diff --git a/src/app.rs b/src/app.rs
index 982d4c36..f88a9bc3 100644
--- a/src/app.rs
+++ b/src/app.rs
@@ -2063,27 +2063,47 @@ impl App {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn poll_persisted_session_changes(&mut self) {
+    /// Returns `true` if visible state changed (external comments merged or a
+    /// warning was raised) so the main loop can schedule a redraw without an
+    /// input event.
+    pub fn poll_persisted_session_changes(&mut self) -> bool {
         let Some(interval) = self.review_watch_interval else {
-            return;
+            return false;
         };
         let now = Instant::now();
         if now < self.next_review_watch_at {
-            return;
+            return false;
         }
         self.next_review_watch_at = now + interval;
 
         // Do not mutate the session while the user is composing or editing a
         // comment. The next poll after the editor closes will merge changes.
         if self.input_mode == InputMode::Comment {
-            return;
+            return false;
         }
 
-        if let Err(err) = self.reload_persisted_session_if_changed(false) {
-            self.set_warning(format!("Review reload failed: {err}"));
+        match self.reload_persisted_session_if_changed(false) {
+            Ok(0) => false,
+            Ok(_) => true,
+            Err(err) => {
+                self.set_warning(format!("Review reload failed: {err}"));
+                true
+            }
         }
     }
 
+    /// True while any forge background fetch (PR list/open/reload/threads/
+    /// submit) is in flight. Used by the main loop to keep redrawing so
+    /// spinners animate and results land without waiting for input.
+    pub fn has_pending_pr_work(&self) -> bool {
+        self.pr_load_rx.is_some()
+            || self.pr_open_rx.is_some()
+            || self.pr_reload_rx.is_some()
+            || self.pr_range_reload_rx.is_some()
+            || self.pr_threads_rx.is_some()
+            || self.pr_submit_rx.is_some()
+    }
+
     pub fn reload_persisted_session_if_changed(&mut self, force: bool) -> Result<usize> {
         let path = match self.session_path.clone() {
             Some(path) => path,
@@ -4340,7 +4360,9 @@ impl App {
         });
     }
 
-    pub fn clear_expired_message(&mut self) {
+    /// Returns `true` if a message was cleared so the main loop can
+    /// schedule a redraw.
+    pub fn clear_expired_message(&mut self) -> bool {
         let expired = self
             .message
             .as_ref()
@@ -4349,6 +4371,7 @@ impl App {
         if expired {
             self.message = None;
         }
+        expired
     }
 
     pub fn cursor_down(&mut self, lines: usize) {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 9997b44f..6e076049 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -297,6 +297,9 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let mut pending_leader = false;
     // Track pending Ctrl+C for "press twice to exit" (with timestamp for 2s timeout)
     let mut pending_ctrl_c: Option<Instant> = None;
+    // Only re-render when state actually changed; the diff renderer rebuilds
+    // every line on each draw, so idle redraws are expensive on large diffs.
+    let mut needs_redraw = true;
 
     // Main loop
     loop {
@@ -308,6 +311,7 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
             ) = rx.try_recv()
         {
             app.update_info = Some(info);
+            needs_redraw = true;
         }
 
         // Auto-clear expired pending Ctrl+C state and message
@@ -316,30 +320,44 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         {
             pending_ctrl_c = None;
             app.message = None;
+            needs_redraw = true;
         }
 
-        app.clear_expired_message();
+        needs_redraw |= app.clear_expired_message();
+
+        // Snapshot before polling so the tick that drains a channel (clearing
+        // its rx) still triggers a redraw with the applied result. While work
+        // is pending we redraw every tick anyway so spinners animate.
+        let pr_pending = app.has_pending_pr_work();
         app.poll_pr_load_events();
         app.poll_pr_open_events();
         app.poll_pr_reload_events();
         app.poll_pr_range_reload_events();
         app.poll_pr_threads_events();
         app.poll_pr_submit_events();
-        app.poll_persisted_session_changes();
-
-        // Render. Bracket the frame in a synchronized-output pair
-        // (CSI ?2026h/l) so terminals (and zellij) buffer the whole repaint
-        // and present it atomically. Without this, scrolling over a slow link
-        // visibly tears as escape sequences arrive in chunks. Terminals that
-        // do not support DEC 2026 ignore it.
-        queue!(terminal.backend_mut(), BeginSynchronizedUpdate)?;
-        terminal.draw(|frame| {
-            ui::render(frame, &mut app);
-        })?;
-        execute!(terminal.backend_mut(), EndSynchronizedUpdate)?;
+        needs_redraw |= app.poll_persisted_session_changes();
+        needs_redraw |= pr_pending;
+
+        if needs_redraw {
+            // Bracket the frame in a synchronized-output pair (CSI ?2026h/l)
+            // so terminals (and zellij) buffer the whole repaint and present
+            // it atomically. Without this, scrolling over a slow link visibly
+            // tears as escape sequences arrive in chunks. Terminals that do
+            // not support DEC 2026 ignore it.
+            queue!(terminal.backend_mut(), BeginSynchronizedUpdate)?;
+            terminal.draw(|frame| {
+                ui::render(frame, &mut app);
+            })?;
+            execute!(terminal.backend_mut(), EndSynchronizedUpdate)?;
+            needs_redraw = false;
+        }
 
         // Handle events
         if event::poll(Duration::from_millis(100))? {
+            // Set before reading so the many `continue` paths below (leader
+            // keys, zz/ZZ, dd, {count}G, …) still schedule a redraw on the
+            // next iteration even though they short-circuit past the match.
+            needs_redraw = true;
             let event = event::read()?;
             // Down/Up Release flips the `*_released_since_arm` flag so the
             // primed two-press file walk in single-file view requires a