diff --git a/core/http/react-ui/src/components/nodes/nodeStatus.js b/core/http/react-ui/src/components/nodes/nodeStatus.js
index 799a7c13f..3fd61046e 100644
--- a/core/http/react-ui/src/components/nodes/nodeStatus.js
+++ b/core/http/react-ui/src/components/nodes/nodeStatus.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export const statusConfig = {
 
 export const modelStateConfig = {
   loaded: { bg: 'var(--color-success-light)', color: 'var(--color-success)', border: 'var(--color-success-border)' },
+  staging: { bg: 'var(--color-primary-light)', color: 'var(--color-primary)', border: 'var(--color-primary-border)' },
   loading: { bg: 'var(--color-primary-light)', color: 'var(--color-primary)', border: 'var(--color-primary-border)' },
   unloading: { bg: 'var(--color-warning-light)', color: 'var(--color-warning)', border: 'var(--color-warning-border)' },
   idle: { bg: 'var(--color-bg-tertiary)', color: 'var(--color-text-muted)', border: 'var(--color-border-subtle)' },
diff --git a/core/services/nodes/file_stager_http.go b/core/services/nodes/file_stager_http.go
index 9982a6a13..79047aad6 100644
--- a/core/services/nodes/file_stager_http.go
+++ b/core/services/nodes/file_stager_http.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func (h *HTTPFileStager) EnsureRemote(ctx context.Context, nodeID, localPath, ke
 	// attempt — the server uses it to detect mid-flight content drift and
 	// reject (409) if a partial upload claims a new identity, forcing a clean
 	// restart.
-	localHash, err := hashFileWithActivity(ctx, localPath)
+	localHash, err := hashLocalCached(ctx, localPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		if ctx.Err() != nil {
 			// The cold load was cancelled or expired while hashing. Uploading
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ func (h *HTTPFileStager) probeExisting(ctx context.Context, addr, localPath, key
 	// legitimately skipped shards accrues no activity at all.
 	observeLoadProgress(ctx)
 
-	localHash, err := hashFileWithActivity(ctx, localPath)
+	localHash, err := hashLocalCached(ctx, localPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", false
 	}
@@ -538,6 +538,39 @@ func hashFileWithActivity(ctx context.Context, path string) (string, error) {
 	return hex.EncodeToString(h.Sum(nil)), nil
 }
 
+// hashLocalCached returns the SHA-256 of path, consulting the same .sha256
+// sidecar the worker-side transfer server maintains (computeAndCacheHash).
+// The stager re-hashes every staged artifact on every load request; for a
+// large multi-file model on slow storage (a NAS-mounted models dir) that is
+// minutes of pure re-reading per request even when nothing changed. The
+// sidecar is trusted only when it is not older than the file itself, so a
+// rewritten file invalidates it.
+func hashLocalCached(ctx context.Context, path string) (string, error) {
+	sidecar := path + hashSidecarSuffix
+
+	fileStat, err := os.Stat(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if sidecarStat, err := os.Stat(sidecar); err == nil && !sidecarStat.ModTime().Before(fileStat.ModTime()) {
+		if data, err := os.ReadFile(sidecar); err == nil {
+			cached := strings.TrimSpace(string(data))
+			if len(cached) == 64 {
+				return cached, nil
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	hashHex, err := hashFileWithActivity(ctx, path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(sidecar, []byte(hashHex), 0640); err != nil {
+		xlog.Warn("Failed to write hash sidecar", "path", sidecar, "error", err)
+	}
+	return hashHex, nil
+}
+
 // progressReader wraps an io.Reader and logs upload progress periodically.
 // If a StagingProgressCallback is present in the context, it also calls it
 // for UI-visible progress updates.
diff --git a/core/services/nodes/registry.go b/core/services/nodes/registry.go
index 1f5c42ef7..b9c78ee03 100644
--- a/core/services/nodes/registry.go
+++ b/core/services/nodes/registry.go
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ type NodeModel struct {
 	ModelName     string    `gorm:"index;size:255" json:"model_name"`
 	ReplicaIndex  int       `gorm:"column:replica_index;default:0;index" json:"replica_index"`
 	Address       string    `gorm:"size:255" json:"address"`           // gRPC address for this replica's backend process
-	State         string    `gorm:"size:32;default:idle" json:"state"` // loading, loaded, unloading, idle
+	State         string    `gorm:"size:32;default:idle" json:"state"` // staging, loading, loaded, unloading, idle
 	InFlight      int       `json:"in_flight"`                         // number of active requests on this replica
 	LastUsed      time.Time `json:"last_used"`
 	LoadingBy     string    `gorm:"size:36" json:"loading_by,omitempty"`    // frontend ID that triggered loading
diff --git a/core/services/nodes/router.go b/core/services/nodes/router.go
index 5b6aed953..62bf302ac 100644
--- a/core/services/nodes/router.go
+++ b/core/services/nodes/router.go
@@ -319,6 +319,26 @@ func (r *SmartRouter) scheduleAndLoad(ctx context.Context, backendType, tracking
 	// that built modelOpts may have no GPU at all in distributed mode.
 	applyNodeHardwareDefaults(modelOpts, node, backendType)
 
+	// Publish the load lifecycle from the moment the node is chosen: staging a
+	// large model takes minutes, and without a registry row the whole phase is
+	// invisible to /api/nodes and the UI — a cold load looks exactly like
+	// nothing happening. The row also reserves the replica slot against
+	// concurrent schedulers. Removed on any failure below so a dead load does
+	// not leave a phantom replica.
+	if err := r.registry.SetNodeModel(ctx, node.ID, trackingKey, replicaIndex, "staging", backendAddr, 0); err != nil {
+		xlog.Warn("Failed to record staging state", "node", node.Name, "model", trackingKey, "replica", replicaIndex, "error", err)
+	}
+	lifecycleSettled := false
+	defer func() {
+		if lifecycleSettled {
+			return
+		}
+		cleanupCtx := context.WithoutCancel(ctx)
+		if err := r.registry.RemoveNodeModel(cleanupCtx, node.ID, trackingKey, replicaIndex); err != nil {
+			xlog.Warn("Failed to clear lifecycle row after failed load", "node", node.Name, "model", trackingKey, "replica", replicaIndex, "error", err)
+		}
+	}()
+
 	// Size the remote load budget BEFORE staging: stageModelFiles rewrites the
 	// path fields to their remote equivalents on a clone, and only the local
 	// paths can be stat'ed here.
@@ -342,6 +362,11 @@ func (r *SmartRouter) scheduleAndLoad(ctx context.Context, backendType, tracking
 		xlog.Info("Loading model on remote node", "node", node.Name, "model", modelName, "addr", backendAddr,
 			"payloadBytes", payloadBytes, "loadBudget", loadTimeout)
 
+		// Staging is done; the checkpoint load on the worker begins.
+		if err := r.registry.SetNodeModel(ctx, node.ID, trackingKey, replicaIndex, "loading", backendAddr, 0); err != nil {
+			xlog.Warn("Failed to record loading state", "node", node.Name, "model", trackingKey, "replica", replicaIndex, "error", err)
+		}
+
 		// The cold-load hold above this call extends on STAGING progress, and
 		// the remote LoadModel reports none — so once the last byte lands the
 		// hold expires a stall window later and would cancel a load that is
@@ -380,7 +405,9 @@ func (r *SmartRouter) scheduleAndLoad(ctx context.Context, backendType, tracking
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Record the model as loaded on this node (specific replica slot).
+	// Record the model as loaded on this node (specific replica slot). From
+	// here the row is authoritative; the failure-cleanup defer must not touch it.
+	lifecycleSettled = true
 	if err := r.registry.SetNodeModel(ctx, node.ID, trackingKey, replicaIndex, "loaded", backendAddr, initialInFlight); err != nil {
 		xlog.Warn("Failed to record model on node", "node", node.Name, "model", trackingKey, "replica", replicaIndex, "error", err)
 	}
diff --git a/core/services/nodes/router_test.go b/core/services/nodes/router_test.go
index 8f0b2f0fd..422822857 100644
--- a/core/services/nodes/router_test.go
+++ b/core/services/nodes/router_test.go
@@ -487,9 +487,14 @@ var _ = Describe("SmartRouter", func() {
 				Expect(result).ToNot(BeNil())
 				Expect(result.Node.ID).To(Equal("n2"))
 
-				// SetNodeModel should record the model as loaded on the node
-				Expect(reg2.setCalls).To(HaveLen(1))
-				Expect(reg2.setCalls[0]).To(ContainSubstring("n2:some-model:loaded"))
+				// The load lifecycle is published: a staging row appears as soon
+				// as the node is chosen (what makes a multi-minute cold load
+				// visible in /api/nodes and the UI), then the final loaded row.
+				// This path passes nil model options, so the checkpoint-load
+				// phase (and its "loading" state) is skipped.
+				Expect(reg2.setCalls).To(HaveLen(2))
+				Expect(reg2.setCalls[0]).To(ContainSubstring("n2:some-model:staging"))
+				Expect(reg2.setCalls[1]).To(ContainSubstring("n2:some-model:loaded"))
 			})
 		})