diff --git a/frontend/src/components/AgreementIdGenerator.tsx b/frontend/src/components/AgreementIdGenerator.tsx
index d80d373..ebb7900 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/AgreementIdGenerator.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/AgreementIdGenerator.tsx
@@ -9,10 +9,16 @@ interface AgreementIdGeneratorProps {
   onGenerate?: (id: string) => void
 }
 
+/** Detects canvas element support (unavailable during SSR or in very old browsers). */
+function isCanvasSupported(): boolean {
+  return typeof document !== 'undefined' && typeof HTMLCanvasElement !== 'undefined'
+}
+
 export function AgreementIdGenerator({ onGenerate }: AgreementIdGeneratorProps) {
   const toast = useToast()
   const [agreementId, setAgreementId] = useState<string>('')
   const [qrDataUrl, setQrDataUrl] = useState<string>('')
+  const [qrUnavailable, setQrUnavailable] = useState(false)
   const [showQR, setShowQR] = useState(false)
   const [copied, setCopied] = useState(false)
   const [shared, setShared] = useState(false)
@@ -22,20 +28,27 @@ export function AgreementIdGenerator({ onGenerate }: AgreementIdGeneratorProps)
     setIsGenerating(true)
     const newId = generateAgreementId()
     setAgreementId(newId)
+    setQrDataUrl('')
+    setQrUnavailable(false)
 
-    // Generate QR code locally via the qrcode library
-    try {
-      const url = await QRCode.toDataURL(newId, {
-        width: 400,
-        margin: 2,
-        color: {
-          dark: '#1a2332',
-          light: '#ffffff',
-        },
-      })
-      setQrDataUrl(url)
-    } catch {
-      // Local QR generation failed; QR display will be skipped
+    // Generate QR code locally via the qrcode library, when canvas is available
+    if (isCanvasSupported()) {
+      try {
+        const url = await QRCode.toDataURL(newId, {
+          width: 400,
+          margin: 2,
+          color: {
+            dark: '#1a2332',
+            light: '#ffffff',
+          },
+        })
+        setQrDataUrl(url)
+      } catch {
+        // Local QR generation failed; fall back to the text-only display
+        setQrUnavailable(true)
+      }
+    } else {
+      setQrUnavailable(true)
     }
 
     setShowQR(true)
@@ -165,6 +178,18 @@ export function AgreementIdGenerator({ onGenerate }: AgreementIdGeneratorProps)
             </div>
           )}
 
+          {/* Text-only fallback when the QR code cannot be rendered (no canvas support) */}
+          {showQR && qrUnavailable && (
+            <div className="p-4 bg-navy-700 dark:bg-navy-700 light:bg-gray-100 rounded-lg border border-navy-600 dark:border-navy-600 light:border-gray-300 text-center space-y-2 transition-all duration-300">
+              <p className="text-xs text-gray-400 dark:text-gray-400 light:text-gray-600">
+                QR code isn't available in this browser. Use the ID below instead.
+              </p>
+              <p className="font-mono text-sm text-cyan-300 break-all leading-relaxed">
+                {agreementId.match(/.{1,8}/g)?.join(' ') ?? agreementId}
+              </p>
+            </div>
+          )}
+
           {/* Action buttons */}
           <div className="flex gap-2">
             <button
diff --git a/frontend/src/context/WalletContext.tsx b/frontend/src/context/WalletContext.tsx
index 2d9ab3b..ad6d20f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/context/WalletContext.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/context/WalletContext.tsx
@@ -185,10 +185,16 @@ export function WalletProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   // While connected, poll for the active Freighter account and network so
   // switching accounts or networks in the extension (which fires no event
   // Freighter exposes) is reflected here instead of silently going stale.
+  // While disconnected, poll much less aggressively just to notice the
+  // extension becoming available. Nothing is polled while unavailable,
+  // detecting, or connecting — those phases resolve on their own.
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (phase !== 'connected') return;
+    const baseInterval = POLL_INTERVAL_MS[status];
+    if (!baseInterval) return;
 
     let mounted = true;
+    let failureCount = 0;
+    let intervalId: ReturnType<typeof setInterval>;
 
     const intervalId = setInterval(() => {
       void (async () => {
@@ -197,26 +203,51 @@ export function WalletProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
           fetchNetworkPassphraseWithRetry(),
         ]);
 
-        if (!mounted) return;
+    async function runPoll() {
+      try {
+        if (status === 'connected') {
+          const [address, passphrase] = await Promise.all([getPublicKey(), getNetworkPassphrase()]);
 
-        if (!address) {
-          writeIntent(false);
-          setPublicKey(null);
-          setNetworkPassphrase(null);
-          setPhase('idle');
-          return;
+          if (!mounted) return;
+
+          if (!address) {
+            writeIntent(false);
+            setPublicKey(null);
+            setNetworkPassphrase(null);
+            setPhase('idle');
+            return;
+          }
+
+          setPublicKey((prev) => (prev !== address ? address : prev));
+          setNetworkPassphrase((prev) => (prev !== passphrase ? passphrase : prev));
+        } else {
+          const found = await isFreighterInstalled();
+          if (!mounted) return;
+          setInstalled(found);
+        }
+
+        if (failureCount > 0) {
+          failureCount = 0;
+          reschedule(baseInterval);
         }
+      } catch {
+        if (!mounted) return;
+        failureCount += 1;
+        const backoffMs = Math.min(
+          baseInterval * BACKOFF_MULTIPLIER ** failureCount,
+          MAX_POLL_INTERVAL_MS,
+        );
+        reschedule(backoffMs);
+      }
+    }
 
-        setPublicKey((prev) => (prev !== address ? address : prev));
-        setNetworkPassphrase((prev) => (prev !== passphrase ? passphrase : prev));
-      })();
-    }, ACCOUNT_POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
+    intervalId = setInterval(runPoll, baseInterval);
 
     return () => {
       mounted = false;
       clearInterval(intervalId);
     };
-  }, [phase]);
+  }, [status]);
 
   const connect = useCallback(async () => {
     setError(null);
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useContractStats.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useContractStats.ts
index c2f83c0..ddbc95f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useContractStats.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useContractStats.ts
@@ -123,15 +123,21 @@ export function useContractStats(): UseContractStatsResult {
   const [lastUpdated, setLastUpdated] = useState<string | null>(null)
 
   const statsRef = useRef<ContractStats | null>(null)
+  // Bumped on every fetch kickoff so a request superseded by a newer one
+  // (e.g. the immediate refetch on tab-visible) can recognize it's stale
+  // and skip applying its result, even if it resolves after the newer one.
+  const requestIdRef = useRef(0)
 
   const fetchStats = useCallback(async (signal: AbortSignal) => {
+    const requestId = ++requestIdRef.current
+
     try {
       const [agreements, milestonesLocked] = await Promise.all([
         fetchEventCount('created', signal),
         fetchEventCount('locked', signal),
       ])
 
-      if (signal.aborted) return
+      if (signal.aborted || requestId !== requestIdRef.current) return
 
       const next: ContractStats = { agreements, milestonesLocked }
       statsRef.current = next
@@ -139,7 +145,7 @@ export function useContractStats(): UseContractStatsResult {
       setStatus('ok')
       setLastUpdated(new Date().toISOString())
     } catch (err) {
-      if (signal.aborted) return
+      if (signal.aborted || requestId !== requestIdRef.current) return
 
       console.error('[useContractStats] Fetch failed:', err)
 
@@ -160,16 +166,36 @@ export function useContractStats(): UseContractStatsResult {
     warnIfPlaceholder('RPC_URL', RPC_URL)
 
     const controller = new AbortController()
+    let interval: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null = null
 
-    fetchStats(controller.signal)
+    const startInterval = () => {
+      if (interval !== null) return
+      interval = setInterval(() => fetchStats(controller.signal), POLL_INTERVAL_MS)
+    }
+
+    const stopInterval = () => {
+      if (interval === null) return
+      clearInterval(interval)
+      interval = null
+    }
 
-    const interval = setInterval(() => {
-      fetchStats(controller.signal)
-    }, POLL_INTERVAL_MS)
+    const handleVisibilityChange = () => {
+      if (document.hidden) {
+        stopInterval()
+      } else {
+        fetchStats(controller.signal)
+        startInterval()
+      }
+    }
+
+    fetchStats(controller.signal)
+    startInterval()
+    document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', handleVisibilityChange)
 
     return () => {
       controller.abort()
-      clearInterval(interval)
+      stopInterval()
+      document.removeEventListener('visibilitychange', handleVisibilityChange)
     }
   }, [fetchStats])
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useCountUp.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useCountUp.ts
index 39f894c..3843266 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useCountUp.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useCountUp.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ export function useCountUp(
     return () => {
       if (animationFrameRef.current !== null) {
         cancelAnimationFrame(animationFrameRef.current)
+        animationFrameRef.current = null
       }
     }
   }, [targetValue, duration, minThreshold])