diff --git a/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/repository/DeviceHardwareRepositoryImpl.kt b/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/repository/DeviceHardwareRepositoryImpl.kt
index bb02284b9..cfb239a87 100644
--- a/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/repository/DeviceHardwareRepositoryImpl.kt
+++ b/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/repository/DeviceHardwareRepositoryImpl.kt
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.meshtastic.core.data.repository
 
 import co.touchlab.kermit.Logger
+import kotlinx.coroutines.NonCancellable
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.Flow
 import kotlinx.coroutines.sync.Mutex
 import kotlinx.coroutines.sync.withLock
@@ -98,7 +99,7 @@ class DeviceHardwareRepositoryImpl(
         shouldFetch = { cached -> cached == null || lookupEntities(hwModel, target).any { it.isStale() } },
         fetch = { singleFlightRefresh() },
         context = dispatchers.io,
-        networkTimeoutMs = NETWORK_REFRESH_TIMEOUT_MS,
+        networkTimeoutMs = null,
         tag = "DeviceHardwareRepository",
     )
 
@@ -127,18 +128,20 @@ class DeviceHardwareRepositoryImpl(
     private suspend fun singleFlightRefresh() {
         refreshMutex.withLock {
             safeCatching {
-                val completed =
+                val remoteHardware =
                     withTimeoutOrNull(NETWORK_REFRESH_TIMEOUT_MS) {
                         Logger.d { "DeviceHardwareRepository: fetching from remote API" }
-                        val remoteHardware = remoteDataSource.getAllDeviceHardware()
-                        Logger.d { "DeviceHardwareRepository: remote returned ${remoteHardware.size} entries" }
-                        localDataSource.insertAllDeviceHardware(remoteHardware)
+                        remoteDataSource.getAllDeviceHardware()
                     }
-                if (completed == null) {
+                if (remoteHardware == null) {
                     Logger.w {
                         "DeviceHardwareRepository: network refresh timed out after ${NETWORK_REFRESH_TIMEOUT_MS}ms"
                     }
                 } else {
+                    Logger.d { "DeviceHardwareRepository: remote returned ${remoteHardware.size} entries" }
+                    withContext(NonCancellable + dispatchers.io) {
+                        localDataSource.insertAllDeviceHardware(remoteHardware)
+                    }
                     // Refresh msh.to device links from the API after a hardware refresh. Runs outside the hardware
                     // network timeout so that deadline can't cancel it mid-write.
                     deviceLinkRepository.reconcile()
diff --git a/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/repository/DeviceLinkRepositoryImpl.kt b/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/repository/DeviceLinkRepositoryImpl.kt
index daa197377..67841218d 100644
--- a/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/repository/DeviceLinkRepositoryImpl.kt
+++ b/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/repository/DeviceLinkRepositoryImpl.kt
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.meshtastic.core.data.repository
 
 import co.touchlab.kermit.Logger
+import kotlinx.coroutines.NonCancellable
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.Flow
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.emitAll
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.flow
@@ -75,8 +76,10 @@ class DeviceLinkRepositoryImpl(
                         "DeviceLinkRepository: network refresh timed out after ${NETWORK_REFRESH_TIMEOUT_MS}ms"
                     }
                 } else {
-                    store(remoteLinks)
-                    lastRefreshMillis = nowMillis
+                    withContext(NonCancellable + dispatchers.io) {
+                        store(remoteLinks)
+                        lastRefreshMillis = nowMillis
+                    }
                 }
             }
                 .onFailure { e -> Logger.w(e) { "DeviceLinkRepository: network refresh failed" } }
diff --git a/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/util/StaleWhileRevalidateFlow.kt b/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/util/StaleWhileRevalidateFlow.kt
index 46bc97142..d66aaabb7 100644
--- a/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/util/StaleWhileRevalidateFlow.kt
+++ b/core/data/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/data/util/StaleWhileRevalidateFlow.kt
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ private const val DEFAULT_NETWORK_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000L
 /**
  * Creates a cold Flow that implements the stale-while-revalidate caching pattern:
  * 1. Load and emit cached data immediately (UI never waits for network).
- * 2. If [shouldFetch] returns true, attempt a network refresh bounded by [networkTimeoutMs].
+ * 2. If [shouldFetch] returns true, attempt a refresh optionally bounded by [networkTimeoutMs].
  * 3. Reload from cache and emit again if the data changed.
  *
  * The [fetch] lambda is expected to write results to the local cache as a side-effect; [loadFromCache] is called again
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ private const val DEFAULT_NETWORK_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000L
  * @param shouldFetch Decides whether a network refresh is needed based on the cached value (suspendable).
  * @param fetch Performs the network call and persists results locally (side-effect only).
  * @param context The coroutine context for cache/network operations.
- * @param networkTimeoutMs Maximum time to wait for [fetch] before falling back to cached data.
+ * @param networkTimeoutMs Maximum time to wait for [fetch] before falling back to cached data. Pass null when [fetch]
+ *   bounds its own network work and also performs local cache writes that must not be cancelled by this helper.
  * @param tag Logging tag for diagnostics.
  */
 internal fun <T : Any> staleWhileRevalidateFlow(
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ internal fun <T : Any> staleWhileRevalidateFlow(
     shouldFetch: suspend (T?) -> Boolean,
     fetch: suspend () -> Unit,
     context: CoroutineContext,
-    networkTimeoutMs: Long = DEFAULT_NETWORK_TIMEOUT_MS,
+    networkTimeoutMs: Long? = DEFAULT_NETWORK_TIMEOUT_MS,
     tag: String = "StaleWhileRevalidate",
 ): Flow<T?> = flow {
     val cached = loadFromCache()
@@ -58,11 +59,22 @@ internal fun <T : Any> staleWhileRevalidateFlow(
 
     if (!shouldFetch(cached)) return@flow
 
-    val completed =
-        withTimeoutOrNull(networkTimeoutMs) {
-            safeCatching { fetch() }.onFailure { e -> Logger.w(e) { "$tag: network fetch failed" } }
+    suspend fun runFetch() {
+        safeCatching { fetch() }.onFailure { e -> Logger.w(e) { "$tag: network fetch failed" } }
+    }
+
+    val timedOut =
+        if (networkTimeoutMs == null) {
+            runFetch()
+            false
+        } else {
+            withTimeoutOrNull(networkTimeoutMs) {
+                runFetch()
+                true
+            } != true
         }
-    if (completed == null) {
+
+    if (timedOut) {
         Logger.w { "$tag: network fetch timed out after ${networkTimeoutMs}ms" }
     }