diff --git a/app/cm_api.py b/app/cm_api.py
index bea4d1b..05c8dc4 100644
--- a/app/cm_api.py
+++ b/app/cm_api.py
@@ -122,7 +122,10 @@ class CM_API:
                 )
                 params = [limit, offset]
 
-            return jsonify(db.query(query, params))
+            rows = db.query(query, params)
+            count_rows = db.query("SELECT COUNT(*) AS c FROM acc", [])
+            total = int(count_rows[0]["c"]) if count_rows else 0
+            return jsonify({"rows": rows, "total": total})
 
         except Exception as error:
             return self._handle_error(error, "Not Found"), 404
@@ -166,7 +169,10 @@ class CM_API:
                 )
                 params = [limit, offset]
 
-            return jsonify(db.query(query, params))
+            rows = db.query(query, params)
+            count_rows = db.query("SELECT COUNT(*) AS c FROM user", [])
+            total = int(count_rows[0]["c"]) if count_rows else 0
+            return jsonify({"rows": rows, "total": total})
 
         except Exception as error:
             return self._handle_error(error, "Not Found"), 404
diff --git a/web/app/page.tsx b/web/app/page.tsx
index dc7a7fd..7a11641 100644
--- a/web/app/page.tsx
+++ b/web/app/page.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ export default async function AccountsPage() {
     <AccountsTable
       initial={page.rows}
       initialHasMore={page.hasMore}
+      initialTotal={page.total}
       prefixPattern={PREFIX_PATTERN}
     />
   );
diff --git a/web/app/users/page.tsx b/web/app/users/page.tsx
index d5c9a3d..c085485 100644
--- a/web/app/users/page.tsx
+++ b/web/app/users/page.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export default async function UsersPage() {
     <UsersTable
       initial={page.rows}
       initialHasMore={page.hasMore}
+      initialTotal={page.total}
       prefixPattern={PREFIX_PATTERN}
     />
   );
diff --git a/web/components/accounts-table.tsx b/web/components/accounts-table.tsx
index 66f8025..f4d89ee 100644
--- a/web/components/accounts-table.tsx
+++ b/web/components/accounts-table.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import Toast, { type ToastMessage } from "./toast";
 type Props = {
   initial: Acc[];
   initialHasMore: boolean;
+  initialTotal: number;
   prefixPattern: string;
 };
 type SortDir = "asc" | "desc";
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ function DeleteButton({
 export default function AccountsTable({
   initial,
   initialHasMore,
+  initialTotal,
   prefixPattern,
 }: Props) {
   const [sortDir, setSortDir] = useState<SortDir>("desc");
@@ -77,6 +79,11 @@ export default function AccountsTable({
   // Accumulated rows from initial server-side fetch + every loadMore.
   const [rows, setRows] = useState<Acc[]>(initial);
   const [hasMore, setHasMore] = useState<boolean>(initialHasMore);
+  // Total row count in the DB; updated on every page fetch so it stays
+  // fresh as external writes (the cm99 monitor) add rows. Mutations
+  // adjust it locally so the header doesn't flash a stale count between
+  // the optimistic update and the next page-fresh count.
+  const [total, setTotal] = useState<number>(initialTotal);
   const sentinelRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
 
   const [optimistic, applyOptimistic] = useOptimistic<Acc[], OptimisticPatch>(
@@ -111,6 +118,7 @@ export default function AccountsTable({
       const page = await refreshAccounts({ prefix: prefixPattern, dir: sortDir });
       setRows(page.rows);
       setHasMore(page.hasMore);
+      setTotal(page.total);
     } finally {
       setRefreshing(false);
     }
@@ -128,6 +136,7 @@ export default function AccountsTable({
       });
       setRows(page.rows);
       setHasMore(page.hasMore);
+      setTotal(page.total);
     } finally {
       setLoadingMore(false);
     }
@@ -153,6 +162,7 @@ export default function AccountsTable({
           .then((page) => {
             setRows((prev) => [...prev, ...page.rows]);
             setHasMore(page.hasMore);
+            setTotal(page.total);
           })
           .catch((err) => console.error("loadMoreAccounts failed:", err))
           .finally(() => setLoadingMore(false));
@@ -172,6 +182,7 @@ export default function AccountsTable({
     if (result.ok) {
       const deleted = deleteTarget;
       setRows((prev) => prev.filter((r) => r.username !== deleted));
+      setTotal((t) => Math.max(0, t - 1));
       setDeleteTarget(null);
       setToast({ type: "success", message: `Account ${deleted} deleted` });
     } else {
@@ -183,9 +194,8 @@ export default function AccountsTable({
     return (
       <div>
         <PageHead
-          count={0}
+          total={total}
           loaded={0}
-          hasMore={false}
           onRefresh={refresh}
           refreshing={refreshing}
           onAdd={() => setCreateOpen(true)}
@@ -213,9 +223,8 @@ export default function AccountsTable({
   return (
     <div>
       <PageHead
-        count={optimistic.length}
+        total={total}
         loaded={optimistic.length}
-        hasMore={hasMore}
         onRefresh={refresh}
         refreshing={refreshing}
         onAdd={() => setCreateOpen(true)}
@@ -435,23 +444,22 @@ function CardRow({ label, children }: { label: string; children: React.ReactNode
 }
 
 function PageHead({
-  count,
+  total,
   loaded,
-  hasMore,
   onRefresh,
   refreshing,
   onAdd,
 }: {
-  count: number;
+  total: number;
   loaded: number;
-  hasMore: boolean;
   onRefresh: () => void;
   refreshing: boolean;
   onAdd: () => void;
 }) {
-  // count == loaded for now; kept separate so a future "showing X of Y"
-  // header (when we surface a server-side total) drops in cleanly.
-  const showHasMore = hasMore && loaded > 0;
+  // total = COUNT(*) from the API; loaded = how many rows the user has
+  // scrolled in so far. Show the partial count only while it differs
+  // from the total, so a fully-scrolled list reads cleanly.
+  const showLoaded = loaded > 0 && loaded < total;
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-wrap items-end justify-between gap-4">
       <div>
@@ -461,10 +469,14 @@ function PageHead({
         <h1 className="mt-1 text-2xl font-semibold tracking-tight text-zinc-900 sm:text-3xl">
           Accounts
           <span className="ml-2 align-middle text-base font-medium text-zinc-400">
-            {count}
-            {showHasMore && <span className="text-zinc-300">+</span>}
+            {total}
           </span>
         </h1>
+        {showLoaded && (
+          <p className="mt-1 text-[11px] text-zinc-400">
+            Showing {loaded} of {total} — keep scrolling to load more
+          </p>
+        )}
       </div>
       <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
         <button
diff --git a/web/components/users-table.tsx b/web/components/users-table.tsx
index 1ccc782..0ef06c5 100644
--- a/web/components/users-table.tsx
+++ b/web/components/users-table.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import Toast, { type ToastMessage } from "./toast";
 type Props = {
   initial: User[];
   initialHasMore: boolean;
+  initialTotal: number;
   prefixPattern: string;
 };
 type SortDir = "asc" | "desc";
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ function DeleteButton({
 export default function UsersTable({
   initial,
   initialHasMore,
+  initialTotal,
   prefixPattern,
 }: Props) {
   const [sortKey, setSortKey] = useState<SortKey>("last_update_time");
@@ -78,6 +80,7 @@ export default function UsersTable({
 
   const [rows, setRows] = useState<User[]>(initial);
   const [hasMore, setHasMore] = useState<boolean>(initialHasMore);
+  const [total, setTotal] = useState<number>(initialTotal);
   const sentinelRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
 
   const [optimistic, applyOptimistic] = useOptimistic<User[], OptimisticPatch>(
@@ -130,6 +133,7 @@ export default function UsersTable({
       });
       setRows(page.rows);
       setHasMore(page.hasMore);
+      setTotal(page.total);
     } finally {
       setRefreshing(false);
     }
@@ -154,6 +158,7 @@ export default function UsersTable({
       });
       setRows(page.rows);
       setHasMore(page.hasMore);
+      setTotal(page.total);
     } finally {
       setLoadingMore(false);
     }
@@ -176,6 +181,7 @@ export default function UsersTable({
           .then((page) => {
             setRows((prev) => [...prev, ...page.rows]);
             setHasMore(page.hasMore);
+            setTotal(page.total);
           })
           .catch((err) => console.error("loadMoreUsers failed:", err))
           .finally(() => setLoadingMore(false));
@@ -195,6 +201,7 @@ export default function UsersTable({
     if (result.ok) {
       const deleted = deleteTarget;
       setRows((prev) => prev.filter((r) => r.f_username !== deleted));
+      setTotal((t) => Math.max(0, t - 1));
       setDeleteTarget(null);
       setToast({ type: "success", message: `User ${deleted} deleted` });
     } else {
@@ -222,8 +229,8 @@ export default function UsersTable({
     return (
       <div>
         <PageHead
-          count={0}
-          hasMore={false}
+          total={total}
+          loaded={0}
           onRefresh={refresh}
           refreshing={refreshing}
           onAdd={() => setCreateOpen(true)}
@@ -249,8 +256,8 @@ export default function UsersTable({
   return (
     <div>
       <PageHead
-        count={optimistic.length}
-        hasMore={hasMore}
+        total={total}
+        loaded={optimistic.length}
         onRefresh={refresh}
         refreshing={refreshing}
         onAdd={() => setCreateOpen(true)}
@@ -459,19 +466,19 @@ function MobileRow({ label, children }: { label: string; children: React.ReactNo
 }
 
 function PageHead({
-  count,
-  hasMore,
+  total,
+  loaded,
   onRefresh,
   refreshing,
   onAdd,
 }: {
-  count: number;
-  hasMore: boolean;
+  total: number;
+  loaded: number;
   onRefresh: () => void;
   refreshing: boolean;
   onAdd: () => void;
 }) {
-  const showHasMore = hasMore && count > 0;
+  const showLoaded = loaded > 0 && loaded < total;
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-wrap items-end justify-between gap-4">
       <div>
@@ -479,10 +486,14 @@ function PageHead({
         <h1 className="mt-1 text-2xl font-semibold tracking-tight text-zinc-900 sm:text-3xl">
           Users
           <span className="ml-2 align-middle text-base font-medium text-zinc-400">
-            {count}
-            {showHasMore && <span className="text-zinc-300">+</span>}
+            {total}
           </span>
         </h1>
+        {showLoaded && (
+          <p className="mt-1 text-[11px] text-zinc-400">
+            Showing {loaded} of {total} — keep scrolling to load more
+          </p>
+        )}
       </div>
       <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
         <button
diff --git a/web/lib/api.ts b/web/lib/api.ts
index 2a712c5..e107fd0 100644
--- a/web/lib/api.ts
+++ b/web/lib/api.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export const USERS_TAG = "users";
 // in well under one frame even on phones.
 export const PAGE_SIZE = 200;
 
-export type Page<T> = { rows: T[]; hasMore: boolean };
+export type Page<T> = { rows: T[]; hasMore: boolean; total: number };
 
 export type AccountsPageOpts = {
   offset?: number;
@@ -82,13 +82,21 @@ function buildUsersUrl(opts: UsersPageOpts): string {
 export async function getAccountsPage(opts: AccountsPageOpts = {}): Promise<Page<Acc>> {
   const data = (await fetchApi(buildAccountsUrl(opts), {
     next: { revalidate: CACHE_REVALIDATE_SECONDS, tags: [ACCOUNTS_TAG] },
-  })) as Acc[];
-  return { rows: data, hasMore: data.length === PAGE_SIZE };
+  })) as { rows: Acc[]; total: number };
+  return {
+    rows: data.rows,
+    hasMore: data.rows.length === PAGE_SIZE,
+    total: data.total,
+  };
 }
 
 export async function getUsersPage(opts: UsersPageOpts = {}): Promise<Page<User>> {
   const data = (await fetchApi(buildUsersUrl(opts), {
     next: { revalidate: CACHE_REVALIDATE_SECONDS, tags: [USERS_TAG] },
-  })) as User[];
-  return { rows: data, hasMore: data.length === PAGE_SIZE };
+  })) as { rows: User[]; total: number };
+  return {
+    rows: data.rows,
+    hasMore: data.rows.length === PAGE_SIZE,
+    total: data.total,
+  };
 }