diff --git a/frontend/components/layout/AppShell.tsx b/frontend/components/layout/AppShell.tsx
index c38751b..18884ea 100644
--- a/frontend/components/layout/AppShell.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/layout/AppShell.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,22 @@
 "use client"
+import dynamic from "next/dynamic"
 import { ChevronLeft } from "lucide-react"
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
 import { useRequestStore } from "@/store/requestStore"
 import { useConnectionStore } from "@/store/connectionStore"
 import TopBar from "./TopBar"
 import RequestList from "@/components/requests/RequestList"
-import RequestDetail from "@/components/requests/RequestDetail"
 import SignalPulseEmptyState from "@/components/requests/SignalPulseEmptyState"
 
+const RequestDetail = dynamic(() => import("@/components/requests/RequestDetail"), {
+  ssr: false,
+  loading: () => (
+    <div className="flex h-full items-center justify-center text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+      Loading request...
+    </div>
+  ),
+})
+
 export default function AppShell() {
   const { requests, selectedId, selectRequest } = useRequestStore()
   const { token } = useConnectionStore()
@@ -17,7 +26,7 @@ export default function AppShell() {
     <div className="flex flex-col h-screen bg-background text-foreground">
       <TopBar />
 
-      <div className="flex flex-1 overflow-hidden">
+      <main className="flex flex-1 overflow-hidden">
         <div
           className={`${selected ? "hidden md:flex" : "flex"} flex-col w-full md:w-80 border-r flex-shrink-0`}
         >
@@ -52,7 +61,7 @@ export default function AppShell() {
             )
           )}
         </div>
-      </div>
+      </main>
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/frontend/components/layout/TopBar.tsx b/frontend/components/layout/TopBar.tsx
index e47dd5d..d23ca31 100644
--- a/frontend/components/layout/TopBar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/layout/TopBar.tsx
@@ -14,9 +14,13 @@ import { useTheme } from "@/app/providers"
 import type { Theme } from "@/types"
 
 const STATUS_CONFIG = {
-  connected: { label: "Connected", dot: "●", color: "text-green-500" },
-  reconnecting: { label: "Reconnecting", dot: "◌", color: "text-yellow-500 animate-pulse" },
-  disconnected: { label: "Disconnected", dot: "○", color: "text-red-500" },
+  connected: { label: "Connected", dot: "●", color: "text-green-700 dark:text-green-400" },
+  reconnecting: {
+    label: "Reconnecting",
+    dot: "◌",
+    color: "text-amber-700 dark:text-amber-300",
+  },
+  disconnected: { label: "Disconnected", dot: "○", color: "text-red-700 dark:text-red-400" },
 } as const
 const GITHUB_URL = "https://github.com/dgknttr/hooktray"
 
diff --git a/frontend/components/requests/RequestList.tsx b/frontend/components/requests/RequestList.tsx
index 3e60c32..e0fcdcd 100644
--- a/frontend/components/requests/RequestList.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/requests/RequestList.tsx
@@ -1,24 +1,18 @@
 "use client"
+import dynamic from "next/dynamic"
 import { useRef, useEffect } from "react"
 import { ToggleGroup, ToggleGroupItem } from "@/components/ui/toggle-group"
-import {
-  AlertDialog,
-  AlertDialogAction,
-  AlertDialogCancel,
-  AlertDialogContent,
-  AlertDialogDescription,
-  AlertDialogFooter,
-  AlertDialogHeader,
-  AlertDialogTitle,
-  AlertDialogTrigger,
-} from "@/components/ui/alert-dialog"
-import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
 import { useRequestStore } from "@/store/requestStore"
 import { useConnectionStore } from "@/store/connectionStore"
 import RequestListItem from "./RequestListItem"
 import RequestListEmptyState from "./RequestListEmptyState"
 import type { MethodFilter } from "@/types"
 
+const RequestListClearAction = dynamic(() => import("./RequestListClearAction"), {
+  ssr: false,
+  loading: () => null,
+})
+
 const FILTERS: MethodFilter[] = ["ALL", "GET", "POST", "PUT", "PATCH", "DELETE"]
 const FILTER_LABELS: Record<MethodFilter, string> = {
   ALL: "All",
@@ -30,7 +24,7 @@ const FILTER_LABELS: Record<MethodFilter, string> = {
 }
 
 export default function RequestList() {
-  const { requests, selectedId, filter, autoScroll, selectRequest, setFilter, setAutoScroll, clearHistory } =
+  const { requests, selectedId, filter, autoScroll, selectRequest, setFilter, setAutoScroll } =
     useRequestStore()
   const { token } = useConnectionStore()
 
@@ -52,6 +46,7 @@ export default function RequestList() {
       <div className="p-3 border-b space-y-2">
         <ToggleGroup
           value={[filter]}
+          aria-label="Filter requests by method"
           onValueChange={(v: string[]) => {
             const last = v[v.length - 1] as MethodFilter | undefined
             if (last) setFilter(last)
@@ -76,27 +71,7 @@ export default function RequestList() {
             Auto-scroll
           </label>
 
-          <AlertDialog>
-            <AlertDialogTrigger
-              render={<Button variant="destructive" size="sm" className="text-xs h-6 px-2" />}
-            >
-              Clear
-            </AlertDialogTrigger>
-            <AlertDialogContent>
-              <AlertDialogHeader>
-                <AlertDialogTitle>Clear local history?</AlertDialogTitle>
-                <AlertDialogDescription>
-                  This only clears requests stored in this browser.
-                </AlertDialogDescription>
-              </AlertDialogHeader>
-              <AlertDialogFooter>
-                <AlertDialogCancel>Cancel</AlertDialogCancel>
-                <AlertDialogAction onClick={() => token && clearHistory(token)}>
-                  Clear
-                </AlertDialogAction>
-              </AlertDialogFooter>
-            </AlertDialogContent>
-          </AlertDialog>
+          {requests.length > 0 ? <RequestListClearAction /> : null}
         </div>
       </div>
 
@@ -123,18 +98,18 @@ export default function RequestList() {
       </div>
 
       <div className="border-t px-3 py-2 flex items-center justify-between">
-        <span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground/60 font-medium">HookTray</span>
+        <span className="text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground">HookTray</span>
         <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
           <a
             href="https://github.com/dgknttr/hooktray"
             target="_blank"
             rel="noopener noreferrer"
-            className="text-xs text-muted-foreground/60 hover:text-muted-foreground transition-colors duration-150"
+            className="text-xs text-muted-foreground transition-colors duration-150 hover:text-foreground"
           >
             GitHub
           </a>
           <span className="text-muted-foreground/30 text-xs">·</span>
-          <span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground/60">Open source</span>
+          <span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">Open source</span>
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
diff --git a/frontend/components/requests/RequestListClearAction.tsx b/frontend/components/requests/RequestListClearAction.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8cd3721
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/components/requests/RequestListClearAction.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+"use client"
+import {
+  AlertDialog,
+  AlertDialogAction,
+  AlertDialogCancel,
+  AlertDialogContent,
+  AlertDialogDescription,
+  AlertDialogFooter,
+  AlertDialogHeader,
+  AlertDialogTitle,
+  AlertDialogTrigger,
+} from "@/components/ui/alert-dialog"
+import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
+import { useConnectionStore } from "@/store/connectionStore"
+import { useRequestStore } from "@/store/requestStore"
+
+export default function RequestListClearAction() {
+  const { clearHistory } = useRequestStore()
+  const { token } = useConnectionStore()
+
+  return (
+    <AlertDialog>
+      <AlertDialogTrigger
+        render={
+          <Button
+            variant="destructive"
+            size="sm"
+            className="h-6 border-red-200 bg-red-50 px-2 text-xs text-red-800 hover:bg-red-100 dark:border-red-900 dark:bg-red-950/40 dark:text-red-200 dark:hover:bg-red-950/60"
+          />
+        }
+      >
+        Clear
+      </AlertDialogTrigger>
+      <AlertDialogContent>
+        <AlertDialogHeader>
+          <AlertDialogTitle>Clear local history?</AlertDialogTitle>
+          <AlertDialogDescription>
+            This only clears requests stored in this browser.
+          </AlertDialogDescription>
+        </AlertDialogHeader>
+        <AlertDialogFooter>
+          <AlertDialogCancel>Cancel</AlertDialogCancel>
+          <AlertDialogAction onClick={() => token && clearHistory(token)}>
+            Clear
+          </AlertDialogAction>
+        </AlertDialogFooter>
+      </AlertDialogContent>
+    </AlertDialog>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/frontend/components/requests/RequestListEmptyState.tsx b/frontend/components/requests/RequestListEmptyState.tsx
index 5cd3982..3d51fba 100644
--- a/frontend/components/requests/RequestListEmptyState.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/requests/RequestListEmptyState.tsx
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 import { Inbox, Rows3 } from "lucide-react"
 
 const PLACEHOLDER_ROWS = [
-  { number: "#3", method: "POST", path: "/webhooks/order" },
-  { number: "#2", method: "GET", path: "/health/check" },
-  { number: "#1", method: "POST", path: "/stripe/events" },
+  { number: "#3", method: "POST", path: "/webhooks/order", surface: "bg-background/90" },
+  { number: "#2", method: "GET", path: "/health/check", surface: "bg-muted/30" },
+  { number: "#1", method: "POST", path: "/stripe/events", surface: "bg-muted/20" },
 ]
 
 export default function RequestListEmptyState() {
@@ -27,11 +27,10 @@ export default function RequestListEmptyState() {
         </div>
 
         <div className="mt-4 space-y-2" aria-hidden="true">
-          {PLACEHOLDER_ROWS.map((row, index) => (
+          {PLACEHOLDER_ROWS.map((row) => (
             <div
               key={row.number}
-              className="rounded-md border bg-background/70 px-2.5 py-2 opacity-70"
-              style={{ opacity: 0.55 - index * 0.12 }}
+              className={`rounded-md border px-2.5 py-2 ${row.surface}`}
             >
               <div className="flex min-w-0 items-center gap-2">
                 <span className="w-7 flex-shrink-0 text-right font-mono text-xs text-muted-foreground">
diff --git a/frontend/components/ui/toggle-group.tsx b/frontend/components/ui/toggle-group.tsx
index 4a5b000..121167e 100644
--- a/frontend/components/ui/toggle-group.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/ui/toggle-group.tsx
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ function ToggleGroup({
       data-size={size}
       data-spacing={spacing}
       data-orientation={orientation}
+      role="toolbar"
       style={{ "--gap": spacing } as React.CSSProperties}
       className={cn(
         "group/toggle-group flex w-fit flex-row items-center gap-[--spacing(var(--gap))] rounded-lg data-[size=sm]:rounded-[min(var(--radius-md),10px)] data-vertical:flex-col data-vertical:items-stretch",
diff --git a/nginx/hooktray.conf.template b/nginx/hooktray.conf.template
index 7b9e301..f137375 100644
--- a/nginx/hooktray.conf.template
+++ b/nginx/hooktray.conf.template
@@ -35,6 +35,20 @@ server {
         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $proxy_x_forwarded_proto;
     }
 
+    # Fingerprinted Next.js build assets can be cached aggressively.
+    location ^~ /_next/static/ {
+        try_files $uri =404;
+        access_log off;
+        add_header Cache-Control "public, max-age=31536000, immutable";
+    }
+
+    # Public static assets are stable; purge CDN/cache when replacing them.
+    location ~* \.(?:svg|ico|png|jpg|jpeg|webp|woff2?)$ {
+        try_files $uri =404;
+        access_log off;
+        add_header Cache-Control "public, max-age=31536000";
+    }
+
     # Frontend static files
     location / {
         try_files $uri $uri.html $uri/ /index.html;