diff --git a/webapp/app/templates/partials/section_card.html b/webapp/app/templates/partials/section_card.html
index 19cf5cc..d070622 100644
--- a/webapp/app/templates/partials/section_card.html
+++ b/webapp/app/templates/partials/section_card.html
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 {% if oob and not (s.sections | selectattr("status", "in", ["pending", "generating"]) | list) %}
 <div id="status-bar" hx-swap-oob="innerHTML"></div>
 <div id="step3-actions" hx-swap-oob="innerHTML">
+  {% with status_oob=false %}
   {% include "partials/step3_actions.html" %}
+  {% endwith %}
 </div>
 {% endif %}
 {% if sec.status in ('pending', 'generating') %}
diff --git a/webapp/app/templates/partials/step3_actions.html b/webapp/app/templates/partials/step3_actions.html
index 0338cbf..61c6811 100644
--- a/webapp/app/templates/partials/step3_actions.html
+++ b/webapp/app/templates/partials/step3_actions.html
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 {% set drafting = s.sections | rejectattr('status', 'equalto', 'done') | list %}
+{% set status_oob = status_oob|default(true) %}
+{% if not drafting and status_oob %}
+<div id="status-bar" hx-swap-oob="innerHTML"></div>
+{% endif %}
 <div class="action-bar bar-3">
   <div class="bar-left">
     <a href="/sessions/{{ s.id }}/back/clarify" role="button" class="secondary outline">← Back</a>
diff --git a/webapp/tests/test_routes.py b/webapp/tests/test_routes.py
index ad84725..29c6a93 100644
--- a/webapp/tests/test_routes.py
+++ b/webapp/tests/test_routes.py
@@ -74,6 +74,21 @@ def test_last_section_poll_clears_stale_status_bar():
     body = resp.body.decode()
 
     assert 'id="status-bar" hx-swap-oob="innerHTML"' in body
+    assert body.count('id="status-bar"') == 1
     assert 'id="step3-actions" hx-swap-oob="innerHTML"' in body
     assert "Party review" in body
     assert "Finish" in body
+
+
+def test_step3_actions_clears_status_when_buttons_appear():
+    """The job_done-triggered button refresh should clear the first-paint
+    model-loading fallback even if no section-card poll runs afterward."""
+    s = state.create()
+    s.sections = [Section(id="overview", title="Overview", instruction="", content="Done", status="done")]
+
+    resp = asyncio.run(main.step3_actions(_FakeRequest(), s.id))
+    body = resp.body.decode()
+
+    assert 'id="status-bar" hx-swap-oob="innerHTML"' in body
+    assert "Party review" in body
+    assert "Finish" in body