diff --git a/packages/app/src/app/jobs/jobs-manager.service.ts b/packages/app/src/app/jobs/jobs-manager.service.ts
index ebd1bcbd..2f851749 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/app/jobs/jobs-manager.service.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/app/jobs/jobs-manager.service.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import { CreateJobResponse, JobDetailsResponse, ListJobsResponse } from '@reefgu
 import {
   BehaviorSubject,
   finalize,
-  interval,
   map,
   shareReplay,
   switchMap,
@@ -15,7 +14,8 @@ import {
   Observable,
   of,
   Subject,
-  takeUntil
+  takeUntil,
+  repeat
 } from 'rxjs';
 import { retryHTTPErrors } from '../../util/http-util';
 import { AuthService } from '../auth/auth.service';
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ export class JobsManagerService {
   // poll job details every milliseconds
   jobDetailsInterval: number = 2_000;
 
+  /**
+   * Jobs manager reset
+   * @see reset()
+   */
   private _reset$ = new Subject<void>();
 
   constructor() {
@@ -174,26 +178,34 @@ export class JobsManagerService {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Create a job and poll its details every period. Returns 3 observables to track the job
+   * Create a job and poll its details. Returns 3 observables to track the job
    * creation, job details, and status.
    * @param jobType job type
    * @param payload job type's payload
-   * @param period how often to request job status in milliseconds (default 2 seconds)
    * @returns StartedJob with observables to track creation, job details, and status.
+   * @see _watchJobDetails
    */
   private _startJob(jobType: JobType, payload: Record<string, any>): StartedJob {
-    const createJob$ = this.webApi.createJob(jobType, payload).pipe(shareReplay(1));
-    const cancel$ = new Subject<void>();
     const status$ = new BehaviorSubject<ExtendedJobStatus>('CREATING');
+    const cancel$ = new Subject<void>();
 
-    const jobDetails$ = createJob$.pipe(
+    const createJob$ = this.webApi.createJob(jobType, payload).pipe(
       retryHTTPErrors(3),
-      tap({
-        error: err => {
-          status$.next('CREATE_FAILED');
+      tap(value => {
+        if (!value.cached) {
+          // eagerly change to next status (PENDING) so UI can reflect this before jobDetails responds
+          status$.next('PENDING');
         }
+        // REVIEW else does cached always mean SUCCEEDED?
       }),
-      switchMap(createJobResp => this._watchJobDetails(createJobResp.jobId, status$, cancel$))
+      // this observable is returned and of interest to multiple subscribers
+      shareReplay(1)
+    );
+
+    const jobDetails$ = createJob$.pipe(
+      switchMap(createJobResp => this._watchJobDetails(createJobResp.jobId, status$, cancel$)),
+      // replay needed here, otherwise each subscription will execute a new switchMap
+      shareReplay({ bufferSize: 1, refCount: true })
     );
 
     return { createJob$, jobDetails$, status$, cancel$ };
@@ -216,45 +228,59 @@ export class JobsManagerService {
     const cancel$ = new Subject<void>();
     const status$ = new BehaviorSubject<ExtendedJobStatus>(job.status);
 
-    const jobDetails$ = this._watchJobDetails(job.id, status$, cancel$);
+    const jobDetails$ = this._watchJobDetails(job.id, status$, cancel$).pipe(
+      shareReplay({ bufferSize: 1, refCount: true })
+    );
 
     return { createJob$, jobDetails$, status$, cancel$ };
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Poll the job's details on jobDetailsInterval until unsubscribed.
+   * Completes when status is not PENDING or IN_PROGRESS
+   * Errors when FAILED, CANCELLED, TIMED_OUT
+   * Caller is responsible for reploy
+   * @param jobId
+   * @param status$
+   * @param cancel$
+   * @private
+   */
   private _watchJobDetails(
     jobId: number,
     status$: BehaviorSubject<ExtendedJobStatus>,
     cancel$: Observable<void>
   ): StartedJob['jobDetails$'] {
-    status$.next('PENDING');
-    return interval(this.jobDetailsInterval).pipe(
-      // Future: if client is tracking many jobs, it would be more efficient to
-      // share the query/request for all of them (i.e. switchMap to shared observable),
-      // but this is simplest for now.
-      switchMap(() => this.webApi.getJob(jobId).pipe(retryHTTPErrors(3))),
+    // FUTURE if client is tracking many jobs, it would be more efficient to
+    //  share the query/request for all of them (i.e. switchMap to shared observable),
+    //  but this is simplest for now.
+    return this.webApi.getJob(jobId).pipe(
+      // infinite retry
+      retryHTTPErrors(undefined, 50),
       // discard extra wrapping object, which has no information.
-      map(v => v.job),
+      map(details => details.job),
       // only emit when job status changes.
       distinctUntilKeyChanged('status'),
       // convert job error statuses to thrown errors.
-      tap(job => {
-        const s = job.status;
+      tap(details => {
+        const s = details.status;
         status$.next(s);
         if (s === 'FAILED' || s === 'CANCELLED' || s === 'TIMED_OUT') {
-          throw new Error(`Job id=${job.id} ${s}`);
+          throw new Error(`Job id=${details.id} ${s}`);
         }
       }),
       // complete observable when not pending/in-progress; emit the last value
       takeWhile(
-        x => x.status === 'PENDING' || x.status === 'IN_PROGRESS',
+        details => details.status === 'PENDING' || details.status === 'IN_PROGRESS',
         true // inclusive: emit the first value that fails the predicate
       ),
+      repeat({
+        delay: this.jobDetailsInterval
+      }),
       takeUntil(cancel$),
       takeUntil(this._reset$),
       finalize(() => {
         status$.complete();
-      }),
-      shareReplay(1)
+      })
     );
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/app/src/util/http-util.ts b/packages/app/src/util/http-util.ts
index ce911314..32808c06 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/util/http-util.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/util/http-util.ts
@@ -105,11 +105,14 @@ function isRetryableHTTPError(err: HttpErrorResponse): boolean {
 /**
  * Retry HTTP 5XX errors.
  * Expects HttpErrorResponse value from HttpClient.
- * @param count how many times to retry (default 1)
+ * @param count how many times to retry (default 1), undefined for infinite retry
  * @param delayTime delay in milliseconds before retrying (default no delay)
  * @returns
  */
-export function retryHTTPErrors<T>(count = 1, delayTime = 0): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T> {
+export function retryHTTPErrors<T>(
+  count: number | undefined = 1,
+  delayTime = 0
+): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T> {
   // retryWhen deprecated, delay is recommended instead.
   return retry({
     count,
diff --git a/packages/app/src/util/rxjs-util.ts b/packages/app/src/util/rxjs-util.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8482a9a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/src/util/rxjs-util.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import { MonoTypeOperatorFunction, tap } from 'rxjs';
+
+export function tapDebug<T>(name: string): MonoTypeOperatorFunction<T> {
+  const prefix = `TAP ${name}: `;
+  let nextCount = 0;
+  let subCount = 0;
+  return tap<T>({
+    next: v => {
+      nextCount++;
+      console.log(prefix + `next count=${nextCount}`, v);
+    },
+    error: err => {
+      console.error(prefix + 'error', err);
+    },
+    complete: () => {
+      console.log(prefix + 'complete');
+    },
+    subscribe: () => {
+      subCount++;
+      console.log(prefix + `subscribe subCount=${subCount}`);
+    },
+    unsubscribe: () => {
+      subCount--;
+      console.log(prefix + `unsubscribe subCount=${subCount}`);
+    }
+  });
+}
diff --git a/packages/infra/scripts/connect-efs.sh b/packages/infra/scripts/connect-efs.sh
index 1c8bbb85..23d2a0f0 100755
--- a/packages/infra/scripts/connect-efs.sh
+++ b/packages/infra/scripts/connect-efs.sh
@@ -199,6 +199,24 @@ start_interactive_session() {
     exec aws ssm start-session --target "$instance_id"
 }
 
+# TODO add to command arg design, add port forwarding config file
+# Start a port forwarding session
+start_port_forwarding_session() {
+    local instance_id=$1
+
+    log_blue "Starting port forwarding SSM session with instance: $instance_id"
+    echo ""
+
+    local LOCAL_PORT=25432
+    local REMOTE_HOST="" # DB hostname
+    local REMOTE_PORT=5432
+
+    exec aws ssm start-session \
+      --target "$instance_id" \
+      --document-name AWS-StartPortForwardingSessionToRemoteHost \
+      --parameters "{\"portNumber\":[\"$REMOTE_PORT\"],\"localPortNumber\":[\"$LOCAL_PORT\"],\"host\":[\"$REMOTE_HOST\"]}"
+}
+
 # Main function
 main() {
     local stack_name="${1:-}"