diff --git a/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/environment-queries.test.tsx b/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/environment-queries.test.tsx
index 119fd7b655..5a65ac9a26 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/environment-queries.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/environment-queries.test.tsx
@@ -1,18 +1,24 @@
 // @vitest-environment jsdom
 
 import { cleanup, renderHook, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
-import type { ThreadPullRequest } from "@bb/domain";
+import { QueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import type { Environment, ThreadPullRequest } from "@bb/domain";
 import type { EnvironmentPullRequestResponse } from "@bb/server-contract";
 import { sdk } from "@/lib/sdk";
 import { createQueryClientTestHarness } from "@/test/queryClientTestHarness";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import { environmentPullRequestQueryKey } from "./query-keys";
+import {
+  environmentPullRequestQueryKey,
+  environmentQueryKey,
+} from "./query-keys";
 import {
   buildEnvironmentFilePreview,
   getEnvironmentPullRequestRefetchInterval,
   getEnvironmentPullRequestStaleTime,
+  resolveEnvironmentQueryMount,
   useEnvironmentPullRequest,
 } from "./environment-queries";
+import { resolveGitDiffTabStatus } from "@/components/secondary-panel/gitDiffTabEligibility";
 
 vi.mock("@/lib/sdk", () => ({
   sdk: { environments: { pullRequest: vi.fn() } },
@@ -232,3 +238,64 @@ describe("buildEnvironmentFilePreview", () => {
     expect(preview.url).toBe(`data:image/png;base64,${pngBase64}`);
   });
 });
+
+const CACHED_ENVIRONMENT: Environment = {
+  id: "env-1",
+  name: "Workspace",
+  projectId: "project-1",
+  hostId: "host-1",
+  path: "/tmp/workspace",
+  managed: true,
+  isGitRepo: true,
+  isWorktree: false,
+  workspaceProvisionType: "unmanaged",
+  branchName: "main",
+  baseBranch: "main",
+  defaultBranch: "main",
+  mergeBaseBranch: null,
+  status: "ready",
+  createdAt: 1,
+  updatedAt: 1,
+};
+
+describe("resolveEnvironmentQueryMount", () => {
+  it("enables a cached environment while bootstrap is still in flight and does not refetch", () => {
+    const queryClient = new QueryClient();
+    queryClient.setQueryData(environmentQueryKey("env-1"), CACHED_ENVIRONMENT);
+    expect(
+      resolveEnvironmentQueryMount({
+        bootstrapSettled: false,
+        environmentId: "env-1",
+        queryClient,
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ enabled: true, refetchOnMount: false });
+    expect(
+      resolveGitDiffTabStatus({
+        environmentId: "env-1",
+        environmentIsGitRepo: CACHED_ENVIRONMENT.isGitRepo,
+        environmentLoadFailed: false,
+        hasResolvedThread: true,
+      }),
+    ).toBe("eligible");
+  });
+
+  it("does not start an environment read until bootstrap when the cache is empty", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveEnvironmentQueryMount({
+        bootstrapSettled: false,
+        environmentId: "env-1",
+        queryClient: new QueryClient(),
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ enabled: false, refetchOnMount: false });
+  });
+
+  it("enables after bootstrap settles so a cold open can fetch", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveEnvironmentQueryMount({
+        bootstrapSettled: true,
+        environmentId: "env-1",
+        queryClient: new QueryClient(),
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ enabled: true, refetchOnMount: true });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/environment-queries.ts b/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/environment-queries.ts
index 740fed7ad9..2d5044df47 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/environment-queries.ts
+++ b/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/environment-queries.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { useQuery, type QueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import type {
   Environment,
   ThreadPullRequest,
@@ -49,9 +49,27 @@ import {
 } from "./query-policies";
 
 interface EnvironmentQueryOptions extends QueryOptions {
+  refetchOnMount?: boolean | "always";
   staleTime?: number;
 }
 
+export function resolveEnvironmentQueryMount(args: {
+  bootstrapSettled: boolean;
+  environmentId: string | null | undefined;
+  queryClient: QueryClient;
+}): { enabled: boolean; refetchOnMount: boolean } {
+  const hasCachedEnvironment =
+    Boolean(args.environmentId) &&
+    args.queryClient.getQueryData(environmentQueryKey(args.environmentId)) !==
+      undefined;
+  return {
+    enabled:
+      Boolean(args.environmentId) &&
+      (hasCachedEnvironment || args.bootstrapSettled),
+    refetchOnMount: args.bootstrapSettled,
+  };
+}
+
 interface BranchQueryOptions extends QueryOptions {
   limit?: number;
   query?: string;
@@ -95,6 +113,7 @@ export function useEnvironment(
         signal,
       }),
     enabled,
+    refetchOnMount: options?.refetchOnMount,
     staleTime: options?.staleTime,
   });
 }
diff --git a/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/host-queries.test.ts b/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/host-queries.test.ts
index 52ac7f839c..cf0feac469 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/host-queries.test.ts
+++ b/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/host-queries.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+import { QueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import type { Host } from "@bb/domain";
-import { selectPrimaryHost } from "./host-queries";
+import { resolveHostsQueryMount, selectPrimaryHost } from "./host-queries";
+import { hostsQueryKey } from "./query-keys";
 
 function host(overrides: Partial<Host> & Pick<Host, "id">): Host {
   return {
@@ -41,3 +43,27 @@ describe("selectPrimaryHost", () => {
     expect(selectPrimaryHost([], null)).toBeNull();
   });
 });
+
+describe("resolveHostsQueryMount", () => {
+  it("enables a cached host list while bootstrap is still in flight and does not refetch", () => {
+    const queryClient = new QueryClient();
+    queryClient.setQueryData(hostsQueryKey(), [host({ id: "host-1" })]);
+    expect(
+      resolveHostsQueryMount({
+        bootstrapSettled: false,
+        environmentId: "env-1",
+        queryClient,
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ enabled: true, refetchOnMount: false });
+  });
+
+  it("does not start a hosts read until bootstrap when the cache is empty", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveHostsQueryMount({
+        bootstrapSettled: false,
+        environmentId: "env-1",
+        queryClient: new QueryClient(),
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ enabled: false, refetchOnMount: false });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/host-queries.ts b/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/host-queries.ts
index 0908ae93e1..244de0c2ad 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/host-queries.ts
+++ b/apps/app/src/hooks/queries/host-queries.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 import { useMemo } from "react";
-import { keepPreviousData, skipToken, useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import {
+  keepPreviousData,
+  skipToken,
+  useQuery,
+  type QueryClient,
+} from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import type { Host } from "@bb/domain";
 import type { HostDirectoryListing } from "@bb/server-contract";
 import { sdk } from "@/lib/sdk";
@@ -12,7 +17,26 @@ import {
 } from "./query-keys";
 import type { QueryOptions } from "./query-helpers";
 
-export function useHosts(options?: QueryOptions) {
+interface HostListQueryOptions extends QueryOptions {
+  refetchOnMount?: boolean | "always";
+}
+
+export function resolveHostsQueryMount(args: {
+  bootstrapSettled: boolean;
+  environmentId: string | null | undefined;
+  queryClient: QueryClient;
+}): { enabled: boolean; refetchOnMount: boolean } {
+  const hasEnvironment =
+    args.environmentId !== null && args.environmentId !== undefined;
+  const hasCachedHosts =
+    args.queryClient.getQueryData(hostsQueryKey()) !== undefined;
+  return {
+    enabled: hasEnvironment && (hasCachedHosts || args.bootstrapSettled),
+    refetchOnMount: args.bootstrapSettled,
+  };
+}
+
+export function useHosts(options?: HostListQueryOptions) {
   const enabled = options?.enabled ?? true;
   useHostListRealtimeSubscription({ enabled });
 
@@ -20,6 +44,7 @@ export function useHosts(options?: QueryOptions) {
     queryKey: hostsQueryKey(),
     queryFn: ({ signal }) => sdk.hosts.list({ signal }),
     enabled,
+    refetchOnMount: options?.refetchOnMount,
     staleTime: 60_000,
   });
 }
diff --git a/apps/app/src/views/thread-detail/ThreadDetailView.tsx b/apps/app/src/views/thread-detail/ThreadDetailView.tsx
index ac508d09c8..34b04a1ff6 100644
--- a/apps/app/src/views/thread-detail/ThreadDetailView.tsx
+++ b/apps/app/src/views/thread-detail/ThreadDetailView.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   useState,
   type ReactNode,
 } from "react";
+import { useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { nanoid } from "nanoid";
 import { useSystemProviderInfo } from "@/hooks/queries/system-queries";
 import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ import { useUpdateEnvironment } from "../../hooks/mutations/environment-mutation
 import {
   useEnvironment,
   getEnvironmentPullRequestFromResponse,
+  resolveEnvironmentQueryMount,
   useEnvironmentPullRequest,
   useEnvironmentWorkStatus,
 } from "../../hooks/queries/environment-queries";
@@ -97,7 +99,7 @@ import { assertNever } from "@bb/thread-view";
 import { useCreateThreadInWorktree } from "@/hooks/useCreateThreadInWorktree";
 import { useHostDaemon } from "@/hooks/useHostDaemon";
 import { useLocalOpenTargets } from "@/hooks/useLocalOpenTargets";
-import { useHosts } from "@/hooks/queries/host-queries";
+import { resolveHostsQueryMount, useHosts } from "@/hooks/queries/host-queries";
 import { useSystemConfig } from "@/hooks/queries/system-queries";
 import { useConnectionAwareQueryState } from "@/hooks/queries/connection-aware-query-state";
 import {
@@ -513,6 +515,7 @@ function ThreadDetailViewInternal(props: ThreadRoutePathArgs) {
   const { isFocused, navigateInPane, onRequestClose, isBoundedPane } =
     usePaneContext();
   const navigate = useNavigate();
+  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
   useFixedPanelTabsStorageMaintenance();
   const systemConfigQuery = useSystemConfig();
   const threadDetailBootstrapQuery = useThreadDetailBootstrap(threadId);
@@ -526,8 +529,14 @@ function ThreadDetailViewInternal(props: ThreadRoutePathArgs) {
   } = useThread(threadId, {
     bootstrap: threadDetailBootstrapQuery,
   });
+  const environmentQueryMount = resolveEnvironmentQueryMount({
+    bootstrapSettled: hasThreadDetailBootstrapSettled,
+    environmentId: thread?.environmentId,
+    queryClient,
+  });
   const environmentQuery = useEnvironment(thread?.environmentId, {
-    enabled: hasThreadDetailBootstrapSettled,
+    enabled: environmentQueryMount.enabled,
+    refetchOnMount: environmentQueryMount.refetchOnMount,
     staleTime: 5_000,
   });
   const environment = environmentQuery.data;
@@ -903,11 +912,14 @@ function ThreadDetailViewInternal(props: ThreadRoutePathArgs) {
     terminalsListQuery.data,
     updateFixedPanelTabsState,
   ]);
+  const hostsQueryMount = resolveHostsQueryMount({
+    bootstrapSettled: hasThreadDetailBootstrapSettled,
+    environmentId: thread?.environmentId,
+    queryClient,
+  });
   const hostsQuery = useHosts({
-    enabled:
-      hasThreadDetailBootstrapSettled &&
-      thread?.environmentId !== null &&
-      thread?.environmentId !== undefined,
+    enabled: hostsQueryMount.enabled,
+    refetchOnMount: hostsQueryMount.refetchOnMount,
   });
   const connectedHostIds = useMemo(
     () =>