diff --git a/js/src/features/network-root.tsx b/js/src/features/network-root.tsx
index 794a258..baec43f 100644
--- a/js/src/features/network-root.tsx
+++ b/js/src/features/network-root.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useCallback, useMemo, useState } from "react";
+import { useCallback, useState } from "react";
 import { useNavigate, useParams } from "react-router-dom";
 import { CircleDot, CircleCheckBig } from "lucide-react";
 import { particlePath } from "@/lib/particle-path";
@@ -18,17 +18,15 @@ export default function NetworkRoot() {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const path = particlePath(networkId!, []);
 
-  const { streams, isLoading } = useStreamParticles(path);
   const [composeActive, setComposeActive] = useState(false);
   const [statusTab, setStatusTab] = useState<"open" | "closed">("open");
 
-  const filteredStreams = useMemo(
-    () => streams.filter((s) => s.status === statusTab),
-    [streams, statusTab],
-  );
+  const { streams, isLoading, canLoadMore, loadMore } = useStreamParticles(path, {
+    status: statusTab,
+  });
 
   const { selectedIndex } = useStreamKeyboardNav({
-    streams: filteredStreams,
+    streams,
     enabled: !composeActive,
     onNavigate: useCallback(
       (streamId: string) => navigate(`/${networkId}/${streamId}`),
@@ -53,7 +51,14 @@ export default function NetworkRoot() {
 
       {/* Scrollable content */}
       <div className="min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-y-auto overscroll-contain pb-14 py-2">
-        <ParticleListView streams={filteredStreams} networkId={networkId!} isLoading={isLoading} selectedIndex={selectedIndex} />
+        <ParticleListView
+          streams={streams}
+          networkId={networkId!}
+          isLoading={isLoading}
+          selectedIndex={selectedIndex}
+          canLoadMore={canLoadMore}
+          onLoadMore={loadMore}
+        />
       </div>
 
       <ComposeOverlay networkId={networkId!} onActiveChange={setComposeActive} />
diff --git a/js/src/features/particles/particle-list-view.tsx b/js/src/features/particles/particle-list-view.tsx
index ffd48cf..3491f4d 100644
--- a/js/src/features/particles/particle-list-view.tsx
+++ b/js/src/features/particles/particle-list-view.tsx
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { Avatar, AvatarFallback } from "@/components/ui/avatar";
 import { Separator } from "@/components/ui/separator";
 import { Progress } from "@/components/ui/progress";
 import { Small } from "@/components/ui/typography";
+import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
 import type { Particle, StreamProperties } from "@/api/types";
 import type { StreamParticle } from "@/hooks/use-stream-particles";
 import { useNetwork } from "@/hooks/use-networks";
@@ -241,12 +242,22 @@ interface ParticleListViewProps {
   networkId: string;
   isLoading: boolean;
   selectedIndex?: number | null;
+  /** When true, render a footer that invokes onLoadMore. */
+  canLoadMore?: boolean;
+  onLoadMore?: () => void;
 }
 
 /**
  * List of stream particles for a container (network root, folder, etc.).
  */
-export function ParticleListView({ streams, networkId, isLoading, selectedIndex }: ParticleListViewProps) {
+export function ParticleListView({
+  streams,
+  networkId,
+  isLoading,
+  selectedIndex,
+  canLoadMore,
+  onLoadMore,
+}: ParticleListViewProps) {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const rowRefs = useRef<(HTMLDivElement | null)[]>([]);
 
@@ -294,6 +305,13 @@ export function ParticleListView({ streams, networkId, isLoading, selectedIndex
           </div>
         </StreamContextMenu>
       ))}
+      {canLoadMore && onLoadMore && (
+        <div className="flex justify-center p-3">
+          <Button variant="ghost" size="sm" onClick={onLoadMore}>
+            Load more
+          </Button>
+        </div>
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/js/src/hooks/use-particle.ts b/js/src/hooks/use-particle.ts
index 6055399..5e912f1 100644
--- a/js/src/hooks/use-particle.ts
+++ b/js/src/hooks/use-particle.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ interface UseLiveParticleChildrenParams {
   onAdded?: (child: Particle) => void;
   onRemoved?: (child: Particle, updatedChildren: Particle[]) => void;
   whereFilter?: QueryFieldFilterConstraint;
+  /** Optional cap on results. Changes trigger a re-subscription. */
+  limit?: number;
 }
 
 export function useLiveParticleChildren(
@@ -74,6 +76,7 @@ export function useLiveParticleChildren(
     onAdded,
     onRemoved,
     whereFilter,
+    limit,
   }: UseLiveParticleChildrenParams = {}
 ): UseLiveParticleChildrenResult {
   const [children, setChildren] = useState<Particle[]>([]);
@@ -110,11 +113,12 @@ export function useLiveParticleChildren(
         onAdded,
         onRemoved,
         whereFilter,
+        limit,
       }
     );
 
     return unsubscribe;
-  }, [path]);
+  }, [path, whereFilter, limit]);
 
   return { children, isLoading, error };
 }
diff --git a/js/src/hooks/use-stream-particles.ts b/js/src/hooks/use-stream-particles.ts
index 3e2ab64..373f63a 100644
--- a/js/src/hooks/use-stream-particles.ts
+++ b/js/src/hooks/use-stream-particles.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { useMemo } from "react";
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
+import { where, type QueryFieldFilterConstraint } from "firebase/firestore";
 import { useLiveParticleChildren } from "@/hooks/use-particle";
 import { useAuthStore } from "@/stores/auth-store";
 import { parseParticlePath, type ParticlePath } from "@/lib/particle-path";
@@ -6,6 +7,14 @@ import type { Particle, StreamProperties } from "@/api/types";
 
 export type StreamParticle = Particle & { type: "stream"; properties: StreamProperties };
 
+const CLOSED_INITIAL_PAGE_SIZE = 50;
+const CLOSED_PAGE_INCREMENT = 50;
+
+// Stable where-constraint references so the Firestore subscription only
+// re-attaches when the tab actually changes, not on every render.
+const OPEN_STATUS_FILTER = where("status", "==", "open");
+const CLOSED_STATUS_FILTER = where("status", "==", "closed");
+
 function useVisibilityScopes(userId?: string, networkId?: string) {
   return useMemo(() => {
     const scopes: string[] = [];
@@ -15,30 +24,68 @@ function useVisibilityScopes(userId?: string, networkId?: string) {
   }, [userId, networkId]);
 }
 
+interface UseStreamParticlesOptions {
+  /**
+   * Which streams to subscribe to. Open streams are loaded in full (bounded
+   * by active work — full realtime coverage is needed for autoplay/huddles).
+   * Closed streams are paginated via `loadMore`.
+   */
+  status: "open" | "closed";
+}
+
 interface UseStreamParticlesResult {
   streams: StreamParticle[];
   isLoading: boolean;
   networkId: string;
+  /** True when more closed streams may exist beyond the current window. */
+  canLoadMore: boolean;
+  /** Extend the pagination window. No-op on the open tab. */
+  loadMore: () => void;
 }
 
-export function useStreamParticles(path: ParticlePath): UseStreamParticlesResult {
+export function useStreamParticles(
+  path: ParticlePath,
+  { status }: UseStreamParticlesOptions,
+): UseStreamParticlesResult {
   const { networkId } = parseParticlePath(path);
   const user = useAuthStore((s) => s.user);
   const visibilityScopes = useVisibilityScopes(user?.id, networkId);
 
-  const { children, isLoading } = useLiveParticleChildren(
-    path,
-    {
-      orderByField: "last_child_created_at",
-      orderDirection: "desc",
-      visibilityScopes,
+  const [closedLimit, setClosedLimit] = useState(CLOSED_INITIAL_PAGE_SIZE);
+
+  // Every time the user switches back to the closed tab, start with a fresh
+  // window. Avoids an ever-growing subscription across a long session.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (status === "closed") {
+      setClosedLimit(CLOSED_INITIAL_PAGE_SIZE);
     }
-  );
+  }, [status]);
+
+  const whereFilter: QueryFieldFilterConstraint =
+    status === "open" ? OPEN_STATUS_FILTER : CLOSED_STATUS_FILTER;
+  const limit = status === "closed" ? closedLimit : undefined;
+
+  const { children, isLoading } = useLiveParticleChildren(path, {
+    orderByField: "last_child_created_at",
+    orderDirection: "desc",
+    visibilityScopes,
+    whereFilter,
+    limit,
+  });
 
   const streams = useMemo(
     () => children.filter((c): c is StreamParticle => c.type === "stream"),
     [children],
   );
 
-  return { streams, isLoading, networkId };
+  // Heuristic: if we got back as many items as we asked for, assume there
+  // might be more. Clicking load-more when there are no more is a no-op.
+  const canLoadMore = status === "closed" && streams.length >= closedLimit;
+
+  const loadMore = useCallback(() => {
+    if (status !== "closed") return;
+    setClosedLimit((prev) => prev + CLOSED_PAGE_INCREMENT);
+  }, [status]);
+
+  return { streams, isLoading, networkId, canLoadMore, loadMore };
 }
diff --git a/js/src/lib/firestore-particles.ts b/js/src/lib/firestore-particles.ts
index 3943fca..e72ba94 100644
--- a/js/src/lib/firestore-particles.ts
+++ b/js/src/lib/firestore-particles.ts
@@ -161,6 +161,8 @@ export interface SubscribeToParticleChildrenOptions {
   onAdded?: (child: Particle) => void;
   onRemoved?: (child: Particle, updatedChildren: Particle[]) => void;
   whereFilter?: QueryFieldFilterConstraint;
+  /** Optional cap on results. Applied after order/where constraints. */
+  limit?: number;
 }
 
 export function subscribeToParticleChildren(
@@ -174,6 +176,7 @@ export function subscribeToParticleChildren(
     onAdded,
     onRemoved,
     whereFilter,
+    limit: limitValue,
   }: SubscribeToParticleChildrenOptions
 ): Unsubscribe {
   let q = query(typedCollection(collectionPath), orderBy(orderByField, orderDirection));
@@ -186,6 +189,9 @@ export function subscribeToParticleChildren(
   if (whereFilter) {
     q = query(q, whereFilter);
   }
+  if (limitValue !== undefined) {
+    q = query(q, limit(limitValue));
+  }
   return onSnapshot(
     q,
     (snap) => {