diff --git a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/canvas/DashboardEmptyState.tsx b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/canvas/DashboardEmptyState.tsx
index e59c8492..ed2bb315 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/canvas/DashboardEmptyState.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/canvas/DashboardEmptyState.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ const DashboardEmptyState: React.FC<{ c: ClaudeTokens }> = ({ c }) => (
       pointerEvents: 'none',
     }}
   >
-    <style>{`@keyframes empty-state-shimmer { 0% { background-position: 200% 0; } 100% { background-position: -200% 0; } }`}</style>
     <Typography sx={{ color: c.text.tertiary, fontSize: '1.1rem', mb: 1 }}>
       No agents running
     </Typography>
@@ -26,17 +25,10 @@ const DashboardEmptyState: React.FC<{ c: ClaudeTokens }> = ({ c }) => (
         display: 'inline-flex',
         alignItems: 'center',
         gap: 0.7,
-        background: `linear-gradient(90deg, ${c.text.ghost} 0%, ${c.text.ghost} 40%, ${c.text.primary} 50%, ${c.text.ghost} 60%, ${c.text.ghost} 100%)`,
-        backgroundSize: '200% 100%',
-        WebkitBackgroundClip: 'text',
-        backgroundClip: 'text',
-        WebkitTextFillColor: 'transparent',
-        color: 'transparent',
-        animation: 'empty-state-shimmer 6s linear infinite',
+        color: c.text.primary,
       }}
     >
       Click the
-      {/* Literal toolbar glyph; the shimmer's transparent color would hide it, so reset color here. */}
       <Box component="span" sx={{ display: 'inline-flex', color: c.text.tertiary }}>
         <ChatBubbleTeardrop sx={{ fontSize: 15 }} />
       </Box>