diff --git a/src/contexts/instance-context.js b/src/contexts/instance-context.js
index df501942..94e4ceaa 100644
--- a/src/contexts/instance-context.js
+++ b/src/contexts/instance-context.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export const InstanceProvider = ({ children }) => {
             let isAppReady = false;
 
             try {
-               isAppReady = await api.getAppReady(decoded_url);
+               isAppReady = await api.getAppReady(sid);
             } catch(e) {} // just absorb the exception, the default false is correct here
             if (isAppReady) {
                 let newActivity = {
diff --git a/src/contexts/workspaces-context/api.ts b/src/contexts/workspaces-context/api.ts
index 35e93278..135297c6 100644
--- a/src/contexts/workspaces-context/api.ts
+++ b/src/contexts/workspaces-context/api.ts
@@ -357,17 +357,22 @@ export class WorkspacesAPI implements IWorkspacesAPI {
     }
 
     @APIRequest()
-    async getAppReady(decodedURL: string, fetchOptions: AxiosRequestConfig={}): Promise<boolean> {
-        const parts = decodedURL.split('/');
-        const sid = (parts.length >= 2)?parts[parts.length - 2]:"";
-
-        if(sid.length == 0) return false;
+    async getAppReady(sid: string, fetchOptions: AxiosRequestConfig={}): Promise<boolean> {
         const res = await this.axios.get<AppInstanceIsReadyResponse>(`/instances/${ sid }/is_ready/`, {
             ...fetchOptions
         });
         if(res.data) return res.data.is_ready;
         return false;
     }
+
+    @APIRequest()
+    async getAppReadyByURL(decodedURL: string, fetchOptions: AxiosRequestConfig={}): Promise<boolean> {
+        const parts = decodedURL.split('/');
+        const sid = (parts.length >= 2)?parts[parts.length - 2]:"";
+
+        if(sid.length == 0) return false;
+        return await this.getAppReady(sid, fetchOptions)
+    }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/contexts/workspaces-context/api.types.ts b/src/contexts/workspaces-context/api.types.ts
index caf75fd1..1803c91b 100644
--- a/src/contexts/workspaces-context/api.types.ts
+++ b/src/contexts/workspaces-context/api.types.ts
@@ -233,5 +233,6 @@ export interface IWorkspacesAPI {
     stopAppInstance(sid: string, fetchOptions?: AxiosRequestConfig): Promise<void>
     updateAppInstance(sid: string, workspace: string, cpu: string, gpu: string, memory: string, fetchOptions?: AxiosRequestConfig): Promise<UpdateAppInstanceResponse>
     launchApp(appId: string, cpus: number, gpus: number, memory: string, fetchOptions?: AxiosRequestConfig): Promise<LaunchAppResponse>
-    getAppReady(appUrl: string, fetchOptions?: AxiosRequestConfig): Promise<boolean>
+    getAppReady(sid: string, fetchOptions?: AxiosRequestConfig): Promise<boolean>
+    getAppReadyByURL(decodedURL: string, fetchOptions?: AxiosRequestConfig): Promise<boolean>
 }
diff --git a/src/views/splash-screen.js b/src/views/splash-screen.js
index f30dceaa..94279066 100644
--- a/src/views/splash-screen.js
+++ b/src/views/splash-screen.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export const SplashScreenView = withWorkspaceAuthentication((props) => {
         (async () => {
             try {
                 await callWithRetry(async () => { 
-                    const isReady = await api.getAppReady(decoded_url);
+                    const isReady = await api.getAppReadyByURL(decoded_url);
                     if (isReady && shouldCancel === false) {
                         setLoading(false)
                     } else {
diff --git a/src/views/workspaces/active.js b/src/views/workspaces/active.js
index 0078a292..cd125e00 100644
--- a/src/views/workspaces/active.js
+++ b/src/views/workspaces/active.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { Fragment, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import React, { Fragment, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { Button, Col, Form, Input, Layout, Modal, Table, Typography, Slider, Spin, Row, Progress, Space, Tooltip } from 'antd';
 import { DeleteOutlined, RightCircleOutlined, LoadingOutlined, CloseOutlined, ExclamationOutlined, QuestionOutlined } from '@ant-design/icons';
 import { NavigationTabGroup } from '../../components/workspaces/navigation-tab-group';
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ export const ActiveView = withWorkspaceAuthentication(() => {
     const [instances, setInstances] = useState();
     const [apps, setApps] = useState();
     const [refresh, setRefresh] = useState(false);
-    const [isLoading, setLoading] = useState(false);
     const { api } = useWorkspacesAPI()
     const { appSpecs, appActivityCache, getLatestActivity } = useActivity();
     const { analyticsEvents } = useAnalytics();
@@ -44,19 +43,29 @@ export const ActiveView = withWorkspaceAuthentication(() => {
 
     useTitle("Active Workspaces")
 
+    const isLoading = useMemo(() => instances === undefined, [instances])
+    
     useEffect(() => {
-        const renderInstance = async () => {
-            setLoading(true);
+        let stale = false
+        // We poll the instances endpoint to periodically update readiness probe values.
+        // This approach is simpler than individually polling each app's readiness.
+        const pollInstances = async () => {
             try {
                 const instances = await api.getAppInstances()
+                if (stale) return
                 setInstances(instances)
+                setTimeout(pollInstances, 5000)
             } catch (e) {
+                if (stale) return
                 setInstances([])
                 openNotificationWithIcon('error', 'Error', 'An error has occurred while loading instances.')
+                setTimeout(pollInstances, 2500)
             }
-            setLoading(false);
         }
-        renderInstance();
+        pollInstances()
+        return () => {
+            stale = true
+        }
     }, [refresh, api])
 
     useEffect(() => {
@@ -70,10 +79,12 @@ export const ActiveView = withWorkspaceAuthentication(() => {
                 openNotificationWithIcon('error', 'Error', 'An error has occurred while loading app configuration.')
             }
         }
-        if (instances && instances.length === 0) setTimeout(() => navigate('/helx/workspaces/available'), 1000)
-        else loadAppsConfig();
+        loadAppsConfig();
+    }, [api])
 
-    }, [instances, api])
+    useEffect(() => {
+        if (instances && instances.length === 0) setTimeout(() => navigate('/helx/workspaces/available'), 1000)
+    }, [instances])
 
     const stopInstanceHandler = async () => {
         // besides making requests to delete the instance, close its browser tab and stop polling service
@@ -202,7 +213,14 @@ export const ActiveView = withWorkspaceAuthentication(() => {
                 let activity = getLatestActivity(record.sid)
                 let indicator = null
                 let statusText = null
-                switch (activity?.data.status) {
+
+                let status = activity?.data.status
+                if (status === "LAUNCHED") {
+                    // Containers may be launched but also need to ensure the pod readiness probe has passed,
+                    // otherwise display as still launching.
+                    if (record.status !== "ready") status = "LAUNCHING"
+                }
+                switch (status) {
                     case "LAUNCHING":
                         indicator = <Spin indicator={ <LoadingOutlined style={{ fontSize: 16 }} spin /> } />
                         statusText = "Launching"