diff --git a/src/components/AdminShell.tsx b/src/components/AdminShell.tsx
index bb27423..3f4d8b1 100644
--- a/src/components/AdminShell.tsx
+++ b/src/components/AdminShell.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { isExternalIdentity } from "~/lib/admin-auth";
 import { clearAdminSession, hasAdminSession, setAdminSession } from "~/lib/admin-session";
 import { normalizeAllowedModules } from "~/lib/admin/module-access";
 import { sessionExpired, clearSessionExpired, installSessionExpiryWatcher } from "~/lib/session-expired";
+import { installSessionRefreshLoop } from "~/lib/session-refresh";
 
 type Tab = { href: string; label: string; exact?: boolean };
 type SearchResult = { id: string; title: string; subtitle: string; href: string };
@@ -491,6 +492,7 @@ export default function AdminShell(props: { children: JSX.Element }) {
 
   onMount(() => {
     installSessionExpiryWatcher();
+    installSessionRefreshLoop();
 
     const savedTheme = (
       typeof localStorage !== "undefined" ? localStorage.getItem("nxtgauge_admin_theme") : null
diff --git a/src/lib/session-refresh.ts b/src/lib/session-refresh.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1875305
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/session-refresh.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+// Sliding session window for the admin panel: the access token is only valid for
+// 15 minutes (see crates/auth/src/jwt.rs), matching the backend's employee_sessions
+// expiry policy. While the admin is active we silently exchange the refresh-token
+// cookie for a new access token before the old one expires; once idle for 15
+// minutes we stop refreshing and let the token expire naturally, so the existing
+// session-expired dialog (src/lib/session-expired.ts) kicks in on the next request.
+const IDLE_LIMIT_MS = 15 * 60 * 1000;
+const CHECK_INTERVAL_MS = 3 * 60 * 1000;
+const ACTIVITY_EVENTS = ['mousedown', 'keydown', 'scroll', 'touchstart'] as const;
+
+let lastActivityAt = Date.now();
+let installed = false;
+
+function markActivity(): void {
+  lastActivityAt = Date.now();
+}
+
+async function refreshAccessToken(): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch('/api/admin/auth/refresh', {
+      method: 'POST',
+      credentials: 'include',
+      headers: { Accept: 'application/json' },
+    });
+    if (!res.ok) return;
+    const data = await res.json().catch(() => null);
+    if (data?.access_token && typeof sessionStorage !== 'undefined') {
+      sessionStorage.setItem('nxtgauge_admin_access_token', data.access_token);
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // Network hiccup — the next successful check will catch up. If the token
+    // does expire in the meantime, the session-expired dialog handles it.
+  }
+}
+
+/** Idempotent — safe to call from every AdminShell mount. */
+export function installSessionRefreshLoop(): void {
+  if (installed || typeof window === 'undefined') return;
+  installed = true;
+
+  markActivity();
+  for (const evt of ACTIVITY_EVENTS) {
+    window.addEventListener(evt, markActivity, { passive: true });
+  }
+
+  setInterval(() => {
+    if (Date.now() - lastActivityAt < IDLE_LIMIT_MS) {
+      void refreshAccessToken();
+    }
+  }, CHECK_INTERVAL_MS);
+}