diff --git a/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_components/list/table/wo-table-body.tsx b/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_components/list/table/wo-table-body.tsx
index bfbde81a..7e51c960 100644
--- a/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_components/list/table/wo-table-body.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_components/list/table/wo-table-body.tsx
@@ -23,8 +23,19 @@ export function WoTableBody({ tableData, renderRow, renderInlineRow }: WoTableBo
   const unassignedRows = tableData.unassigned ?? [];
   const showUnscheduled =
     (tableData.unscheduled?.length ?? 0) > 0 || tableData.draftDayKey === UNSCHEDULED_DAY_KEY;
+  // SH-165: "still loading" and "zero unassigned" are distinct states. Without
+  // this split the pin announced "No unassigned work orders." while the queue
+  // was still paging board/search on first mount.
+  const showUnassignedLoading =
+    tableData.unassignedOpen &&
+    unassignedRows.length === 0 &&
+    !tableData.unassignedError &&
+    tableData.unassignedLoading;
   const showUnassignedEmpty =
-    tableData.unassignedOpen && unassignedRows.length === 0 && !tableData.unassignedError;
+    tableData.unassignedOpen &&
+    unassignedRows.length === 0 &&
+    !tableData.unassignedError &&
+    !tableData.unassignedLoading;
 
   return (
     <tbody>
@@ -47,6 +58,15 @@ export function WoTableBody({ tableData, renderRow, renderInlineRow }: WoTableBo
               </td>
             </tr>
           )}
+          {showUnassignedLoading && (
+            <tr aria-busy="true">
+              <td colSpan={WO_TABLE_COLS.length} style={{ padding: "8px 14px" }}>
+                <Text variant="feedback" tone="muted">
+                  Loading unassigned work orders…
+                </Text>
+              </td>
+            </tr>
+          )}
           {showUnassignedEmpty && (
             <tr>
               <td colSpan={WO_TABLE_COLS.length} style={{ padding: "8px 14px" }}>
diff --git a/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_hooks/use-work-orders-board-source.ts b/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_hooks/use-work-orders-board-source.ts
index 11771ca7..914bf835 100644
--- a/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_hooks/use-work-orders-board-source.ts
+++ b/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_hooks/use-work-orders-board-source.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export type WorkOrdersBoardSource = {
   data: WorkOrderBoardListResult | undefined;
   unassignedQueue: WorkOrderTableRow[];
   unassignedError: Error | null;
+  unassignedLoading: boolean;
   isLoading: boolean;
   isFetching: boolean;
   error: Error | null;
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ export function useWorkOrdersBoardSource(filters: FiltersReturn): WorkOrdersBoar
   } = useWorkOrdersBoardSearch(resolvedSearchParams ?? { datePreset: "ThisWeek" }, advActive);
   const {
     data: queueData,
+    isLoading: queueLoading,
     isFetching: queueFetching,
     error: queueError,
     refetch: refetchQueue,
@@ -94,6 +96,10 @@ export function useWorkOrdersBoardSource(filters: FiltersReturn): WorkOrdersBoar
     data: advActive ? searchData : boardData,
     unassignedQueue: advActive ? EMPTY_UNASSIGNED_QUEUE : (queueData ?? EMPTY_UNASSIGNED_QUEUE),
     unassignedError: advActive ? null : (queueError ?? null),
+    // SH-165: the pinned queue has its own first-load state. Folding it into
+    // isFetching only made "still paging board/search" indistinguishable from
+    // "zero unassigned", so the pin announced an empty queue while loading.
+    unassignedLoading: advActive ? false : queueLoading,
     isLoading: advActive ? searchLoading : boardLoading,
     isFetching: advActive ? searchFetching : boardFetching || queueFetching,
     error: advActive ? searchError : boardError,
diff --git a/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_hooks/use-work-orders-table-data.ts b/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_hooks/use-work-orders-table-data.ts
index 469fd465..752272de 100644
--- a/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_hooks/use-work-orders-table-data.ts
+++ b/src/app/(protected)/workorders/_hooks/use-work-orders-table-data.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export function useWorkOrdersTableData(filters: FiltersReturn) {
     data,
     unassignedQueue,
     unassignedError,
+    unassignedLoading,
     isLoading,
     isFetching,
     error,
@@ -107,6 +108,7 @@ export function useWorkOrdersTableData(filters: FiltersReturn) {
     advResults,
     unassigned,
     unassignedError,
+    unassignedLoading,
     unscheduled,
     displayGroups,
     searchActive,
diff --git a/src/test/app/(protected)/workorders/wo-table-unassigned-queue.test.tsx b/src/test/app/(protected)/workorders/wo-table-unassigned-queue.test.tsx
index d010346d..66a61208 100644
--- a/src/test/app/(protected)/workorders/wo-table-unassigned-queue.test.tsx
+++ b/src/test/app/(protected)/workorders/wo-table-unassigned-queue.test.tsx
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ function baseTableData(
     advResults: [],
     unassigned: [],
     unassignedError: null,
+    unassignedLoading: false,
     unscheduled: [],
     displayGroups: [],
     searchActive: false,
@@ -308,6 +309,36 @@ describe("WoTableBody Unassigned queue (SH-165)", () => {
     expect(screen.queryByText("WED · 07/15")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  it("distinguishes a still-loading queue from an empty one", () => {
+    render(
+      <table>
+        <WoTableBody
+          tableData={baseTableData({ unassignedLoading: true })}
+          renderRow={() => null}
+          renderInlineRow={() => null}
+        />
+      </table>,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByText(/Loading unassigned work orders/)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("No unassigned work orders.")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("announces an empty queue only once loading has settled", () => {
+    render(
+      <table>
+        <WoTableBody
+          tableData={baseTableData({ unassignedLoading: false })}
+          renderRow={() => null}
+          renderInlineRow={() => null}
+        />
+      </table>,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByText("No unassigned work orders.")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/Loading unassigned work orders/)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   it("keeps the Unassigned pin visible when the queue query fails", () => {
     render(
       <table>