diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/ChecksPanel.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/ChecksPanel.tsx
index 1e644af9a83..5cddaae2a19 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/ChecksPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/ChecksPanel.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export default function ChecksPanel(): React.JSX.Element {
   const repo = useRepoById(activeWorktree?.repoId ?? null)
   const prCache = useAppStore((s) => s.prCache)
   const fetchPRForBranch = useAppStore((s) => s.fetchPRForBranch)
+  const enqueueGitHubPRRefresh = useAppStore((s) => s.enqueueGitHubPRRefresh)
   const gitConflictOperationByWorktree = useAppStore((s) => s.gitConflictOperationByWorktree)
 
   // Why: the sidebar stays mounted when closed (for performance). Gate
@@ -301,6 +302,43 @@ export default function ChecksPanel(): React.JSX.Element {
     }
   }, [repo, branch, linkedPR, fetchPRForBranch, fetchPRChecks, fetchComments])
 
+  const handleEntryRefresh = useCallback(async () => {
+    if (!repo || !branch || !activeWorktreeId) {
+      return
+    }
+    // Why: entering the Checks tab is automatic UI behavior, not an explicit
+    // user refresh. Route PR refresh through the coordinator so rate-limit
+    // guards still apply, while checks/comments can refresh from cached PR data.
+    enqueueGitHubPRRefresh(activeWorktreeId, 'active', 80)
+
+    if (!pr) {
+      setChecks([])
+      setComments([])
+      return
+    }
+
+    const refreshedChecks = fetchPRChecks(repo.path, pr.number, branch, pr.headSha, {
+      force: true
+    }).then(
+      (result) => {
+        setChecks(result)
+        const signature = JSON.stringify(result.map((c) => `${c.name}:${c.status}:${c.conclusion}`))
+        pollIntervalRef.current =
+          signature === prevChecksRef.current
+            ? Math.min(pollIntervalRef.current * 2, 120_000)
+            : 30_000
+        prevChecksRef.current = signature
+      },
+      (err) => {
+        console.warn('Failed to fetch PR checks:', err)
+        setChecks([])
+      }
+    )
+    setChecksLoading(true)
+    const refreshedComments = fetchComments({ force: true, prNumberOverride: pr.number })
+    await Promise.all([refreshedChecks.finally(() => setChecksLoading(false)), refreshedComments])
+  }, [repo, branch, activeWorktreeId, enqueueGitHubPRRefresh, pr, fetchPRChecks, fetchComments])
+
   // Why: force a freshness check on each "entry" into the Checks tab so PRs
   // opened outside Orca, externally force-pushed heads, and stale checks/comments
   // appear without waiting for the cache TTL. The grace window suppresses
@@ -340,8 +378,8 @@ export default function ChecksPanel(): React.JSX.Element {
     // a fresh baseline rather than colliding with the previous PR's backoff.
     pollIntervalRef.current = 30_000
     prevChecksRef.current = ''
-    void handleRefresh()
-  }, [entryKey, prFetchedAt, checksFetchedAt, commentsFetchedAt, prNumber, handleRefresh])
+    void handleEntryRefresh()
+  }, [entryKey, prFetchedAt, checksFetchedAt, commentsFetchedAt, prNumber, handleEntryRefresh])
 
   const handleStartEdit = useCallback(() => {
     if (!pr) {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCard.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCard.tsx
index e419bf3ce73..4e3e37aa7e2 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCard.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeCard.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   Bell,
   GitMerge,
   LoaderCircle,
+  PauseCircle,
   CircleCheck,
   CircleX,
   Server,
@@ -64,7 +65,6 @@ const WorktreeCard = React.memo(function WorktreeCard({
 }: WorktreeCardProps) {
   const openModal = useAppStore((s) => s.openModal)
   const updateWorktreeMeta = useAppStore((s) => s.updateWorktreeMeta)
-  const enqueueGitHubPRRefresh = useAppStore((s) => s.enqueueGitHubPRRefresh)
   const fetchIssue = useAppStore((s) => s.fetchIssue)
   const cardProps = useAppStore((s) => s.worktreeCardProperties)
   const handleEditIssue = useCallback(
@@ -278,33 +278,8 @@ const WorktreeCard = React.memo(function WorktreeCard({
     ]
   )
 
-  const showPR = cardProps.includes('pr')
-  const showCI = cardProps.includes('ci')
   const showIssue = cardProps.includes('issue')
 
-  // Skip GitHub fetches when the corresponding card sections are hidden.
-  // This preference is purely presentational, so background refreshes would
-  // spend rate limit budget on data the user cannot see.
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (repo && !isFolder && !worktree.isBare && prCacheKey && isActive && (showPR || showCI)) {
-      // Why: pass linkedPR so worktrees created from a PR (whose new local
-      // branch differs from the PR's head ref) still resolve their PR via
-      // a number-based fallback in the main process.
-      enqueueGitHubPRRefresh(worktree.id, 'active', 80)
-    }
-  }, [
-    repo,
-    isFolder,
-    worktree.isBare,
-    worktree.id,
-    worktree.linkedPR,
-    enqueueGitHubPRRefresh,
-    isActive,
-    prCacheKey,
-    showPR,
-    showCI
-  ])
-
   // Same rationale for issues: once that section is hidden, polling only burns
   // GitHub calls and keeps stale-but-invisible data warm for no user benefit.
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -530,19 +505,34 @@ const WorktreeCard = React.memo(function WorktreeCard({
               <Tooltip>
                 <TooltipTrigger asChild>
                   <span className="inline-flex items-center opacity-80 hover:opacity-100 transition-opacity">
-                    {pr.checksStatus === 'success' && (
-                      <CircleCheck className="size-3.5 text-emerald-500" />
+                    {prRefreshState?.status === 'in-flight' && (
+                      <LoaderCircle className="size-3.5 text-muted-foreground animate-spin" />
                     )}
-                    {pr.checksStatus === 'failure' && (
-                      <CircleX className="size-3.5 text-rose-500" />
-                    )}
-                    {pr.checksStatus === 'pending' && (
-                      <LoaderCircle className="size-3.5 text-amber-500 animate-spin" />
+                    {prRefreshState?.status === 'paused' && (
+                      <PauseCircle className="size-3.5 text-muted-foreground" />
                     )}
+                    {!['in-flight', 'paused'].includes(prRefreshState?.status ?? '') &&
+                      pr.checksStatus === 'success' && (
+                        <CircleCheck className="size-3.5 text-emerald-500" />
+                      )}
+                    {!['in-flight', 'paused'].includes(prRefreshState?.status ?? '') &&
+                      pr.checksStatus === 'failure' && (
+                        <CircleX className="size-3.5 text-rose-500" />
+                      )}
+                    {!['in-flight', 'paused'].includes(prRefreshState?.status ?? '') &&
+                      pr.checksStatus === 'pending' && (
+                        <LoaderCircle className="size-3.5 text-amber-500 animate-spin" />
+                      )}
                   </span>
                 </TooltipTrigger>
                 <TooltipContent side="right" sideOffset={8}>
-                  <span>CI checks {checksLabel(pr.checksStatus).toLowerCase()}</span>
+                  <span>
+                    {prRefreshState?.status === 'in-flight'
+                      ? 'Refreshing CI checks'
+                      : prRefreshState?.status === 'paused'
+                        ? 'CI refresh paused'
+                        : `CI checks ${checksLabel(pr.checksStatus).toLowerCase()}`}
+                  </span>
                 </TooltipContent>
               </Tooltip>
             </div>