diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ds/StatusDot.jsx b/frontend/src/components/ds/StatusDot.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8924ff40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ds/StatusDot.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
+
+// A Pill's dot without the label; the status text rides along as the accessible
+// name and tooltip. kind: same vocabulary as Pill.
+export function StatusDot({ kind = 'gray', label, className }) {
+    return <span role="img" aria-label={label} title={label} className={cn('sk-statusdot', `sk-statusdot--${kind}`, className)} />;
+}
+
+export default StatusDot;
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ds/index.js b/frontend/src/components/ds/index.js
index 5ae38562..a66deb05 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ds/index.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ds/index.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Shared, reusable building blocks for the new "infra console" look. Styles
 // live in styles/components/_design-system.scss (sk-* namespace).
 export { Pill } from './Pill';
+export { StatusDot } from './StatusDot';
 export {
     statusKind, statusVariant, statusDotClass, statusLabel,
     alertStatusKind, processStateVariant, envActionKind,
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/serverdetail/ServerHeaderMeta.jsx b/frontend/src/components/serverdetail/ServerHeaderMeta.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ed9c32d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/serverdetail/ServerHeaderMeta.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
+import FavoriteStar from '@/components/FavoriteStar';
+import InfoTip from '@/components/InfoTip';
+import CopyButton from '@/components/CopyButton';
+import { StatusDot } from '../ds';
+import { serverStatusKind } from './serverDetailData';
+
+// Header meta: [status dot] [(i) with endpoint + ID] [star]. Everything the
+// header used to spell out lives behind the (i).
+export default function ServerHeaderMeta({ server }) {
+    const { t } = useTranslation();
+    const status = server.status || 'pending';
+    const endpoint = server.hostname || server.ip_address || t('app.serverDetail.noEndpointConfigured', 'No endpoint configured');
+    return (
+        <>
+            <StatusDot kind={serverStatusKind(status)} label={status.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + status.slice(1)} />
+            <InfoTip size="md" title={t('app.serverDetail.details', 'Server details')}>
+                <dl className="server-detail-info">
+                    <dt>{t('common.labels.status', 'Status')}</dt>
+                    <dd>{status}</dd>
+                    <dt>{t('app.serverDetail.endpoint', 'Endpoint')}</dt>
+                    <dd>{endpoint}</dd>
+                    <dt>{t('app.serverDetail.serverId', 'ID')}</dt>
+                    <dd className="server-detail-info__id">
+                        <code>{server.id}</code>
+                        <CopyButton value={String(server.id)} label={t('app.serverDetail.copyId', 'Copy ID')} />
+                    </dd>
+                </dl>
+            </InfoTip>
+            <FavoriteStar type="server" id={server.id} path={`/servers/${server.id}`} label={server.name} />
+        </>
+    );
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/serverdetail/serverDetailData.js b/frontend/src/components/serverdetail/serverDetailData.js
index 258dc345..e9a8c8fa 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/serverdetail/serverDetailData.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/serverdetail/serverDetailData.js
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ import { statusKind } from '../ds/status.js';
 // Server connection states ride the shared vocabulary.
 export const serverStatusKind = (status) => statusKind(status);
 
+// The backend names an unpaired server "Pending pairing (<short id>)"
+// (api/servers.py _placeholder_name); the id suffix is noise in a heading.
+const PLACEHOLDER_NAME = /^Pending pairing \(.*\)$/;
+export const isPlaceholderServerName = (name) => PLACEHOLDER_NAME.test(name ?? '');
+
 export const PRESET_LABELS = {
     '* * * * *': 'Every minute',
     '*/5 * * * *': 'Every 5 minutes',
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/serverdetail/serverDetailData.test.mjs b/frontend/src/components/serverdetail/serverDetailData.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..68dc32b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/serverdetail/serverDetailData.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import test from 'node:test';
+
+import { isPlaceholderServerName } from './serverDetailData.js';
+
+test('backend placeholder names are detected', () => {
+    assert.equal(isPlaceholderServerName('Pending pairing (342ade51)'), true);
+});
+
+test('real names are left alone', () => {
+    assert.equal(isPlaceholderServerName('web-01'), false);
+    assert.equal(isPlaceholderServerName('Pending pairing'), false);
+    assert.equal(isPlaceholderServerName(undefined), false);
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json
index c9298e20..0d65f546 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json
@@ -5387,7 +5387,10 @@
             "alerts": "Alerts",
             "areYouSureYouWantTo": "Remove this server? This can't be undone.",
             "backToServers": "Back to servers",
+            "copyId": "Copy ID",
             "cron": "Cron",
+            "details": "Server details",
+            "endpoint": "Endpoint",
             "errorLoadingServer": "Couldn't load the server.",
             "failedToAcknowledgeAlert": "Couldn't acknowledge the alert.",
             "failedToPingServer": "Couldn't ping the server.",
@@ -5398,6 +5401,7 @@
             "metrics": "Metrics",
             "noEndpointConfigured": "No endpoint configured",
             "packages": "Packages",
+            "pendingPairing": "Pending pairing",
             "ping": "Ping",
             "proxy": "Proxy",
             "remoteAccess": "Remote access",
@@ -5405,6 +5409,7 @@
             "restorePoints": "Restore points",
             "sections": "Server sections",
             "serverDidNotRespond": "Server did not respond",
+            "serverId": "ID",
             "serverNotFound": "Server not found",
             "serverRemovedSuccessfully": "Server removed",
             "serverRespondedInMs": "Server responded in {{latency}}ms",
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/ServerDetail.jsx b/frontend/src/pages/ServerDetail.jsx
index 8d9debbc..4b8f252a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/ServerDetail.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/ServerDetail.jsx
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
-import { serverStatusKind } from '../components/serverdetail/serverDetailData';
+import { isPlaceholderServerName } from '../components/serverdetail/serverDetailData';
+import ServerHeaderMeta from '../components/serverdetail/ServerHeaderMeta';
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { useParams, Link, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import api from '../services/api';
 import { useToast } from '../contexts/useToast.js';
 import { useConfirm } from '../hooks/useConfirm';
 import { useRecordVisit } from '@/hooks/useRecordVisit';
-import FavoriteStar from '@/components/FavoriteStar';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
-import { Pill } from '../components/ds';
 import { Tabs, TabsContent } from '@/components/ui/tabs';
 import { Tip } from '@/components/ui/tooltip';
 import { Server, ArrowLeft } from 'lucide-react';
@@ -276,17 +275,9 @@ const ServerDetail = () => {
         <PageLayout
             className="server-detail-page"
             icon={<Server size={18} />}
-            title={server.name}
+            title={isPlaceholderServerName(server.name) ? t('app.serverDetail.pendingPairing', 'Pending pairing') : server.name}
             navLabel={t('app.serverDetail.sections', 'Server sections')}
-            meta={(
-                <>
-                    <FavoriteStar type="server" id={server.id} path={`/servers/${server.id}`} label={server.name} />
-                    <Pill kind={serverStatusKind(server.status)}>{server.status || 'pending'}</Pill>
-                    <span>
-                        {server.hostname || server.ip_address || t('app.serverDetail.noEndpointConfigured', 'No endpoint configured')}
-                    </span>
-                </>
-            )}
+            meta={<ServerHeaderMeta server={server} />}
             tabs={tabs.map((item) => ({
                 id: item.id,
                 label: item.badge ? <>{item.label}<span className="tab-badge">{item.badge}</span></> : item.label,
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/components/_design-system.scss b/frontend/src/styles/components/_design-system.scss
index 2a836513..357b4eae 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/components/_design-system.scss
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/components/_design-system.scss
@@ -14,6 +14,22 @@ $sk-tones: ('accent', 'green', 'cyan', 'amber', 'red', 'violet');
 // ------------------------------------------------------------
 // Pill — status badge (dot + label)
 // ------------------------------------------------------------
+// StatusDot: the Pill's dot on its own, for headers that want colour without a label.
+.sk-statusdot {
+    display: inline-block;
+    flex: none;
+    width: 8px; // geometry: status dot
+    height: 8px; // geometry: status dot
+    border-radius: 50%;
+
+    &--green { background: var(--green); }
+    &--amber { background: var(--amber); }
+    &--red { background: var(--red); }
+    &--cyan { background: var(--cyan); }
+    &--violet { background: var(--violet); }
+    &--gray { background: var(--text-faint); }
+}
+
 .sk-pill {
     // Badge spec: 20px tall, 4px radius, 12px/500, tinted fill, flat dot.
     display: inline-flex;
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/pages/_servers.scss b/frontend/src/styles/pages/_servers.scss
index 68ffeac9..a6d83bdf 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/pages/_servers.scss
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/pages/_servers.scss
@@ -2554,3 +2554,37 @@
     flex-direction: column;
     gap: $space-3;
 }
+
+// Header: dot / (i) / star share one centered row beside the title; on narrow
+// screens the title block and actions stay on ONE row (title truncates), tabs below.
+.server-detail-page .sk-topbar {
+    &__titles { align-items: center; }
+    &__meta { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: $space-2; }
+
+    .fav-star {
+        width: 24px; // geometry: matches the InfoTip md footprint
+        height: 24px; // geometry: matches the InfoTip md footprint
+        svg { width: 14px; height: 14px; } // geometry: inline icon
+        opacity: 0.6;
+        &:hover, &.is-on { opacity: 1; }
+    }
+
+    @media (max-width: 768px) {
+        &__titles { flex: 1 1 0; min-width: 0; flex-wrap: nowrap; }
+        &__title { min-width: 0; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; overflow-wrap: normal; }
+        &__spacer { display: none; }
+        &__actions { order: 0; width: auto; margin-left: auto; justify-content: flex-end; overflow: visible; flex-wrap: nowrap; }
+    }
+}
+
+.server-detail-info {
+    display: grid;
+    grid-template-columns: auto 1fr;
+    gap: $space-1 $space-3;
+    margin: 0;
+
+    dt { color: var(--text-faint); }
+    dd { margin: 0; min-width: 0; overflow-wrap: anywhere; }
+
+    &__id { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: $space-1; code { font-family: $font-mono; } }
+}