diff --git a/frontend/src/components/AccountList.vue b/frontend/src/components/AccountList.vue
index dd73a47..25c8a4e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/AccountList.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/AccountList.vue
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import { onMounted, ref } from "vue";
 import { api } from "../api/client";
-import { errorMessage } from "../api/errors";
 import { useSessionStore } from "../stores/session";
 import { appLink } from "../router/links";
 import OneTimeLink from "./OneTimeLink.vue";
-import { useRowAction } from "../composables/useAction";
+import { useRowAction, useLoad } from "../composables/useAction";
 
 // Admin: the accounts on this instance, and a password reset link for any of them
 // (#5173). There is no mail path, so the admin hands the link over.
@@ -20,23 +19,13 @@ interface Account {
 const session = useSessionStore();
 
 const accounts = ref<Account[]>([]);
-const loading = ref(true);
-const error = ref("");
+const { loading, error, load } = useLoad(async () => {
+  accounts.value = (await api.get<{ accounts: Account[] }>("/api/accounts")).accounts;
+}, "Couldn't load accounts.");
 const { busy, act } = useRowAction();
 // The reset link just made, and whose it is. Never retrievable again once dismissed.
 const fresh = ref<{ link: string; email: string } | null>(null);
 
-async function load() {
-  error.value = "";
-  try {
-    accounts.value = (await api.get<{ accounts: Account[] }>("/api/accounts")).accounts;
-  } catch (e) {
-    error.value = errorMessage(e, "Couldn't load accounts.");
-  } finally {
-    loading.value = false;
-  }
-}
-
 async function resetLink(account: Account) {
   const self = account.id === session.user?.id;
   const warning = self
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ActivityList.vue b/frontend/src/components/ActivityList.vue
index 48c0d1c..adf34f4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ActivityList.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ActivityList.vue
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { onMounted, ref } from "vue";
 import { api } from "../api/client";
 import { errorMessage } from "../api/errors";
 import { formatShortDateTime } from "../notes/datetime";
+import { useLoad } from "../composables/useAction";
 
 // Admin: what has happened to accounts on this instance, newest first (#2939 §5).
 // Kept for `audit_retention_days` (Settings → Security).
@@ -45,28 +46,18 @@ const REFUSALS = new Set([
 
 const events = ref<AuditEvent[]>([]);
 const more = ref(false);
-const loading = ref(true);
+const { loading, error, load } = useLoad(async () => {
+  const res = await page();
+  events.value = res.events;
+  more.value = res.more;
+}, "Couldn't load activity.");
 const loadingMore = ref(false);
-const error = ref("");
 
 async function page(before?: string) {
   const query = before ? `?before=${encodeURIComponent(before)}` : "";
   return api.get<{ events: AuditEvent[]; more: boolean }>(`/api/accounts/activity${query}`);
 }
 
-async function load() {
-  error.value = "";
-  try {
-    const res = await page();
-    events.value = res.events;
-    more.value = res.more;
-  } catch (e) {
-    error.value = errorMessage(e, "Couldn't load activity.");
-  } finally {
-    loading.value = false;
-  }
-}
-
 async function loadMore() {
   const last = events.value[events.value.length - 1];
   if (!last) return;
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/GroupList.vue b/frontend/src/components/GroupList.vue
index 03bfd62..c5f2a2f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/GroupList.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/GroupList.vue
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { errorMessage } from "../api/errors";
 import BaseButton from "./BaseButton.vue";
 import BaseInput from "./BaseInput.vue";
 import Icon from "./Icon.vue";
-import { useRowAction } from "../composables/useAction";
+import { useRowAction, useLoad } from "../composables/useAction";
 
 // Admin: groups of people a note can be shared with in one go (#5177). A group is
 // the instance's; anyone can share with it, and a note shared with it reaches whoever
@@ -23,11 +23,16 @@ interface Group {
   members: Person[];
 }
 
-
 const groups = ref<Group[]>([]);
 const accounts = ref<Person[]>([]);
-const loading = ref(true);
-const error = ref("");
+const { loading, error, load } = useLoad(async () => {
+  const [g, a] = await Promise.all([
+    api.get<{ groups: Group[] }>("/api/groups"),
+    api.get<{ accounts: Person[] }>("/api/accounts"),
+  ]);
+  groups.value = g.groups;
+  accounts.value = a.accounts;
+}, "Couldn't load groups.");
 const name = ref("");
 const creating = ref(false);
 const { busy, act } = useRowAction();
@@ -43,22 +48,6 @@ function outside(group: Group): Person[] {
 
 const empty = computed(() => !loading.value && !groups.value.length);
 
-async function load() {
-  error.value = "";
-  try {
-    const [g, a] = await Promise.all([
-      api.get<{ groups: Group[] }>("/api/groups"),
-      api.get<{ accounts: Person[] }>("/api/accounts"),
-    ]);
-    groups.value = g.groups;
-    accounts.value = a.accounts;
-  } catch (e) {
-    error.value = errorMessage(e, "Couldn't load groups.");
-  } finally {
-    loading.value = false;
-  }
-}
-
 function replace(updated: Group) {
   groups.value = groups.value.map((g) => (g.id === updated.id ? updated : g)).sort(byName);
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/InviteList.vue b/frontend/src/components/InviteList.vue
index 3c4e232..e977e71 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/InviteList.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/InviteList.vue
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { appLink } from "../router/links";
 import BaseButton from "./BaseButton.vue";
 import BaseInput from "./BaseInput.vue";
 import OneTimeLink from "./OneTimeLink.vue";
-import { toastOnFailure } from "../composables/useAction";
+import { toastOnFailure, useLoad } from "../composables/useAction";
 
 // Admin: invite one person to register while registration stays closed (#5172).
 // The server keeps only a hash of each invite's token, so the link is shown once,
@@ -30,25 +30,15 @@ const LIFETIMES = [
 ];
 
 const invites = ref<Invite[]>([]);
-const loading = ref(true);
-const error = ref("");
+const { loading, error, load } = useLoad(async () => {
+  invites.value = (await api.get<{ invites: Invite[] }>("/api/invites")).invites;
+}, "Couldn't load invites.");
 const email = ref("");
 const days = ref(7);
 const creating = ref(false);
 // The link for the invite just made. Never retrievable again once dismissed.
 const freshLink = ref("");
 
-async function load() {
-  error.value = "";
-  try {
-    invites.value = (await api.get<{ invites: Invite[] }>("/api/invites")).invites;
-  } catch (e) {
-    error.value = errorMessage(e, "Couldn't load invites.");
-  } finally {
-    loading.value = false;
-  }
-}
-
 async function create() {
   creating.value = true;
   error.value = "";
diff --git a/frontend/src/composables/useAction.ts b/frontend/src/composables/useAction.ts
index 3862442..dbd224b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/composables/useAction.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/composables/useAction.ts
@@ -45,3 +45,23 @@ export function useRowAction() {
   }
   return { busy, act };
 }
+
+/**
+ * A list's first load: `loading` until it settles, then `error` holding what went
+ * wrong (the server's reason, else `fallback`) or "". `load` is also the retry.
+ */
+export function useLoad(work: () => Promise<unknown>, fallback: string) {
+  const loading = ref(true);
+  const error = ref("");
+  async function load(): Promise<void> {
+    error.value = "";
+    try {
+      await work();
+    } catch (e) {
+      error.value = errorMessage(e, fallback);
+    } finally {
+      loading.value = false;
+    }
+  }
+  return { loading, error, load };
+}