diff --git a/src/components/common/DataTable.test.mjs b/src/components/common/DataTable.test.mjs
index 4466aa9..47d7d96 100644
--- a/src/components/common/DataTable.test.mjs
+++ b/src/components/common/DataTable.test.mjs
@@ -1,9 +1,76 @@
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
 import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs'
 import test from 'node:test'
+import { parse, compileScript } from 'vue/compiler-sfc'
+import ts from 'typescript'
+import * as vue from 'vue'
 
 const source = readFileSync(new URL('./DataTable.vue', import.meta.url), 'utf8')
 
+function paginationHarness(t) {
+  const descriptor = parse(source).descriptor
+  const compiled = compileScript(descriptor, { id: 'data-table-pagination-test' })
+  const code = ts.transpileModule(compiled.content, { compilerOptions: { module: ts.ModuleKind.CommonJS, target: ts.ScriptTarget.ES2022 } }).outputText
+  const exports = {}
+  const deps = { vue, '@lucide/vue': { ChevronLeft: {}, ChevronRight: {} }, './tableActions': {} }
+  new Function('require', 'exports', code)(id => { assert.ok(id in deps, id); return deps[id] }, exports)
+  const component = exports.default
+  component.render = () => null
+  const state = vue.reactive({ page: 5, total: 5542, loading: false, error: false })
+  const emitted = []
+  const renderer = vue.createRenderer({
+    createElement: tag => ({ tag }), createText: text => ({ text }), createComment: text => ({ text }),
+    insert() {}, remove() {}, setElementText() {}, setText() {}, patchProp() {},
+    parentNode: () => null, nextSibling: () => null,
+  })
+  const app = renderer.createApp({ render: () => vue.h(component, {
+    data: [], columns: [], page: state.page, pageSize: 50, total: state.total, loading: state.loading,
+    'onUpdate:page': value => { emitted.push(value); state.page = value },
+  }, state.error ? { error: () => vue.h('div', 'Request failed') } : {}) })
+  app.mount({})
+  t.after(() => app.unmount())
+  return { state, emitted }
+}
+
+test('server-page loading must not reset the requested page when total temporarily clears', async t => {
+  const { state, emitted } = paginationHarness(t)
+  state.loading = true; state.total = 0
+  await vue.nextTick()
+  assert.equal(state.page, 5)
+  assert.deepEqual(emitted, [])
+  state.total = 5542; state.loading = false
+  await vue.nextTick()
+  assert.equal(state.page, 5)
+  assert.deepEqual(emitted, [])
+})
+
+test('failed server page retains its page for explicit retry and emits no automatic fallback request', async t => {
+  const { state, emitted } = paginationHarness(t)
+  state.loading = true; state.total = 0
+  await vue.nextTick()
+  state.error = true; state.loading = false
+  await vue.nextTick()
+  assert.equal(state.page, 5)
+  assert.deepEqual(emitted, [])
+  state.error = false; state.loading = true
+  await vue.nextTick()
+  state.total = 5542; state.loading = false
+  await vue.nextTick()
+  assert.equal(state.page, 5)
+  assert.deepEqual(emitted, [])
+})
+
+test('settled successful totals still clamp out-of-range and empty pages', async t => {
+  const { state, emitted } = paginationHarness(t)
+  state.total = 120
+  await vue.nextTick()
+  assert.equal(state.page, 3)
+  state.total = 0
+  await vue.nextTick()
+  assert.equal(state.page, 1)
+  assert.deepEqual(emitted, [3, 1])
+})
+
 test('keeps action-only table toolbars on the left', () => {
   assert.match(source, /'data-table__toolbar--actions-only': !\$slots\.toolbar/)
   assert.match(source, /v-if="\$slots\.toolbar" class="data-table__toolbar-heading"/)
diff --git a/src/components/common/DataTable.vue b/src/components/common/DataTable.vue
index 3ef382c..cc318d5 100644
--- a/src/components/common/DataTable.vue
+++ b/src/components/common/DataTable.vue
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ watch([pageSize, normalizedPageSizes], ([value, sizes]) => {
   page.value = 1
 }, { immediate: true })
 
-watch([page, pageCount], ([value, count]) => {
+watch([page, pageCount, () => props.loading, () => Boolean(slots.error)], ([value, count, loading, hasError]) => {
+  // A cleared total is not an authoritative page count while loading or showing a request error.
+  if (loading || hasError) return
   const nextValue = normalizePage(value, count)
   if (value !== nextValue) page.value = nextValue
 }, { immediate: true })