diff --git a/frontend/docs/list_detail_pages.md b/frontend/docs/list_detail_pages.md
index 6002e095..17be4fb3 100644
--- a/frontend/docs/list_detail_pages.md
+++ b/frontend/docs/list_detail_pages.md
@@ -466,8 +466,13 @@ export function EntitiesPage() {
 
     const pageHeader = <AppHeader title="Entities" /* ...actions */ />;
 
-    // Canonical 4-branch render gate — pageHeader renders in ALL branches:
-    if (isLoading) {
+    // Canonical 4-branch render gate — pageHeader renders in ALL branches.
+    // Both loading and error gate on "nothing to show yet": the query is
+    // cache-and-network, so a background revalidation reports loading (and, on
+    // failure, error) with cached data still present. Without `&& !data` that
+    // refetch blanks a working list — or an edit form with unsaved changes —
+    // with the spinner/error for the round-trip.
+    if (isLoading && entities.length === 0) {
         return (
             <>
                 {pageHeader}
@@ -475,8 +480,6 @@ export function EntitiesPage() {
             </>
         );
     }
-    // Show the error surface only when there's no data — a failed background
-    // refetch must not blank a working list.
     if (error && entities.length === 0) {
         return (
             <>
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-prompt.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-prompt.tsx
index 0c5d2ebf..02a74c1d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-prompt.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-prompt.tsx
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ function SettingsPrompt() {
         </AppHeader>
     );
 
-    if (loading) {
+    if (loading && !data) {
         return (
             <>
                 {pageHeader}
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-provider.test.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-provider.test.tsx
index fe631325..4ce76951 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-provider.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-provider.test.tsx
@@ -137,4 +137,15 @@ describe('SettingsProvider create-form type guards', () => {
         expect(screen.queryByText('Error loading provider data')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
         expect(navigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
+
+    // The loading branch runs before the error branch, so it needs the same guard: a background
+    // refetch reports loading:true with cached data and must not blank the form to the spinner.
+    it('keeps the form on a background refetch while cached data is present', () => {
+        setSearch('type=anthropic');
+        queryResult.loading = true;
+        render(<SettingsProvider />);
+
+        expect(screen.queryByText('Loading provider data...')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+        expect(navigate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-provider.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-provider.tsx
index e985350e..1c7a0ca1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-provider.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/settings/settings-provider.tsx
@@ -1605,7 +1605,7 @@ function SettingsProvider() {
         }
     };
 
-    if (loading) {
+    if (loading && !data) {
         return (
             <>
                 <AppHeader>
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/templates/template.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/templates/template.tsx
index b2211ee1..93c90e08 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/templates/template.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/templates/template.tsx
@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@ function Template() {
         />
     );
 
-    if (!isNew && isLoadingTemplate) {
+    if (!isNew && isLoadingTemplate && !template) {
         return (
             <div className={isDesktop ? 'flex h-[100dvh] min-h-0 flex-col' : 'flex min-h-[100dvh] flex-col'}>
                 {pageHeader}