diff --git a/internal/api/handlers.go b/internal/api/handlers.go
index 6e18f68..1f176cf 100644
--- a/internal/api/handlers.go
+++ b/internal/api/handlers.go
@@ -232,16 +232,30 @@ func (s *Server) handleSSEStatus(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	w.Header().Set("Connection", "keep-alive")
 	w.Header().Set("X-Accel-Buffering", "no")
 	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+	// Initial ping: SSE clients consider the stream "connected" only after
+	// receiving the first byte of body. Without this, agents_dashboard sits
+	// on "connecting" until the first status diff (which can be minutes away).
+	fmt.Fprint(w, ": ping\n\n")
 	flusher.Flush()
 
 	sub := s.bus.Subscribe("status")
 	defer s.bus.Unsubscribe("status", sub)
 
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(15 * time.Second)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+
 	ctx := r.Context()
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			return
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			// Periodic heartbeat: keeps proxies (Traefik, CDN) from closing
+			// the idle connection and lets the client detect dead servers.
+			if _, err := fmt.Fprint(w, ": ping\n\n"); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+			flusher.Flush()
 		case ev, ok := <-sub:
 			if !ok {
 				return
@@ -275,6 +289,9 @@ func (s *Server) handleSSEAgentLogs(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	w.Header().Set("Connection", "keep-alive")
 	w.Header().Set("X-Accel-Buffering", "no")
 	w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+	// Initial ping unblocks client fgets so the UI flips from "connecting"
+	// to "connected" immediately (logfile may be silent for a while).
+	fmt.Fprint(w, ": ping\n\n")
 	flusher.Flush()
 
 	ctx := r.Context()
diff --git a/internal/api/tail.go b/internal/api/tail.go
index 8b986e7..f17be66 100644
--- a/internal/api/tail.go
+++ b/internal/api/tail.go
@@ -47,15 +47,23 @@ func tailLogFile(ctx context.Context, path string, w http.ResponseWriter, flushe
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Tail the file: poll for new bytes every 200ms
+	// Tail the file: poll for new bytes every 200ms.
+	// Separate heartbeat ticker keeps proxies / clients alive on idle logs.
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(200 * time.Millisecond)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
+	heartbeat := time.NewTicker(15 * time.Second)
+	defer heartbeat.Stop()
 
 	reader := bufio.NewReader(f)
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
 			return
+		case <-heartbeat.C:
+			if _, err := fmt.Fprint(w, ": ping\n\n"); err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+			flusher.Flush()
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			for {
 				line, err := reader.ReadString('\n')