diff --git a/tests/ui-testing/playwright-tests/Dashboards/dashboard-variables-auto-run.spec.js b/tests/ui-testing/playwright-tests/Dashboards/dashboard-variables-auto-run.spec.js
index cd908be556..bfc89c16b5 100644
--- a/tests/ui-testing/playwright-tests/Dashboards/dashboard-variables-auto-run.spec.js
+++ b/tests/ui-testing/playwright-tests/Dashboards/dashboard-variables-auto-run.spec.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ test.describe('Dashboard variables Auto Run', { tag: ['@dashboards', '@dashboard
     await autoRun.waitForRuns('var', base + 1);
     expect(autoRun.runsOf('var')[base]).toContain(`'${first}'`);
     await autoRun.expectPanelRows('p_var', { shows: [first], hides: [initial] });
-    await autoRun.expectRefreshVariant('outline');
+    await autoRun.expectRefreshVariant('primary');
   });
 
   test('Auto Run on: a variable change re-runs only the panels that use it, once each', { tag: ['@P0'] }, async ({ page }) => {
diff --git a/web/src/views/Dashboards/ViewDashboard.vue b/web/src/views/Dashboards/ViewDashboard.vue
index ec29efa9be..0ff749801e 100644
--- a/web/src/views/Dashboards/ViewDashboard.vue
+++ b/web/src/views/Dashboards/ViewDashboard.vue
@@ -128,18 +128,21 @@ along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
             >
               <OTooltip :content="t('panel.cancel')" />
             </OButton>
-            <OButton
-              v-else
-              :variant="isRefreshPending ? 'warning' : 'outline'"
-              size="icon-toolbar"
-              @click="refreshData()"
-              :disabled="arePanelsLoading"
-              :loading="arePanelsLoading"
-              data-test="dashboard-refresh-btn"
-              :icon-left="isAutoRunOn ? 'autorenew' : 'refresh'"
-            >
-              <OTooltip :content="refreshTooltip" shortcut-id="dashboardRefresh" />
-            </OButton>
+            <!-- Wrapper mode: a child-mode tooltip would hover-bind only the icon, not the labelled button. -->
+            <OTooltip v-else :content="refreshTooltip" shortcut-id="dashboardRefresh">
+              <OButton
+                :variant="refreshVariant"
+                :size="isMobile ? 'icon-toolbar' : 'sm-toolbar'"
+                @click="refreshData()"
+                :disabled="arePanelsLoading"
+                :loading="arePanelsLoading"
+                :aria-label="t('dashboard.viewDashboard.refresh')"
+                data-test="dashboard-refresh-btn"
+                :icon-left="isAutoRunOn ? 'autorenew' : 'refresh'"
+              >
+                <template v-if="!isMobile">{{ t("dashboard.viewDashboard.refresh") }}</template>
+              </OButton>
+            </OTooltip>
             <ODropdown align="end" side="bottom">
               <template #trigger>
                 <OButton
@@ -1655,9 +1658,15 @@ export default defineComponent({
       });
     };
 
+    // Refresh is the dashboard's main action, but in layout edit Save owns the primary slot.
+    const refreshVariant = computed(() => {
+      if (isRefreshPending.value) return "warning";
+      return isEditingLayout.value ? "outline" : "primary";
+    });
+
     const refreshOptionsVariant = computed(() => {
       if (config.isEnterprise == "true" && arePanelsLoading.value) return "outline-destructive";
-      return isRefreshPending.value ? "warning" : "outline";
+      return refreshVariant.value;
     });
 
     const refreshData = async (withoutCache = false) => {
@@ -2352,6 +2361,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
       isAutoRunAvailable,
       isAutoRunOn,
       toggleAutoRun,
+      refreshVariant,
       refreshOptionsVariant,
       isVariablesChanged,
       isRefreshPending,
diff --git a/web/src/views/Dashboards/viewDashboard.timeRange.spec.ts b/web/src/views/Dashboards/viewDashboard.timeRange.spec.ts
index 5de32adda1..23d6bcbe3b 100644
--- a/web/src/views/Dashboards/viewDashboard.timeRange.spec.ts
+++ b/web/src/views/Dashboards/viewDashboard.timeRange.spec.ts
@@ -185,7 +185,11 @@ describe("ViewDashboard time range gate", () => {
   };
   const refreshButton = () => wrapper.findComponent('[data-test="dashboard-refresh-btn"]');
   const refreshOptions = () => wrapper.findComponent('[data-test="dashboard-refresh-options-btn"]');
-  const refreshTooltip = () => refreshButton().findComponent({ name: "OTooltip" }).props("content");
+  const refreshTooltip = () =>
+    wrapper
+      .findAllComponents({ name: "OTooltip" })
+      .find((tip) => tip.find('[data-test="dashboard-refresh-btn"]').exists())
+      ?.props("content");
   const spanOf = (time: any) => time.end_time.getTime() - time.start_time.getTime();
   const globalSpan = () => spanOf(wrapper.vm.currentTimeObjPerPanel.__global);
 
@@ -226,7 +230,9 @@ describe("ViewDashboard time range gate", () => {
 
     it("turns Refresh yellow with the time-range tooltip while a range waits", async () => {
       await mountDashboard();
-      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("outline");
+      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
+      expect(refreshOptions().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
+      expect(refreshButton().text()).toContain("Refresh");
 
       await pick(relative("1h"));
 
@@ -245,7 +251,7 @@ describe("ViewDashboard time range gate", () => {
       expect(wrapper.vm.selectedDate.relativeTimePeriod).toBe("1h");
       expect(globalSpan()).toBe(60 * MINUTE);
       expect(route.query.period).toBe("1h");
-      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("outline");
+      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
     });
 
     it("applies the waiting range on an auto-refresh tick", async () => {
@@ -265,7 +271,7 @@ describe("ViewDashboard time range gate", () => {
       await pick(relative("1h"));
       await pick(relative("15m"));
 
-      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("outline");
+      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
       expect(wrapper.vm.currentTimeObjPerPanel.__global).toBe(appliedBefore);
       expect(routerReplace).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
@@ -274,10 +280,10 @@ describe("ViewDashboard time range gate", () => {
       await mountDashboard();
 
       await pick(absolute(NaN, 200));
-      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("outline");
+      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
 
       await pick(absolute(300 * MINUTE, 200 * MINUTE));
-      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("outline");
+      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
 
       refreshButton().vm.$emit("click");
       await flushPromises();
@@ -298,7 +304,7 @@ describe("ViewDashboard time range gate", () => {
         relativeTimePeriod: "15m",
       });
       expect(picker().props("modelValue").relativeTimePeriod).toBe("15m");
-      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("outline");
+      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
       expect(routerReplace).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
   });
@@ -380,12 +386,29 @@ describe("ViewDashboard time range gate", () => {
 
     expect(wrapper.vm.selectedDate.valueType).toBe("absolute");
     expect(globalSpan()).toBe(10 * MINUTE);
-    expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("outline");
+    expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
+  });
+
+  it("shows the labelled Refresh with the plain refresh icon while Auto Run is off", async () => {
+    await mountDashboard();
+
+    expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
+    expect(refreshButton().props("iconLeft")).toBe("refresh");
+    expect(refreshButton().text()).toContain("Refresh");
   });
 
   describe("Auto Run on", () => {
     beforeEach(() => setAutoRun("on"));
 
+    it("keeps the labelled Refresh primary and swaps in the Auto Run icon", async () => {
+      await mountDashboard();
+
+      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
+      expect(refreshOptions().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
+      expect(refreshButton().props("iconLeft")).toBe("autorenew");
+      expect(refreshButton().text()).toContain("Refresh");
+    });
+
     it("applies a preset at once and updates the URL", async () => {
       await mountDashboard();
 
@@ -394,7 +417,7 @@ describe("ViewDashboard time range gate", () => {
       expect(wrapper.vm.selectedDate.relativeTimePeriod).toBe("1h");
       expect(globalSpan()).toBe(60 * MINUTE);
       expect(route.query.period).toBe("1h");
-      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("outline");
+      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
       expect(refreshTooltip()).toBe("Runs queries on open and on filter/time changes");
     });
 
@@ -405,7 +428,7 @@ describe("ViewDashboard time range gate", () => {
       picker().vm.$emit("show");
       await pick(absolute(end - 30 * MINUTE, end));
       expect(wrapper.vm.selectedDate.relativeTimePeriod).toBe("15m");
-      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("outline");
+      expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
 
       picker().vm.$emit("hide");
       await flushPromises();
@@ -440,7 +463,7 @@ describe("ViewDashboard time range gate", () => {
       relativeTimePeriod: "6h",
     });
     expect(wrapper.vm.selectedDate.relativeTimePeriod).toBe("6h");
-    expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("outline");
+    expect(refreshButton().props("variant")).toBe("primary");
   });
 
   it("leaves the picker alone when a reload keeps the same range", async () => {