diff --git a/packages/dashboard/app/__tests__/versionCheck.test.ts b/packages/dashboard/app/__tests__/versionCheck.test.ts
index c28444cc5e..a823306518 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/app/__tests__/versionCheck.test.ts
+++ b/packages/dashboard/app/__tests__/versionCheck.test.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,14 @@ import {
   handleChunkLoadError,
   reloadOnce,
   checkVersion,
+  installVersionCheck,
   consumeVersionUpdateFlag,
   _resetCheckState,
   _resetState,
   setAutoReloadEnabled,
   _isAutoReloadEnabled,
   MIN_CHECK_INTERVAL_MS,
+  POLL_INTERVAL_MS,
   _resetMismatchState,
 } from "../versionCheck";
 import { clearTraces, getTraces } from "../utils/dashboardTraceBuffer";
@@ -259,6 +261,119 @@ describe("checkVersion cooldown + mismatch gating", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("installVersionCheck periodic polling", () => {
+  const reloadSpy = vi.fn();
+
+  function versionResponse(version: string) {
+    return {
+      ok: true,
+      headers: new Headers({ "content-type": "application/json" }),
+      json: () => Promise.resolve({ version }),
+    };
+  }
+
+  function settingsResponse() {
+    return {
+      ok: true,
+      headers: new Headers({ "content-type": "application/json" }),
+      json: () => Promise.resolve({ autoReloadOnVersionChange: true }),
+    };
+  }
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    vi.stubEnv("PROD", true);
+    vi.stubGlobal("location", { reload: reloadSpy });
+    window.sessionStorage.clear();
+    reloadSpy.mockClear();
+    _resetState();
+    clearTraces();
+    Object.defineProperty(document, "visibilityState", { value: "visible", configurable: true });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    _resetState();
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    vi.unstubAllEnvs();
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("sets up a periodic interval that calls checkVersion with the poll trigger", async () => {
+    const fetchSpy = vi.fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(settingsResponse())
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(versionResponse("test-build-abc123"))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(versionResponse("different-version"));
+    vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchSpy);
+
+    installVersionCheck();
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(2_000);
+    clearTraces();
+
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(POLL_INTERVAL_MS - 2_000);
+
+    expect(fetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+    const mismatchTrace = getTraces().find((entry) => entry.event === "mismatch");
+    expect(mismatchTrace?.detail).toMatchObject({ trigger: "poll", remote: "different-version" });
+    expect(reloadSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("polling detects a confirmed version mismatch and triggers reload", async () => {
+    const fetchSpy = vi.fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(settingsResponse())
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(versionResponse("test-build-abc123"))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(versionResponse("different-version"))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(versionResponse("different-version"));
+    vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchSpy);
+
+    installVersionCheck();
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
+    expect(reloadSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
+
+    expect(reloadSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(window.sessionStorage.getItem("fusion:version-update")).toBe("1");
+    const confirmedTrace = getTraces().find((entry) => entry.event === "mismatch-confirmed");
+    expect(confirmedTrace?.detail).toMatchObject({ trigger: "poll", remote: "different-version" });
+  });
+
+  it("cleans up the polling interval when state is reset", async () => {
+    const fetchSpy = vi.fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(settingsResponse())
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(versionResponse("test-build-abc123"));
+    vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchSpy);
+
+    installVersionCheck();
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(2_000);
+    expect(fetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+
+    _resetState();
+    fetchSpy.mockClear();
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
+
+    expect(fetchSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("polling respects MIN_CHECK_INTERVAL_MS cooldown", async () => {
+    const fetchSpy = vi.fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(settingsResponse())
+      .mockResolvedValue(versionResponse("test-build-abc123"));
+    vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchSpy);
+
+    installVersionCheck();
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(POLL_INTERVAL_MS - 1);
+    expect(fetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2); // settings + initial check
+
+    await checkVersion("focus");
+    expect(fetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1);
+
+    expect(fetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+    expect(reloadSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
+
 describe("autoReloadOnVersionChange setting", () => {
   const reloadSpy = vi.fn();
 
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/app/versionCheck.ts b/packages/dashboard/app/versionCheck.ts
index 6a0e1f4b0a..00465cf40d 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/app/versionCheck.ts
+++ b/packages/dashboard/app/versionCheck.ts
@@ -25,11 +25,15 @@ export function _isAutoReloadEnabled(): boolean {
   return autoReloadEnabled;
 }
 
-/** Exported for testing — resets internal state. */
+/** Exported for testing — resets internal state and clears installed polling. */
 export function _resetState(): void {
   lastCheckTime = 0;
   checkInFlight = false;
   autoReloadEnabled = true;
+  if (pollIntervalId !== null) {
+    window.clearInterval(pollIntervalId);
+    pollIntervalId = null;
+  }
   _resetMismatchState();
 }
 
@@ -121,10 +125,15 @@ async function bootstrapAutoReloadSetting(): Promise<void> {
 }
 
 export const MIN_CHECK_INTERVAL_MS = 60_000; // 1 minute
+export const POLL_INTERVAL_MS = 5 * 60_000; // 5 minutes
+
+type VersionCheckTrigger = "visibilitychange" | "focus" | "initial" | "poll";
+
 let lastCheckTime = 0;
 let checkInFlight = false;
 let lastMismatchedRemote: string | null = null;
 let lastMismatchAt = 0;
+let pollIntervalId: number | null = null;
 
 /** Exported for testing — resets internal cooldown state */
 export function _resetCheckState(): void {
@@ -138,7 +147,7 @@ export function _resetMismatchState(): void {
   lastMismatchAt = 0;
 }
 
-export async function checkVersion(trigger: "visibilitychange" | "focus" | "initial" = "initial"): Promise<void> {
+export async function checkVersion(trigger: VersionCheckTrigger = "initial"): Promise<void> {
   if (checkInFlight || document.visibilityState !== "visible") return;
   if (Date.now() - lastCheckTime < MIN_CHECK_INTERVAL_MS) return;
   lastCheckTime = Date.now();
@@ -195,6 +204,15 @@ export async function checkVersion(trigger: "visibilitychange" | "focus" | "init
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Install production version-change detection.
+ *
+ * The checker runs on initial load, tab visibility/focus events, and a
+ * lightweight periodic poll so foreground tabs detect newly deployed bundles
+ * even when the user never switches away. `checkVersion()` applies visibility
+ * and cooldown guards, so the interval does not fetch for hidden tabs or more
+ * frequently than the minimum check interval.
+ */
 export function installVersionCheck(): void {
   if (!import.meta.env.PROD) return;
   // Fetch settings to apply auto-reload guard before first version check.
@@ -209,4 +227,9 @@ export function installVersionCheck(): void {
   });
   // Initial check after load to catch tabs restored from bfcache.
   window.setTimeout(() => void checkVersion("initial"), 2_000);
+  if (pollIntervalId === null) {
+    pollIntervalId = window.setInterval(() => {
+      void checkVersion("poll");
+    }, POLL_INTERVAL_MS);
+  }
 }