diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/hooks/useDashboardSidebarData/useDashboardSidebarData.ts b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/hooks/useDashboardSidebarData/useDashboardSidebarData.ts
index 7d2189cfedb..a6abab383da 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/hooks/useDashboardSidebarData/useDashboardSidebarData.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/_dashboard/components/DashboardSidebar/hooks/useDashboardSidebarData/useDashboardSidebarData.ts
@@ -134,12 +134,17 @@ export function useDashboardSidebarData() {
 
 	// In-flight workspace.create operations. These don't have a backing DB row
 	// — they're kept in renderer memory until the real v2Workspaces row arrives
-	// via Electric sync (or until error/dismiss).
+	// via Electric sync (or until error/dismiss). Entries that have already
+	// resolved on the host service carry `cloudRow`; those are surfaced as
+	// real synced rows below so the sidebar doesn't stick on "creating" when
+	// Electric is slow.
 	const inFlightEntries = useWorkspaceCreatesStore((store) => store.entries);
 	const inFlightSidebarRows = useMemo(
 		() =>
 			inFlightEntries
 				.filter((entry) => entry.snapshot.id !== undefined)
+				// Entries with a cloudRow are rendered via the synced fallback below.
+				.filter((entry) => !(entry.state === "creating" && entry.cloudRow))
 				.map((entry) => ({
 					id: entry.snapshot.id as string,
 					projectId: entry.snapshot.projectId,
@@ -287,6 +292,44 @@ export function useDashboardSidebarData() {
 		[collections],
 	);
 
+	// Cloud-row fallback: when workspaces.create has resolved on the host
+	// service but Electric hasn't yet delivered the v2Workspaces row, surface
+	// the cloud row cached on the in-flight entry so the sidebar renders the
+	// workspace as fully synced. Manager.tsx removes the entry once Electric
+	// catches up, at which point the live query takes over seamlessly.
+	const cloudRowFallbackWorkspaces = useMemo(() => {
+		if (inFlightEntries.length === 0) return [];
+		const hostByMachineId = new Map(
+			hosts.map((host) => [host.machineId, host]),
+		);
+		const rows = inFlightEntries.flatMap((entry) => {
+			const cloudRow = entry.cloudRow;
+			if (!cloudRow) return [];
+			// Electric already delivered; let the live query own this row.
+			if (localStateWorkspaceIds.has(cloudRow.id)) return [];
+			const localState = collections.v2WorkspaceLocalState.get(cloudRow.id);
+			const host = hostByMachineId.get(cloudRow.hostId);
+			return [
+				{
+					id: cloudRow.id,
+					projectId: localState?.sidebarState.projectId ?? cloudRow.projectId,
+					hostId: cloudRow.hostId,
+					type: cloudRow.type,
+					hostIsOnline: host?.isOnline ?? false,
+					name: cloudRow.name,
+					branch: cloudRow.branch,
+					createdAt: cloudRow.createdAt,
+					updatedAt: cloudRow.updatedAt,
+					tabOrder:
+						localState?.sidebarState.tabOrder ?? PENDING_WORKSPACE_TAB_ORDER,
+					sectionId: localState?.sidebarState.sectionId ?? null,
+					isHidden: localState?.sidebarState.isHidden ?? false,
+				},
+			];
+		});
+		return getVisibleSidebarWorkspaces(rows);
+	}, [collections, hosts, inFlightEntries, localStateWorkspaceIds]);
+
 	const visibleSidebarWorkspaces = useMemo(() => {
 		const sidebarProjectIds = new Set(
 			sidebarProjects.map((project) => project.id),
@@ -298,8 +341,13 @@ export function useDashboardSidebarData() {
 				sidebarProjectIds.has(workspace.projectId),
 		);
 
-		return [...autoLocalMainWorkspaces, ...sidebarWorkspaces];
+		return [
+			...autoLocalMainWorkspaces,
+			...sidebarWorkspaces,
+			...cloudRowFallbackWorkspaces,
+		];
 	}, [
+		cloudRowFallbackWorkspaces,
 		localMainWorkspaces,
 		localStateWorkspaceIds,
 		machineId,