diff --git a/web/src/lib/api/admin.ts b/web/src/lib/api/admin.ts
index e7012071..ece4d1ed 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api/admin.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api/admin.ts
@@ -116,10 +116,22 @@ export function createRootFoldersQuery(enabled: boolean = true) {
 export function createAdminRequestsQuery(status?: LidarrRequestStatus) {
   return createQuery({
     queryKey: qk.adminRequests(status),
-    queryFn: () => listAdminRequests(status)
+    queryFn: () => listAdminRequests(status),
+    // Only the 'approved' tab needs polling — that's where in-flight
+    // ingests live. Other tabs (pending/rejected/completed) are static
+    // until the operator acts on them.
+    refetchInterval: (query) => {
+      if (status !== 'approved') return false;
+      const rows = query.state.data as LidarrRequest[] | undefined;
+      return hasInFlightRequest(rows) ? 12_000 : false;
+    }
   });
 }
 
+function hasInFlightRequest(rows: readonly LidarrRequest[] | undefined): boolean {
+  return rows?.some((r) => r.status === 'approved') ?? false;
+}
+
 // Admin quarantine --------------------------------------------------------
 
 export async function listAdminQuarantine(): Promise<AdminQuarantineRow[]> {
diff --git a/web/src/lib/api/requests.test.ts b/web/src/lib/api/requests.test.ts
index 94db17fd..38877fd6 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api/requests.test.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api/requests.test.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ import {
   createRequest,
   listMyRequests,
   getRequest,
-  cancelRequest
+  cancelRequest,
+  hasInFlightRequest
 } from './requests';
 import { api, apiFetch } from './client';
 import { qk } from './queries';
@@ -155,3 +156,30 @@ describe('qk.myRequests', () => {
     expect(qk.myRequests()).toEqual(['myRequests']);
   });
 });
+
+describe('hasInFlightRequest', () => {
+  test('false for undefined / empty', () => {
+    expect(hasInFlightRequest(undefined)).toBe(false);
+    expect(hasInFlightRequest([])).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('false when no row is approved', () => {
+    expect(
+      hasInFlightRequest([
+        { ...mockRow, status: 'pending' },
+        { ...mockRow, status: 'completed' },
+        { ...mockRow, status: 'rejected' }
+      ])
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('true when at least one row is approved (mid-ingest)', () => {
+    expect(
+      hasInFlightRequest([
+        { ...mockRow, status: 'pending' },
+        { ...mockRow, status: 'approved' },
+        { ...mockRow, status: 'completed' }
+      ])
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/web/src/lib/api/requests.ts b/web/src/lib/api/requests.ts
index 0e601753..be716af2 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api/requests.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api/requests.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,18 @@ import { api, apiFetch } from './client';
 import { qk } from './queries';
 import type { LidarrRequest, LidarrRequestKind } from './types';
 
+/** Cadence for in-flight request polling. Tuned to match the operator's
+    "fast enough to feel live, slow enough to not hammer the server"
+    threshold from #369. */
+const POLL_INTERVAL_MS = 12_000;
+
+/** True if any row is mid-ingest (status === 'approved'). The status flips
+    to 'completed' / 'rejected' when Lidarr finishes, so this predicate
+    lets the page poll exactly while there's something interesting to watch. */
+export function hasInFlightRequest(rows: readonly LidarrRequest[] | undefined): boolean {
+  return rows?.some((r) => r.status === 'approved') ?? false;
+}
+
 // CreateRequestParams is the shape callers pass; unused MBID fields are
 // optional, and we omit them from the wire body rather than sending empty
 // strings (the backend tolerates either, but this keeps test expectations
@@ -63,6 +75,14 @@ export function createMyRequestsQuery() {
   return createQuery({
     queryKey: qk.myRequests(),
     queryFn: listMyRequests,
-    staleTime: 60_000
+    staleTime: 60_000,
+    // Auto-poll while at least one user request is mid-ingest. Stops
+    // automatically when all rows are pending/completed/rejected.
+    // refetchIntervalInBackground defaults to false → polling pauses
+    // while the tab is hidden and resumes on focus.
+    refetchInterval: (query) =>
+      hasInFlightRequest(query.state.data as LidarrRequest[] | undefined)
+        ? POLL_INTERVAL_MS
+        : false
   });
 }