diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx
index 62c08fe41..b646ea638 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 // Insights over packages/insights: cost KPIs, activity bars, token mosaic,
 // cost-by-model, calls-by-tool, recent purpose runs, runs history, and
-// run-trace detail. Absent usage is zero metrics + zero day series
-// (EMPTY_OVERALL_USAGE / activitySeriesForWindow). Null cost/rate still
-// means "rate unknown" when turns exist — em-dash, not a fabricated cost.
+// run-trace detail. Data may still be EMPTY_OVERALL_USAGE /
+// activitySeriesForWindow at the client boundary; zero-turn landings hide
+// Cost / Activity / Tokens chrome rather than showing zero KPI tiles. Null
+// cost/rate still means "rate unknown" when turns exist — em-dash, not a
+// fabricated cost.
 // Stage layout mirrors the shell mock: KPI row → chart/card grid → recent runs.
 
 import {
@@ -687,6 +689,9 @@ function InsightsLanding({
   const hitRate = cacheHitRate(usage);
   const missingRates = modelsWithMissingRates(usage);
   const activityDays = activitySeriesForWindow(activity ?? [], range);
+  const activityWindowEmpty = recentActivityDays(activityDays).every(
+    (d) => d.turns === 0,
+  );
   const models = byModel !== null && byModel.length > 0 ? byModel : null;
   const tools = byTool !== null && byTool.length > 0 ? byTool : null;
   const recent = purposeRuns.slice(0, 12);
@@ -704,35 +709,41 @@ function InsightsLanding({
   return (
     <div className="insights-layout">
       <StatGrid columns={4}>
-        <InsightsStat
-          label="Cost"
-          value={tileValue(formatUsd(usage.costUsd), loading)}
-          detail={`${formatCount(usage.tokens.total)} tokens`}
-          loading={loading}
-          sparklineLabel="Cost per day this week"
-          {...(costSparkline === undefined
-            ? {}
-            : { sparklineValues: costSparkline })}
-        />
-        <InsightsStat
-          label="Activity"
-          value={tileValue(formatCount(usage.turns), loading)}
-          detail="turns"
-          loading={loading}
-          sparklineValues={turnsSparkline}
-          sparklineLabel="Turns per day this week"
-        />
-        <InsightsStat
-          label="Tokens in / out"
-          value={tileValue(
-            `${formatCount(usage.tokens.input)} / ${formatCount(usage.tokens.output)}`,
-            loading,
-          )}
-          detail="input / output"
-          loading={loading}
-          sparklineValues={tokensSparkline}
-          sparklineLabel="Tokens per day this week"
-        />
+        {noUsageInWindow ? null : (
+          <InsightsStat
+            label="Cost"
+            value={tileValue(formatUsd(usage.costUsd), loading)}
+            detail={`${formatCount(usage.tokens.total)} tokens`}
+            loading={loading}
+            sparklineLabel="Cost per day this week"
+            {...(costSparkline === undefined
+              ? {}
+              : { sparklineValues: costSparkline })}
+          />
+        )}
+        {noUsageInWindow ? null : (
+          <InsightsStat
+            label="Activity"
+            value={tileValue(formatCount(usage.turns), loading)}
+            detail="turns"
+            loading={loading}
+            sparklineValues={turnsSparkline}
+            sparklineLabel="Turns per day this week"
+          />
+        )}
+        {noUsageInWindow ? null : (
+          <InsightsStat
+            label="Tokens in / out"
+            value={tileValue(
+              `${formatCount(usage.tokens.input)} / ${formatCount(usage.tokens.output)}`,
+              loading,
+            )}
+            detail="input / output"
+            loading={loading}
+            sparklineValues={tokensSparkline}
+            sparklineLabel="Tokens per day this week"
+          />
+        )}
         <InsightsStat
           label="Runs"
           value={tileValue(formatCount(stats.totalRuns), loading)}
@@ -776,7 +787,7 @@ function InsightsLanding({
           <InsightsStat
             label="To first token (p50 / p95)"
             value={latencyStatValue(latency.toFirstToken)}
-            detail="inference start → first token"
+            detail="wait until first token"
             loading={loading}
           />
           <InsightsStat
@@ -789,14 +800,14 @@ function InsightsLanding({
             <InsightsStat
               label="Cold start (p50 / p95)"
               value={latencyStatValue(latency.toReactorStart)}
-              detail="message received → reactor start"
+              detail="wait before the model starts"
               loading={loading}
             />
           ) : null}
         </StatGrid>
       ) : null}
 
-      {noUsageInWindow ? (
+      {noUsageInWindow && !activityWindowEmpty ? (
         <p className="insights-note">No usage recorded yet in this window.</p>
       ) : null}
 
@@ -824,7 +835,19 @@ function InsightsLanding({
 
       <div className="insights-grid">
         <section className="insights-panel">
-          <ActivityBars days={activityDays} />
+          {activityWindowEmpty ? (
+            <RichEmptyState
+              icon={<ChartBar />}
+              title="No activity yet"
+              description={
+                noUsageInWindow
+                  ? "No usage recorded yet in this window."
+                  : "Activity shows up here once there are turns in this window."
+              }
+            />
+          ) : (
+            <ActivityBars days={activityDays} />
+          )}
         </section>
 
         {mosaicParts.length > 0 ? (
@@ -1325,9 +1348,10 @@ export function InsightsPage({
     runs.kind === "loading" ||
     routines.kind === "loading";
 
-  // Usage/activity/tools errors must surface. Loading (and ready-empty /
-  // no-tenant ready zeros from InsightsRoute) still render zero defaults so
-  // the dashboard never invents spend. Runs/routines soft-empty on landing.
+  // Usage/activity/tools errors must surface. Loading and ready-empty /
+  // no-tenant still use EMPTY_OVERALL_USAGE at the data boundary so the
+  // dashboard never invents spend; zero-turn chrome hides usage tiles.
+  // Runs/routines soft-empty on landing.
   const usageErrorRetry =
     summary.kind === "error"
       ? summary.retry
@@ -1676,10 +1700,10 @@ export function InsightsRoute({ path }: { readonly path?: string }) {
     effectiveTenantId === null
       ? { kind: "ready", data: EMPTY_OVERALL_USAGE }
       : summary;
-  const emptyList = <T,>(q: APIQuery<T>): APIQuery<T> =>
-    effectiveTenantId === null
-      ? ({ kind: "ready", data: [] as unknown as T } as APIQuery<T>)
-      : q;
+  const activityForPage: APIQuery<readonly DayActivity[]> =
+    effectiveTenantId === null ? { kind: "ready", data: [] } : activity;
+  const byToolForPage: APIQuery<readonly ToolCall[]> =
+    effectiveTenantId === null ? { kind: "ready", data: [] } : byTool;
   const runsForPage: APIQuery<{
     data: readonly InsightsRun[];
     nextCursor: string | null;
@@ -1710,8 +1734,8 @@ export function InsightsRoute({ path }: { readonly path?: string }) {
     <InsightsPage
       path={currentPath}
       summary={emptySummary}
-      activity={emptyList(activity)}
-      byTool={emptyList(byTool)}
+      activity={activityForPage}
+      byTool={byToolForPage}
       runs={runsForPage}
       routines={routinesForPage}
       workbenches={workbenches}
diff --git a/apps/web/test/insights-page.test.tsx b/apps/web/test/insights-page.test.tsx
index d4be910e0..02a205194 100644
--- a/apps/web/test/insights-page.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/test/insights-page.test.tsx
@@ -91,17 +91,76 @@ function renderLanding(args: {
 }
 
 describe("InsightsPage usage honesty", () => {
-  test("ready-empty usage renders zero KPIs, not a load error", () => {
+  test("ready-empty usage hides usage KPI chrome, keeps Runs, not a load error", () => {
     const markup = renderLanding({
       summary: { kind: "ready", data: EMPTY_OVERALL_USAGE },
       activity: { kind: "ready", data: [] },
       byTool: { kind: "ready", data: [] },
     });
     expect(markup).not.toContain("load insights");
-    expect(markup).toContain("$0.00");
+    expect(markup).not.toContain("$0.00");
+    expect(markup).not.toContain("Tokens in / out");
+    expect(markup).toContain("Runs");
     expect(markup).toContain("Insights");
   });
 
+  test("zero-turn landing does not render a padded empty activity chart", () => {
+    const markup = renderLanding({
+      summary: { kind: "ready", data: EMPTY_OVERALL_USAGE },
+      activity: { kind: "ready", data: [] },
+      byTool: { kind: "ready", data: [] },
+    });
+    expect(markup).not.toContain("Axis to");
+  });
+
+  test("all-zero activity days do not render a chart even when the raw series is non-empty", () => {
+    const markup = renderLanding({
+      summary: { kind: "ready", data: EMPTY_OVERALL_USAGE },
+      activity: {
+        kind: "ready",
+        data: [
+          { day: "2026-01-09", turns: 0, tokens: 0, byModel: [] },
+          { day: "2026-01-10", turns: 0, tokens: 0, byModel: [] },
+          { day: "2026-01-11", turns: 0, tokens: 0, byModel: [] },
+          { day: "2026-01-12", turns: 0, tokens: 0, byModel: [] },
+          { day: "2026-01-13", turns: 0, tokens: 0, byModel: [] },
+          { day: "2026-01-14", turns: 0, tokens: 0, byModel: [] },
+          { day: "2026-01-15", turns: 0, tokens: 0, byModel: [] },
+        ],
+      },
+      byTool: { kind: "ready", data: [] },
+    });
+    expect(markup).not.toContain("Axis to");
+  });
+
+  test("turns with a true zero cost still show $0.00", () => {
+    const markup = renderLanding({
+      summary: {
+        kind: "ready",
+        data: {
+          turns: 4,
+          tokens: {
+            input: 20,
+            cacheRead: 0,
+            cacheWrite: 0,
+            output: 10,
+            thinking: 0,
+            total: 30,
+          },
+          costUsd: 0,
+          byModel: [],
+        },
+      },
+      activity: {
+        kind: "ready",
+        data: [{ day: "2026-01-15", turns: 4, tokens: 30, byModel: [] }],
+      },
+      byTool: { kind: "ready", data: [] },
+    });
+    expect(markup).toContain("$0.00");
+    expect(markup).toContain("Tokens in / out");
+  });
+
   test("summary API error surfaces load failure instead of zeros", () => {
     const markup = renderLanding({
       summary: {
@@ -791,6 +850,10 @@ describe("InsightsPage global landing — turn latency tiles (CL-6257)", () => {
     expect(el.textContent).toContain("3.4s / 8.0s");
     expect(el.textContent).toContain("To first token (p50 / p95)");
     expect(el.textContent).toContain("1.2s / 3.4s");
+    expect(el.textContent).toContain("wait until first token");
+    expect(el.textContent).toContain("first token → reply posted");
+    expect(el.textContent).not.toContain("inference start");
+    expect(el.textContent).not.toContain("reactor");
     // No cold starts this window — that stage tile does not render at all.
     expect(el.textContent).not.toContain("Cold start");
   });
@@ -808,5 +871,8 @@ describe("InsightsPage global landing — turn latency tiles (CL-6257)", () => {
     });
     expect(el.textContent).toContain("Cold start (p50 / p95)");
     expect(el.textContent).toContain("30.0s / 45.0s");
+    expect(el.textContent).toContain("wait before the model starts");
+    expect(el.textContent).not.toContain("reactor");
+    expect(el.textContent).not.toContain("inference start");
   });
 });