diff --git a/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx b/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx
index 64e3f548..bb4cb2f0 100644
--- a/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.test.tsx
@@ -293,6 +293,35 @@ describe('Sidebar', () => {
     expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Collapse display' })).toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
+  it('lets a manual session refresh supersede a stuck automatic refresh', async () => {
+    fetchSessions.mockReturnValue(new Promise(() => {}))
+
+    render(<Sidebar />)
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(fetchSessions).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1))
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Refresh sessions' }))
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(fetchSessions).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2))
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the session refresh control usable when a background refresh is still loading existing sessions', async () => {
+    useSessionStore.setState({
+      sessions: [
+        makeSession('session-loaded', 'Loaded session', '/workspace/alpha', '2026-05-15T10:00:00.000Z'),
+      ],
+      isLoading: true,
+    })
+
+    render(<Sidebar />)
+
+    const refreshButton = screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Refresh sessions' })
+    expect(refreshButton).not.toBeDisabled()
+    expect(refreshButton.querySelector('svg')).not.toHaveClass('animate-spin')
+
+    fireEvent.click(refreshButton)
+    await waitFor(() => expect(fetchSessions).toHaveBeenCalled())
+  })
+
   it('reorders project groups by dragging project headers while preserving expanded state', async () => {
     const base = new Date('2026-05-15T10:00:00.000Z').getTime()
     useSessionStore.setState({
diff --git a/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx b/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
index 3dc7ca0a..31e0f92d 100644
--- a/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/components/layout/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ export function Sidebar({ isMobile = false, onRequestClose }: SidebarProps) {
     ))
   }, [hiddenProjectKeys, orderedProjectGroups])
   const showInitialLoading = isLoading && sessions.length === 0
+  const showRefreshLoading = showInitialLoading
   const filteredSessionIds = useMemo(() => filteredSessions.map((session) => session.id), [filteredSessions])
   const selectedCount = selectedSessionIds.size
   const sessionsById = useMemo(
@@ -709,12 +710,11 @@ export function Sidebar({ isMobile = false, onRequestClose }: SidebarProps) {
               <button
                 type="button"
                 onClick={() => void refreshSessionsNow()}
-                disabled={isLoading}
                 className="flex h-9 w-9 flex-shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-[12px] border border-[var(--color-sidebar-search-border)] bg-[var(--color-sidebar-search-bg)] text-[var(--color-text-secondary)] transition-colors hover:bg-[var(--color-sidebar-item-hover)] hover:text-[var(--color-text-primary)] disabled:cursor-default disabled:opacity-65 focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-[var(--color-border-focus)]"
                 aria-label={t('sidebar.refreshSessions')}
                 title={t('sidebar.refreshSessions')}
               >
-                <RefreshCw className={`h-4 w-4 ${isLoading ? 'animate-spin' : ''}`} strokeWidth={1.9} aria-hidden="true" />
+                <RefreshCw className={`h-4 w-4 ${showRefreshLoading ? 'animate-spin' : ''}`} strokeWidth={1.9} aria-hidden="true" />
               </button>
               <button
                 type="button"
@@ -1213,7 +1213,7 @@ function useSessionListAutoRefresh(fetchSessions: () => Promise<void>): () => Pr
   const lastStartedAtRef = useRef(0)
 
   const refreshSessions = useCallback((force = false) => {
-    if (inFlightRef.current) return inFlightRef.current
+    if (inFlightRef.current && !force) return inFlightRef.current
 
     const now = Date.now()
     if (!force && now - lastStartedAtRef.current < SESSION_LIST_FOCUS_REFRESH_MIN_MS) {