diff --git a/apps/frontend/src/renderer/components/KanbanPilotView.tsx b/apps/frontend/src/renderer/components/KanbanPilotView.tsx
index edd7d2f00..42c3e92fa 100644
--- a/apps/frontend/src/renderer/components/KanbanPilotView.tsx
+++ b/apps/frontend/src/renderer/components/KanbanPilotView.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import {
   AutoCodeClientProvider,
+  BoardSkeleton,
   BoardView,
   TaskDetail as UiTaskDetail,
   buildBoardViewLabels,
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ function PilotBoard({ onOpen }: Readonly<{ onOpen: (id: string) => void }>) {
   return (
     <div className="h-full overflow-auto p-4">
       <h1 className="mb-4 text-lg font-semibold">{t('kanban:pilot.title')}</h1>
-      {loading && <p>{t('kanban:pilot.loading')}</p>}
+      {loading && <BoardSkeleton label={t('kanban:pilot.loading')} />}
       {error && (
         <p role="alert">
           {t('kanban:pilot.error')}{' '}
@@ -62,6 +63,8 @@ function PilotBoard({ onOpen }: Readonly<{ onOpen: (id: string) => void }>) {
           columns={columns}
           labels={labels}
           onSelectTask={(task) => onOpen(task.id)}
+          emptyTitle={t('kanban:pilot.empty.title')}
+          emptyDescription={t('kanban:pilot.empty.description')}
         />
       )}
     </div>
diff --git a/apps/frontend/src/shared/i18n/locales/en/kanban.json b/apps/frontend/src/shared/i18n/locales/en/kanban.json
index 3fd148731..93abee84b 100644
--- a/apps/frontend/src/shared/i18n/locales/en/kanban.json
+++ b/apps/frontend/src/shared/i18n/locales/en/kanban.json
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
     "loading": "Loading tasks…",
     "error": "Failed to load tasks.",
     "retry": "Retry",
+    "empty": {
+      "title": "No tasks yet",
+      "description": "Create your first spec to see it on the board."
+    },
     "columns": {
       "draft": "Draft",
       "running": "Running",
diff --git a/apps/frontend/src/shared/i18n/locales/fr/kanban.json b/apps/frontend/src/shared/i18n/locales/fr/kanban.json
index 507b19c5b..699f7c6e0 100644
--- a/apps/frontend/src/shared/i18n/locales/fr/kanban.json
+++ b/apps/frontend/src/shared/i18n/locales/fr/kanban.json
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
     "loading": "Chargement des tâches…",
     "error": "Échec du chargement des tâches.",
     "retry": "Réessayer",
+    "empty": {
+      "title": "Aucune tâche pour le moment",
+      "description": "Créez votre première spéc pour la voir sur le tableau."
+    },
     "columns": {
       "draft": "Brouillon",
       "running": "En cours",
diff --git a/apps/web-frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/tasks.json b/apps/web-frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/tasks.json
index a49ea9585..74e129da9 100644
--- a/apps/web-frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/tasks.json
+++ b/apps/web-frontend/src/i18n/locales/en/tasks.json
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@
     "loading": "Loading tasks…",
     "error": "Failed to load tasks.",
     "retry": "Retry",
+    "empty": {
+      "title": "No tasks yet",
+      "description": "Create your first spec to see it on the board."
+    },
     "columns": {
       "draft": "Draft",
       "running": "Running",
diff --git a/apps/web-frontend/src/i18n/locales/fr/tasks.json b/apps/web-frontend/src/i18n/locales/fr/tasks.json
index 250ac6736..2c811bee9 100644
--- a/apps/web-frontend/src/i18n/locales/fr/tasks.json
+++ b/apps/web-frontend/src/i18n/locales/fr/tasks.json
@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@
     "loading": "Chargement des tâches…",
     "error": "Échec du chargement des tâches.",
     "retry": "Réessayer",
+    "empty": {
+      "title": "Aucune tâche pour le moment",
+      "description": "Créez votre première spéc pour la voir sur le tableau."
+    },
     "columns": {
       "draft": "Brouillon",
       "running": "En cours",
diff --git a/apps/web-frontend/src/pages/KanbanPilot.tsx b/apps/web-frontend/src/pages/KanbanPilot.tsx
index 1d42daba4..8ffeba73a 100644
--- a/apps/web-frontend/src/pages/KanbanPilot.tsx
+++ b/apps/web-frontend/src/pages/KanbanPilot.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import type { KanbanColumn, UiTask } from "@auto-code/ui";
 import {
 	AutoCodeClientProvider,
+	BoardSkeleton,
 	BoardView,
 	buildBoardViewLabels,
 	useTasks,
@@ -45,7 +46,7 @@ function PilotBoard() {
 	return (
 		<div style={{ padding: "1rem", height: "100%", overflow: "auto" }}>
 			<h1>{t("tasks:kanbanPilot.title")}</h1>
-			{loading && <p>{t("tasks:kanbanPilot.loading")}</p>}
+			{loading && <BoardSkeleton label={t("tasks:kanbanPilot.loading")} />}
 			{error && (
 				<p role="alert">
 					{t("tasks:kanbanPilot.error")}{" "}
@@ -60,6 +61,8 @@ function PilotBoard() {
 					columns={columns}
 					labels={labels}
 					onSelectTask={handleSelect}
+					emptyTitle={t("tasks:kanbanPilot.empty.title")}
+					emptyDescription={t("tasks:kanbanPilot.empty.description")}
 				/>
 			)}
 		</div>
diff --git a/libs/ui/src/index.ts b/libs/ui/src/index.ts
index 6e95b5156..f2b8a15ec 100644
--- a/libs/ui/src/index.ts
+++ b/libs/ui/src/index.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ export type {
   BoardViewLabels,
   Translate,
 } from './screens/BoardView';
+// Board data states (U4)
+export { BoardSkeleton } from './screens/BoardSkeleton';
+export type { BoardSkeletonProps } from './screens/BoardSkeleton';
 export { filterUiTasks } from './client/filtering';
 export type { UiTaskFilter } from './client/filtering';
 export { useBoardFilter, FILTER_IDS } from './client/useBoardFilter';
diff --git a/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardSkeleton.css b/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardSkeleton.css
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..66a4fed0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardSkeleton.css
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+.ac-board-skeleton {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: repeat(4, minmax(220px, 1fr));
+  gap: 14px;
+  align-items: start;
+  padding: 18px 28px 28px;
+  font-family: var(--font-sans);
+}
+
+.ac-board-skeleton__column {
+  min-width: 0;
+  border: 1px solid var(--line);
+  border-radius: 12px;
+  background: var(--soft);
+}
+
+.ac-board-skeleton__head {
+  height: 40px;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--line);
+}
+
+.ac-board-skeleton__body {
+  display: grid;
+  gap: 10px;
+  padding: 10px;
+}
+
+.ac-board-skeleton__card {
+  height: 64px;
+  border-radius: 10px;
+  background: linear-gradient(
+    90deg,
+    var(--rail) 25%,
+    var(--line) 37%,
+    var(--rail) 63%
+  );
+  background-size: 400% 100%;
+  animation: ac-board-skeleton-shimmer 1.4s ease-in-out infinite;
+}
+
+@keyframes ac-board-skeleton-shimmer {
+  from {
+    background-position: 100% 0;
+  }
+  to {
+    background-position: 0 0;
+  }
+}
+
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .ac-board-skeleton__card {
+    animation: none;
+  }
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 1180px) {
+  .ac-board-skeleton {
+    grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
+  }
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 760px) {
+  .ac-board-skeleton {
+    grid-template-columns: 1fr;
+    padding: 14px;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardSkeleton.tsx b/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardSkeleton.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b32f1c990
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardSkeleton.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import './BoardSkeleton.css';
+
+export interface BoardSkeletonProps {
+  /** Number of placeholder columns (defaults to 4, matching the board). */
+  columns?: number;
+  /** Accessible loading label (announced to screen readers). */
+  label?: string;
+}
+
+const CARDS_PER_COLUMN = [2, 3, 1, 2];
+
+/**
+ * Shimmer placeholder shown while the board's tasks load, mirroring the
+ * KanbanBoard column/card layout so the transition to real data doesn't
+ * shift the page. Presentational — pair with `useTasks().loading`.
+ */
+export function BoardSkeleton({ columns = 4, label }: Readonly<BoardSkeletonProps>) {
+  return (
+    <div
+      className="ac-board-skeleton"
+      role="status"
+      aria-busy="true"
+      aria-label={label}
+    >
+      {Array.from({ length: columns }, (_, columnIndex) => (
+        <div key={columnIndex} className="ac-board-skeleton__column">
+          <div className="ac-board-skeleton__head" />
+          <div className="ac-board-skeleton__body">
+            {Array.from(
+              { length: CARDS_PER_COLUMN[columnIndex % CARDS_PER_COLUMN.length] },
+              (_, cardIndex) => (
+                <div key={cardIndex} className="ac-board-skeleton__card" />
+              ),
+            )}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      ))}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardView.css b/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardView.css
index af23d1653..7ada2b823 100644
--- a/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardView.css
+++ b/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardView.css
@@ -6,3 +6,30 @@
   font-family: var(--font-sans);
   font-size: 12.5px;
 }
+
+.ac-board-view__empty {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  gap: 6px;
+  min-height: 320px;
+  padding: 48px 28px;
+  text-align: center;
+  font-family: var(--font-sans);
+}
+
+.ac-board-view__empty-title {
+  margin: 0;
+  color: var(--ink);
+  font-size: 15px;
+  font-weight: 760;
+}
+
+.ac-board-view__empty-desc {
+  margin: 0;
+  max-width: 42ch;
+  color: var(--muted);
+  font-size: 13px;
+  line-height: 1.5;
+}
diff --git a/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardView.tsx b/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardView.tsx
index 36515fe53..c26b15055 100644
--- a/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardView.tsx
+++ b/libs/ui/src/screens/BoardView.tsx
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ export interface BoardViewProps {
   columns?: KanbanColumn[];
   labels: BoardViewLabels;
   onSelectTask: (task: UiTask) => void;
+  /** Heading for the genuinely-empty board (no tasks at all). */
+  emptyTitle?: string;
+  /** Sub-text under the empty heading. */
+  emptyDescription?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -69,16 +73,32 @@ export interface BoardViewProps {
  * switch) over a live-narrowing KanbanBoard, with a polite status line for
  * the match count (WCAG 4.1.3). Both app pilots render this identically;
  * loading/error states stay with the caller.
+ *
+ * With zero tasks it shows a centered empty state (when emptyTitle is given)
+ * instead of an empty toolbar over four blank columns.
  */
 export function BoardView({
   tasks,
   columns,
   labels,
   onSelectTask,
+  emptyTitle,
+  emptyDescription,
 }: Readonly<BoardViewProps>) {
   const { query, setQuery, filterId, setFilterId, filtering, visibleTasks } =
     useBoardFilter(tasks);
 
+  if (tasks.length === 0 && emptyTitle != null) {
+    return (
+      <div className="ac-board-view__empty">
+        <h2 className="ac-board-view__empty-title">{emptyTitle}</h2>
+        {emptyDescription != null && (
+          <p className="ac-board-view__empty-desc">{emptyDescription}</p>
+        )}
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
   let matchStatus = '';
   if (filtering) {
     matchStatus =