diff --git a/src/routes/snapshot.js b/src/routes/snapshot.js
index 897d5d2..e44a997 100644
--- a/src/routes/snapshot.js
+++ b/src/routes/snapshot.js
@@ -50,18 +50,29 @@ router.get('/summary', async (req, res) => {
     const reads = await Promise.all(SUMMARY_SPORTS.map(async (sp) => {
       const snap = await cacheGet(`snapshot:${sp}:latest`);
       if (snap && Array.isArray(snap.grades)) {
-        return { sport: sp, graded: snap.grades.length, updated_at: snap.updated_at || null };
+        return {
+          sport: sp,
+          graded: snap.grades.length,
+          updated_at: snap.updated_at || null,
+          refreshed_at: snap.refreshed_at || snap.updated_at || null,
+        };
       }
       const env = await cacheGet(`grades:${sp}`);
       return {
         sport: sp,
         graded: env && Array.isArray(env.grades) ? env.grades.length : 0,
         updated_at: (env && env.updated_at) || null,
+        refreshed_at: (env && (env.refreshed_at || env.updated_at)) || null,
       };
     }));
     const graded = reads.reduce((n, r) => n + r.graded, 0);
     // ISO timestamps sort lexicographically — the max is the latest run.
+    // `updated_at` = last grade LOCK (5×/day, intentionally stable). `refreshed_at`
+    // = last freshness heartbeat (grade lock OR intraday refresh, every ~20 min).
+    // The SYNC badge measures against refreshed_at; updated_at is exposed so the
+    // UI can distinguish "grades locked at X" from "lines synced at Y".
     const updated_at = reads.map((r) => r.updated_at).filter(Boolean).sort().pop() || null;
+    const refreshed_at = reads.map((r) => r.refreshed_at).filter(Boolean).sort().pop() || updated_at;
     const sports = {};
     for (const r of reads) sports[r.sport] = r.graded;
     // Session 58 (Task 5) — the SYNC badge thresholds key off the pipeline's
@@ -72,7 +83,7 @@ router.get('/summary', async (req, res) => {
     const expected_interval_s = Number(process.env.SNAPSHOT_EXPECTED_INTERVAL) > 0
       ? Number(process.env.SNAPSHOT_EXPECTED_INTERVAL) : 18000;
     res.set('Cache-Control', 'public, max-age=30');
-    return res.json({ graded, updated_at, sports, expected_interval_s });
+    return res.json({ graded, updated_at, refreshed_at, sports, expected_interval_s });
   } catch (err) {
     console.error('[snapshot/summary]', err.message);
     return res.status(200).json({ graded: 0, updated_at: null, sports: {} });
@@ -92,7 +103,7 @@ router.get('/:sport', async (req, res) => {
     const enrich = (grades) => attachLast10Dots(attachOutcomes(grades, idx), roster, sport);
     if (snap && Array.isArray(snap.grades)) {
       res.set('Cache-Control', 'public, max-age=30');
-      return res.json({ sport, updated_at: snap.updated_at, grades: enrich(snap.grades), deltas: snap.deltas || [] });
+      return res.json({ sport, updated_at: snap.updated_at, refreshed_at: snap.refreshed_at || snap.updated_at || null, grades: enrich(snap.grades), deltas: snap.deltas || [] });
     }
     // Fallback: the grades envelope (no deltas yet).
     const env = await cacheGet(`grades:${sport}`);
diff --git a/src/services/snapshotService.js b/src/services/snapshotService.js
index 3dd1bd8..6fb7d7d 100644
--- a/src/services/snapshotService.js
+++ b/src/services/snapshotService.js
@@ -399,7 +399,13 @@ async function runSnapshot(sport, opts = {}) {
 
   // Lock: previous = old latest, latest = new, grades = enriched.
   if (prev) await deps.cacheSet(`snapshot:${sp}:previous`, prev, SNAP_TTL);
-  const snapshot = { sport: sp, updated_at: ts, grades: enriched, deltas, gradeCount: enriched.length };
+  // `updated_at` = grade-LOCK time (advances only on a full snapshot, 5×/day —
+  // grades never change in-game, so this is intentionally stable). `refreshed_at`
+  // = the freshness heartbeat: seeded here at lock time, then bumped every
+  // intraday refresh (intradayRefreshService). The SYNC badge keys off
+  // refreshed_at — measuring the 20-min cadence against the grade-lock field is
+  // what produced the "SIGNAL LIVE vs STALE 8h" contradiction.
+  const snapshot = { sport: sp, updated_at: ts, refreshed_at: ts, grades: enriched, deltas, gradeCount: enriched.length };
   await deps.cacheSet(`snapshot:${sp}:latest`, snapshot, SNAP_TTL);
   // Session 59 — grades:{sport} must outlive the gap between cron runs (up to
   // 5h) or team rosters / Explore / leaders go dark mid-day. SNAP_TTL (6h),
diff --git a/tests/integration/snapshotSummary.test.js b/tests/integration/snapshotSummary.test.js
index 20f1fb2..bfaf814 100644
--- a/tests/integration/snapshotSummary.test.js
+++ b/tests/integration/snapshotSummary.test.js
@@ -43,6 +43,28 @@ describe('GET /api/snapshot/summary', () => {
     expect(res.body.sports.nba).toBe(0); // off-season → honest zero
   });
 
+  test('refreshed_at is the freshness heartbeat, distinct from the grade-lock updated_at', async () => {
+    // updated_at = grade LOCK (5×/day, stable). refreshed_at = last intraday
+    // line refresh (~20 min). The SYNC badge measures against refreshed_at —
+    // measuring the 20-min cadence against the lock field caused "STALE 8h".
+    store['snapshot:mlb:latest'] = {
+      updated_at: '2026-07-10T18:00:00.000Z',       // graded at 2pm ET
+      refreshed_at: '2026-07-10T21:40:00.000Z',     // lines refreshed at 5:40pm ET
+      grades: [{ player: 'A' }],
+    };
+    const res = await request(mountApp()).get('/api/snapshot/summary');
+    expect(res.body.updated_at).toBe('2026-07-10T18:00:00.000Z');
+    expect(res.body.refreshed_at).toBe('2026-07-10T21:40:00.000Z');
+  });
+
+  test('refreshed_at falls back to updated_at when a snapshot predates the field', async () => {
+    // Old snapshots written before this fix have no refreshed_at — the freshness
+    // signal must still resolve (never null while a grade lock exists).
+    store['snapshot:mlb:latest'] = { updated_at: '2026-07-10T18:00:00.000Z', grades: [{ player: 'A' }] };
+    const res = await request(mountApp()).get('/api/snapshot/summary');
+    expect(res.body.refreshed_at).toBe('2026-07-10T18:00:00.000Z');
+  });
+
   test('falls back to the grades:{sport} envelope when no snapshot exists', async () => {
     store['grades:mlb'] = { updated_at: '2026-07-10T16:00:00.000Z', grades: [{ player: 'A' }, { player: 'B' }] };
     const res = await request(mountApp()).get('/api/snapshot/summary');
diff --git a/web/src/components/vyndr/LiveLayer.tsx b/web/src/components/vyndr/LiveLayer.tsx
index e5b164d..1a115f3 100644
--- a/web/src/components/vyndr/LiveLayer.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/vyndr/LiveLayer.tsx
@@ -41,7 +41,12 @@ const EKG = 'M0 12 H10 L13 4 L16 20 L19 12 H30 L33 9 L36 15 L39 12 H50';
 
 interface SnapshotSummary {
   graded: number;
+  /** Grade-LOCK time — advances only on a full snapshot (5×/day). Intentionally
+   *  stable (grades never change in-game); NOT the freshness signal. */
   updated_at: string | null;
+  /** Freshness heartbeat — grade lock OR intraday line refresh (~every 20 min).
+   *  The SYNC badge keys off THIS, not updated_at. */
+  refreshed_at: string | null;
   /** The pipeline's expected cadence (s) — SYNC thresholds key off this. */
   expected_interval_s?: number;
 }
@@ -84,6 +89,7 @@ export function HeartbeatBar() {
           setSummary({
             graded: data.graded,
             updated_at: data.updated_at ?? null,
+            refreshed_at: data.refreshed_at ?? data.updated_at ?? null,
             expected_interval_s: Number(data.expected_interval_s) > 0 ? Number(data.expected_interval_s) : undefined,
           });
         }
@@ -97,7 +103,11 @@ export function HeartbeatBar() {
   }, []);
 
   void live.tick; // subscription drives the 1s clock re-render
-  const syncedAt = summary?.updated_at ? Date.parse(summary.updated_at) : NaN;
+  // Freshness is measured from the intraday heartbeat (refreshed_at), NOT the
+  // grade-lock time (updated_at). Measuring the 20-min cadence against the
+  // 5×/day lock field is what made a live pipeline read "STALE 8h".
+  const freshAt = summary?.refreshed_at ?? summary?.updated_at ?? null;
+  const syncedAt = freshAt ? Date.parse(freshAt) : NaN;
   const elapsed = Number.isFinite(syncedAt) ? Date.now() - syncedAt : null;
   const expectedMs = (summary?.expected_interval_s ?? DEFAULT_EXPECTED_S) * 1000;
   const tier: 'normal' | 'amber' | 'stale' =