diff --git a/frontend/app/components/modules/collection/components/details/header.vue b/frontend/app/components/modules/collection/components/details/header.vue
index fa821d30..155fd543 100644
--- a/frontend/app/components/modules/collection/components/details/header.vue
+++ b/frontend/app/components/modules/collection/components/details/header.vue
@@ -124,14 +124,25 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
             "
           >
             <div
-              v-if="props.collection?.logoUrl"
-              class="shrink-0"
+              v-if="loading || props.collection?.logoUrl"
+              class="shrink-0 flex items-center justify-start"
+              :class="scrollTop > 50 ? 'h-8 md:h-10' : 'h-12 md:h-30'"
             >
               <img
+                v-if="props.collection?.logoUrl"
                 :src="props.collection?.logoUrl"
                 alt="Collection image"
+                width="120"
+                height="120"
+                fetchpriority="high"
+                decoding="async"
                 :class="scrollTop > 50 ? 'h-8 w-8 md:h-10 md:w-10' : 'h-12 md:h-30 w-auto'"
               />
+              <lfx-skeleton
+                v-else
+                :class="scrollTop > 50 ? 'h-8 w-8 md:h-10 md:w-10' : 'h-12 w-12 md:h-30 md:w-30'"
+                class="rounded-md"
+              />
             </div>
             <div class="w-full flex flex-col justify-center min-w-0">
               <!-- Mobile only: visibility badge above title for my-collections -->
@@ -153,9 +164,9 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
               </div>
               <lfx-skeleton
                 v-if="loading"
-                height="2rem"
-                width="25rem"
+                width="80%"
                 class="rounded-sm"
+                :class="scrollTop > 50 ? 'h-6 md:h-9' : 'h-9 md:h-13'"
               />
               <h1
                 v-else-if="props.collection"
@@ -168,12 +179,21 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
                 :class="scrollTop > 50 ? 'h-0 opacity-0 invisible pt-0' : 'h-auto opacity-100 visible mt-1 md:mt-0'"
                 class="w-full transition-all ease-linear"
               >
-                <lfx-skeleton
+                <div
                   v-if="loading"
-                  height="1.25rem"
-                  width="100%"
-                  class="rounded-sm"
-                />
+                  class="flex flex-col gap-1.5"
+                >
+                  <lfx-skeleton
+                    height="1rem"
+                    width="100%"
+                    class="rounded-sm"
+                  />
+                  <lfx-skeleton
+                    height="1rem"
+                    width="60%"
+                    class="rounded-sm"
+                  />
+                </div>
                 <p
                   v-else-if="props.collection"
                   class="text-sm md:text-body-1 text-neutral-500 line-clamp-2 md:line-clamp-none"
@@ -247,6 +267,18 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
           </div>
         </div>
 
+        <!-- Loading placeholder keeps meta-row height reserved so data resolution doesn't reflow the page -->
+        <div
+          v-if="loading"
+          :class="scrollTop > 50 ? 'h-0 opacity-0 invisible pt-0' : 'h-auto opacity-100 visible mt-3 md:mt-10'"
+          class="flex items-center gap-2 w-full transition-all ease-linear"
+        >
+          <lfx-skeleton
+            height="1.25rem"
+            width="14rem"
+            class="rounded-sm"
+          />
+        </div>
         <!-- Owner + project count + LF toggle (desktop only for toggle) -->
         <div
           v-if="!loading && props.collection"
diff --git a/frontend/app/components/modules/collection/views/collection-details.vue b/frontend/app/components/modules/collection/views/collection-details.vue
index 16545115..db94cc27 100644
--- a/frontend/app/components/modules/collection/views/collection-details.vue
+++ b/frontend/app/components/modules/collection/views/collection-details.vue
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import { computed, onServerPrefetch, watch, ref } from 'vue';
 import { createError, showError, useRequestFetch } from 'nuxt/app';
-import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/vue-query';
+import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/vue-query';
 import { storeToRefs } from 'pinia';
 import LfxCollectionProjectItem from '../components/details/collection-project-item.vue';
 import LfxCollectionProjectItemLoading from '../components/details/collection-project-item-loading.vue';
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ const { headerTopClass } = storeToRefs(useBannerStore());
 const { user } = storeToRefs(useAuthStore());
 const requestFetch = useRequestFetch();
 
+const queryClient = useQueryClient();
 const queryKey = computed(() => [TanstackKey.COLLECTION, props.slug]);
 
 const {
@@ -247,11 +248,7 @@ const {
   retry: false,
 });
 
-const currentCollection = ref<Collection | undefined>(collection.value);
-
-watch(collection, (newCollection) => {
-  currentCollection.value = newCollection;
-});
+const currentCollection = computed<Collection | undefined>(() => collection.value);
 
 const detailCollectionIds = computed(() => (currentCollection.value ? [currentCollection.value.id] : []));
 useLikeCounts(detailCollectionIds);
@@ -347,7 +344,7 @@ const updateOnlyLFProjects = (value: boolean) => {
 };
 
 const handleCollectionUpdated = (collection: Collection) => {
-  currentCollection.value = collection;
+  queryClient.setQueryData(queryKey.value, collection);
   refetch();
 };
 
diff --git a/frontend/app/components/modules/project/components/shared/header.vue b/frontend/app/components/modules/project/components/shared/header.vue
index df147faf..0de869cd 100644
--- a/frontend/app/components/modules/project/components/shared/header.vue
+++ b/frontend/app/components/modules/project/components/shared/header.vue
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
                 <lfx-organization-logo
                   class="mr-4 max-h-8 md:max-h-12"
                   :src="props.project?.logo || ''"
-                  :size="scrollTop > 50 ? 'normal' : pageWidth < 768 && pageWidth > 0 ? 'normal' : 'large'"
+                  :size="scrollTop > 50 ? 'normal' : 'large'"
                   :is-lf="!!props.project?.isLF"
                   :alt="props.project?.name"
                 />
diff --git a/frontend/app/components/shared/layout/menu.vue b/frontend/app/components/shared/layout/menu.vue
index a59a0d3f..d402b191 100644
--- a/frontend/app/components/shared/layout/menu.vue
+++ b/frontend/app/components/shared/layout/menu.vue
@@ -10,9 +10,12 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
     </div>
     <div class="border-r border-neutral-200 h-6" />
   </div>
-  <client-only>
-    <lfx-login />
-  </client-only>
+  <!-- Fixed-width wrapper keeps the search bar layout stable between SSR (empty) and hydrated (button/avatar). -->
+  <div class="h-9 min-w-24 flex items-center justify-end shrink-0">
+    <client-only>
+      <lfx-login />
+    </client-only>
+  </div>
 </template>
 
 <script setup lang="ts">
diff --git a/frontend/app/components/shared/utils/scroll.ts b/frontend/app/components/shared/utils/scroll.ts
index 949be597..2221d789 100644
--- a/frontend/app/components/shared/utils/scroll.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/components/shared/utils/scroll.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { computed, onMounted, onUnmounted, ref } from 'vue';
 const useScroll = () => {
   const scrollTop = ref(0);
   let html: HTMLElement | null = null;
+  let rafId = 0;
 
   const scrollTopPercentage = computed(() => {
     const scrollHeight = html?.scrollHeight || 1;
@@ -12,8 +13,16 @@ const useScroll = () => {
     return (scrollTop.value / (scrollHeight - clientHeight)) * 100;
   });
 
+  // Scroll events fire at display refresh rate (often 60–120 Hz). Batching updates
+  // with requestAnimationFrame avoids doing reactive work more than once per frame,
+  // which keeps interaction-to-next-paint low for the many components that react
+  // to scrollTop (project header, collection header, etc.).
   const updateScrollTop = () => {
-    scrollTop.value = html?.scrollTop || 0;
+    if (rafId) return;
+    rafId = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+      rafId = 0;
+      scrollTop.value = html?.scrollTop || 0;
+    });
   };
 
   const scrollToTop = (value: number = 0, behavior: 'smooth' | 'instant' = 'smooth') => {
@@ -47,12 +56,16 @@ const useScroll = () => {
 
   onMounted(() => {
     html = document.documentElement;
-    document?.addEventListener('scroll', updateScrollTop);
-    updateScrollTop();
+    document?.addEventListener('scroll', updateScrollTop, { passive: true });
+    scrollTop.value = html?.scrollTop || 0;
   });
 
   onUnmounted(() => {
     document?.removeEventListener('scroll', updateScrollTop);
+    if (rafId) {
+      cancelAnimationFrame(rafId);
+      rafId = 0;
+    }
   });
 
   return {
diff --git a/frontend/app/plugins/intercom.ts b/frontend/app/plugins/intercom.ts
index 54039fce..69d199df 100644
--- a/frontend/app/plugins/intercom.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/plugins/intercom.ts
@@ -207,8 +207,27 @@ export default defineNuxtPlugin(() => {
     }
   };
 
-  // Boot anonymously on startup so banners/popups are visible to all visitors
-  bootAnonymous();
+  // Defer the anonymous boot until after load + idle so the Intercom iframe's
+  // entrance animation doesn't fall inside the CLS measurement window. Banners
+  // and popups still appear for all visitors, just a second or two later.
+  const scheduleAnonymousBoot = () => {
+    const run = () => {
+      if ('requestIdleCallback' in window) {
+        (window as Window & typeof globalThis).requestIdleCallback(() => bootAnonymous(), {
+          timeout: 4000,
+        });
+      } else {
+        setTimeout(() => bootAnonymous(), 2000);
+      }
+    };
+    if (document.readyState === 'complete') {
+      run();
+    } else {
+      window.addEventListener('load', run, { once: true });
+    }
+  };
+
+  scheduleAnonymousBoot();
 
   watch(
     [isAuthenticated, user],
diff --git a/frontend/setup/head.ts b/frontend/setup/head.ts
index 94fb70c4..1902a534 100644
--- a/frontend/setup/head.ts
+++ b/frontend/setup/head.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ export default {
     { rel: 'preconnect', href: 'https://fonts.googleapis.com' },
     { rel: 'preconnect', href: 'https://fonts.gstatic.com', crossorigin: 'anonymous' },
     { rel: 'preconnect', href: 'https://cdn.platform.linuxfoundation.org' },
+    // Project and collection hero logos are usually served from these origins.
+    { rel: 'preconnect', href: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com', crossorigin: 'anonymous' },
+    { rel: 'preconnect', href: 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com', crossorigin: 'anonymous' },
     { rel: 'dns-prefetch', href: 'https://kit.fontawesome.com' },
     // Async load fonts (non-blocking)
     {