diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/layout/ContentArea.vue b/apps/desktop/src/components/layout/ContentArea.vue
index 4bc9b3727..93e0ce351 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/layout/ContentArea.vue
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/layout/ContentArea.vue
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import { computed, ref, defineAsyncComponent, watch, nextTick, onMounted, onUnmounted } from "vue";
 import { safeLocalStorageGet, safeLocalStorageSet } from "@/lib/backend/safeStorage";
 import { appendDebugLog, isDebugLoggingEnabled } from "@/lib/backend/debugLog";
+import { canReloadUnavailableDataTab } from "@/lib/table/tableDataRefresh";
 import type { CSSProperties } from "vue";
 import { useI18n } from "vue-i18n";
 import { Check, Columns3, EyeOff, Loader2, Search, GitBranch, BarChart3, TableProperties, ChevronDown, ChevronUp, Inbox, RefreshCcw, Timer, Wrench, Toolbox, ListChecks, Database, Download, Upload, X, Pin, Rows3, SquareDashed, Minus, Plus } from "@lucide/vue";
@@ -743,6 +744,11 @@ function stopQueryResultAutoRefresh() {
 function refreshData(): boolean {
   if (props.activeTab.mode === "etcd") return etcdKeyBrowserRef.value?.refresh?.() ?? false;
   if (props.activeTab.mode === "zookeeper") return zookeeperKeyBrowserRef.value?.refresh?.() ?? false;
+  // Restored data tabs intentionally omit row data, so refresh must work before DataGrid mounts.
+  if (canReloadUnavailableDataTab(props.activeTab)) {
+    emit("reload");
+    return true;
+  }
   if (!dataGridRef.value) return false;
   void dataGridRef.value.onToolbarRefresh();
   return true;
@@ -799,10 +805,7 @@ function handleModRTarget(target: Element): boolean {
   if (target.closest("[data-query-editor-root]")) return queryEditorRef.value?.openReplace() ?? false;
   if (target.closest("[data-cell-detail-editor-root]")) return dataGridRef.value?.openCellDetailSearch() ?? false;
   if (target.closest("[data-grid-root]")) return refreshData();
-  if (props.activeTab.mode === "data" && !props.activeTab.result && !props.activeTab.isExecuting) {
-    emit("reload");
-    return true;
-  }
+  if (canReloadUnavailableDataTab(props.activeTab)) return refreshData();
   return false;
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/table/__tests__/tableDataRefresh.spec.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/table/__tests__/tableDataRefresh.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..76c3c9681
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/table/__tests__/tableDataRefresh.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { canReloadUnavailableDataTab } from "@/lib/table/tableDataRefresh";
+
+describe("canReloadUnavailableDataTab", () => {
+  it("allows restored data tabs to reload before the grid mounts", () => {
+    expect(canReloadUnavailableDataTab({ mode: "data", result: undefined, isExecuting: false })).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("does not start duplicate or unrelated reloads", () => {
+    expect(canReloadUnavailableDataTab({ mode: "data", result: undefined, isExecuting: true })).toBe(false);
+    expect(canReloadUnavailableDataTab({ mode: "query", result: undefined, isExecuting: false })).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps populated data tabs on the DataGrid refresh path", () => {
+    expect(
+      canReloadUnavailableDataTab({
+        mode: "data",
+        isExecuting: false,
+        result: { columns: ["id"], rows: [[1]], row_count: 1, execution_time_ms: 1 },
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/table/tableDataRefresh.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/table/tableDataRefresh.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..67ee7d773
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/table/tableDataRefresh.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import type { QueryTab } from "@/types/database";
+
+type RefreshableDataTab = Pick<QueryTab, "mode" | "result" | "isExecuting">;
+
+export function canReloadUnavailableDataTab(tab: RefreshableDataTab): boolean {
+  return tab.mode === "data" && !tab.result && !tab.isExecuting;
+}