diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Layout.jsx b/frontend/src/components/Layout.jsx
index 6a7fdd9..87a7aea 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Layout.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Layout.jsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useRef, useEffect } from "react";
 import { useAuth } from "../hooks/useAuth";
 import SearchBar from "./SearchBar";
-import { getDownloads, getChannels, getActiveTasks, getMe } from "../api";
+import { getDownloads, getChannels, getActiveTasks, getDiscoveryStatus, getMe } from "../api";
 
 function BottomNav({ newCount }) {
   const tabs = [
@@ -91,20 +91,29 @@ function DownloadIndicator() {
     refetchInterval: (query) => (query.state.data?.length > 0 ? 2000 : 10_000),
   });
 
+  const { data: discStatus } = useQuery({
+    queryKey: ["discovery-status"],
+    queryFn: () => getDiscoveryStatus().then((r) => r.data),
+    refetchInterval: (query) => (query.state.data?.progress?.running ? 10_000 : 60_000),
+    staleTime: 10_000,
+  });
+
   const activeDownloads = (downloads ?? []).filter(
     (d) => d.status === "pending" || d.status === "downloading"
   );
+  const discRunning = discStatus?.progress?.running;
+  const discProgress = discStatus?.progress;
 
-  if (!activeDownloads.length && !tasks.length) return null;
+  if (!activeDownloads.length && !tasks.length && !discRunning) return null;
 
-  const totalActive = activeDownloads.length + tasks.length;
+  const totalActive = activeDownloads.length + tasks.length + (discRunning ? 1 : 0);
 
-  // Show download progress if there are active downloads, otherwise show task phase
+  // Primary label: download % > task phase > discovery
   let label;
   if (activeDownloads.length) {
     const pct = activeDownloads[0].progress_percent ?? 0;
     label = <span className="font-mono tabular-nums text-[11px]">{pct.toFixed(0)}%</span>;
-  } else {
+  } else if (tasks.length) {
     const task = tasks[0];
     const pct = task.total > 0 ? Math.round((task.done / task.total) * 100) : null;
     label = (
@@ -112,12 +121,18 @@ function DownloadIndicator() {
         {pct !== null ? `${pct}%` : task.phase || "…"}
       </span>
     );
+  } else {
+    label = (
+      <span className="text-[11px] hidden sm:inline">
+        {discProgress ? `${discProgress.done}/${discProgress.total}` : "…"}
+      </span>
+    );
   }
 
   return (
     <div className="relative group shrink-0">
       <Link
-        to="/downloads"
+        to="/discovery"
         className="flex items-center gap-1.5 px-2 py-1 rounded-lg bg-zinc-800 hover:bg-zinc-700 transition-colors text-xs text-zinc-300"
       >
         <svg className="w-3 h-3 animate-spin text-zinc-400 shrink-0" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
@@ -163,6 +178,19 @@ function DownloadIndicator() {
               </div>
             );
           })}
+          {discRunning && discProgress && (
+            <div>
+              <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-2 mb-1">
+                <p className="text-xs text-zinc-200">Discovering channels</p>
+                <span className="text-[10px] text-zinc-400 tabular-nums shrink-0">{discProgress.done}/{discProgress.total}</span>
+              </div>
+              <p className="text-[10px] text-zinc-500 mb-1">Finding channels… spaced over ~20 min</p>
+              <div className="h-0.5 bg-zinc-800 rounded-full overflow-hidden">
+                <div className="h-full bg-accent rounded-full transition-all duration-300"
+                  style={{ width: `${Math.round((discProgress.done / discProgress.total) * 100)}%` }} />
+              </div>
+            </div>
+          )}
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Discovery.jsx b/frontend/src/pages/Discovery.jsx
index bcd8d8a..1b3ce05 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Discovery.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Discovery.jsx
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ export default function DiscoveryPage() {
     queryKey: ["discovery-status"],
     queryFn: () => getDiscoveryStatus().then(r => r.data),
     staleTime: 10_000,
-    refetchInterval: (query) => query.state.data?.progress?.running ? 10_000 : 60_000,
+    refetchInterval: (query) => (query.state.data?.progress?.running ? 10_000 : 60_000),
   });
 
   const refreshMut = useMutation({
@@ -248,52 +248,37 @@ export default function DiscoveryPage() {
     <div className="flex flex-col gap-6">
       {/* Header */}
       <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-4">
-        <div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
+        <div className="min-w-0">
           <h1 className="font-display font-bold text-2xl text-zinc-100">Discover</h1>
           {discStatus && (
             <p className="text-xs text-zinc-500 mt-0.5">
-              {discStatus.progress?.running
-                ? `Finding channels… ${discStatus.progress.done} / ${discStatus.progress.total}`
-                : discStatus.pending_count > 0
-                  ? `${discStatus.pending_count} channel${discStatus.pending_count !== 1 ? "s" : ""} queued`
-                  : "Queue empty"}
+              {discStatus.pending_count > 0
+                ? `${discStatus.pending_count} channel${discStatus.pending_count !== 1 ? "s" : ""} queued`
+                : "Queue empty"}
               {discStatus.last_run
                 ? ` · last refreshed ${new Date(discStatus.last_run + "Z").toLocaleDateString(undefined, { month: "short", day: "numeric", hour: "2-digit", minute: "2-digit" })}`
                 : " · never refreshed"}
             </p>
           )}
-          {discStatus?.progress?.running && (
-            <div className="mt-1.5 h-1 w-48 rounded-full bg-zinc-800 overflow-hidden">
-              <div
-                className="h-full bg-accent rounded-full transition-all duration-500"
-                style={{ width: `${Math.round((discStatus.progress.done / discStatus.progress.total) * 100)}%` }}
-              />
-            </div>
-          )}
         </div>
         <button
           onClick={() => refreshMut.mutate()}
           disabled={refreshMut.isPending || discStatus?.progress?.running}
           className="shrink-0 flex items-center gap-2 text-sm font-medium px-4 py-2 bg-zinc-800 text-zinc-300 rounded-lg hover:bg-zinc-700 transition-colors disabled:opacity-60"
         >
-          {discStatus?.progress?.running ? (
+          {refreshMut.isPending && (
             <svg className="w-3.5 h-3.5 animate-spin" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
               <circle className="opacity-25" cx="12" cy="12" r="10" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="4" />
               <path className="opacity-75" fill="currentColor" d="M4 12a8 8 0 018-8v4a4 4 0 00-4 4H4z" />
             </svg>
-          ) : refreshMut.isPending ? (
-            <svg className="w-3.5 h-3.5 animate-spin" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
-              <circle className="opacity-25" cx="12" cy="12" r="10" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="4" />
-              <path className="opacity-75" fill="currentColor" d="M4 12a8 8 0 018-8v4a4 4 0 00-4 4H4z" />
-            </svg>
-          ) : null}
+          )}
           {discStatus?.progress?.running ? "Running…" : refreshMut.isSuccess ? "Queued ✓" : refreshMut.isPending ? "Queueing…" : "Find more"}
         </button>
       </div>
 
-      {(refreshMut.isSuccess || discStatus?.progress?.running) && (
+      {refreshMut.isSuccess && !discStatus?.progress?.running && (
         <div className="px-4 py-3 rounded-xl bg-zinc-800/60 border border-zinc-700/50 text-sm text-zinc-400">
-          Discovery is running in the background — searches and channel fetches are spaced out over ~20 minutes to avoid hitting limits. New channels appear as each batch completes. Runs automatically every day.
+          Discovery is running — progress shows in the top bar. Searches are spaced out over ~20 minutes. Runs automatically every day.
         </div>
       )}