diff --git a/neode-ui/src/composables/useCachedResource.ts b/neode-ui/src/composables/useCachedResource.ts
index 9c2e74b8..28ed43a5 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/composables/useCachedResource.ts
+++ b/neode-ui/src/composables/useCachedResource.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 // - Abort-on-unmount: the fetcher receives an AbortSignal that fires when
 //   the last subscribed component unmounts.
 
-import { computed, getCurrentScope, onScopeDispose } from 'vue'
+import { computed, getCurrentScope, onScopeDispose, type ComputedRef } from 'vue'
 import { useResourcesStore, type ResourceEntry, type ResourceLoadState } from '@/stores/resources'
 
 export interface CachedResourceOptions<T> {
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ export interface CachedResourceOptions<T> {
 export interface CachedResource<T> {
   entry: ResourceEntry<T>
   /** Convenience computed views over the entry. */
-  data: ReturnType<typeof computed<T | null>>
-  loadState: ReturnType<typeof computed<ResourceLoadState>>
-  error: ReturnType<typeof computed<string | null>>
+  data: ComputedRef<T | null>
+  loadState: ComputedRef<ResourceLoadState>
+  error: ComputedRef<string | null>
   /** True when data exists but is older than the TTL (drive an age badge). */
-  isStale: ReturnType<typeof computed<boolean>>
-  ageMs: ReturnType<typeof computed<number | null>>
+  isStale: ComputedRef<boolean>
+  ageMs: ComputedRef<number | null>
   /** Force a refresh now (deduped with any in-flight one). */
   refresh: () => Promise<void>
   /** Mark stale + debounce-refresh all mounted users of this key. */
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue
index c7e82c82..0caf201b 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue
@@ -594,10 +594,11 @@
 </template>
 
 <script setup lang="ts">
-import { ref, computed, reactive, watch, onMounted } from 'vue'
+import { ref, computed, reactive, watch, onMounted, onUnmounted } from 'vue'
 import { useRouter } from 'vue-router'
 import QRCode from 'qrcode'
 import { rpcClient } from '@/api/rpc-client'
+import { useResourcesStore } from '@/stores/resources'
 import { useAudioPlayer } from '@/composables/useAudioPlayer'
 import { pipSupported, togglePip } from '@/utils/pip'
 import BackButton from '@/components/BackButton.vue'
@@ -625,16 +626,33 @@ interface CatalogItem {
   access: string | { paid: { price_sats: number } }
 }
 
-const loading = ref(true)
+const resources = useResourcesStore()
 const currentPeer = ref<PeerNode | null>(null)
-const catalogError = ref('')
-const catalogItems = ref<CatalogItem[]>([])
 const downloading = ref<string | null>(null)
 const playing = ref<string | null>(null)
 const purchaseError = ref<string | null>(null)
+
+// The catalog is the SAME cached entry Cloud.vue's per-peer fan-in fills
+// (`cloud.peer-browse:<onion>`): arriving here from the Cloud page paints
+// the file list instantly from cache and revalidates behind it.
+interface PeerBrowse {
+  items: CatalogItem[]
+  transport: string | null
+  latencyMs: number
+}
+const peerOnion = computed(() => props.peerId || currentPeer.value?.onion || '')
+function browseEntry() {
+  return resources.entry<PeerBrowse>(`cloud.peer-browse:${peerOnion.value}`)
+}
+const catalogItems = computed(() => browseEntry().data?.items ?? [])
+const catalogError = computed(() => browseEntry().error ?? '')
+const loading = computed(() => {
+  const s = browseEntry().loadState
+  return s === 'loading' || s === 'refreshing' || (s === 'idle' && !!peerOnion.value)
+})
 // Transport actually used to reach this peer (returned by content.browse-peer)
 // so we can show a FIPS/Tor pill instead of always assuming Tor (B21).
-const transport = ref<string | null>(null)
+const transport = computed(() => browseEntry().data?.transport ?? null)
 const transportPill = computed(() => {
   switch (transport.value) {
     case 'fips':
@@ -807,44 +825,62 @@ onMounted(async () => {
       loadCatalog(),
       loadOwned(),
     ])
-  } else {
-    loading.value = false
   }
+  // No peerId → peerOnion is empty and `loading` stays false on its own.
 })
 
-async function loadCatalog() {
-  const onion = props.peerId || currentPeer.value?.onion
-  if (!onion) return
-  const hadItems = catalogItems.value.length > 0
-  loading.value = true
-  catalogError.value = ''
-  try {
+function loadCatalog(): Promise<void> {
+  const onion = peerOnion.value
+  if (!onion) return Promise.resolve()
+  return resources.refresh<PeerBrowse>(`cloud.peer-browse:${onion}`, async () => {
+    const t0 = Date.now()
     const result = await rpcClient.call<{ items?: CatalogItem[]; transport?: string }>({
       method: 'content.browse-peer',
       params: { onion },
       timeout: 30000,
+      // The caller has its own timeout UX; retry×3 turned one slow peer
+      // into a 90s spinner.
+      maxRetries: 1,
+      dedup: true,
+    })
+    return { items: result?.items ?? [], transport: result?.transport ?? null, latencyMs: Date.now() - t0 }
+  })
+}
+
+// Load visual previews for image and video items when catalog loads.
+// Audio files don't need visual thumbnails — they show a waveform icon.
+// The fan-out is capped (3 concurrent) and aborts on unmount — it used to
+// fire one 30s RPC per media item all at once, unbounded.
+const previewAborter = new AbortController()
+onUnmounted(() => previewAborter.abort())
+const previewQueued = new Set<string>()
+let previewQueue: CatalogItem[] = []
+let previewWorkers = 0
+const PREVIEW_CONCURRENCY = 3
+
+function pumpPreviews(onion: string) {
+  while (previewWorkers < PREVIEW_CONCURRENCY && previewQueue.length > 0) {
+    const item = previewQueue.shift()!
+    previewWorkers++
+    void loadPreview(onion, item).finally(() => {
+      previewWorkers--
+      pumpPreviews(onion)
     })
-    catalogItems.value = result?.items ?? []
-    transport.value = result?.transport ?? null
-  } catch (e: unknown) {
-    catalogError.value = e instanceof Error ? e.message : 'Failed to connect to peer'
-    if (!hadItems) catalogItems.value = []
-  } finally {
-    loading.value = false
   }
 }
 
-// Load visual previews for image and video items when catalog loads
-// Audio files don't need visual thumbnails — they show a waveform icon
-watch(catalogItems, async (items) => {
-  const onion = props.peerId || currentPeer.value?.onion
+watch(catalogItems, (items) => {
+  const onion = peerOnion.value
   if (!onion) return
   for (const item of items) {
-    if ((item.mime_type.startsWith('image/') || item.mime_type.startsWith('video/')) && !previewUrls[item.id]) {
-      loadPreview(onion, item)
+    const isVisual = item.mime_type.startsWith('image/') || item.mime_type.startsWith('video/')
+    if (isVisual && !previewUrls[item.id] && !previewQueued.has(item.id)) {
+      previewQueued.add(item.id)
+      previewQueue.push(item)
     }
   }
-})
+  pumpPreviews(onion)
+}, { immediate: true })
 
 async function loadPreview(onion: string, item: CatalogItem) {
   try {
@@ -852,6 +888,8 @@ async function loadPreview(onion: string, item: CatalogItem) {
       method: 'content.preview-peer',
       params: { onion, content_id: item.id },
       timeout: 30000,
+      maxRetries: 1,
+      signal: previewAborter.signal,
     })
     if (result?.data) {
       const mime = result.content_type || item.mime_type