diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/activity/page.tsx b/apps/web/src/app/activity/page.tsx
index 187da1c..46e3b44 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app/activity/page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/activity/page.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import {
 } from "@/components/ui/table";
 import { Tabs, TabsList, TabsTrigger } from "@/components/ui/tabs";
 import { PageShell } from "@/components/page-shell";
+import { EmptyState } from "@/components/empty-state";
 import { getSeededOperator } from "@/lib/operator";
 import { listActivityRuns } from "@/lib/queries";
 import {
@@ -397,25 +398,21 @@ export default async function ActivityPage({ searchParams }: PageProps) {
           </div>
         </>
       ) : (
-        <Card>
-          <CardContent className="flex flex-col items-center gap-3 py-12 text-center">
-            <ActivityIcon className="size-10 text-muted-foreground/40" />
-            <div className="space-y-1">
-              <p className="text-sm font-medium">
-                {filter === "all"
-                  ? "No activity yet."
-                  : showingArchived
-                    ? "No archived runs."
-                    : `No ${filter} runs yet.`}
-              </p>
-              <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                {hasAny
-                  ? "Runs in other states aren't shown by this filter."
-                  : "Reminder fire events will appear here."}
-              </p>
-            </div>
-          </CardContent>
-        </Card>
+        <EmptyState
+          icon={ActivityIcon}
+          title={
+            filter === "all"
+              ? "No activity yet."
+              : showingArchived
+                ? "No archived runs."
+                : `No ${filter} runs yet.`
+          }
+          description={
+            hasAny
+              ? "Runs in other states aren't shown by this filter."
+              : "Reminder fire events will appear here."
+          }
+        />
       )}
     </PageShell>
   );
diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/page.tsx b/apps/web/src/app/page.tsx
index 159d1df..b3fdc65 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app/page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/page.tsx
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import { Badge } from "@/components/ui/badge";
 import { getSeededOperator } from "@/lib/operator";
 import { getDashboardStats } from "@/lib/queries";
 import { PageShell } from "@/components/page-shell";
+import { EmptyState } from "@/components/empty-state";
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Time helpers (no external dep, server-safe)
@@ -333,21 +334,17 @@ export default async function DashboardPage() {
             </div>
           </>
         ) : (
-          <Card>
-            <CardContent className="flex flex-col items-center gap-4 py-12 text-center">
-              <ActivityIcon className="size-10 text-muted-foreground/40" />
-              <div className="space-y-1">
-                <p className="text-sm font-medium">No reminders have fired yet.</p>
-                <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                  Schedule one to start sending WhatsApp messages.
-                </p>
-              </div>
+          <EmptyState
+            icon={ActivityIcon}
+            title="No reminders have fired yet."
+            description="Schedule one to start sending WhatsApp messages."
+            action={
               <Button asChild size="sm">
                 {/* eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */}
                 <Link href={"/reminders/new" as any}>Schedule a reminder</Link>
               </Button>
-            </CardContent>
-          </Card>
+            }
+          />
         )}
       </section>
     </PageShell>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/reminders/page.tsx b/apps/web/src/app/reminders/page.tsx
index 0688c57..373f8fe 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app/reminders/page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/reminders/page.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { Badge } from "@/components/ui/badge";
 import { Card, CardContent } from "@/components/ui/card";
 import { Tabs, TabsList, TabsTrigger } from "@/components/ui/tabs";
 import { PageShell } from "@/components/page-shell";
+import { EmptyState } from "@/components/empty-state";
 import { getSeededOperator } from "@/lib/operator";
 import { listAccounts, listReminders } from "@/lib/queries";
 import { describeRecurrence, specFromRrule } from "@/lib/recurrence";
@@ -326,26 +327,24 @@ export default async function RemindersPage({ searchParams }: PageProps) {
           </div>
         </>
       ) : (
-        <Card>
-          <CardContent className="flex flex-col items-center gap-4 py-12 text-center">
-            <BellIcon className="size-10 text-muted-foreground/40" />
-            <div className="space-y-1">
-              <p className="text-sm font-medium">
-                {allReminders.length === 0
-                  ? "No reminders yet."
-                  : hasAnyFilter
-                    ? "No reminders match your filters."
-                    : `No ${status} reminders yet.`}
-              </p>
-              <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                {allReminders.length === 0
-                  ? "Create a reminder to start sending scheduled WhatsApp messages."
-                  : hasAnyFilter
-                    ? "Try clearing the filters or widening your search."
-                    : "Reminders in other states aren't shown by this filter."}
-              </p>
-            </div>
-            {allReminders.length === 0 && (
+        <EmptyState
+          icon={BellIcon}
+          title={
+            allReminders.length === 0
+              ? "No reminders yet."
+              : hasAnyFilter
+                ? "No reminders match your filters."
+                : `No ${status} reminders yet.`
+          }
+          description={
+            allReminders.length === 0
+              ? "Create a reminder to start sending scheduled WhatsApp messages."
+              : hasAnyFilter
+                ? "Try clearing the filters or widening your search."
+                : "Reminders in other states aren't shown by this filter."
+          }
+          action={
+            allReminders.length === 0 ? (
               <Button asChild size="sm">
                 {/* eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */}
                 <Link href={"/reminders/new" as any}>
@@ -353,9 +352,9 @@ export default async function RemindersPage({ searchParams }: PageProps) {
                   New Reminder
                 </Link>
               </Button>
-            )}
-          </CardContent>
-        </Card>
+            ) : undefined
+          }
+        />
       )}
     </PageShell>
   );
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/accounts-list-view.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/accounts-list-view.tsx
index 2342eff..e62d478 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/accounts-list-view.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/accounts-list-view.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import Link from "next/link";
 import { PlusIcon, SmartphoneIcon, CalendarIcon } from "lucide-react";
 import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import { PageShell } from "@/components/page-shell";
+import { EmptyState } from "@/components/empty-state";
 import {
   Card,
   CardContent,
@@ -103,24 +104,22 @@ export function AccountsListView({ accounts }: AccountsListViewProps) {
           ))}
         </div>
       ) : (
-        <Card data-testid="accounts-empty">
-          <CardContent className="flex flex-col items-center gap-4 py-12 text-center">
-            <SmartphoneIcon className="size-10 text-muted-foreground/40" />
-            <div className="space-y-1">
-              <p className="text-sm font-medium">No accounts paired yet.</p>
-              <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                Pair a WhatsApp account to start scheduling reminders.
-              </p>
-            </div>
-            <Button asChild size="sm">
-              {/* eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */}
-              <Link href={"/accounts/new" as any}>
-                <PlusIcon />
-                Add Account
-              </Link>
-            </Button>
-          </CardContent>
-        </Card>
+        <div data-testid="accounts-empty">
+          <EmptyState
+            icon={SmartphoneIcon}
+            title="No accounts paired yet."
+            description="Pair a WhatsApp account to start scheduling reminders."
+            action={
+              <Button asChild size="sm">
+                {/* eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */}
+                <Link href={"/accounts/new" as any}>
+                  <PlusIcon />
+                  Add Account
+                </Link>
+              </Button>
+            }
+          />
+        </div>
       )}
     </PageShell>
   );
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/empty-state.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/empty-state.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3987159
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/empty-state.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
+import { ActivityIcon } from "lucide-react";
+import { EmptyState } from "./empty-state";
+
+describe("EmptyState", () => {
+  it("renders the icon, title, and description", () => {
+    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
+      <EmptyState
+        icon={ActivityIcon}
+        title="No activity yet."
+        description="Reminder fire events will appear here."
+      />,
+    );
+    expect(html).toContain("No activity yet.");
+    expect(html).toContain("Reminder fire events will appear here.");
+    // The lucide icon component renders an <svg> with the lucide-activity class.
+    expect(html).toMatch(/<svg[^>]*lucide-activity/);
+  });
+
+  it("omits the description when it isn't passed", () => {
+    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
+      <EmptyState icon={ActivityIcon} title="No archived runs." />,
+    );
+    expect(html).toContain("No archived runs.");
+    // No second <p> element for the helper text — the only <p> is the title.
+    expect((html.match(/<p\b/g) ?? []).length).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it("renders the action slot when provided", () => {
+    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
+      <EmptyState
+        icon={ActivityIcon}
+        title="No reminders yet."
+        action={<button data-testid="cta">Schedule one</button>}
+      />,
+    );
+    expect(html).toContain('data-testid="cta"');
+    expect(html).toContain("Schedule one");
+  });
+
+  it("centres the layout (icon → text → action stack)", () => {
+    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
+      <EmptyState icon={ActivityIcon} title="x" action={<span>cta</span>} />,
+    );
+    // The CardContent uses flex-col items-center text-center for the
+    // canonical empty state layout. Lock that in so future tweaks
+    // can't accidentally drop the centring.
+    expect(html).toMatch(/flex-col items-center/);
+    expect(html).toMatch(/text-center/);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/empty-state.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/empty-state.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2828152
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/empty-state.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import type { ReactNode } from "react";
+import type { LucideIcon } from "lucide-react";
+import { Card, CardContent } from "@/components/ui/card";
+
+interface EmptyStateProps {
+  /** Visual anchor — usually a lucide icon component, rendered at
+   *  size-10 in muted/40 so it reads as decorative rather than active. */
+  icon: LucideIcon;
+  /** One-line headline. Required — empty states without one read as
+   *  "is the page broken?" */
+  title: string;
+  /** Optional explainer below the headline. */
+  description?: string;
+  /** Optional CTA button or action link slot. */
+  action?: ReactNode;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Reusable empty-state card. Tabs render this when their list is
+ * empty (no accounts paired, no reminders scheduled, no activity
+ * yet). Centralises the icon / heading / helper / CTA layout so
+ * every empty surface in the app reads the same.
+ */
+export function EmptyState({ icon: Icon, title, description, action }: EmptyStateProps) {
+  return (
+    <Card>
+      <CardContent className="flex flex-col items-center gap-4 py-12 text-center">
+        <Icon className="size-10 text-muted-foreground/40" aria-hidden="true" />
+        <div className="space-y-1">
+          <p className="text-sm font-medium">{title}</p>
+          {description && (
+            <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{description}</p>
+          )}
+        </div>
+        {action}
+      </CardContent>
+    </Card>
+  );
+}