diff --git a/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/HomePageClient.tsx b/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/HomePageClient.tsx
index 1181f051c3..1461f2215b 100644
--- a/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/HomePageClient.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/HomePageClient.tsx
@@ -196,7 +196,9 @@ export default function HomePageClient({ machineId }: HomePageClientProps) {
   // Appearance settings for home page pinning
   const [pinProviderQuotaToHome, setPinProviderQuotaToHome] = useState(false);
   const [showQuickStartOnHome, setShowQuickStartOnHome] = useState(true); // default on
-  const [showProviderTopologyOnHome, setShowProviderTopologyOnHome] = useState(true); // default on
+  // #4596: default hidden until appearance settings load, so the live-WS
+  // topology connection is never opened before we know the user wants it.
+  const [showProviderTopologyOnHome, setShowProviderTopologyOnHome] = useState(false);
   const [autoRefreshProviderQuota, setAutoRefreshProviderQuota] = useState(false);
   const [autoRefreshProviderQuotaInterval, setAutoRefreshProviderQuotaInterval] = useState(180);
   const [appearanceSettingsLoaded, setAppearanceSettingsLoaded] = useState(false);
@@ -1165,6 +1167,7 @@ export default function HomePageClient({ machineId }: HomePageClientProps) {
           providers={topologyProviders}
           lastProvider={lastProvider}
           errorProvider={errorProvider}
+          enabled={showProviderTopologyOnHome}
         />
       )}
 
diff --git a/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/HomeProviderTopologySection.tsx b/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/HomeProviderTopologySection.tsx
index 0bd9309dec..53abbbeed2 100644
--- a/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/HomeProviderTopologySection.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(dashboard)/dashboard/HomeProviderTopologySection.tsx
@@ -19,13 +19,17 @@ export function HomeProviderTopologySection({
   providers,
   lastProvider,
   errorProvider,
+  enabled = true,
 }: {
   providers: TopologyProvider[];
   lastProvider: string;
   errorProvider: string;
+  enabled?: boolean;
 }) {
   const t = useTranslations("home");
-  const { activeRequests: liveActiveRequests } = useLiveRequests();
+  // #4596: gate the live-WS connection so it only opens while the topology
+  // section is actually shown on the home page.
+  const { activeRequests: liveActiveRequests } = useLiveRequests({ enabled });
 
   return (
     <Card>
diff --git a/src/hooks/useLiveDashboard.ts b/src/hooks/useLiveDashboard.ts
index e216b7a584..bd72bdb57f 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useLiveDashboard.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useLiveDashboard.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ export interface DashboardConnectionState {
 export interface UseLiveDashboardOptions {
   /** WebSocket URL (default: ws://hostname:20129) */
   wsUrl?: string;
+  /** Whether the WebSocket connection should be active (default: true) */
+  enabled?: boolean;
   /** API key for authentication */
   apiKey?: string;
   /** Channels to subscribe to */
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ export interface UseLiveDashboardOptions {
  */
 export function useLiveDashboard({
   wsUrl = DEFAULT_WS_URL,
+  enabled = true,
   apiKey,
   channels = ["requests", "combo", "credentials"],
   autoReconnect = true,
@@ -202,6 +205,23 @@ export function useLiveDashboard({
 
   // Connect on mount and on reconnect trigger
   useEffect(() => {
+    mountedRef.current = true;
+    if (!enabled) {
+      if (reconnectTimeoutRef.current) {
+        clearTimeout(reconnectTimeoutRef.current);
+        reconnectTimeoutRef.current = null;
+      }
+      wsRef.current?.close();
+      wsRef.current = null;
+      setConnection({
+        isConnected: false,
+        isConnecting: false,
+        error: null,
+        reconnectAttempt: 0,
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+
     connect();
     return () => {
       mountedRef.current = false;
@@ -210,7 +230,7 @@ export function useLiveDashboard({
       }
       wsRef.current?.close();
     };
-  }, [connect]);
+  }, [connect, enabled]);
 
   // Connect (for manual retry)
   const reconnect = useCallback(() => {
diff --git a/tests/unit/ui/home-topology-hidden-4596.test.tsx b/tests/unit/ui/home-topology-hidden-4596.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cdb3a64662
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/ui/home-topology-hidden-4596.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+import React, { act } from "react";
+import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { useLiveRequests } from "../../../src/hooks/useLiveDashboard";
+
+function LiveRequestsHarness({ enabled }: { enabled: boolean }) {
+  useLiveRequests({ enabled });
+  return null;
+}
+
+describe("home topology hidden networking (#4596)", () => {
+  const websocketMock = vi.fn();
+  let root: ReturnType<typeof createRoot> | null = null;
+  let container: HTMLDivElement | null = null;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    (
+      globalThis as typeof globalThis & { IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT?: boolean }
+    ).IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT = true;
+    websocketMock.mockClear();
+    vi.stubGlobal(
+      "WebSocket",
+      class WebSocketMock {
+        static OPEN = 1;
+        readyState = 0;
+        onopen: (() => void) | null = null;
+        onmessage: ((event: MessageEvent) => void) | null = null;
+        onclose: (() => void) | null = null;
+        onerror: (() => void) | null = null;
+
+        constructor(url: string) {
+          websocketMock(url);
+        }
+
+        send() {}
+        close() {}
+      }
+    );
+    container = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.appendChild(container);
+    root = createRoot(container);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    act(() => {
+      root?.unmount();
+    });
+    container?.remove();
+    root = null;
+    container = null;
+    vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+  });
+
+  it("does NOT open a WebSocket when the topology section is disabled", () => {
+    act(() => {
+      root!.render(<LiveRequestsHarness enabled={false} />);
+    });
+    expect(websocketMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("opens a WebSocket when the topology section is enabled", () => {
+    act(() => {
+      root!.render(<LiveRequestsHarness enabled={true} />);
+    });
+    expect(websocketMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});