diff --git a/canvas/src/components/A2ATopologyOverlay.tsx b/canvas/src/components/A2ATopologyOverlay.tsx
index efd4f0ff..58f2d976 100644
--- a/canvas/src/components/A2ATopologyOverlay.tsx
+++ b/canvas/src/components/A2ATopologyOverlay.tsx
@@ -138,14 +138,37 @@ export function A2ATopologyOverlay() {
   // Stable Zustand action reference — safe to call inside effects
   const setA2AEdges = useCanvasStore((s) => s.setA2AEdges);
 
-  // Read the nodes array as a primitive ref; derive visible IDs outside the selector
-  const nodes = useCanvasStore((s) => s.nodes);
+  // Subscribe to a STABLE STRING KEY of visible workspace IDs, not the
+  // nodes array itself. Zustand returns a new array reference on every
+  // store update (status flips, position drags, peer-discovery writes,
+  // workspace-tab opens, etc.) — even when the set of visible IDs is
+  // unchanged. Selecting a sorted-CSV string makes Zustand's default
+  // shallow-equal short-circuit the re-render unless the actual ID set
+  // changes.
+  //
+  // Why this matters: previously visibleIds was useMemo'd on `nodes`, so
+  // the array reference recreated on every store mutation. fetchAndUpdate
+  // (useCallback'd on visibleIds) then recreated, the useEffect re-fired,
+  // it tore down the 60s setInterval and immediately re-ran the fan-out.
+  // With ~5 store updates/second from heartbeats + polling, the canvas
+  // hammered /workspaces/<id>/activity?type=delegation 5×N requests/sec
+  // until edge rate-limit kicked in with HTTP 429. The recursive React
+  // render trace in the original bug report (uE → ux → uE → ux ...) is
+  // the symptom of this re-render storm.
+  //
+  // The fix is purely the dependency-stability change here; the fetch
+  // logic is unchanged.
+  const visibleIdsKey = useCanvasStore((s) =>
+    s.nodes
+      .filter((n) => !n.hidden)
+      .map((n) => n.id)
+      .sort()
+      .join(",")
+  );
 
-  // IDs of visible (non-nested, non-hidden) workspace nodes.
-  // Recomputed only when the nodes array reference changes.
   const visibleIds = useMemo(
-    () => nodes.filter((n) => !n.hidden).map((n) => n.id),
-    [nodes]
+    () => (visibleIdsKey ? visibleIdsKey.split(",") : []),
+    [visibleIdsKey]
   );
 
   // Fetch delegation activity for all visible workspaces and rebuild overlay edges.
diff --git a/canvas/src/components/__tests__/A2ATopologyOverlay.test.tsx b/canvas/src/components/__tests__/A2ATopologyOverlay.test.tsx
index 8d4dba00..6cdd19a7 100644
--- a/canvas/src/components/__tests__/A2ATopologyOverlay.test.tsx
+++ b/canvas/src/components/__tests__/A2ATopologyOverlay.test.tsx
@@ -296,4 +296,75 @@ describe("A2ATopologyOverlay component", () => {
     // setA2AEdges should still be called with an empty array
     expect(mockStoreState.setA2AEdges).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  // Regression for the 2026-05-04 render-loop incident:
+  // tenant heartbeats / status flips / peer-discovery writes mutated
+  // canvas store .nodes ~5x/sec. Previously visibleIds was useMemo'd on
+  // [nodes] so the array reference recreated on every store mutation,
+  // causing fetchAndUpdate to recreate, the useEffect to re-fire, and
+  // the 60-second polling fan-out to fire on EVERY store update. With
+  // 5 visible workspaces and 5 store updates/sec, the canvas hammered
+  // /workspaces/<id>/activity?type=delegation 25×/sec until edge rate
+  // -limit returned 429 (per browser console captured by user).
+  //
+  // Fix: select a stable string key (sorted CSV of IDs) from Zustand
+  // so the selector's shallow-equal short-circuit prevents re-renders
+  // when the actual ID set hasn't changed.
+  //
+  // This test verifies the fetch fires ONCE on mount + only re-fires
+  // when the visible ID set actually changes, NOT on every nodes[]
+  // reference change.
+  it("does not re-fetch when nodes[] reference changes but visible IDs are the same", async () => {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+    mockGet.mockResolvedValue([] as any);
+    const { rerender } = render(<A2ATopologyOverlay />);
+    await act(async () => { await Promise.resolve(); await Promise.resolve(); });
+
+    const callsAfterMount = mockGet.mock.calls.length;
+    // Sanity: 2 visible nodes (ws-a, ws-b) → 2 fan-out requests on mount
+    expect(callsAfterMount).toBe(2);
+
+    // Simulate a store mutation that changes the nodes array reference
+    // (e.g. status flip on a node) WITHOUT changing the set of visible
+    // IDs. Pre-fix: this triggered a re-fetch storm. Post-fix: the
+    // sorted-CSV selector returns the same key, Zustand's shallow-equal
+    // short-circuits, useMemo keeps the same visibleIds, fetchAndUpdate
+    // keeps the same identity, useEffect does NOT re-fire.
+    mockStoreState.nodes = [
+      { id: "ws-a", hidden: false, data: { newStatus: "online" } },  // mutated
+      { id: "ws-b", hidden: false, data: {} },
+      { id: "ws-hidden", hidden: true, data: {} },
+    ];
+    rerender(<A2ATopologyOverlay />);
+    await act(async () => { await Promise.resolve(); await Promise.resolve(); });
+
+    // No additional fetches should have fired.
+    expect(mockGet.mock.calls.length).toBe(callsAfterMount);
+  });
+
+  it("re-fetches when the visible ID set actually changes", async () => {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+    mockGet.mockResolvedValue([] as any);
+    const { rerender } = render(<A2ATopologyOverlay />);
+    await act(async () => { await Promise.resolve(); await Promise.resolve(); });
+
+    const callsAfterMount = mockGet.mock.calls.length;
+    expect(callsAfterMount).toBe(2);
+
+    // Add a new visible workspace — the visible-ID-set actually changed.
+    mockStoreState.nodes = [
+      { id: "ws-a", hidden: false, data: {} },
+      { id: "ws-b", hidden: false, data: {} },
+      { id: "ws-c", hidden: false, data: {} }, // NEW
+      { id: "ws-hidden", hidden: true, data: {} },
+    ];
+    rerender(<A2ATopologyOverlay />);
+    await act(async () => { await Promise.resolve(); await Promise.resolve(); });
+
+    // Should have fetched the additional workspace + the existing two
+    // (the effect re-fires once with the new ID set). Total: 2 + 3 = 5.
+    expect(mockGet.mock.calls.length).toBe(callsAfterMount + 3);
+    const allPaths = mockGet.mock.calls.map(([p]) => p as string);
+    expect(allPaths.some((p) => p.includes("ws-c"))).toBe(true);
+  });
 });