diff --git a/src/MyMesh.h b/src/MyMesh.h
index d1564257..a75d7b9e 100644
--- a/src/MyMesh.h
+++ b/src/MyMesh.h
@@ -381,6 +381,7 @@ public:
       memcpy(&_ui_pending_status, recipient.id.pub_key, 4);
       _ui_pending_kind = UiReqKind::Status;
       _ui_pending_tag  = tag;   // request tag, reflected by the repeater
+      _ui_pending_at   = millis();
     }
     return r;
   }
@@ -491,6 +492,7 @@ public:
     if (r == MSG_SEND_SENT_FLOOD || r == MSG_SEND_SENT_DIRECT) {
       memcpy(&_ui_login_then, recipient.id.pub_key, 4);
       _ui_login_then_kind = kind;
+      _ui_login_then_at = millis();
     } else {
       cancelUIDeferredLogin();
     }
@@ -591,6 +593,15 @@ public:
    *  the request a moment after a fallback login was accepted. */
   void uiRequestTick() {
     const uint32_t now = millis();
+    // The slot is single-flight and every UI request waits for it, but not every
+    // sender keeps a deadline (telemetry auto-poll, the Home sensor widget). One
+    // unanswered request then held it until reboot: the admin app's status,
+    // neighbours and access list never went out. Nothing waits longer than 45 s.
+    if (_ui_pending_status && (uint32_t)(now - _ui_pending_at) >= UI_REQ_SLOT_MAX_MS) cancelUIPingPending();
+    if (_ui_login_then && (uint32_t)(now - _ui_login_then_at) >= UI_REQ_SLOT_MAX_MS) {
+      _ui_login_then = 0;
+      _ui_login_then_kind = UiReqKind::None;
+    }
     if (_ui_fallback_at && (int32_t)(now - _ui_fallback_at) >= 0) {
       _ui_fallback_at = 0;
       if (_ui_pending_status && memcmp(&_ui_pending_status, _ui_fallback_key, 4) == 0) {
@@ -1005,6 +1016,7 @@ public:
       memcpy(&_ui_pending_status, recipient.id.pub_key, 4);
       _ui_pending_kind = UiReqKind::Telemetry;
       _ui_pending_tag  = tag;   // request tag, reflected by the repeater
+      _ui_pending_at   = millis();
     }
     return r;
   }
@@ -1023,6 +1035,7 @@ public:
       memcpy(&_ui_pending_status, recipient.id.pub_key, 4);
       _ui_pending_kind = UiReqKind::Binary;
       _ui_pending_tag  = tag;
+      _ui_pending_at   = millis();
     }
     return r;
   }
@@ -1062,6 +1075,7 @@ public:
       memcpy(&_ui_pending_status, pub_key, 4);
       _ui_pending_kind = UiReqKind::Regions;
       _ui_pending_tag = tag;
+      _ui_pending_at = millis();
     }
     return result;
   }
@@ -1452,6 +1466,8 @@ private:
    *  matching by pubkey alone misroutes the login OK as the REQ reply.
    *  Compare tag in onContactResponse to keep the two streams separate. */
   uint32_t _ui_pending_tag = 0;
+  uint32_t _ui_pending_at = 0;   // millis() when the slot was taken (uiRequestTick expiry)
+  static constexpr uint32_t UI_REQ_SLOT_MAX_MS = 45000;
   UiLoginInfo _ui_last_login = {};   // uiLastLoginInfo()
   /** Deferred guest-login-then-request arm: holds the first 4 bytes of the
    *  recipient pub_key (0 = none) plus which REQ to send, set by
@@ -1459,6 +1475,7 @@ private:
    *  matching LOGIN-OK arrives, removing the ACL-commit race on the first try. */
   uint32_t _ui_login_then = 0;
   UiReqKind _ui_login_then_kind = UiReqKind::None;
+  uint32_t _ui_login_then_at = 0;
   // Direct-first UI requests (#683): fall back to the guest login at _ui_fallback_at
   // if the reply has not come; after a fallback LOGIN-OK the REQ waits until
   // _ui_deferred_at. 0 = not armed.
diff --git a/web/mesh/WebMesh.cpp b/web/mesh/WebMesh.cpp
index 044a81e5..124a3d66 100644
--- a/web/mesh/WebMesh.cpp
+++ b/web/mesh/WebMesh.cpp
@@ -149,6 +149,8 @@ void MyMesh::begin(MeshBackend* backend) {
 
 void MyMesh::loop() {
   const uint32_t now = millis();
+  // src/MyMesh.h uiRequestTick: a request nobody answered frees the slot after 45 s.
+  if (_ui_pending_kind != UiReqKind::None && (uint32_t)(now - _ui_pending_at) >= 45000u) cancelUIPingPending();
   if (_backend) _backend->loop(now);
   if (now - _pos_sync_ms >= 5000) { _pos_sync_ms = now; syncAdvertPosition(now); }
 }
@@ -776,6 +778,7 @@ int MyMesh::uiSendRequestAfterGuestLogin(ContactInfo& recipient, UiReqKind kind)
   if (r == MSG_SEND_SENT_FLOOD || r == MSG_SEND_SENT_DIRECT) {
     _ui_pending_kind = kind;
     memcpy(_ui_pending_key, recipient.id.pub_key, PUB_KEY_SIZE);
+    _ui_pending_at = millis();
   }
   return r;
 }
@@ -787,6 +790,7 @@ int MyMesh::uiStraightRequest(ContactInfo& recipient, UiReqKind kind) {
   if (r == MSG_SEND_SENT_FLOOD || r == MSG_SEND_SENT_DIRECT) {
     _ui_pending_kind = kind;
     memcpy(_ui_pending_key, recipient.id.pub_key, PUB_KEY_SIZE);
+    _ui_pending_at = millis();
   }
   return r;
 }
@@ -798,6 +802,7 @@ int MyMesh::uiSendBinaryRequest(ContactInfo& recipient, const uint8_t* payload,
   if (r == MSG_SEND_SENT_FLOOD || r == MSG_SEND_SENT_DIRECT) {
     _ui_pending_kind = UiReqKind::Binary;
     memcpy(_ui_pending_key, recipient.id.pub_key, PUB_KEY_SIZE);
+    _ui_pending_at = millis();
   }
   return r;
 }
@@ -821,6 +826,7 @@ int MyMesh::sendRegionsRequestForUI(const uint8_t pub_key[PUB_KEY_SIZE], uint32_
   if (r == MSG_SEND_SENT_FLOOD || r == MSG_SEND_SENT_DIRECT) {
     _ui_pending_kind = UiReqKind::Regions;
     memcpy(_ui_pending_key, pub_key, PUB_KEY_SIZE);
+    _ui_pending_at = millis();
   }
   return r;
 }
diff --git a/web/mesh/WebMesh.h b/web/mesh/WebMesh.h
index a2343296..d1e65c90 100644
--- a/web/mesh/WebMesh.h
+++ b/web/mesh/WebMesh.h
@@ -357,6 +357,7 @@ private:
   UiReqKind _ui_pending_kind = UiReqKind::None;
   UiLoginInfo _ui_last_login = {};
   uint8_t   _ui_pending_key[PUB_KEY_SIZE] = {0};
+  uint32_t  _ui_pending_at = 0;
   uint32_t  _ui_trace_tag = 0;
 
   uint32_t _n_sent_flood = 0, _n_sent_direct = 0, _n_recv_flood = 0, _n_recv_direct = 0;