diff --git a/dashboard/app/dashboard/layout.tsx b/dashboard/app/dashboard/layout.tsx
index 3b4f83d..f035c5a 100644
--- a/dashboard/app/dashboard/layout.tsx
+++ b/dashboard/app/dashboard/layout.tsx
@@ -69,9 +69,15 @@ export default function DashboardLayout({
     if (status === "unauthenticated") {
       signIn("discord");
     }
-    
-    // Fetch global notification
+
+    if (status !== "authenticated") return;
+
     const fetchNotification = async () => {
+      // Only admins can read admin config — skip for everyone else
+      if (!isAdmin(session?.user?.id)) {
+        setGlobalNotification(null);
+        return;
+      }
       try {
         const config = await api.getAdminConfig();
         setGlobalNotification(config.global_notification);
@@ -79,8 +85,15 @@ export default function DashboardLayout({
         console.error("Failed to fetch notifications:", err);
       }
     };
+
     fetchNotification();
-  }, [status]);
+
+    const onBroadcastUpdated = () => {
+      fetchNotification();
+    };
+    window.addEventListener("axiom:broadcast-updated", onBroadcastUpdated);
+    return () => window.removeEventListener("axiom:broadcast-updated", onBroadcastUpdated);
+  }, [status, session?.user?.id]);
 
   if (status === "loading" || status === "unauthenticated") {
     return (
@@ -367,7 +380,17 @@ export default function DashboardLayout({
                     <div className="flex items-center justify-between mb-4 border-b border-white/5 pb-2">
                       <p className="text-[10px] font-black text-slate-500 uppercase tracking-[0.2em]">Broadcast Metrics</p>
                       <button 
-                        onClick={() => setGlobalNotification(null)}
+                        type="button"
+                        onClick={async () => {
+                          setGlobalNotification(null);
+                          if (isAdmin(session?.user?.id)) {
+                            try {
+                              await api.updateAdminConfig({ global_notification: "" });
+                            } catch (err) {
+                              console.error("Failed to clear broadcast:", err);
+                            }
+                          }
+                        }}
                         className="text-[10px] font-bold text-primary/60 hover:text-primary transition-colors uppercase"
                       >
                         Clear
diff --git a/dashboard/components/dashboard/admin-content.tsx b/dashboard/components/dashboard/admin-content.tsx
index 9236953..691221a 100644
--- a/dashboard/components/dashboard/admin-content.tsx
+++ b/dashboard/components/dashboard/admin-content.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  */
 "use client";
 
-import React, { useState, useEffect } from "react";
+import React, { useState, useEffect, useRef } from "react";
 import { 
   Shield, Users, Server, Activity, Database, Cpu, Globe, Lock, Settings, RefreshCw
 } from "lucide-react";
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ export function AdminContent() {
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
   const [refreshing, setRefreshing] = useState(false);
   const [saving, setSaving] = useState(false);
-  const [notification, setNotification] = useState("");
+  /** Draft text — never auto-saved / never sent on page load */
+  const [draft, setDraft] = useState("");
+  const draftTouched = useRef(false);
 
   const fetchData = async (isRefresh = false) => {
     if (isRefresh) setRefreshing(true);
@@ -40,7 +42,10 @@ export function AdminContent() {
       ]);
       setStats(statsData);
       setConfig(configData);
-      setNotification(configData.global_notification || "");
+      // Only hydrate draft from server once / when user hasn't edited yet
+      if (!draftTouched.current) {
+        setDraft(configData.global_notification || "");
+      }
     } catch (err) {
       console.error("Failed to fetch admin data:", err);
       toast.error("Failed to load real-time data");
@@ -52,7 +57,7 @@ export function AdminContent() {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     fetchData();
-    const interval = setInterval(() => fetchData(true), 30000); // Auto refresh every 30s
+    const interval = setInterval(() => fetchData(true), 30000);
     return () => clearInterval(interval);
   }, []);
 
@@ -61,9 +66,10 @@ export function AdminContent() {
     setSaving(true);
     try {
       const newStatus = !config.maintenance_mode;
+      // Only patch maintenance — never touch global_notification here
       await api.updateAdminConfig({ maintenance_mode: newStatus });
       setConfig({ ...config, maintenance_mode: newStatus });
-      toast.success(`Maintenance mode ${newStatus ? 'enabled' : 'disabled'}`);
+      toast.success(`Maintenance mode ${newStatus ? "enabled" : "disabled"}`);
     } catch (err) {
       toast.error("Failed to update maintenance mode");
     } finally {
@@ -71,12 +77,18 @@ export function AdminContent() {
     }
   };
 
-  const handleBroadcast = async () => {
+  const handleBroadcast = async (e?: React.MouseEvent | React.FormEvent) => {
+    e?.preventDefault();
+    e?.stopPropagation();
     setSaving(true);
     try {
-      await api.updateAdminConfig({ global_notification: notification });
-      if (config) setConfig({ ...config, global_notification: notification });
-      toast.success("Broadcast message updated");
+      const message = draft.trim();
+      await api.updateAdminConfig({ global_notification: message });
+      if (config) setConfig({ ...config, global_notification: message || null });
+      draftTouched.current = false;
+      toast.success(message ? "Broadcast published" : "Broadcast cleared");
+      // Notify other dashboard tabs/layout to refresh the bell
+      window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("axiom:broadcast-updated"));
     } catch (err) {
       toast.error("Failed to update broadcast message");
     } finally {
@@ -84,6 +96,22 @@ export function AdminContent() {
     }
   };
 
+  const handleClearBroadcast = async () => {
+    setSaving(true);
+    try {
+      await api.updateAdminConfig({ global_notification: "" });
+      setDraft("");
+      draftTouched.current = false;
+      if (config) setConfig({ ...config, global_notification: null });
+      toast.success("Broadcast cleared");
+      window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("axiom:broadcast-updated"));
+    } catch (err) {
+      toast.error("Failed to clear broadcast");
+    } finally {
+      setSaving(false);
+    }
+  };
+
   if (loading) {
     return (
       <div className="flex items-center justify-center min-h-[400px]">
@@ -99,9 +127,11 @@ export function AdminContent() {
     { name: "Database Size", value: stats?.db_size || "0 MB", icon: Database, color: "text-purple-500" },
   ];
 
+  const activeBroadcast = (config?.global_notification || "").trim();
+  const draftDirty = draft.trim() !== activeBroadcast;
+
   return (
     <div className="space-y-10 animate-in fade-in duration-500">
-      {/* Header */}
       <div className="relative group">
         <div className="absolute -inset-1 bg-gradient-to-r from-red-500 to-indigo-500 rounded-3xl blur opacity-10 group-hover:opacity-20 transition duration-1000"></div>
         <div className="relative bg-[#0f172a] border border-white/10 rounded-3xl p-8 lg:p-12 flex flex-col lg:flex-row lg:items-center justify-between gap-8">
@@ -115,6 +145,7 @@ export function AdminContent() {
             </div>
           </div>
           <button 
+            type="button"
             onClick={() => fetchData(true)}
             className="flex items-center gap-3 bg-red-500/5 px-6 py-3 rounded-2xl border border-red-500/10 hover:bg-red-500/10 transition-all active:scale-95 group/refresh"
           >
@@ -126,7 +157,6 @@ export function AdminContent() {
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      {/* Stats Grid */}
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-4 gap-6">
         {statItems.map((stat) => (
           <div key={stat.name} className="glass border border-white/5 rounded-3xl p-6 hover:border-white/10 transition-all group">
@@ -144,9 +174,7 @@ export function AdminContent() {
         ))}
       </div>
 
-      {/* System Status Section */}
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
-        {/* API Health */}
         <div className="lg:col-span-2 glass border border-white/5 rounded-[2.5rem] overflow-hidden">
           <div className="p-8 border-b border-white/5 flex items-center justify-between bg-white/[0.01]">
             <div className="flex items-center gap-4">
@@ -185,7 +213,6 @@ export function AdminContent() {
           </div>
         </div>
 
-        {/* Global Config */}
         <div className="glass border border-white/5 rounded-[2.5rem] overflow-hidden flex flex-col">
           <div className="p-8 border-b border-white/5 flex items-center gap-4 bg-white/[0.01]">
             <Settings className="h-5 w-5 text-indigo-500" />
@@ -195,6 +222,7 @@ export function AdminContent() {
             <div className="space-y-2">
               <label className="text-[10px] font-black uppercase tracking-[0.2em] text-slate-500 pl-1">Maintenance Mode</label>
               <button 
+                type="button"
                 onClick={handleToggleMaintenance}
                 disabled={saving}
                 className={cn(
@@ -220,22 +248,55 @@ export function AdminContent() {
             </div>
             
             <div className="space-y-2">
-              <label className="text-[10px] font-black uppercase tracking-[0.2em] text-slate-500 pl-1">Global Notification</label>
+              <div className="flex items-center justify-between pl-1">
+                <label className="text-[10px] font-black uppercase tracking-[0.2em] text-slate-500">
+                  Broadcast draft
+                </label>
+                {activeBroadcast ? (
+                  <span className="text-[10px] font-bold uppercase tracking-widest text-emerald-500">
+                    Live
+                  </span>
+                ) : (
+                  <span className="text-[10px] font-bold uppercase tracking-widest text-slate-600">
+                    Not published
+                  </span>
+                )}
+              </div>
               <textarea 
-                value={notification}
-                onChange={(e) => setNotification(e.target.value)}
-                className="w-full h-32 bg-white/[0.03] border border-white/5 rounded-2xl p-4 text-xs font-medium text-slate-300 focus:outline-none focus:ring-1 focus:ring-red-500/30 transition-all placeholder:text-slate-600"
-                placeholder="Message to display across all dashboards..."
+                value={draft}
+                onChange={(e) => {
+                  draftTouched.current = true;
+                  setDraft(e.target.value);
+                }}
+                className="w-full h-32 bg-white/[0.03] border border-white/5 rounded-2xl p-4 text-xs font-medium text-slate-300 focus:outline-none focus:ring-1 focus:ring-primary/30 transition-all placeholder:text-slate-600"
+                placeholder="Write a message… nothing is published until you click Broadcast."
               />
+              <p className="text-[10px] text-slate-500 pl-1">
+                Reloading this page does not publish. Only the Broadcast button updates the dashboard bell.
+                {draftDirty ? " • Unsaved draft" : ""}
+              </p>
             </div>
 
-            <button 
-              onClick={handleBroadcast}
-              disabled={saving}
-              className="w-full py-4 bg-primary rounded-2xl font-black uppercase tracking-widest text-xs shadow-xl shadow-primary/20 hover:brightness-110 active:scale-[0.98] transition-all disabled:opacity-50"
-            >
-              {saving ? "Processing..." : "Broadcast Message"}
-            </button>
+            <div className="flex flex-col gap-3">
+              <button 
+                type="button"
+                onClick={handleBroadcast}
+                disabled={saving || !draftDirty}
+                className="w-full py-4 bg-primary rounded-2xl font-black uppercase tracking-widest text-xs shadow-xl shadow-primary/20 hover:brightness-110 active:scale-[0.98] transition-all disabled:opacity-50"
+              >
+                {saving ? "Processing..." : "Broadcast Message"}
+              </button>
+              {activeBroadcast && (
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  onClick={handleClearBroadcast}
+                  disabled={saving}
+                  className="w-full py-3 rounded-2xl font-black uppercase tracking-widest text-[10px] border border-white/10 text-slate-400 hover:text-white hover:bg-white/5 transition-all disabled:opacity-50"
+                >
+                  Clear active broadcast
+                </button>
+              )}
+            </div>
           </div>
         </div>
       </div>