diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/hooks.ts b/desktop/src/features/agents/hooks.ts
index 0958ff371..1ff313a92 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/hooks.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/hooks.ts
@@ -209,7 +209,16 @@ export function useRelayAgentsQuery(options?: { enabled?: boolean }) {
     queryKey: relayAgentsQueryKey,
     queryFn: listRelayAgents,
     staleTime: 30_000,
-    refetchInterval: 30_000,
+    // Relay agent profiles (kind:10100) are near-static and the backing
+    // `list_relay_agents` command is an unfiltered relay query for the whole
+    // profile set — mounted on ~13 always-live surfaces (channel screen,
+    // members bar, mentions, sidebar, profile popovers), so a tight interval
+    // re-pulls the full set app-wide. This poll is also the ONLY refresh path:
+    // the `agents-data-changed` event fires only for local persona/team/managed
+    // reconcile (kinds PERSONA/TEAM/MANAGED_AGENT), never for kind:10100. So we
+    // keep polling but at a relaxed cadence and pause it while backgrounded.
+    refetchInterval: 5 * 60_000,
+    refetchIntervalInBackground: false,
     enabled: options?.enabled,
   });
 }