diff --git a/public/admin/assets/css/layout.css b/public/admin/assets/css/layout.css
index 13b07d8..a878bcc 100644
--- a/public/admin/assets/css/layout.css
+++ b/public/admin/assets/css/layout.css
@@ -95,27 +95,28 @@ header.app-header h1 span {
 
 
 /* ── stats bar ── */
+/* each .stat owns its own horizontal padding so the vertical separator
+   renders edge-to-edge; no margin gap between cells. */
 
 .stats-bar {
   display: flex;
-  gap: 0;
   background: var(--bg-card);
   border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
-  padding: 0 24px;
   flex-wrap: wrap;
 }
 
 .stat {
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
-  gap: 3px;
-  padding: 14px 28px 14px 0;
-  margin-right: 28px;
+  justify-content: center;
+  gap: 4px;
+  padding: 16px 32px;
   border-right: 1px solid var(--border);
-  padding-right: 28px;
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
 }
 
-.stat:last-child { border-right: none; }
+.stat:first-child { padding-left: 24px; }
+.stat:last-child  { border-right: none; }
 
 .stat .label {
   color: var(--muted-dark);
diff --git a/public/admin/pages/articles.html b/public/admin/pages/articles.html
index 3b33f15..16e9230 100644
--- a/public/admin/pages/articles.html
+++ b/public/admin/pages/articles.html
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
     </label>
     <label>From <input type="date" id="f-from" /></label>
     <label>To   <input type="date" id="f-to" /></label>
-    <button class="primary" id="searchBtn" style="align-self:flex-end">Search</button>
+    <button type="button" class="primary" id="searchBtn" style="align-self:flex-end">Search</button>
   </div>
 
   <div class="table-wrap">
diff --git a/public/admin/pages/events.html b/public/admin/pages/events.html
index d8e7a6f..ef32aab 100644
--- a/public/admin/pages/events.html
+++ b/public/admin/pages/events.html
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
         <option value="articles_asc">Fewest articles</option>
       </select>
     </label>
-    <button class="primary" id="eSearchBtn" style="align-self:flex-end">Filter</button>
+    <button type="button" class="primary" id="eSearchBtn" style="align-self:flex-end">Filter</button>
   </div>
 
   <div class="table-wrap">
diff --git a/public/admin/pages/intelligence/knowledge.html b/public/admin/pages/intelligence/knowledge.html
index 1a9aaeb..8fb0373 100644
--- a/public/admin/pages/intelligence/knowledge.html
+++ b/public/admin/pages/intelligence/knowledge.html
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
           <option value="event_date">By event date</option>
         </select>
       </label>
-      <button class="primary" id="i-filter-btn" style="align-self:flex-end">Filter</button>
+      <button type="button" class="primary" id="i-filter-btn" style="align-self:flex-end">Filter</button>
     </div>
 
     <div class="table-wrap">
diff --git a/public/admin/pages/intelligence/predictions.html b/public/admin/pages/intelligence/predictions.html
index 21dfa20..7c9be4e 100644
--- a/public/admin/pages/intelligence/predictions.html
+++ b/public/admin/pages/intelligence/predictions.html
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
           <option value="event_date">By event date</option>
         </select>
       </label>
-      <button class="primary" id="i-filter-btn" style="align-self:flex-end">Filter</button>
+      <button type="button" class="primary" id="i-filter-btn" style="align-self:flex-end">Filter</button>
     </div>
 
     <div class="table-wrap">
diff --git a/src/routes/admin.js b/src/routes/admin.js
index d1b9cee..6da8032 100644
--- a/src/routes/admin.js
+++ b/src/routes/admin.js
@@ -78,11 +78,14 @@ async function adminRoutes(fastify) {
   });
 
   // static assets (css + js) under /admin/assets/*
+  // use must-revalidate so the browser always checks for a newer copy;
+  // prevents the admin getting stuck on old js after a deploy.
   fastify.register(fastifyStatic, {
     root: assetsDir,
     prefix: '/admin/assets/',
     decorateReply: false,
-    cacheControl: false,
+    cacheControl: true,
+    maxAge: 0,
   });
 
   // top-level entry — redirect to articles