diff --git a/frontend/src/components/DiagnosticsSettings.dom.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/DiagnosticsSettings.dom.test.tsx
index f4fb8c7b..882c6c65 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/DiagnosticsSettings.dom.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/DiagnosticsSettings.dom.test.tsx
@@ -16,8 +16,14 @@ vi.mock("react-i18next", async (importOriginal) => {
   return {
     ...actual,
     useTranslation: () => ({
-      t: (key: string, opts?: { count?: number }) =>
-        opts?.count != null ? `${key}:${opts.count}` : key,
+      t: (key: string, opts?: { count?: number; h?: number; m?: number; time?: string }) =>
+        opts?.count != null
+          ? `${key}:${opts.count}`
+          : opts?.m != null
+            ? `${key}:${opts.h ?? 0}h${opts.m}m`
+            : opts?.time != null
+              ? `${key}:${opts.time}`
+              : key,
       i18n: { language: "en" },
     }),
   };
@@ -106,6 +112,23 @@ describe("DiagnosticsSettings", () => {
     expect(setLevel).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith("INFO");
   });
 
+  it("counts the 24 hours from the moment the level was raised, not from when the page opened", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ["Date"] });
+    try {
+      vi.setSystemTime(new Date("2026-09-19T02:54:00Z"));
+      mount({});
+      vi.setSystemTime(new Date("2026-09-19T02:56:30Z")); // the page sat open for 2.5 minutes
+      fireEvent.click(levelButton("settings.diagnostics.levels.DEBUG"));
+      fireEvent.click(screen.getByTestId("diagnostics-consent-confirm"));
+      await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByTestId("diagnostics-status")).toBeTruthy());
+      expect(screen.getByTestId("diagnostics-status").textContent).toContain(
+        "settings.diagnostics.hoursMinutes:24h0m",
+      );
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+
   it("going back to the base level needs no consent", async () => {
     const until = new Date(Date.now() + 3_600_000).toISOString();
     mount({ diagnostics: { level: "DEBUG", until, retention_days: 7 } });
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/DiagnosticsSettings.tsx b/frontend/src/components/DiagnosticsSettings.tsx
index c1a67440..420459ed 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/DiagnosticsSettings.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/DiagnosticsSettings.tsx
@@ -15,14 +15,17 @@ const LEVELS: readonly DiagnosticsLevel[] = ["INFO", "DEBUG", "TRACE"];
 
 /** Hours and minutes until `until`, refreshed every 30 s — the status line counts down. */
 function useRemaining(until: string | null): { h: number; m: number } | null {
-  const [now, setNow] = useState(() => Date.now());
+  // The clock is read at render, and the interval only re-renders: a `now` held in state was the
+  // moment the page MOUNTED, so a level raised two minutes after opening Settings read "24 h 2 m"
+  // until the first tick (prod UAT 2026-09-19).
+  const [, tick] = useState(0);
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!until) return;
-    const id = window.setInterval(() => setNow(Date.now()), 30_000);
+    const id = window.setInterval(() => tick((n) => n + 1), 30_000);
     return () => window.clearInterval(id);
   }, [until]);
   if (!until) return null;
-  const minutes = Math.max(0, Math.ceil((Date.parse(until) - now) / 60_000));
+  const minutes = Math.max(0, Math.ceil((Date.parse(until) - Date.now()) / 60_000));
   return { h: Math.floor(minutes / 60), m: minutes % 60 };
 }