diff --git a/src/app/(app)/dashboard2/page.tsx b/src/app/(app)/dashboard2/page.tsx
index 8d81146..f6d78c4 100644
--- a/src/app/(app)/dashboard2/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(app)/dashboard2/page.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   TrendingUp,
   AlertCircle,
   DollarSign,
+  RefreshCw,
 } from "lucide-react";
 import { toast } from "sonner";
 import getPocketBase from "@/lib/pocketbase";
@@ -43,12 +44,13 @@ export default function RepDashboardPage() {
   const router = useRouter();
   const [data, setData] = useState<RepDashboardData | null>(null);
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
+  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
   const fetchData = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
       const pb = getPocketBase();
       const pbToken = pb.authStore?.token;
-      const headers: Record<string, string> = {};
+      const headers: Record<string, string> = { "content-type": "application/json" };
       if (pbToken) headers.Authorization = pbToken;
 
       const response = await fetch("/api/v1/rep-dashboard", {
@@ -60,23 +62,36 @@ export default function RepDashboardPage() {
         throw new Error(body.error || `Rep dashboard failed (HTTP ${response.status})`);
       }
       setData((await response.json()) as RepDashboardData);
+      setError(null);
     } catch (err: unknown) {
-      toast.error(err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Failed to load rep dashboard");
+      const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Failed to load rep dashboard";
+      setError(message);
+      toast.error(message);
     } finally {
       setLoading(false);
     }
   }, []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    void fetchData();
+    const handle = window.setTimeout(() => {
+      void fetchData();
+    }, 0);
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(handle);
   }, [fetchData]);
 
+  // Realtime subscription with a single trailing-edge debounce. A burst of
+  // changes collapses to a single refetch — and we only subscribe AFTER
+  // the initial load completes, so a slow first fetch doesn't compete
+  // with the realtime subscription firing.
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (!data) return;
     const pb = getPocketBase();
-    let handle = 0;
+    const debounceRef = { handle: 0 as number };
     const trigger = () => {
-      if (handle) window.clearTimeout(handle);
-      handle = window.setTimeout(() => void fetchData(), REALTIME_DEBOUNCE_MS);
+      if (debounceRef.handle) window.clearTimeout(debounceRef.handle);
+      debounceRef.handle = window.setTimeout(() => {
+        void fetchData();
+      }, REALTIME_DEBOUNCE_MS);
     };
     const subscribe = async () => {
       await pb.collection("quotes").subscribe("*", trigger);
@@ -85,14 +100,44 @@ export default function RepDashboardPage() {
     };
     void subscribe();
     return () => {
-      if (handle) window.clearTimeout(handle);
+      if (debounceRef.handle) window.clearTimeout(debounceRef.handle);
       void pb.collection("quotes").unsubscribe("*");
       void pb.collection("orders").unsubscribe("*");
       void pb.collection("order_items").unsubscribe("*");
     };
-  }, [fetchData]);
+  }, [fetchData, data]);
 
-  if (loading || !data) {
+  if (error && !data) {
+    return (
+      <div className="space-y-4">
+        <div>
+          <h1 className="text-2xl font-bold tracking-tight">My Dashboard</h1>
+          <p className="text-muted-foreground text-sm">
+            Your quotes, outstanding work, and this month&rsquo;s numbers.
+          </p>
+        </div>
+        <div
+          className="rounded-lg border p-6 text-center"
+          style={{ borderColor: "var(--border)" }}
+        >
+          <AlertCircle className="h-7 w-7 mx-auto mb-2" style={{ color: CHART.red }} />
+          <p className="text-sm font-medium mb-1">Couldn&rsquo;t load your dashboard</p>
+          <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground mb-4">{error}</p>
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            onClick={() => void fetchData()}
+            className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md border px-3 py-1.5 text-xs font-medium hover:bg-muted/40"
+            style={{ borderColor: "var(--border)" }}
+          >
+            <RefreshCw className="h-3.5 w-3.5" />
+            Try again
+          </button>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (loading && !data) {
     return (
       <div className="py-16 text-center text-muted-foreground">
         Loading your dashboard…
@@ -100,6 +145,8 @@ export default function RepDashboardPage() {
     );
   }
 
+  if (!data) return null;
+
   const { quotesLoaded, quoteVolumeTrend, outstandingQuotes, outstandingOrders, monthRevenue } = data;
 
   return (