diff --git a/changelog/161.fix.md b/changelog/161.fix.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..307b6d17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/161.fix.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Loading more passing groups on the failures page no longer hides the groups already loaded when it fails, and a failure to load the model list is now reported with a retry.
diff --git a/changelog/161.improvement.md b/changelog/161.improvement.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4ffec298
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/161.improvement.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The diagnostic dots on the failures page now turn grey and gently swell while the counts for new filters load.
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/failures/health.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/failures/health.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b78f0d1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/failures/health.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { HEALTH, HealthDot } from "./health";
+
+describe("HealthDot", () => {
+  it("shows the health colour", () => {
+    render(<HealthDot health="failed" />);
+    const dot = screen.getByRole("img", { name: "All failing" });
+    expect(dot).toHaveClass(HEALTH.failed.colour);
+    expect(dot).not.toHaveClass("motion-safe:animate-swell");
+  });
+
+  it("goes grey and swells while pending, hiding the stale health", () => {
+    render(<HealthDot health="failed" pending />);
+    const dot = screen.getByRole("img", { name: "Updating" });
+    expect(dot).toHaveClass(HEALTH.not_run.colour, "motion-safe:animate-swell");
+    expect(dot).not.toHaveClass(HEALTH.failed.colour);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/failures/health.tsx b/frontend/src/components/failures/health.tsx
index 1d35f8a3..e1ccf14d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/failures/health.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/failures/health.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import type React from "react";
 import type { DiagnosticHealth } from "@/lib/failures";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
@@ -28,20 +29,28 @@ export const HEALTH = {
   { label: string; description: string; colour: string }
 >;
 
+/** A diagnostic's health, or a grey swelling dot while `pending` new counts */
 export function HealthDot({
   health,
+  pending = false,
   className,
+  style,
 }: {
   health: DiagnosticHealth;
+  pending?: boolean;
   className?: string;
+  style?: React.CSSProperties;
 }) {
   return (
     <span
       role="img"
-      aria-label={HEALTH[health].label}
+      aria-label={pending ? "Updating" : HEALTH[health].label}
+      style={style}
       className={cn(
         "inline-block size-3 shrink-0 rounded-full",
-        HEALTH[health].colour,
+        pending
+          ? cn(HEALTH.not_run.colour, "motion-safe:animate-swell")
+          : HEALTH[health].colour,
         className,
       )}
     />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/failures/passingGroups.tsx b/frontend/src/components/failures/passingGroups.tsx
index 5ba6ada4..866c8586 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/failures/passingGroups.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/failures/passingGroups.tsx
@@ -53,24 +53,37 @@ function PassingGroupList({
   mipEra: MipEra;
   model?: string;
 }) {
-  const { data, error, fetchNextPage, hasNextPage, isFetchingNextPage } =
-    useInfiniteQuery({
-      ...executionsListRecentExecutionGroupsInfiniteOptions({
-        query: {
-          successful: true,
-          provider_slug: diagnostic.provider.slug,
-          diagnostic_slug: diagnostic.slug,
-          mip_era: mipEra,
-          source_id: model,
-          limit: PAGE_SIZE,
-        },
-      }),
-      initialPageParam: 0,
-      getNextPageParam: (_lastPage, allPages) => nextOffset(allPages),
-    });
+  const {
+    data,
+    error,
+    refetch,
+    fetchNextPage,
+    hasNextPage,
+    isFetchingNextPage,
+  } = useInfiniteQuery({
+    ...executionsListRecentExecutionGroupsInfiniteOptions({
+      query: {
+        successful: true,
+        provider_slug: diagnostic.provider.slug,
+        diagnostic_slug: diagnostic.slug,
+        mip_era: mipEra,
+        source_id: model,
+        limit: PAGE_SIZE,
+      },
+    }),
+    initialPageParam: 0,
+    getNextPageParam: (_lastPage, allPages) => nextOffset(allPages),
+  });
 
-  if (error) {
-    return <p className="text-sm text-destructive">{apiErrorMessage(error)}</p>;
+  if (!data && error) {
+    return (
+      <div className="space-y-2">
+        <p className="text-sm text-destructive">{apiErrorMessage(error)}</p>
+        <Button variant="outline" size="sm" onClick={() => refetch()}>
+          Try again
+        </Button>
+      </div>
+    );
   }
   if (!data) {
     return (
@@ -90,6 +103,9 @@ function PassingGroupList({
           <PassingGroupItem key={group.id} group={group} />
         ))}
       </ul>
+      {error && (
+        <p className="text-sm text-destructive">{apiErrorMessage(error)}</p>
+      )}
       {hasNextPage && (
         <Button
           variant="ghost"
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/failures/providerHealthOverview.tsx b/frontend/src/components/failures/providerHealthOverview.tsx
index b7ba5bf3..8fb21ea5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/failures/providerHealthOverview.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/failures/providerHealthOverview.tsx
@@ -31,15 +31,32 @@ function groupByProvider(diagnostics: DiagnosticFailures[]): ProviderGroup[] {
   return [...groups.values()];
 }
 
+/** Offsets each dot's swell so a row ripples rather than pulsing in step */
+const SWELL_STAGGER_MS = 60;
+
 function DiagnosticDot({
   failures,
   filters,
+  updating,
+  index,
 }: {
   failures: DiagnosticFailures;
   filters?: FailureFilters;
+  updating: boolean;
+  index: number;
 }) {
   const { diagnostic } = failures;
-  const dot = <HealthDot health={failures.health} />;
+  const dot = (
+    <HealthDot
+      health={failures.health}
+      pending={updating}
+      style={
+        updating
+          ? { animationDelay: `${index * SWELL_STAGGER_MS}ms` }
+          : undefined
+      }
+    />
+  );
 
   // A failing diagnostic jumps to its section below, the others open the diagnostic
   return (
@@ -69,12 +86,18 @@ function DiagnosticDot({
       </TooltipTrigger>
       <TooltipContent>
         <p className="font-medium">{diagnostic.name}</p>
-        <p>
-          {failures.total === 0
-            ? "No execution groups"
-            : failureSummary(failures, filters)}
-        </p>
-        <p className="opacity-80">{HEALTH[failures.health].label}</p>
+        {updating ? (
+          <p className="opacity-80">Updating…</p>
+        ) : (
+          <>
+            <p>
+              {failures.total === 0
+                ? "No execution groups"
+                : failureSummary(failures, filters)}
+            </p>
+            <p className="opacity-80">{HEALTH[failures.health].label}</p>
+          </>
+        )}
       </TooltipContent>
     </Tooltip>
   );
@@ -84,10 +107,13 @@ function DiagnosticDot({
 export function ProviderHealthOverview({
   diagnostics,
   filters,
+  updating = false,
 }: {
   diagnostics: DiagnosticFailures[];
   /** What the failures were narrowed to, named in each dot's summary */
   filters?: FailureFilters;
+  /** The counts are from the previous filters while new ones load, so the dots go grey and swell */
+  updating?: boolean;
 }) {
   return (
     <div className="space-y-4">
@@ -110,11 +136,13 @@ export function ProviderHealthOverview({
                 </p>
               </div>
               <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-1">
-                {diagnostics.map((failures) => (
+                {diagnostics.map((failures, index) => (
                   <DiagnosticDot
                     key={failures.diagnostic.slug}
                     failures={failures}
                     filters={filters}
+                    updating={updating}
+                    index={index}
                   />
                 ))}
               </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/failures/useFailures.ts b/frontend/src/components/failures/useFailures.ts
index 13dd9ca1..19e2a24c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/failures/useFailures.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/components/failures/useFailures.ts
@@ -64,17 +64,21 @@ export function useFailures(mipEra: MipEra, model?: string) {
   });
 
   // A failed query that is being retried counts as loading again
-  const failed = [catalog, unsuccessful].filter(
-    (query) => query.isError && !query.isFetching,
-  );
+  const failedQuery = (query: { isError: boolean; isFetching: boolean }) =>
+    query.isError && !query.isFetching;
+  const failed = [catalog, unsuccessful, models].filter(failedQuery);
   const error = failed.length > 0 ? failed[0].error : null;
   const loaded = catalog.data !== undefined && unsuccessful.data !== undefined;
+  // The models only fill in the model picker, so their failure is reported without hiding the page
+  const pageFailed = [catalog, unsuccessful].some(failedQuery);
 
   return {
     catalog: catalog.data?.data,
     unsuccessful: unsuccessful.data,
     models: models.data?.data.map(({ source_id }) => source_id),
-    isLoading: !loaded && error === null,
+    isLoading: !loaded && !pageFailed,
+    /** The catalog still holds the previous filters' counts while the new ones load */
+    isUpdating: catalog.isPlaceholderData,
     error,
     retry: () => {
       for (const query of failed) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/_app/executions.failures.tsx b/frontend/src/routes/_app/executions.failures.tsx
index 11321c1c..d75c81af 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/_app/executions.failures.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/_app/executions.failures.tsx
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function FailuresPage() {
   const search = Route.useSearch();
   const { model, reason, from, to, passing = false } = search;
   const { mipEra } = useMipEra(search.mip_era);
-  const { catalog, unsuccessful, models, isLoading, error, retry } =
+  const { catalog, unsuccessful, models, isLoading, isUpdating, error, retry } =
     useFailures(mipEra, model);
   const navigate = useNavigate({ from: Route.fullPath });
   const updateSearch = (patch: Partial<typeof search>) =>
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ function FailuresPage() {
               <ProviderHealthOverview
                 diagnostics={diagnostics}
                 filters={filters}
+                updating={isUpdating}
               />
             </CardContent>
           </Card>
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/global.css b/frontend/src/styles/global.css
index 041955cd..b5e22006 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/global.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/global.css
@@ -109,6 +109,19 @@
   --color-cmip-blue: #000546;
   --color-cmip-mustard: #f2b30d;
   --color-cmip-cyan: #22bfb7;
+
+  --animate-swell: swell 1.6s ease-in-out infinite;
+  @keyframes swell {
+    0%,
+    100% {
+      transform: scale(1);
+      opacity: 0.6;
+    }
+    50% {
+      transform: scale(1.3);
+      opacity: 1;
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 @layer base {