@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@ The Next.js `settings/[section]/layout.tsx` owns all settings page chrome via
 `SettingsHeaderShell` — a fixed header bar (a left back chip + right-aligned
 action chips), a scroll region, and a centered `max-w-[48rem]` content column led
 by a **title + description from navigation metadata**. The chrome stays mounted
-across section navigation (it never re-renders or re-lays-out). Each section
-renders through the **`SettingsPanel`** registrar
+across section navigation. Its routed title and description are available before
+the section body resolves. Each section renders through the **`SettingsPanel`**
+registrar
 (`@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/settings-panel`), which feeds
 the shell its header data and renders only the section body. Sections supply
 **data**, never chrome.
@@ -82,6 +83,9 @@ return (
   `children` instead and omit the prop.
 - `title?` / `description?` — overrides for the nav-driven defaults. **Only** for a
   detail sub-view that needs a different heading; normal pages never pass these.
+  A top-level page's header identity must remain stable while its data loads:
+  never replace navigation metadata with client-fetched copy after first paint.
+  Put data-dependent context in the page body instead.
 - `scrollContainerRef?: React.Ref<HTMLDivElement>` — forwards a ref to the scroll
   region (e.g. programmatic scroll-to-bottom).
 
 
@@ -177,7 +177,6 @@ export function SettingsPage({ section }: SettingsPageProps) {
         <Billing
           scope={organizationId ? 'organization' : 'account'}
           organizationId={organizationId ?? undefined}
-          governingWorkspaceName={hostContext.workspace.name}
           creditUsageHref={`/workspace/${hostContext.workspace.id}/settings/billing/credit-usage`}
         />
       )}
 
@@ -174,6 +174,14 @@ vi.mock('@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/settings-panel', () =
   ),
 }))
 
+vi.mock('@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/settings-empty-state', () => ({
+  SettingsEmptyState: ({ children, tone }: { children: ReactNode; tone?: 'muted' | 'error' }) => (
+    <div data-testid='settings-empty-state' data-tone={tone ?? 'muted'}>
+      {children}
+    </div>
+  ),
+}))
+
 vi.mock(
   '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/settings-section/settings-section',
   () => ({
@@ -269,13 +277,7 @@ describe('Billing payer scope', () => {
 
   it('uses the target organization DTO for annual, canceled, credit, cap, and link state', async () => {
     await act(async () => {
-      root.render(
-        <Billing
-          scope='organization'
-          organizationId='org-target'
-          governingWorkspaceName='Production'
-        />
-      )
+      root.render(<Billing scope='organization' organizationId='org-target' />)
     })
 
     expect(mockUseSubscriptionData).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
@@ -290,9 +292,7 @@ describe('Billing payer scope', () => {
       container.querySelector('a[href="/workspace/organization-workspace/upgrade"]')?.textContent
     ).toBe('Explore organization plans')
     expect(container.textContent).toContain('Organization Max for Teams plan')
-    expect(container.textContent).toContain(
-      'Target organization’s subscription governs Production.'
-    )
+    expect(container.querySelector('main > p')).toBeNull()
     expect(container.textContent).toContain('billed annually')
     expect(container.textContent).toContain('Access until')
     expect(container.textContent).toContain('Subscription canceled')
@@ -316,19 +316,45 @@ describe('Billing payer scope', () => {
 
   it('uses a guaranteed personal payer workspace for account upgrades', async () => {
     await act(async () => {
-      root.render(<Billing scope='account' governingWorkspaceName='Personal workspace' />)
+      root.render(<Billing scope='account' />)
     })
 
     expect(
       container.querySelector('a[href="/workspace/personal-workspace/upgrade"]')?.textContent
     ).toBe('Explore personal plans')
     expect(container.textContent).toContain('Personal Pro plan')
-    expect(container.textContent).toContain(
-      'Your personal subscription governs Personal workspace.'
-    )
   })
 
-  it('does not show a governing subscription description for a free personal workspace', async () => {
+  it('does not override the route-owned header while billing transitions from loading to success', async () => {
+    mockPersonalQuery.current = {
+      data: undefined,
+      error: null,
+      isLoading: true,
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+    }
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(<Billing scope='account' />)
+    })
+
+    expect(container.innerHTML).toBe('')
+
+    mockPersonalQuery.current = {
+      data: { success: true, context: 'user', data: PERSONAL_DATA },
+      error: null,
+      isLoading: false,
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+    }
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(<Billing scope='account' />)
+    })
+
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain('Personal Pro plan')
+    expect(container.querySelector('main > p')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('does not add a dynamic header description for a free personal workspace', async () => {
     mockPersonalQuery.current = {
       data: {
         success: true,
@@ -340,7 +366,7 @@ describe('Billing payer scope', () => {
     }
 
     await act(async () => {
-      root.render(<Billing scope='account' governingWorkspaceName='Free workspace' />)
+      root.render(<Billing scope='account' />)
     })
 
     expect(container.textContent).toContain('Personal Free plan')
@@ -368,13 +394,7 @@ describe('Billing payer scope', () => {
     }
 
     await act(async () => {
-      root.render(
-        <Billing
-          scope='organization'
-          organizationId='org-target'
-          governingWorkspaceName='Free organization workspace'
-        />
-      )
+      root.render(<Billing scope='organization' organizationId='org-target' />)
     })
 
     expect(container.textContent).toContain('Organization Free plan')
@@ -398,13 +418,7 @@ describe('Billing payer scope', () => {
     }
 
     await act(async () => {
-      root.render(
-        <Billing
-          scope='organization'
-          organizationId='org-target'
-          governingWorkspaceName='Lapsed organization workspace'
-        />
-      )
+      root.render(<Billing scope='organization' organizationId='org-target' />)
     })
 
     expect(container.textContent).toContain('Organization Max for Teams plan ended')
@@ -415,4 +429,54 @@ describe('Billing payer scope', () => {
       container.querySelector('a[href="/workspace/organization-workspace/upgrade"]')?.textContent
     ).toBe('Explore organization plans')
   })
+
+  it('renders the canonical error state when the active billing query fails', async () => {
+    mockPersonalQuery.current = {
+      data: undefined,
+      error: new Error('Billing temporarily unavailable'),
+      isLoading: false,
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+    }
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(<Billing scope='account' />)
+    })
+
+    const errorState = container.querySelector('[data-testid="settings-empty-state"]')
+    expect(errorState).toHaveAttribute('data-tone', 'error')
+    expect(errorState?.textContent).toBe('Billing temporarily unavailable')
+  })
+
+  it('keeps cached billing content visible when a background refresh fails', async () => {
+    mockPersonalQuery.current = {
+      data: { success: true, context: 'user', data: PERSONAL_DATA },
+      error: new Error('Background refresh failed'),
+      isLoading: false,
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+    }
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(<Billing scope='account' />)
+    })
+
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain('Personal Pro plan')
+    expect(container.querySelector('[data-testid="settings-empty-state"]')).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('renders the canonical fallback error when billing completes without data', async () => {
+    mockOrganizationQuery.current = {
+      data: undefined,
+      error: null,
+      isLoading: false,
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+    }
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(<Billing scope='organization' organizationId='org-target' />)
+    })
+
+    const errorState = container.querySelector('[data-testid="settings-empty-state"]')
+    expect(errorState).toHaveAttribute('data-tone', 'error')
+    expect(errorState?.textContent).toBe('Failed to load billing information')
+  })
 })
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import { getBaseUrl } from '@/lib/core/utils/urls'
 import { CreditUsageSection } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/billing/components/credit-usage-section/credit-usage-section'
 import { UsageLimitField } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/billing/components/usage-limit-field/usage-limit-field'
 import { getSubscriptionPermissions } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/billing/subscription-permissions'
+import { SettingsEmptyState } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/settings-empty-state'
 import { SettingsPanel } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/settings-panel'
 import { RESOURCE_ROW_ARROW_CLASSES } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/settings-resource-row'
 import { SettingsSection } from '@/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/settings/components/settings-section/settings-section'
@@ -103,20 +104,15 @@ interface BillingProps {
   scope: 'account' | 'organization'
   organizationId?: string
   creditUsageHref?: string
-  governingWorkspaceName?: string
 }
 
-export function Billing({
-  scope,
-  organizationId,
-  creditUsageHref,
-  governingWorkspaceName,
-}: BillingProps) {
+export function Billing({ scope, organizationId, creditUsageHref }: BillingProps) {
   const router = useRouter()
   const isOrganizationScope = scope === 'organization'
 
   const {
     data: subscriptionData,
+    error: subscriptionError,
     isLoading: isSubscriptionLoading,
     refetch: refetchSubscription,
   } = useSubscriptionData({
@@ -127,6 +123,7 @@ export function Billing({
 
   const {
     data: organizationBillingData,
+    error: organizationBillingError,
     isLoading: isOrgBillingLoading,
     refetch: refetchOrganizationBilling,
   } = useOrganizationBilling(billingOrganizationId || '', { enabled: isOrganizationScope })
@@ -157,6 +154,7 @@ export function Billing({
     ? (organizationBilling?.subscriptionStatus ?? 'inactive')
     : (subscriptionData?.data?.status ?? 'inactive')
   const isLoading = isOrganizationScope ? isOrgBillingLoading : isSubscriptionLoading
+  const billingError = isOrganizationScope ? organizationBillingError : subscriptionError
 
   const subscription = {
     isFree: isFree(plan),
@@ -403,7 +401,15 @@ export function Billing({
   }
 
   if (isLoading) return null
-  if (isOrganizationScope ? !organizationBilling : !subscriptionData?.data) return null
+  if (isOrganizationScope ? !organizationBilling : !subscriptionData?.data) {
+    return (
+      <SettingsPanel>
+        <SettingsEmptyState tone='error'>
+          {getErrorMessage(billingError, 'Failed to load billing information')}
+        </SettingsEmptyState>
+      </SettingsPanel>
+    )
+  }
 
   const planName = getDisplayPlanName(subscription.plan)
   const billingInterval = isOrganizationScope
@@ -458,16 +464,9 @@ export function Billing({
   const explorePlansLabel = isOrganizationScope
     ? 'Explore organization plans'
     : 'Explore personal plans'
-  const subscriptionOwner = isOrganizationScope
-    ? `${organizationBilling?.organizationName ?? 'The organization'}’s subscription`
-    : 'Your personal subscription'
-  const settingsDescription =
-    governingWorkspaceName && subscription.isPaid
-      ? `${subscriptionOwner} governs ${governingWorkspaceName}.`
-      : undefined
 
   return (
-    <SettingsPanel description={settingsDescription}>
+    <SettingsPanel>
       <div className='flex items-center justify-between gap-3'>
         <div className='flex items-center gap-2.5'>
           <div className='size-9 flex-shrink-0'>
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function renderHeader(actions: SettingsAction[]) {
     root.render(
       <SettingsHeaderProvider>
         <SettingsHeaderShell>
-          <SettingsPanel title='Thing' actions={actions}>
+          <SettingsPanel back={{ text: 'Back', onSelect: vi.fn() }} title='Thing' actions={actions}>
             <div />
           </SettingsPanel>
         </SettingsHeaderShell>
@@ -152,7 +152,11 @@ describe('SettingsHeaderShell static meta', () => {
 
   it('yields to a body that registers its own header', () => {
     renderWithMeta(
-      <SettingsPanel title='Add secret' description='One value.'>
+      <SettingsPanel
+        back={{ text: 'Secrets', onSelect: vi.fn() }}
+        title='Add secret'
+        description='One value.'
+      >
         <div />
       </SettingsPanel>
     )
@@ -192,7 +196,7 @@ describe('SettingsHeaderShell static meta', () => {
 
   it('falls back to the meta title when the body unmounts mid-navigation', () => {
     renderWithMeta(
-      <SettingsPanel title='Add secret'>
+      <SettingsPanel back={{ text: 'Secrets', onSelect: vi.fn() }} title='Add secret'>
         <div />
       </SettingsPanel>
     )
 
@@ -38,17 +38,28 @@ export function SettingsSectionProvider({
   )
 }
 
-interface SettingsPanelProps {
+interface SettingsPanelBaseProps {
   children?: ReactNode
   actions?: SettingsAction[]
-  back?: SettingsBackAction
   search?: SettingsHeaderSearch
-  title?: string
-  description?: string
   docsLink?: string
   scrollContainerRef?: Ref<HTMLDivElement>
 }
 
+type SettingsPanelProps = SettingsPanelBaseProps &
+  (
+    | {
+        back: SettingsBackAction
+        title?: string
+        description?: string
+      }
+    | {
+        back?: undefined
+        title?: never
+        description?: never
+      }
+  )
+
 export function SettingsPanel({
   children,
   actions,