diff --git a/core/http/react-ui/src/App.css b/core/http/react-ui/src/App.css
index ceaf381ef..2e46fd893 100644
--- a/core/http/react-ui/src/App.css
+++ b/core/http/react-ui/src/App.css
@@ -1723,6 +1723,74 @@ select.input {
   color: var(--color-text-primary);
 }
 
+/* Popover — floating surface anchored to a trigger element. Uses the .card
+   base so theming is free, adds z-index + fixed-position + scroll cap so it
+   behaves on tables with many rows. Kept deliberately unstyled beyond that
+   — content is expected to provide its own header/body structure. */
+.popover {
+  position: fixed;
+  z-index: 200;
+  min-width: 260px;
+  max-width: min(420px, 95vw);
+  max-height: min(420px, 70vh);
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  padding: 0; /* sections provide their own padding */
+  overflow: hidden;
+  box-shadow: var(--shadow-lg);
+  animation: popoverIn var(--duration-fast) var(--ease-default);
+}
+
+@keyframes popoverIn {
+  from { opacity: 0; transform: translateY(-4px) scale(0.98); }
+  to   { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0) scale(1); }
+}
+
+.popover__header {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: var(--spacing-sm);
+  padding: var(--spacing-sm) var(--spacing-md);
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--color-border-subtle);
+  font-size: var(--text-sm);
+}
+
+.popover__scroll {
+  overflow: auto;
+  padding: 0;
+}
+
+.popover__table {
+  margin: 0;
+  width: 100%;
+}
+.popover__table th {
+  position: sticky;
+  top: 0;
+  background: var(--color-bg-raised, var(--color-bg-secondary));
+  z-index: 1;
+}
+
+/* Inline-table chip trigger — looks like a badge but is a button (cursor,
+   focus ring inherited from global :focus-visible). */
+.chip-trigger {
+  border: none;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  font-family: inherit;
+}
+.chip-trigger:hover {
+  filter: brightness(1.08);
+}
+
+/* Truncate + ellipsize a long cell (e.g. OCI digest) without breaking the
+   table layout. Tooltip preserves the full value. */
+.cell-truncate {
+  max-width: 160px;
+  overflow: hidden;
+  text-overflow: ellipsis;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+}
+
 /* Compact empty-state used inside expanded drawer sections (e.g. "No
    models loaded on this node"). Dimmer than the page-level .empty-state
    because it lives inside another container and shouldn't compete with
diff --git a/core/http/react-ui/src/components/NodeDistributionChip.jsx b/core/http/react-ui/src/components/NodeDistributionChip.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..952d8be0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/http/react-ui/src/components/NodeDistributionChip.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+import { useRef, useState } from 'react'
+import Popover from './Popover'
+
+// NodeDistributionChip shows where something is installed/loaded across a
+// cluster. Used by both Manage → Backends (per-row Nodes column, data =
+// gallery NodeBackendRef with version/digest) and by the Models tab (data =
+// LoadedOn with state/status). Supports arbitrary cluster size — small
+// clusters render node-name chips inline, larger clusters collapse to a
+// summary chip and reveal the full per-node table in a popover on click.
+//
+// Field names are intentionally forgiving: both {node_name, node_status} and
+// {NodeName, NodeStatus} are supported so the component works whether it's
+// reading directly off the JSON or off a hydrated class.
+//
+// Props:
+//   nodes:             array of node refs (see shape below).
+//   compactThreshold:  max nodes to render inline before collapsing (default 3).
+//   context:           'backends' (default) shows version/digest; 'models'
+//                      shows state.
+//   emptyLabel:        what to render when nodes is empty (default "—").
+export default function NodeDistributionChip({
+  nodes,
+  compactThreshold = 3,
+  context = 'backends',
+  emptyLabel = '—',
+}) {
+  const triggerRef = useRef(null)
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
+
+  const list = Array.isArray(nodes) ? nodes : []
+  if (list.length === 0) {
+    return <span className="cell-muted">{emptyLabel}</span>
+  }
+
+  const getName = n => n.node_name ?? n.NodeName ?? ''
+  const getStatus = n => n.node_status ?? n.NodeStatus ?? ''
+  const getState = n => n.state ?? n.State ?? ''
+  const getVersion = n => n.version ?? n.Version ?? ''
+  const getDigest = n => n.digest ?? n.Digest ?? ''
+
+  // Inline mode: render every node as its own chip. Good for small clusters
+  // where seeing the names directly is more useful than a summary.
+  if (list.length <= compactThreshold) {
+    return (
+      <div className="badge-row">
+        {list.map(n => {
+          const status = getStatus(n)
+          const variant = status === 'healthy' ? 'badge-success'
+            : status === 'draining' ? 'badge-info'
+            : 'badge-warning'
+          const title = context === 'models'
+            ? `${getName(n)} — ${getState(n)} (${status})`
+            : `${getName(n)} — ${status}${getVersion(n) ? ` · v${getVersion(n)}` : ''}`
+          return (
+            <span key={n.node_id ?? n.NodeID ?? getName(n)} className={`badge ${variant}`} title={title}>
+              <i className="fas fa-server" /> {getName(n)}
+            </span>
+          )
+        })}
+      </div>
+    )
+  }
+
+  // Summary mode for anything bigger. Count unhealthy/offline explicitly so
+  // the chip tells an operator at-a-glance whether to click in. "Drift" for
+  // backends = more than one (version, digest) tuple across healthy nodes.
+  const total = list.length
+  const offline = list.filter(n => {
+    const s = getStatus(n)
+    return s !== 'healthy' && s !== 'draining'
+  }).length
+  const drift = context === 'backends' ? countDrift(list) : 0
+  const severity = offline > 0 || drift > 0 ? 'badge-warning' : 'badge-info'
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      <button
+        ref={triggerRef}
+        type="button"
+        className={`badge ${severity} chip-trigger`}
+        aria-expanded={open}
+        aria-haspopup="dialog"
+        onClick={e => { e.stopPropagation(); setOpen(v => !v) }}
+      >
+        <i className="fas fa-server" />
+        {' '}on {total} node{total === 1 ? '' : 's'}
+        {offline > 0 ? ` · ${offline} offline` : ''}
+        {drift > 0 ? ` · ${drift} drift` : ''}
+      </button>
+      <Popover
+        anchor={triggerRef}
+        open={open}
+        onClose={() => setOpen(false)}
+        ariaLabel={context === 'models' ? 'Model distribution' : 'Backend distribution'}
+      >
+        <div className="popover__header">
+          <strong>Installed on {total} node{total === 1 ? '' : 's'}</strong>
+          {offline > 0 && <span className="badge badge-warning">{offline} offline</span>}
+          {drift > 0 && <span className="badge badge-warning">{drift} drift</span>}
+        </div>
+        <div className="popover__scroll">
+          <table className="table popover__table">
+            <thead>
+              <tr>
+                <th>Node</th>
+                <th>Status</th>
+                {context === 'models' ? <th>State</th> : <>
+                  <th>Version</th>
+                  <th>Digest</th>
+                </>}
+              </tr>
+            </thead>
+            <tbody>
+              {list.map(n => (
+                <tr key={n.node_id ?? n.NodeID ?? getName(n)}>
+                  <td className="cell-mono">{getName(n)}</td>
+                  <td>
+                    <span className={`badge ${getStatus(n) === 'healthy' ? 'badge-success' : 'badge-warning'}`}>
+                      {getStatus(n)}
+                    </span>
+                  </td>
+                  {context === 'models' ? (
+                    <td className="cell-mono">{getState(n) || '—'}</td>
+                  ) : (
+                    <>
+                      <td className="cell-mono">{getVersion(n) ? `v${getVersion(n)}` : '—'}</td>
+                      <td className="cell-mono cell-truncate" title={getDigest(n)}>
+                        {getDigest(n) ? shortenDigest(getDigest(n)) : '—'}
+                      </td>
+                    </>
+                  )}
+                </tr>
+              ))}
+            </tbody>
+          </table>
+        </div>
+      </Popover>
+    </>
+  )
+}
+
+// countDrift counts nodes whose (version, digest) disagrees with the cluster
+// majority. Mirrors the backend summarizeNodeDrift logic so the UI number
+// matches what CheckUpgradesAgainst emits in UpgradeInfo.NodeDrift.
+function countDrift(nodes) {
+  if (nodes.length <= 1) return 0
+  const counts = new Map()
+  for (const n of nodes) {
+    const key = `${n.version ?? n.Version ?? ''}|${n.digest ?? n.Digest ?? ''}`
+    counts.set(key, (counts.get(key) || 0) + 1)
+  }
+  if (counts.size === 1) return 0 // unanimous
+  let topKey = ''
+  let topCount = 0
+  for (const [k, v] of counts.entries()) {
+    if (v > topCount) { topKey = k; topCount = v }
+  }
+  return nodes.length - topCount
+}
+
+// shortenDigest trims a full OCI digest to the common 12-char form used in
+// docker/oci tooling. Falls back to the raw value if it doesn't match.
+function shortenDigest(digest) {
+  const m = /^(sha\d+:)?([a-f0-9]+)$/i.exec(digest)
+  if (!m) return digest
+  const hex = m[2]
+  return (m[1] ?? '') + hex.slice(0, 12)
+}
diff --git a/core/http/react-ui/src/components/Popover.jsx b/core/http/react-ui/src/components/Popover.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..96a9e217e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/http/react-ui/src/components/Popover.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState, useCallback } from 'react'
+
+// Minimal popover: positions itself below-right of the trigger's bounding box,
+// flips above when there isn't room below, closes on outside click or Escape,
+// returns focus to the trigger. Uses the existing .card surface so it picks
+// up theme/border/shadow automatically — no new theming work.
+//
+// Props:
+//   anchor:    ref to the trigger DOMElement (required)
+//   open:      boolean
+//   onClose:   () => void
+//   children:  popover body
+//   ariaLabel: accessible label for the dialog
+export default function Popover({ anchor, open, onClose, children, ariaLabel }) {
+  const popoverRef = useRef(null)
+  const [pos, setPos] = useState({ top: 0, left: 0, flipped: false })
+
+  // Compute position from the anchor's bounding box whenever we open or the
+  // viewport changes. 240px is the minimum width we'll reserve; bigger content
+  // grows naturally.
+  const reposition = useCallback(() => {
+    if (!anchor?.current) return
+    const rect = anchor.current.getBoundingClientRect()
+    const popoverHeight = popoverRef.current?.offsetHeight ?? 0
+    const spaceBelow = window.innerHeight - rect.bottom
+    const flipped = popoverHeight > spaceBelow - 16 && rect.top > popoverHeight
+    const top = flipped ? rect.top - popoverHeight - 8 : rect.bottom + 8
+    // Prefer left-aligned; clamp so we don't go off-screen right.
+    const left = Math.min(rect.left, window.innerWidth - 320)
+    setPos({ top, left: Math.max(8, left), flipped })
+  }, [anchor])
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!open) return
+    reposition()
+    window.addEventListener('resize', reposition)
+    window.addEventListener('scroll', reposition, true)
+    return () => {
+      window.removeEventListener('resize', reposition)
+      window.removeEventListener('scroll', reposition, true)
+    }
+  }, [open, reposition])
+
+  // Close on outside click or Escape. Mousedown (not click) so the close
+  // happens before a parent handler could re-trigger us.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!open) return
+    const onMouseDown = (e) => {
+      if (popoverRef.current && !popoverRef.current.contains(e.target) && !anchor?.current?.contains(e.target)) {
+        onClose()
+      }
+    }
+    const onKey = (e) => { if (e.key === 'Escape') onClose() }
+    document.addEventListener('mousedown', onMouseDown)
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', onKey)
+    return () => {
+      document.removeEventListener('mousedown', onMouseDown)
+      document.removeEventListener('keydown', onKey)
+    }
+  }, [open, onClose, anchor])
+
+  // Return focus to the trigger when the popover closes — keyboard users
+  // shouldn't have to tab back through the whole page to find their spot.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!open && anchor?.current) {
+      // requestAnimationFrame so the close is painted before focus jumps;
+      // otherwise screen readers announce the trigger mid-transition.
+      const raf = requestAnimationFrame(() => anchor.current?.focus?.())
+      return () => cancelAnimationFrame(raf)
+    }
+  }, [open, anchor])
+
+  if (!open) return null
+
+  return (
+    <div
+      ref={popoverRef}
+      role="dialog"
+      aria-label={ariaLabel}
+      className="popover card"
+      style={{ top: pos.top, left: pos.left }}
+    >
+      {children}
+    </div>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/core/http/react-ui/src/pages/Manage.jsx b/core/http/react-ui/src/pages/Manage.jsx
index 1347c44b0..b192730ef 100644
--- a/core/http/react-ui/src/pages/Manage.jsx
+++ b/core/http/react-ui/src/pages/Manage.jsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { useNavigate, useOutletContext, useSearchParams } from 'react-router-dom
 import ResourceMonitor from '../components/ResourceMonitor'
 import ConfirmDialog from '../components/ConfirmDialog'
 import Toggle from '../components/Toggle'
+import NodeDistributionChip from '../components/NodeDistributionChip'
 import { useModels } from '../hooks/useModels'
 import { backendControlApi, modelsApi, backendsApi, systemApi, nodesApi } from '../utils/api'
 
@@ -418,24 +419,10 @@ export default function Manage() {
                             <i className="fas fa-ban" /> Disabled
                           </span>
                         ) : model.loaded_on && model.loaded_on.length > 0 ? (
-                          // Distributed: surface where the model is actually loaded
-                          // so operators don't have to expand each node manually.
-                          <div className="badge-row">
-                            {model.loaded_on.slice(0, 3).map(l => (
-                              <span
-                                key={l.node_id}
-                                className={`badge ${l.state === 'loaded' ? 'badge-success' : l.state === 'loading' ? 'badge-info' : 'badge-warning'}`}
-                                title={`${l.node_name} — ${l.state} (${l.node_status})`}
-                              >
-                                <i className="fas fa-server" /> {l.node_name}
-                              </span>
-                            ))}
-                            {model.loaded_on.length > 3 && (
-                              <span className="badge" title={model.loaded_on.map(l => `${l.node_name} (${l.state})`).join('\n')}>
-                                +{model.loaded_on.length - 3}
-                              </span>
-                            )}
-                          </div>
+                          // Distributed mode: surface where the model is
+                          // actually loaded. Shared chip scales to any cluster
+                          // size (inline for <=3, popover for larger).
+                          <NodeDistributionChip nodes={model.loaded_on} context="models" />
                         ) : loadedModelIds.has(model.id) ? (
                           <span className="badge badge-success">
                             <i className="fas fa-circle" style={{ fontSize: '6px' }} /> Running
@@ -645,35 +632,7 @@ export default function Manage() {
                     </td>
                     {distributedMode && (
                       <td>
-                        {nodes.length === 0 ? (
-                          <span className="cell-muted">—</span>
-                        ) : nodes.length <= 3 ? (
-                          <div className="badge-row">
-                            {nodes.map(n => (
-                              <span
-                                key={n.node_id || n.NodeID}
-                                className={`badge ${(n.node_status || n.NodeStatus) === 'healthy' ? 'badge-success' : 'badge-warning'}`}
-                                title={`${n.node_name || n.NodeName} — ${n.node_status || n.NodeStatus}`}
-                              >
-                                <i className="fas fa-server" /> {n.node_name || n.NodeName}
-                              </span>
-                            ))}
-                          </div>
-                        ) : (() => {
-                          const total = nodes.length
-                          const offline = nodes.filter(n => {
-                            const s = n.node_status || n.NodeStatus
-                            return s !== 'healthy' && s !== 'draining'
-                          }).length
-                          return (
-                            <span
-                              className={`badge ${offline > 0 ? 'badge-warning' : 'badge-info'}`}
-                              title={nodes.map(n => `${n.node_name || n.NodeName} (${n.node_status || n.NodeStatus})`).join('\n')}
-                            >
-                              <i className="fas fa-server" /> on {total} nodes{offline > 0 ? ` · ${offline} offline` : ''}
-                            </span>
-                          )
-                        })()}
+                        <NodeDistributionChip nodes={nodes} context="backends" />
                       </td>
                     )}
                     <td>