diff --git a/web/src/pages/SettingsPage.tsx b/web/src/pages/SettingsPage.tsx
index 8665631..c9f9ee6 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/SettingsPage.tsx
+++ b/web/src/pages/SettingsPage.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useState, type FormEvent, type ReactNode } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState, type FormEvent, type ReactNode } from 'react'
 import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom'
 import { api } from '../api.js'
 import { useAuth } from '../auth.js'
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
   const [newUsername, setNewUsername] = useState('')
   const [newPassword, setNewPassword] = useState('')
 
+  const stopPollRef = useRef<(() => void) | null>(null)
+
   const refreshSettings = useCallback(() => {
     void api
       .getSettings()
@@ -47,26 +49,32 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
     refreshSettings()
   }, [refreshSettings])
 
-  useEffect(() => {
+  const pollSync = useCallback(() => {
     let alive = true
-    const poll = (): void => {
+    const tick = (): void => {
       void api
         .syncStatus()
         .then((s) => {
-          if (alive) setSync(s)
+          if (!alive) return s
+          setSync(s)
           return s
         })
         .then((s) => {
-          if (alive && s?.status === 'running') setTimeout(poll, 2000)
+          if (alive && s?.status === 'running') setTimeout(tick, 2000)
         })
         .catch(() => {})
     }
-    poll()
+    tick()
     return () => {
       alive = false
     }
   }, [])
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    stopPollRef.current = pollSync()
+    return () => stopPollRef.current?.()
+  }, [pollSync])
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (user?.isAdmin) {
       void api
@@ -95,8 +103,10 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
 
   function saveSubsonic(e: FormEvent) {
     e.preventDefault()
+    const payload: Parameters<typeof api.putSettings>[0] = { subsonicUrl, subsonicUsername }
+    if (subsonicPassword !== '') payload.subsonicPassword = subsonicPassword
     void api
-      .putSettings({ subsonicUrl, subsonicUsername, subsonicPassword })
+      .putSettings(payload)
       .then((v) => {
         setView(v)
         setSubsonicPassword('')
@@ -161,7 +171,7 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
               onChange={(e) => setDiscogsToken(e.target.value)}
               className={inputCls}
               autoComplete="off"
-              placeholder={view?.hasDiscogsToken ? 'Leave empty to keep, clear to remove' : 'Paste token'}
+              placeholder={view?.hasDiscogsToken ? 'Paste token (saving empty removes it)' : 'Paste token'}
             />
           </label>
           <button type="submit" className="rounded-xl bg-emerald-500 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-neutral-950">
@@ -188,7 +198,7 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
               onChange={(e) => setSubsonicPassword(e.target.value)}
               className={inputCls}
               autoComplete="new-password"
-              placeholder={view?.hasSubsonicPassword ? 'Saved — type to change' : ''}
+              placeholder={view?.hasSubsonicPassword ? 'Saved — leave blank to keep' : ''}
             />
           </label>
           <button type="submit" className="rounded-xl bg-emerald-500 px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium text-neutral-950">
@@ -211,7 +221,16 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
         )}
         <button
           type="button"
-          onClick={() => void api.startSync().then(setSync).then(() => setTimeout(() => void api.syncStatus().then(setSync), 500))}
+          onClick={() =>
+            void api
+              .startSync()
+              .then((s) => {
+                setSync(s)
+                stopPollRef.current?.()
+                stopPollRef.current = pollSync()
+              })
+              .catch((err: unknown) => flash('error', err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Sync failed'))
+          }
           className="rounded-xl border border-neutral-700 px-3 py-1.5 text-sm text-neutral-300"
         >
           Sync now
diff --git a/web/test/settings.test.tsx b/web/test/settings.test.tsx
index 1c9ca6b..432925d 100644
--- a/web/test/settings.test.tsx
+++ b/web/test/settings.test.tsx
@@ -147,4 +147,36 @@ describe('SettingsPage', () => {
     await userEvent.click(await screen.findByRole('button', { name: /log out/i }))
     expect(api.logout).toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
+
+  it('sync now surfaces the no-config error', async () => {
+    const err = new (await import('../src/api.js')).ApiError(409, 'no_subsonic_config')
+    vi.mocked(api.startSync).mockRejectedValue(err)
+    renderSettings()
+    await userEvent.click(await screen.findByRole('button', { name: /sync now/i }))
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByText(/no_subsonic_config/)).toBeTruthy())
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the stored subsonic password when saving with a blank password field', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(api.putSettings).mockResolvedValue(emptyView as never)
+    renderSettings()
+    await userEvent.type(await screen.findByLabelText(/subsonic url/i), 'http://navidrome.local')
+    await userEvent.type(screen.getByLabelText(/subsonic username/i), 'sam')
+    // password left blank
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /save subsonic/i }))
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(api.putSettings).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ subsonicUrl: 'http://navidrome.local', subsonicUsername: 'sam' })
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('polls sync status until it finishes after sync now', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(api.startSync).mockResolvedValue({ ...idleSync, status: 'running' } as never)
+    vi.mocked(api.syncStatus)
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ...idleSync } as never) // mount poll: idle, chain ends
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ ...idleSync, status: 'running' } as never) // first poll after sync now
+      .mockResolvedValue({ ...idleSync, status: 'done', albums: 42, lastSyncedAt: '2026-08-29T12:00:00.000Z' } as never)
+    renderSettings()
+    await userEvent.click(await screen.findByRole('button', { name: /sync now/i }))
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByText(/42 albums synced/i)).toBeTruthy(), { timeout: 3000 })
+    expect(vi.mocked(api.syncStatus).mock.calls.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3)
+  })
 })