diff --git a/src/components/BookmarkList.tsx b/src/components/BookmarkList.tsx
index 2f0a8a28..5cb96434 100644
--- a/src/components/BookmarkList.tsx
+++ b/src/components/BookmarkList.tsx
@@ -111,16 +111,18 @@ export const BookmarkList: React.FC<BookmarkListProps> = ({
         isMobile={isMobile}
       />
       
-      {loading ? (
-        <div className="loading">
-          <FontAwesomeIcon icon={faSpinner} spin />
-        </div>
-      ) : allIndividualBookmarks.length === 0 ? (
-        <div className="empty-state">
-          <p>No bookmarks found.</p>
-          <p>Add bookmarks using your nostr client to see them here.</p>
-          <p>If you aren't on nostr yet, start here: <a href="https://nstart.me/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nstart.me</a></p>
-        </div>
+      {allIndividualBookmarks.length === 0 ? (
+        loading ? (
+          <div className="loading">
+            <FontAwesomeIcon icon={faSpinner} spin />
+          </div>
+        ) : (
+          <div className="empty-state">
+            <p>No bookmarks found.</p>
+            <p>Add bookmarks using your nostr client to see them here.</p>
+            <p>If you aren't on nostr yet, start here: <a href="https://nstart.me/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nstart.me</a></p>
+          </div>
+        )
       ) : (
         <div className="bookmarks-list">
           <div className={`bookmarks-grid bookmarks-${viewMode}`}>
diff --git a/src/hooks/useBookmarksData.ts b/src/hooks/useBookmarksData.ts
index e9c519f8..adec2fae 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useBookmarksData.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useBookmarksData.ts
@@ -44,10 +44,14 @@ export const useBookmarksData = ({
 
   const handleFetchBookmarks = useCallback(async () => {
     if (!relayPool || !activeAccount) return
+    // don't clear existing bookmarks: we keep UI stable and show spinner unobtrusively
     setBookmarksLoading(true)
     try {
       const fullAccount = accountManager.getActive()
-      await fetchBookmarks(relayPool, fullAccount || activeAccount, setBookmarks, settings)
+      // merge-friendly: updater form that preserves visible list until replacement
+      await fetchBookmarks(relayPool, fullAccount || activeAccount, (next) => {
+        setBookmarks(() => next)
+      }, settings)
     } finally {
       setBookmarksLoading(false)
     }