diff --git a/src/views/CatalogArtist.svelte b/src/views/CatalogArtist.svelte
index ac404c9..d61b15e 100644
--- a/src/views/CatalogArtist.svelte
+++ b/src/views/CatalogArtist.svelte
@@ -3423,14 +3423,6 @@
              single pixel of content. It must NOT live in .fade-flow with the
              rest of the body: that carries a transform and sits inside the
              clipped .fade-frame, which would both re-anchor and mask it. -->
-        {#if page.art_preview}
-            <div class="stage-pill" role="status" aria-live="polite">
-                <span class="ring" aria-hidden="true"></span>
-                {page.albums.length || popularTracks.length
-                    ? "Refining release details"
-                    : "Loading songs and releases"}
-            </div>
-        {/if}
         <!-- ROUND 12, "three layers" (the user's own model, mocked and
              approved as research/artist-header-scroll/v12-three-layers.html
              build 5). Content on top (z 3) → the page background SHEET with
@@ -3752,6 +3744,22 @@
                                     {/each}
                                 {/if}
                             </div>
+                        {:else}
+                            <!-- The stat chips do not exist yet while the page is
+                                 resolving, so the load status simply occupies
+                                 their slot and hands the row over when they
+                                 arrive. Same container, same chip metrics: the
+                                 row's height never changes, so nothing below it
+                                 moves — which is what the old in-flow paragraph
+                                 above the actions got wrong. -->
+                            <div class="stat-chips">
+                                <span class="chip stage-chip" role="status" aria-live="polite">
+                                    <span class="ring" aria-hidden="true"></span>
+                                    {page.albums.length || popularTracks.length
+                                        ? "Refining release details"
+                                        : "Loading songs and releases"}
+                                </span>
+                            </div>
                         {/if}
                     </div>
                 {/if}
@@ -6259,61 +6267,35 @@
         contain-intrinsic-size: auto 360px;
     }
 
-    /* Transient load status, pinned to the pane's top-right and out of flow.
-       It shares the top band with the sticky .results-head (z-index 40), which
-       is why this has to clear 40 rather than merely clearing .scrollbody's 3 —
-       at any lower value the bar paints straight over it and the pill is
-       invisible with no other symptom. */
-    .stage-pill {
-        position: absolute;
-        top: 16px;
-        right: 20px;
-        z-index: 41;
-        display: inline-flex;
-        align-items: center;
-        gap: 9px;
-        height: 30px;
-        padding: 0 14px;
-        border-radius: 15px;
-        background: rgba(14, 14, 16, 0.72);
-        border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1);
-        box-shadow: 0 6px 22px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
-        backdrop-filter: blur(14px);
-        color: var(--text-secondary);
-        font-size: 12px;
-        font-weight: 500;
-        white-space: nowrap;
+    /* Load status wearing the stat chip's own metrics — it stands in for those
+       chips while they resolve, so it must measure exactly like them or the row
+       changes height as it hands over. Inherits .chip for everything but the
+       spinner and the slightly softer label colour. */
+    .stage-chip {
+        gap: 8px;
+        color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.62);
         pointer-events: none;
-        animation: stage-pill-in 180ms ease-out;
     }
 
-    .stage-pill .ring {
+    .stage-chip .ring {
         width: 11px;
         height: 11px;
         border-radius: 50%;
         border: 2px solid var(--accent);
         border-right-color: transparent;
-        animation: stage-pill-spin 0.9s linear infinite;
+        animation: stage-chip-spin 0.9s linear infinite;
     }
 
-    @keyframes stage-pill-spin {
+    @keyframes stage-chip-spin {
         to {
             transform: rotate(360deg);
         }
     }
 
-    @keyframes stage-pill-in {
-        from {
-            opacity: 0;
-            transform: translateY(-4px);
-        }
-    }
-
     /* The spinner is decoration; honour a reduced-motion preference by holding
        it still rather than removing the only signal that work is happening. */
     @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
-        .stage-pill,
-        .stage-pill .ring {
+        .stage-chip .ring {
             animation: none;
         }
     }