diff --git a/src/app/admin/reviews/page.tsx b/src/app/admin/reviews/page.tsx
index 5bf85ee..8363dab 100644
--- a/src/app/admin/reviews/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/admin/reviews/page.tsx
@@ -86,12 +86,12 @@ export default function ReviewsPage() {
   }, [isAdmin, router])
 
   const fetchReviews = useCallback(
-    async (currentSkip = 0) => {
+    async (currentSkip = 0, options?: { silent?: boolean }) => {
       if (abortRef.current) abortRef.current.abort()
       const ctrl = new AbortController()
       abortRef.current = ctrl
 
-      setLoading(true)
+      if (!options?.silent) setLoading(true)
       setError(null)
       try {
         const res = await listReviews(
@@ -107,13 +107,13 @@ export default function ReviewsPage() {
         setReviews(res.reviews)
         setTotal(res.total)
         setSkip(currentSkip)
-        setSelectedIds(new Set())
+        if (!options?.silent) setSelectedIds(new Set())
       } catch (err: unknown) {
         if ((err as { name?: string })?.name !== "AbortError") {
           setError("Failed to load reviews")
         }
       } finally {
-        setLoading(false)
+        if (!options?.silent) setLoading(false)
       }
     },
     [statusFilter, actionFilter, sort]
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ export default function ReviewsPage() {
         `${failures} of ${selectedReviews.length} ${kind === "approve" ? "approvals" : "dismissals"} failed`
       )
     }
-    await fetchReviews(skip)
+    await fetchReviews(skip, { silent: true })
     refreshPendingCount()
   }
 
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ export default function ReviewsPage() {
                     key={review.ref_id}
                     review={review}
                     schemas={schemas}
-                    onRefresh={() => fetchReviews(skip)}
+                    onRefresh={() => fetchReviews(skip, { silent: true })}
                     onCountRefresh={refreshPendingCount}
                     selectable={review.status === "pending"}
                     selected={selectedIds.has(review.ref_id)}
diff --git a/src/lib/__tests__/reviews.test.tsx b/src/lib/__tests__/reviews.test.tsx
index 9309c54..2044764 100644
--- a/src/lib/__tests__/reviews.test.tsx
+++ b/src/lib/__tests__/reviews.test.tsx
@@ -126,7 +126,8 @@ describe("ReviewRow", () => {
     const { getByText } = render(
       <ReviewRow schemas={[]} review={makeReview({ status: "pending" })} onRefresh={noop} />
     )
-    expect(getByText("Approve")).toBeTruthy()
+    // merge_nodes action uses "Merge" as the approve verb (ACTION_LABELS)
+    expect(getByText("Merge")).toBeTruthy()
     expect(getByText("Dismiss")).toBeTruthy()
   })
 
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@ describe("ReviewRow", () => {
     const { queryByText } = render(
       <ReviewRow schemas={[]} review={makeReview({ status: "approved" })} onRefresh={noop} />
     )
-    expect(queryByText("Approve")).toBeNull()
+    expect(queryByText("Merge")).toBeNull()
     expect(queryByText("Dismiss")).toBeNull()
   })
 
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ describe("ReviewRow", () => {
     const { queryByText } = render(
       <ReviewRow schemas={[]} review={makeReview({ status: "dismissed" })} onRefresh={noop} />
     )
-    expect(queryByText("Approve")).toBeNull()
+    expect(queryByText("Merge")).toBeNull()
     expect(queryByText("Dismiss")).toBeNull()
   })
 
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ describe("ReviewRow", () => {
     const { queryByText } = render(
       <ReviewRow schemas={[]} review={makeReview({ status: "failed" })} onRefresh={noop} />
     )
-    expect(queryByText("Approve")).toBeNull()
+    expect(queryByText("Merge")).toBeNull()
     expect(queryByText("Dismiss")).toBeNull()
   })
 
@@ -193,8 +194,9 @@ describe("ReviewRow", () => {
     )
 
     // First click opens the confirm popover
-    await user.click(getByText("Approve"))
-    expect(getByText("Approve this merge?")).toBeTruthy()
+    // merge_nodes action uses "Merge" as the approve verb (ACTION_LABELS)
+    await user.click(getByText("Merge"))
+    expect(getByText("Merge these nodes?")).toBeTruthy()
 
     // Confirm in the popover triggers the API
     await user.click(getByText("Confirm"))
@@ -213,7 +215,8 @@ describe("ReviewRow", () => {
       <ReviewRow schemas={[]} review={makeReview()} onRefresh={noop} />
     )
 
-    await user.click(getByText("Approve"))
+    // merge_nodes action uses "Merge" as the approve verb (ACTION_LABELS)
+    await user.click(getByText("Merge"))
     await user.click(getByText("Confirm"))
 
     const errEl = await findByText(/no handler registered for action: supersede/)
@@ -377,9 +380,10 @@ describe("ReviewRow", () => {
         onRefresh={noop}
       />
     )
-    // Row renders with an svg icon and subject count
+    // soft_delete action uses rowLabel: "Hide [displayName]" — the subject node
+    // has name "Mock Episode", so the row label becomes "Hide Mock Episode".
     expect(container.querySelector("svg")).toBeTruthy()
-    expect(getByText(/1 subject/)).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(getByText(/Hide Mock Episode/)).toBeTruthy()
   })
 
   it("renders topic_review_candidate row without errors", () => {
@@ -402,9 +406,10 @@ describe("ReviewRow", () => {
         onRefresh={noop}
       />
     )
-    // Row renders with an svg icon and subject count
+    // soft_delete action uses rowLabel: "Hide [displayName]" — the subject node
+    // has name "Orphaned Topic", so the row label becomes "Hide Orphaned Topic".
     expect(container.querySelector("svg")).toBeTruthy()
-    expect(getByText(/1 subject/)).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(getByText(/Hide Orphaned Topic/)).toBeTruthy()
   })
 })