diff --git a/work/dashboard-frontend/src/lib/api.ts b/work/dashboard-frontend/src/lib/api.ts
index 8323e42..50638ee 100644
--- a/work/dashboard-frontend/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/work/dashboard-frontend/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,13 @@ export interface MeshHealth {
   total_regions: number
   unlocated_count: number
   last_computed: string
-  recommendations: string[]
+  // Only populated by the REST /api/health response; the websocket
+  // health_update push includes neither of these (see mesh_routes.py).
+  recommendations?: string[]
+  // false when the recommendations engine couldn't run (unwired reporter or
+  // an exception) — distinct from a genuinely empty `recommendations` list.
+  // Must NOT be treated the same as "mesh is healthy".
+  recommendations_available?: boolean
 }
 
 export interface NodeInfo {
diff --git a/work/dashboard-frontend/src/pages/MeshtasticNodes.tsx b/work/dashboard-frontend/src/pages/MeshtasticNodes.tsx
index 29a972f..8d5e6ee 100644
--- a/work/dashboard-frontend/src/pages/MeshtasticNodes.tsx
+++ b/work/dashboard-frontend/src/pages/MeshtasticNodes.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react'
-import { Save, RotateCcw, RefreshCw, Check } from 'lucide-react'
+import { Link } from 'react-router-dom'
+import { RefreshCw, Lightbulb, CheckCircle, AlertTriangle, ExternalLink } from 'lucide-react'
 import Mesh from './Mesh'
 import MeshtasticSources from './MeshtasticSources'
-import { MeshIntelligenceSection, type MeshIntelligenceConfig } from './Config'
-import { fetchConfig as apiFetchConfig, updateConfig as apiUpdateConfig } from '@/lib/api'
-import { useDirty } from '@/context/DirtyContext'
-import { notifyRestartRequired } from '@/components/RestartBanner'
+import { fetchHealth, type MeshHealth } from '@/lib/api'
 
 const TABS = [
   { key: 'nodes', label: 'Nodes' },
@@ -19,14 +17,9 @@ export default function MeshtasticNodes() {
   const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState<TabKey>('nodes')
 
   // Health tab state
-  const { setDirty } = useDirty()
-  const [intelligence, setIntelligence] = useState<MeshIntelligenceConfig | null>(null)
-  const [originalIntelligence, setOriginalIntelligence] = useState<MeshIntelligenceConfig | null>(null)
+  const [health, setHealth] = useState<MeshHealth | null>(null)
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false)
-  const [saving, setSaving] = useState(false)
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null)
-  const [success, setSuccess] = useState<string | null>(null)
-  const [hasChanges, setHasChanges] = useState(false)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     document.title = 'Nodes & Health - MeshAI'
@@ -36,12 +29,10 @@ export default function MeshtasticNodes() {
     setLoading(true)
     setError(null)
     try {
-      const data = (await apiFetchConfig('mesh_intelligence')) as MeshIntelligenceConfig
-      setIntelligence(data)
-      setOriginalIntelligence(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(data)))
-      setHasChanges(false)
+      const data = await fetchHealth()
+      setHealth(data)
     } catch (err) {
-      setError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Failed to load mesh intelligence config')
+      setError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Failed to load mesh health')
     } finally {
       setLoading(false)
     }
@@ -49,46 +40,10 @@ export default function MeshtasticNodes() {
 
   // Load when Health tab becomes active
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (activeTab === 'health' && intelligence === null && !loading) {
+    if (activeTab === 'health' && health === null && !loading) {
       fetchData()
     }
-  }, [activeTab, intelligence, loading, fetchData])
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (intelligence && originalIntelligence) {
-      setHasChanges(JSON.stringify(intelligence) !== JSON.stringify(originalIntelligence))
-    }
-  }, [intelligence, originalIntelligence])
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    setDirty(hasChanges)
-    return () => setDirty(false)
-  }, [hasChanges, setDirty])
-
-  const saveConfig = async () => {
-    if (!intelligence) return
-    setSaving(true)
-    setError(null)
-    setSuccess(null)
-    try {
-      const result = await apiUpdateConfig('mesh_intelligence', intelligence)
-      setOriginalIntelligence(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(intelligence)))
-      setHasChanges(false)
-      setDirty(false)
-      setSuccess('Mesh intelligence saved successfully')
-      if (result.restart_required) notifyRestartRequired([])
-      setTimeout(() => setSuccess(null), 3000)
-    } catch (err) {
-      setError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Save failed')
-    } finally {
-      setSaving(false)
-    }
-  }
-
-  const discardChanges = () => {
-    if (originalIntelligence) setIntelligence(JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(originalIntelligence)))
-    setHasChanges(false)
-  }
+  }, [activeTab, health, loading, fetchData])
 
   return (
     <div className="space-y-4">
@@ -113,64 +68,78 @@ export default function MeshtasticNodes() {
       {activeTab === 'nodes' && <Mesh />}
       {activeTab === 'sources' && <MeshtasticSources />}
       {activeTab === 'health' && (
-        <div className="max-w-2xl mx-auto space-y-6">
-          {/* Save bar */}
+        <div className="max-w-2xl mx-auto space-y-4">
+          {/* Header */}
           <div className="flex items-center justify-between">
-            <div>
-              <p className="text-sm text-slate-500">
-                Mesh health scoring, region management, and automated alerting.
-              </p>
-            </div>
-            <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
-              <button
-                onClick={fetchData}
-                className="p-2 text-slate-400 hover:text-slate-200 hover:bg-bg-hover rounded transition-colors"
-                title="Refresh"
-              >
-                <RefreshCw size={18} />
-              </button>
-              <button
-                onClick={discardChanges}
-                disabled={!hasChanges}
-                className="flex items-center gap-2 px-3 py-2 text-slate-400 hover:text-slate-200 disabled:opacity-50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed transition-colors"
-              >
-                <RotateCcw size={16} />
-                Discard
-              </button>
-              <button
-                onClick={saveConfig}
-                disabled={saving || !hasChanges}
-                className="flex items-center gap-2 px-4 py-2 bg-accent hover:bg-accent/80 disabled:bg-slate-700 disabled:cursor-not-allowed rounded text-white transition-colors"
-              >
-                <Save size={16} />
-                {saving ? 'Saving...' : 'Save'}
-              </button>
-            </div>
+            <p className="text-sm text-slate-500">
+              Optimization recommendations generated from current mesh health.
+            </p>
+            <button
+              onClick={fetchData}
+              className="p-2 text-slate-400 hover:text-slate-200 hover:bg-bg-hover rounded transition-colors"
+              title="Refresh"
+            >
+              <RefreshCw size={18} />
+            </button>
           </div>
 
           {/* Status messages */}
           {error && (
             <div className="p-3 text-sm bg-red-500/10 text-red-400 border border-red-500/20">{error}</div>
           )}
-          {success && (
-            <div className="p-3 text-sm bg-green-500/10 text-green-400 border border-green-500/20">
-              <Check size={14} className="inline mr-2" />{success}
-            </div>
-          )}
 
           {loading ? (
             <div className="flex items-center justify-center h-32">
               <div className="text-slate-400">Loading...</div>
             </div>
-          ) : intelligence ? (
-            <div className="bg-bg-card border border-border p-6">
-              <MeshIntelligenceSection data={intelligence} onChange={setIntelligence} />
+          ) : health ? (
+            <div className="bg-bg-card border border-border p-4">
+              <h2 className="text-[10px] font-sans uppercase tracking-widest text-[#666] mb-3">
+                Optimization Recommendations
+              </h2>
+              {health.recommendations && health.recommendations.length > 0 ? (
+                <div className="space-y-2">
+                  {health.recommendations.map((rec, i) => (
+                    <div
+                      key={i}
+                      className="p-3 bg-accent/5 border-l-2 border-accent flex items-start gap-3"
+                    >
+                      <Lightbulb size={16} className="text-accent flex-shrink-0 mt-0.5" />
+                      <span className="text-sm font-sans text-[#e0e0e0]">{rec}</span>
+                    </div>
+                  ))}
+                </div>
+              ) : health.recommendations_available === false ? (
+                <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-amber-400 py-4">
+                  <AlertTriangle size={16} />
+                  <span className="font-sans">
+                    Couldn't compute recommendations right now. Check server logs.
+                  </span>
+                </div>
+              ) : (
+                <div className="flex items-center gap-2 text-[#777] py-4">
+                  <CheckCircle size={16} className="text-green-500" />
+                  <span className="font-sans">No recommendations — mesh is healthy.</span>
+                </div>
+              )}
             </div>
           ) : (
             <div className="flex items-center justify-center h-32">
-              <div className="text-red-400">Failed to load config</div>
+              <div className="text-red-400">Failed to load mesh health</div>
             </div>
           )}
+
+          {/* Cross-link note */}
+          <div className="flex items-start gap-2 p-3 bg-[#0a0e17] border border-[#1e2a3a] rounded text-sm text-slate-400">
+            <ExternalLink size={16} className="text-accent mt-0.5 flex-shrink-0" />
+            <div>
+              Health scoring, region management, and alerting thresholds are configured on{' '}
+              <Link to="/config?section=mesh_intelligence" className="text-accent hover:underline">
+                Settings &rarr; Intelligence
+              </Link>
+              .
+            </div>
+          </div>
         </div>
       )}
     </div>