diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ScanProgress.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ScanProgress.tsx
index 00ee8ee..a578885 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ScanProgress.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ScanProgress.tsx
@@ -28,20 +28,20 @@ export function ScanProgress() {
     queryKey: ['scan-status'],
     queryFn: () => library.scanStatus(),
     refetchInterval: (query) =>
-      query.state.data?.is_scanning ? 2000 : 10000,
+      query.state.data?.is_scanning ? 2000 : 30000,
     enabled: true,
   })
 
   const isScanning = scanStatus?.is_scanning ?? false
 
   // Poll worker status to track vision queue activity.
-  // Fast polling (3s) while processing, slow (15s) otherwise.
+  // Fast polling (3s) while processing, slow (30s) otherwise.
   const { data: workerStatus } = useQuery<WorkerStatus>({
     queryKey: ['worker-status-progress'],
     queryFn: () => library.maintenance.workerStatus(),
     refetchInterval: (query) => {
       const q = totalQueued(query.state.data)
-      return q > 0 ? 3000 : 15000
+      return q > 0 ? 3000 : 30000
     },
     enabled: true,
   })
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/usePhotosQuery.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/usePhotosQuery.ts
index f3083b0..05c44bd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/usePhotosQuery.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/usePhotosQuery.ts
@@ -81,17 +81,19 @@ export function usePhotosQuery() {
       // seeks directly to the next slice via an indexed range scan,
       // O(1) regardless of depth (no OFFSET skipping).
       //
-      // MAX_PAGES is intentionally modest: 20 × 500 = 10 000 photos
-      // covers almost every browsing session up-front without burning
-      // through a 100k library on cold load. If a user scrolls past
-      // that horizon we'll add an infinite-query trigger; for now the
-      // cap keeps cold-load memory / network pressure sane.
-      const PER_PAGE = 500
+      // First page is small (~one viewport) so the grid paints fast;
+      // background pages are larger so we still cover ~10k photos in
+      // a few round-trips without burning through a 100k library on
+      // cold load. If a user scrolls past that horizon we'll add an
+      // infinite-query trigger; for now the cap keeps cold-load
+      // memory / network pressure sane.
+      const PER_PAGE_INITIAL = 100
+      const PER_PAGE_BACKGROUND = 500
       const MAX_PAGES = 20
       const INTER_PAGE_DELAY_MS = 50
 
       const first = await fetchCursorPage(
-        { per_page: PER_PAGE, ...filterParams },
+        { per_page: PER_PAGE_INITIAL, ...filterParams },
         signal,
       )
       const firstBatch = first.photos || []
@@ -104,7 +106,7 @@ export function usePhotosQuery() {
             if (signal?.aborted) return
             try {
               const page = await fetchCursorPage(
-                { per_page: PER_PAGE, cursor: nextCursor, ...filterParams },
+                { per_page: PER_PAGE_BACKGROUND, cursor: nextCursor, ...filterParams },
                 signal,
               )
               if (signal?.aborted) return
@@ -114,7 +116,7 @@ export function usePhotosQuery() {
                 ['photos', filterParams],
                 (prev) => (prev ? [...prev, ...more] : more)
               )
-              if (!nextCursor || more.length < PER_PAGE) return
+              if (!nextCursor || more.length < PER_PAGE_BACKGROUND) return
               // Yield a beat between pages so the main thread stays
               // responsive (thumbnail decode, scroll handling) while
               // we're back-filling in the background.
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useScanActivity.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useScanActivity.ts
index f74583e..84df37a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useScanActivity.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useScanActivity.ts
@@ -49,14 +49,14 @@ export function useScanActivity() {
     queryKey: ['scan-status'],
     queryFn: () => library.scanStatus(),
     refetchInterval: (query) =>
-      query.state.data?.is_scanning ? 2000 : 10000,
+      query.state.data?.is_scanning ? 2000 : 30000,
   })
   const { data: workerStatus } = useQuery<WorkerStatus>({
     queryKey: ['worker-status-progress'],
     queryFn: () => library.maintenance.workerStatus(),
     refetchInterval: (query) => {
       const data = query.state.data
-      return pendingTasks(data) + activeTasks(data) > 0 ? 3000 : 15000
+      return pendingTasks(data) + activeTasks(data) > 0 ? 3000 : 30000
     },
   })