diff --git a/web/DatabaseBlock.tsx b/web/DatabaseBlock.tsx
index 1d9f116..f2989fd 100644
--- a/web/DatabaseBlock.tsx
+++ b/web/DatabaseBlock.tsx
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ export const DatabaseBlock = () => {
     `BackupsRow` actually know. See RootLocationBlock for why both sources are needed.
   */
   const [summaryReady, setSummaryReady] = useState<boolean | null>(null);
-  const [backupsReady, setBackupsReady] = useState(false);
+  /* null until BackupsRow has actually answered. `false` would be a REPORT of not-ready, and using
+     it before the answer exists is what made this block paint open and then shut. */
+  const [backupsReady, setBackupsReady] = useState<boolean | null>(null);
   const [collapsed, setCollapsed] = useState<boolean | null>(null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -276,7 +278,16 @@ export const DatabaseBlock = () => {
       (status.development.tables ?? 0) > 0 &&
       backupsReady,
   );
-  const settledNow = status ? live : summaryReady === true;
+
+  /*
+    The summary until EVERY local part has answered, then the live value.
+
+    Both conditions, not either. Switching as soon as `status` arrived meant using `backupsReady` while
+    it was still its initial value — an answer nobody had given — so the block decided it was unfinished
+    and opened, and shut again a moment later when the real answer came.
+  */
+  const answered = status !== null && backupsReady !== null;
+  const settledNow = answered ? live : summaryReady === true;
 
   useEffect(() => {
     setCollapsed((chosen) => {
@@ -308,7 +319,7 @@ export const DatabaseBlock = () => {
         ) : undefined
       }
     >
-      {!status ? null : settled ? (
+      {summaryReady === null || !status ? null : settledNow ? (
         <>
           {row('Production', 'production', status.production)}
           {row('Development', 'development', status.development)}