diff --git a/src/layers/awareness/queries.js b/src/layers/awareness/queries.js
index 593c85ebf..0c5bd78f3 100644
--- a/src/layers/awareness/queries.js
+++ b/src/layers/awareness/queries.js
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ export function createQueries({ state: layerState, services, parts, source }) {
         stats.count ?? null,
         stats.status || null,
         stats.error || null,
+        stats.source || null,
       ];
     })
       .map((parts) => parts.join(':'))
diff --git a/src/layers/awareness/staleAfterLoading.test.mjs b/src/layers/awareness/staleAfterLoading.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7128f4958
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/layers/awareness/staleAfterLoading.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import * as Cesium from 'cesium';
+import { createQueries } from './queries.js';
+import { createSubject } from './subject.js';
+import { createModel } from './model.js';
+import { summarizeAwarenessCohort } from '../../data/militaryAwarenessEngine.js';
+import { layerFeedState } from '../../data/feedState.js';
+import aisLiveVesselsLayer, {
+  _setVesselStateForTest,
+  _beginAisSessionForTest,
+  _applyAisFeedSnapshotForTest,
+  _setAisRuntimeForTest,
+} from '../../data/aisLiveVessels.js';
+
+test('a poll that returns the same stale AIS snapshot restores STALE on Contacts cohorts', () => {
+  globalThis.document ??= { body: null };
+  const services = {
+    installations: { getNearby: () => [], getStats: () => ({}) },
+    flights: { getNearby: () => [] },
+    military: { getNearby: () => [] },
+    vessels: { getNearby: () => [] },
+  };
+  const layerState = {
+    enabled: true,
+    passive: true,
+    sourceRevision: '',
+    cohortPages: new Map(),
+    subject: {
+      id: 'site-1',
+      layerId: 'military-installations',
+      label: 'Site',
+      position: Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(0, 0, 0),
+    },
+  };
+  let states;
+  const parts = {
+    navigation: {
+      summarizeAwarenessCohortForNavigation: (items, source) =>
+        summarizeAwarenessCohort(items, source),
+      isFlightLayer: (id) => id === 'flights' || id === 'military',
+    },
+    rendering: { renderVisual() {}, scheduleDirectionOverlayUpdate() {} },
+    panel: { renderResults() {} },
+  };
+  const realQueries = createQueries({ state: layerState, services, parts });
+  parts.queries = { ...realQueries, collectSourceStates: () => states };
+  parts.model = createModel({ state: layerState, services, parts });
+  const subject = createSubject({ state: layerState, services, parts });
+  const flights = (lastUpdate) => ({
+    available: true, enabled: true, stale: false,
+    stats: { source: 'OpenSky Network', count: 4, lastUpdate },
+  });
+  const vessels = (loading) => ({
+    available: true, enabled: true, stale: true,
+    stats: { source: 'Datalastic', stale: true, count: 3, lastUpdate: 1000, loading },
+  });
+  const rest = {
+    military: { available: true, enabled: true, stale: false, stats: { source: 'adsb.lol', fallback: false, count: 1, lastUpdate: 1 } },
+    'military-installations': { available: true, enabled: true, stale: false, stats: { coverage: { kind: 'subject', radiusM: 100000 } } },
+  };
+  const ais = () => layerState.results.cohorts.find((c) => c.id === 'ais-live-vessels');
+
+  // 1. Stale AIS cache, nothing loading.
+  states = { flights: flights(1), 'ais-live-vessels': vessels(false), ...rest };
+  subject.refreshSelectedSubject(true);
+  assert.equal(ais().sourceStatus, 'stale');
+
+  // 2. AIS re-poll in flight while the flights poll lands (revision changes).
+  states = { flights: flights(2), 'ais-live-vessels': vessels(true), ...rest };
+  subject.refreshSelectedSubject();
+  assert.equal(ais().sourceStatus, 'stale', 'a poll in flight keeps the snapshot stale');
+
+  // 3. AIS poll returns the same stale snapshot; only loading flips back.
+  states = { flights: flights(2), 'ais-live-vessels': vessels(false), ...rest };
+  subject.refreshSelectedSubject();
+  subject.refreshSelectedSubject();
+  assert.equal(ais().sourceStatus, 'stale', 'Layers reads STALE again; Contacts/Cockpit must too');
+});
+
+function fakeRuntime() {
+  return {
+    now: () => 1000,
+    setTimeout: () => ({}),
+    clearTimeout() {},
+  };
+}
+
+test('first AIS connect (no snapshot yet) carries no STALE on the Contacts cohort', () => {
+  globalThis.document ??= { body: null };
+  _setAisRuntimeForTest(fakeRuntime());
+  _setVesselStateForTest({ viewer: {}, records: [] });
+  try {
+    _beginAisSessionForTest();
+    // What server/providers/vessels/ais-live.js answers while its socket connects.
+    _applyAisFeedSnapshotForTest({}, {
+      rows: [], source: 'AISStream', status: 'connecting', refreshing: true,
+    });
+    const vesselStats = aisLiveVesselsLayer.getStats();
+    assert.equal(vesselStats.loading, true);
+    assert.equal(vesselStats.stale, true);
+    assert.equal(vesselStats.lastUpdate, null);
+    assert.equal(layerFeedState(vesselStats), 'loading', 'Layers chip reads LOADING');
+
+    const flightsStats = { source: 'OpenSky Network', count: 2, lastUpdate: 5 };
+    const militaryStats = { source: 'adsb.lol', fallback: false, count: 1, lastUpdate: 5 };
+    const installStats = { coverage: { kind: 'subject', radiusM: 100000 } };
+    const statsById = {
+      flights: flightsStats,
+      military: militaryStats,
+      'ais-live-vessels': vesselStats,
+      'military-installations': installStats,
+    };
+    const services = {
+      installations: { getNearby: () => [], getStats: () => installStats },
+      flights: { getNearby: () => [] },
+      military: { getNearby: () => [] },
+      vessels: aisLiveVesselsLayer,
+    };
+    const layerState = {
+      enabled: true,
+      passive: true,
+      sourceRevision: '',
+      cohortPages: new Map(),
+      dataManager: {
+        isEnabled: () => true,
+        getLayerLifecycleState: () => ({ enabled: true, lifecycleState: 'enabled' }),
+        layers: new Map(Object.entries(statsById).map(([id, s]) => [id, { module: { getStats: () => s } }])),
+      },
+      subject: {
+        id: 'site-1',
+        layerId: 'military-installations',
+        label: 'Site',
+        position: Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(0, 0, 0),
+      },
+    };
+    const parts = {
+      navigation: {
+        summarizeAwarenessCohortForNavigation: (items, source) => summarizeAwarenessCohort(items, source),
+        isFlightLayer: (id) => id === 'flights' || id === 'military',
+      },
+      rendering: { renderVisual() {}, scheduleDirectionOverlayUpdate() {} },
+      panel: { renderResults() {} },
+    };
+    parts.queries = createQueries({ state: layerState, services, parts });
+    parts.model = createModel({ state: layerState, services, parts });
+    const subject = createSubject({ state: layerState, services, parts });
+
+    const vesselsSource = parts.queries.collectSourceStates()['ais-live-vessels'];
+    assert.equal(vesselsSource.available, false, 'never-answered source is unavailable');
+
+    subject.refreshSelectedSubject(true);
+    const ais = layerState.results.cohorts.find((c) => c.id === 'ais-live-vessels');
+    assert.equal(ais.sourceStatus, null, 'no snapshot yet: no STALE label, Layers says LOADING');
+  } finally {
+    _setVesselStateForTest({ enabled: false });
+    _setAisRuntimeForTest();
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/layers/awareness/subject.js b/src/layers/awareness/subject.js
index a555d332e..32123d248 100644
--- a/src/layers/awareness/subject.js
+++ b/src/layers/awareness/subject.js
@@ -54,8 +54,14 @@ export function createSubject({ state: layerState, services, parts, source }) {
     const installationsState = sourceStates['military-installations'];
     const evaluatedAt = Date.now();
     // Whether the provider answered as a fallback or from a stale snapshot.
+    // A poll in flight does not change that, and the source revision ignores it.
+    // Before the first answer there is no snapshot, so loading stays.
     const sourceStatus = (sourceState) => {
-      const feedState = layerFeedState(sourceState.stats);
+      const feedState = layerFeedState(
+        sourceState.available
+          ? { ...sourceState.stats, loading: false }
+          : sourceState.stats,
+      );
       return feedState === 'fallback' || feedState === 'stale'
         ? feedState
         : null;
diff --git a/src/layers/vessels/ownership.test.mjs b/src/layers/vessels/ownership.test.mjs
index a838a8099..2404434a0 100644
--- a/src/layers/vessels/ownership.test.mjs
+++ b/src/layers/vessels/ownership.test.mjs
@@ -411,8 +411,6 @@ test('empty coverage cannot hide stale, incomplete or rejected source data', asy
 });
 
 test('vessel stats name the provider the last snapshot reported', async () => {
-  // HAL-721: Contacts named a fixed AIS provider while this layer showed the
-  // one its server reported.
   const { layer } = setup({
     label: 'Vessels',
     async getSnapshot() {
diff --git a/src/ui/cockpitContext.test.mjs b/src/ui/cockpitContext.test.mjs
index a8d6616d5..c2f20abcf 100644
--- a/src/ui/cockpitContext.test.mjs
+++ b/src/ui/cockpitContext.test.mjs
@@ -167,8 +167,6 @@ test('a snapshot fills the card and keeps classes other code sets', async (t) =>
 });
 
 test('each count names the provider its snapshot reports, with its feed state', async (t) => {
-  // HAL-721: the counters named fixed providers while the layer and the
-  // Contacts list named the one that answered.
   const reported = snapshot();
   reported.cohorts[0].source = 'adsb.lol';
   reported.cohorts[0].sourceStatus = 'fallback';