teamName);
+    const refreshMs = getTeamAgentRuntimeRefreshMs({
+      isTeamProvisioning: effectiveIsTeamProvisioning,
+      leadActivity,
+    });
+    const minRefreshGapMs = Math.max(0, refreshMs - TEAM_AGENT_RUNTIME_REFRESH_GRACE_MS);
+
+    void requestTeamAgentRuntimeRefresh(teamName, fetchTeamAgentRuntime, minRefreshGapMs);
     const timer = window.setInterval(() => {
-      void fetchTeamAgentRuntime(teamName);
-    }, TEAM_AGENT_RUNTIME_REFRESH_MS);
+      void requestTeamAgentRuntimeRefresh(teamName, fetchTeamAgentRuntime, minRefreshGapMs);
+    }, refreshMs);
     return () => {
       window.clearInterval(timer);
     };