diff --git a/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/components/isolated/ci-section.gts b/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/components/isolated/ci-section.gts
index 7196b7af5f9..50d45263084 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/components/isolated/ci-section.gts
+++ b/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/components/isolated/ci-section.gts
@@ -144,31 +144,41 @@ class CiStatusLabel extends GlimmerComponent<CiStatusLabelSignature> {
 interface CiSectionSignature {
   Args: {
     ciGroups: CiGroup[];
+    isLoading?: boolean;
   };
 }
 
 export class CiSection extends GlimmerComponent<CiSectionSignature> {
+  get flatItems() {
+    return this.args.ciGroups.flatMap((g) => g.items);
+  }
+
   <template>
     <div class='ci-section'>
       <h2 class='section-heading'>CI Checks</h2>
 
-      {{#if @ciGroups.length}}
+      {{#if this.flatItems.length}}
         <ul class='ci-group' role='list'>
-          {{#each @ciGroups as |group|}}
-            {{#each group.items as |item|}}
-              <li class='ci-item'>
-                <CiDot @state={{item.state}} />
-                <div class='ci-item-detail'>
-                  <span class='ci-item-name'>{{item.name}}</span>
-                  <CiStatusLabel
-                    @state={{item.state}}
-                    @text={{item.statusText}}
-                  />
-                </div>
-              </li>
-            {{/each}}
+          {{#each this.flatItems key="name" as |item|}}
+            <li class='ci-item'>
+              <CiDot @state={{item.state}} />
+              <div class='ci-item-detail'>
+                <span class='ci-item-name'>{{item.name}}</span>
+                <CiStatusLabel
+                  @state={{item.state}}
+                  @text={{item.statusText}}
+                />
+              </div>
+            </li>
           {{/each}}
         </ul>
+      {{else if @isLoading}}
+        <div class='ci-item loading-state'>
+          <CiDot @state='in_progress' />
+          <div class='ci-item-detail'>
+            <span class='ci-item-name loading-text'>Loading CI checks...</span>
+          </div>
+        </div>
       {{else}}
         <div class='empty-state'>
           <span class='empty-state-icon' aria-hidden='true'>
@@ -257,6 +267,12 @@ export class CiSection extends GlimmerComponent<CiSectionSignature> {
         font-size: var(--boxel-font-xs);
         color: var(--muted-foreground, #656d76);
       }
+      .loading-state {
+        border-radius: var(--radius, 6px);
+      }
+      .loading-text {
+        color: var(--muted-foreground, #656d76);
+      }
     </style>
   </template>
 }
diff --git a/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/fields/ci-status-field.gts b/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/fields/ci-status-field.gts
index 4e1392270f7..7b00a1fa533 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/fields/ci-status-field.gts
+++ b/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/fields/ci-status-field.gts
@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@ export class PrCiStatusField extends FieldDef {
       return this.ciItems.length;
     }
 
+    get isLoading() {
+      return (
+        this.checkRunEventData?.isLoading ||
+        this.checkSuiteEventData?.isLoading
+      ) ?? false;
+    }
+
     get ciHeadline() {
       if (this.ciTotalCount === 0) return null;
       if (this.ciFailedCount > 0) return 'Some checks were not successful';
@@ -127,6 +134,15 @@ export class PrCiStatusField extends FieldDef {
             <span class='ci-subtitle'>{{this.ciSubtitle}}</span>
           </div>
         </div>
+      {{else if this.isLoading}}
+        <div class='ci-status-row ci-status-loading'>
+          <span class='ci-donut ci-donut-loading'>
+            <span class='ci-donut-hole'></span>
+          </span>
+          <div class='ci-status-text'>
+            <span class='ci-headline'>Loading CI checks...</span>
+          </div>
+        </div>
       {{/if}}
 
       <style scoped>
@@ -175,6 +191,17 @@ export class PrCiStatusField extends FieldDef {
           overflow: hidden;
           text-overflow: ellipsis;
         }
+        .ci-donut-loading {
+          background: var(--muted-foreground, #656d76);
+          animation: ci-donut-pulse 1.2s ease-in-out infinite;
+        }
+        .ci-status-loading .ci-headline {
+          color: var(--muted-foreground, #656d76);
+        }
+        @keyframes ci-donut-pulse {
+          0%, 100% { opacity: 0.4; }
+          50% { opacity: 1; }
+        }
       </style>
     </template>
   };
diff --git a/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/pr-card.gts b/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/pr-card.gts
index 7129a4eae74..adb72942f64 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/pr-card.gts
+++ b/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/pr-card.gts
@@ -166,6 +166,13 @@ class IsolatedTemplate extends Component<typeof PrCard> {
     return buildCiGroups(this.ciItems);
   }
 
+  get ciIsLoading() {
+    return (
+      this.checkRunEventData?.isLoading ||
+      this.checkSuiteEventData?.isLoading
+    ) ?? false;
+  }
+
   // ── Reviews ──
   get latestReviewByReviewer() {
     return buildLatestReviewByReviewer(this.prReviewEventData?.instances ?? []);
@@ -266,7 +273,7 @@ class IsolatedTemplate extends Component<typeof PrCard> {
       {{! ── Body ── }}
       <div class='pr-body'>
         <section class='pr-status-columns'>
-          <CiSection @ciGroups={{this.ciGroups}} />
+          <CiSection @ciGroups={{this.ciGroups}} @isLoading={{this.ciIsLoading}} />
           <hr class='status-divider' />
           <ReviewSection
             @reviewState={{this.latestReviewState}}
diff --git a/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/utils.ts b/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/utils.ts
index e5c802a2ffb..0c6b5f1b5ea 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/catalog-realm/pr-card/utils.ts
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ export function buildCiItemFromEvent(event: any, type: CiEventType): CiItem {
   const statusText =
     conclusion != null
       ? `${formatCiValue(status)} - ${formatCiValue(conclusion)}`
-      : formatCiValue(status);
+      : state === 'in_progress'
+        ? 'In Progress'
+        : formatCiValue(status);
 
   return {
     name,
@@ -192,7 +194,7 @@ function latestEventsByCheckId(
 
 /**
  * Build CI items from check_run and check_suite event instances,
- * deduped by name and sorted by most recent.
+ * deduped by name and sorted alphabetically for stable ordering.
  */
 export function buildCiItems(
   checkRunInstances: any[],
@@ -216,6 +218,7 @@ export function buildCiItems(
     events.push({ event, type: 'check_run' });
   }
 
+  // Sort by most recent first so deduplication keeps the latest event per name
   events.sort(
     (a, b) => eventLastModified(b.event) - eventLastModified(a.event),
   );
@@ -231,6 +234,9 @@ export function buildCiItems(
     items.push(buildCiItemFromEvent(event, type));
   }
 
+  // Sort alphabetically by name for stable display order across refreshes
+  items.sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));
+
   return items;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/catalog-realm/submission-workflow-card/submission-workflow-card.gts b/packages/catalog-realm/submission-workflow-card/submission-workflow-card.gts
index 939afd6498a..2b34275cf42 100644
--- a/packages/catalog-realm/submission-workflow-card/submission-workflow-card.gts
+++ b/packages/catalog-realm/submission-workflow-card/submission-workflow-card.gts
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ function resolveSubmissionWorkflowState(
   ciAllPassed: boolean,
   ciHasFailure: boolean,
   ciInProgress: boolean,
+  ciIsLoading: boolean,
   reviewState: string | null,
   isMerged: boolean,
   isClosed: boolean,
@@ -119,6 +120,9 @@ function resolveSubmissionWorkflowState(
         if (hasPr && ciInProgress) {
           inProgress = true;
           statusDetail = 'Checks are running...';
+        } else if (hasPr && ciIsLoading && !ciAllPassed && !ciHasFailure) {
+          inProgress = true;
+          statusDetail = 'Loading check status...';
         }
         break;
       case 'reviewer-approve':
@@ -416,6 +420,13 @@ export class SubmissionWorkflowCard extends CardDef {
       return this.ciItems.some((i) => i.state === 'in_progress');
     }
 
+    get ciIsLoading() {
+      return (
+        this.checkRunEventData?.isLoading ||
+        this.checkSuiteEventData?.isLoading
+      ) ?? false;
+    }
+
     // ── Review state ──
     get latestReviewByReviewer() {
       return buildLatestReviewByReviewer(
@@ -436,6 +447,7 @@ export class SubmissionWorkflowCard extends CardDef {
         this.ciAllPassed,
         this.ciHasFailure,
         this.ciInProgress,
+        this.ciIsLoading,
         this.reviewState,
         this.isMerged,
         this.isClosed,
@@ -491,7 +503,7 @@ export class SubmissionWorkflowCard extends CardDef {
 
           {{! ── Step tracker ── }}
           <div class='sw-steps'>
-            {{#each this.workflowState.steps as |step idx|}}
+            {{#each this.workflowState.steps key="key" as |step idx|}}
               <div class={{concat 'sw-step ' step.status}}>
                 <div class='sw-step-indicator'>
                   {{#if (eq step.status 'completed')}}
@@ -611,7 +623,7 @@ export class SubmissionWorkflowCard extends CardDef {
           {{! Step summary }}
           <div class='sw-sidebar-section'>
             <div class='sw-sidebar-heading'>Steps</div>
-            {{#each this.workflowState.steps as |step|}}
+            {{#each this.workflowState.steps key="key" as |step|}}
               <div class={{concat 'sw-sidebar-step ' step.status}}>
                 {{#if (eq step.status 'completed')}}
                   <span class='sw-sidebar-icon completed'>