diff --git a/resources/js/app.js b/resources/js/app.js
index 3ca10a3..c10d4b1 100644
--- a/resources/js/app.js
+++ b/resources/js/app.js
@@ -409,6 +409,35 @@ document.addEventListener('alpine:init', () => {
         },
     }));
 
+    // Live sidebar badge chips (alerts / threats / update). The sidebar is static Blade (a Livewire
+    // poll would break its request()->is() active states), so this tiny island polls the cached
+    // badges endpoint and updates the [data-nav-badge] chips in place. Re-initialised by Alpine on
+    // every wire:navigate (body swap), so the interval never piles up across navigations.
+    window.Alpine.data('navBadges', () => ({
+        timer: null,
+        init() {
+            this.refresh();
+            this.timer = setInterval(() => this.refresh(), 15000);
+        },
+        destroy() {
+            clearInterval(this.timer);
+        },
+        async refresh() {
+            try {
+                const res = await fetch('/shell/badges.json', { headers: { Accept: 'application/json' } });
+                if (!res.ok) return;
+                const counts = await res.json();
+                for (const el of this.$el.querySelectorAll('[data-nav-badge]')) {
+                    const n = Number(counts[el.dataset.navBadge] ?? 0);
+                    el.hidden = n <= 0;
+                    el.textContent = n > 0 ? String(n) : '';
+                }
+            } catch {
+                // transient network error — keep the current chips, next tick retries
+            }
+        },
+    }));
+
     // Interactive terminal (xterm.js). xterm + its CSS are dynamically imported so they only load on
     // the terminal page (code-split chunk). On a 'terminal-open' event (from the Livewire rail) it
     // opens a same-origin WebSocket to /terminal/ws?token=… — the sidecar holds the PTY. A real PTY
diff --git a/resources/views/components/nav-item.blade.php b/resources/views/components/nav-item.blade.php
index d681835..4b8d388 100644
--- a/resources/views/components/nav-item.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/components/nav-item.blade.php
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@props(['icon', 'href' => '#', 'active' => false, 'badge' => null, 'badgeTitle' => null])
+@props(['icon', 'href' => '#', 'active' => false, 'badge' => null, 'badgeTitle' => null, 'badgeKey' => null])
 <a {{ $attributes->class([
        'group flex min-h-11 items-center gap-3 rounded-md border px-3 py-2 text-sm transition-colors',
        'border-accent/25 bg-accent/10 text-ink shadow-[inset_2px_0_0_var(--color-accent)]' => $active,
@@ -7,7 +7,14 @@
    @if ($active) aria-current="page" @endif>
     <x-icon :name="$icon" @class(['h-[18px] w-[18px] shrink-0', 'text-accent' => $active]) />
     <span class="truncate">{{ $slot }}</span>
-    @if ($badge !== null && $badge !== '')
+    @if ($badgeKey !== null)
+        {{-- Live badge: always in the DOM (hidden at zero) so the navBadges poller can update it
+             in place without a page re-render. --}}
+        <span data-nav-badge="{{ $badgeKey }}"
+              class="ml-auto inline-flex h-4 min-w-4 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-accent px-1 font-mono text-[10px] font-semibold tabular-nums text-void"
+              @if ($badge === null || $badge === '' || $badge === 0) hidden @endif
+              @if ($badgeTitle) title="{{ $badgeTitle }}" @endif>{{ $badge }}</span>
+    @elseif ($badge !== null && $badge !== '')
         <span class="ml-auto inline-flex h-4 min-w-4 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-accent px-1 font-mono text-[10px] font-semibold tabular-nums text-void"
               @if ($badgeTitle) title="{{ $badgeTitle }}" @endif>{{ $badge }}</span>
     @endif
diff --git a/resources/views/components/sidebar.blade.php b/resources/views/components/sidebar.blade.php
index a0fe7f4..ee11a75 100644
--- a/resources/views/components/sidebar.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/components/sidebar.blade.php
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@
         <livewire:server-switcher />
     </div>
 
-    {{-- Nav --}}
-    <nav class="flex-1 space-y-1 overflow-y-auto p-3">
+    {{-- Nav (navBadges polls /shell/badges.json and updates the alert/threat/update chips live) --}}
+    <nav class="flex-1 space-y-1 overflow-y-auto p-3" x-data="navBadges">
         {{-- Flotte: per-server / fleet operations --}}
         <p class="px-3 pb-1 pt-2 font-mono text-[10px] uppercase tracking-widest text-ink-4">{{ __('shell.group_fleet') }}</p>
         <x-nav-item icon="dashboard" href="/" :active="request()->is('/')" data-tour="dashboard">{{ __('shell.nav_dashboard') }}</x-nav-item>
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@
         <p class="px-3 pb-1 pt-3 font-mono text-[10px] uppercase tracking-widest text-ink-4">{{ __('shell.group_account') }}</p>
         <x-nav-item icon="settings" href="/settings" :active="request()->is('settings*')" data-tour="settings">{{ __('shell.nav_settings') }}</x-nav-item>
         @can('manage-panel')
-            <x-nav-item icon="alert" href="/alerts" :active="request()->is('alerts*')" :badge="$alertCount > 0 ? $alertCount : null" :badge-title="$alertCount > 0 ? __('alerts.incidents_title') : null">{{ __('shell.nav_alerts') }}</x-nav-item>
-            <x-nav-item icon="shield-alert" href="/threats" :active="request()->is('threats*')" :badge="$threatCount > 0 ? $threatCount : null" :badge-title="$threatCount > 0 ? __('shell.threats_badge', ['count' => $threatCount]) : null">{{ __('shell.nav_threats') }}</x-nav-item>
+            <x-nav-item icon="alert" href="/alerts" :active="request()->is('alerts*')" badge-key="alerts" :badge="$alertCount > 0 ? $alertCount : null" :badge-title="__('alerts.incidents_title')">{{ __('shell.nav_alerts') }}</x-nav-item>
+            <x-nav-item icon="shield-alert" href="/threats" :active="request()->is('threats*')" badge-key="threats" :badge="$threatCount > 0 ? $threatCount : null" :badge-title="__('shell.nav_threats')">{{ __('shell.nav_threats') }}</x-nav-item>
         @endcan
-        <x-nav-item icon="tag" href="/versions" :active="request()->is('versions*')" :badge="$updateAvailable ? '1' : null" :badge-title="$updateAvailable ? __('shell.update_available') : null">{{ __('shell.nav_versions') }}</x-nav-item>
+        <x-nav-item icon="tag" href="/versions" :active="request()->is('versions*')" badge-key="update" :badge="$updateAvailable ? '1' : null" :badge-title="__('shell.update_available')">{{ __('shell.nav_versions') }}</x-nav-item>
         @if (config('clusev.release_controls'))
             <x-nav-item icon="tag" href="/release" :active="request()->is('release*')">
                 {{ __('release.nav') }}
diff --git a/routes/web.php b/routes/web.php
index 8397829..31680b5 100644
--- a/routes/web.php
+++ b/routes/web.php
@@ -26,11 +26,14 @@ use App\Livewire\Terminal;
 use App\Livewire\Threats;
 use App\Livewire\Versions;
 use App\Livewire\Wireguard;
+use App\Models\AlertIncident;
+use App\Models\AuditEvent;
 use App\Models\HostCredential;
 use App\Models\Server;
 use App\Models\TerminalSession;
 use App\Services\DeploymentService;
 use App\Services\MetricHistory;
+use App\Services\ReleaseChecker;
 use App\Services\WgStatus;
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Auth as AuthFacade;
@@ -214,6 +217,19 @@ Route::middleware('auth')->group(function () {
     Route::middleware(EnsureSecurityOnboarded::class)->group(function () {
         Route::get('/', Dashboard::class)->name('dashboard');
 
+        // Live sidebar badge counts (alerts firing / threats 24h / update available). Polled by the
+        // navBadges Alpine island so the chips update without a page re-render; counts are the same
+        // cached+busted model helpers the sidebar render uses.
+        Route::get('/shell/badges.json', function () {
+            $panel = auth()->user()?->can('manage-panel') ?? false;
+
+            return response()->json([
+                'alerts' => $panel ? AlertIncident::firingCount() : 0,
+                'threats' => $panel ? AuditEvent::threatLoginCount24h() : 0,
+                'update' => app(ReleaseChecker::class)->updateAvailable() ? 1 : 0,
+            ]);
+        })->name('shell.badges');
+
         Route::get('/servers', Servers\Index::class)->name('servers.index');
         // MUST be registered before /servers/{server}, or "groups" is captured as a server uuid.
         Route::get('/servers/groups', Servers\Groups::class)->middleware('can:manage-fleet')->name('servers.groups');
diff --git a/tests/Feature/ReleaseCheckerTest.php b/tests/Feature/ReleaseCheckerTest.php
index e5a7196..d119162 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/ReleaseCheckerTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/ReleaseCheckerTest.php
@@ -92,12 +92,15 @@ class ReleaseCheckerTest extends TestCase
         config()->set('clusev.version', '0.9.10');
         $this->actingAs(User::factory()->create(['must_change_password' => false]));
 
-        // No cached latest → no badge.
-        $this->get('/audit')->assertOk()->assertDontSee(__('shell.update_available'));
+        // The badge chip is ALWAYS in the DOM (so the navBadges poller can reveal it live without a
+        // page reload); no update → it carries the `hidden` attribute.
+        $html = $this->get('/audit')->assertOk()->getContent();
+        $this->assertMatchesRegularExpression('/data-nav-badge="update"[^>]*\shidden/', $html);
 
-        // Cached newer release → the sidebar Version item carries the badge.
+        // Cached newer release → the same chip renders WITHOUT hidden (visible).
         Cache::put($this->tagKey(), '0.9.11', now()->addMinutes(30));
-        $this->get('/audit')->assertOk()->assertSee(__('shell.update_available'));
+        $html = $this->get('/audit')->assertOk()->getContent();
+        $this->assertDoesNotMatchRegularExpression('/data-nav-badge="update"[^>]*\shidden/', $html);
     }
 
     public function test_no_update_check_when_no_repository_is_configured(): void
diff --git a/tests/Feature/ShellBadgesTest.php b/tests/Feature/ShellBadgesTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35580e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Feature/ShellBadgesTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Tests\Feature;
+
+use App\Models\AlertIncident;
+use App\Models\AlertRule;
+use App\Models\Server;
+use App\Models\User;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
+use Tests\TestCase;
+
+/** The polled sidebar badge endpoint (live alert/threat/update chips). */
+class ShellBadgesTest extends TestCase
+{
+    use RefreshDatabase;
+
+    public function test_guests_cannot_read_the_badge_counts(): void
+    {
+        // The panel's auth layer redirects guests to the login page (no data leaves).
+        $this->get('/shell/badges.json')->assertRedirect();
+    }
+
+    public function test_admin_gets_the_firing_alert_count(): void
+    {
+        $this->actingAs(User::factory()->create(['must_change_password' => false]));
+
+        $server = Server::create(['name' => 'box', 'ip' => '10.0.0.1', 'ssh_port' => 22, 'status' => 'online']);
+        $rule = AlertRule::create(['name' => 'CPU', 'metric' => 'cpu', 'comparator' => 'gt', 'threshold' => 80, 'scope_type' => 'all', 'enabled' => true]);
+        AlertIncident::create(['alert_rule_id' => $rule->id, 'server_id' => $server->id, 'state' => 'firing', 'value' => 95, 'firing_key' => $rule->id.':'.$server->id, 'started_at' => now()]);
+
+        $this->getJson('/shell/badges.json')
+            ->assertOk()
+            ->assertJson(['alerts' => 1, 'threats' => 0]);
+    }
+
+    public function test_non_panel_roles_get_zeroed_alert_and_threat_counts(): void
+    {
+        // Operators/viewers don't see the Alerts/Threats nav items, so the endpoint must not leak
+        // those counts to them either.
+        $this->actingAs(User::factory()->operator()->create(['must_change_password' => false]));
+
+        $this->getJson('/shell/badges.json')
+            ->assertOk()
+            ->assertJson(['alerts' => 0, 'threats' => 0]);
+    }
+}