diff --git a/app/src/main/java/net/jeena/jtubetv/ui/screens/ChannelsScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/net/jeena/jtubetv/ui/screens/ChannelsScreen.kt
index 131a64d..194c71e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/net/jeena/jtubetv/ui/screens/ChannelsScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/net/jeena/jtubetv/ui/screens/ChannelsScreen.kt
@@ -317,21 +317,18 @@ fun ChannelsScreen(
 
     when {
         viewModel.loading && viewModel.userRows.isEmpty() ->
-            // Placeholder rows while the channels load (issue #19): header stub
-            // + a row of shimmer card-shaped placeholders, twice.
+            // One row header stub + a single loading card, not a fake grid (#31).
             androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column {
-                repeat(2) {
-                    Box(Modifier.padding(start = 16.dp, top = 12.dp, bottom = 4.dp)) {
-                        Box(
-                            Modifier
-                                .width(180.dp)
-                                .height(22.dp)
-                                .clip(CircleShape)
-                                .background(Color(0xFF232323)),
-                        )
-                    }
-                    ShimmerRow()
+                Box(Modifier.padding(start = 16.dp, top = 12.dp, bottom = 4.dp)) {
+                    Box(
+                        Modifier
+                            .width(180.dp)
+                            .height(22.dp)
+                            .clip(CircleShape)
+                            .background(Color(0xFF232323)),
+                    )
                 }
+                ShimmerRow(size = 1)
             }
         viewModel.error != null && viewModel.userRows.isEmpty() ->
             Box(Modifier.fillMaxSize(), contentAlignment = Alignment.Center) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/net/jeena/jtubetv/ui/screens/list/VideoListScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/net/jeena/jtubetv/ui/screens/list/VideoListScreen.kt
index cedb561..8496cb8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/net/jeena/jtubetv/ui/screens/list/VideoListScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/net/jeena/jtubetv/ui/screens/list/VideoListScreen.kt
@@ -211,19 +211,12 @@ fun VideoListScreen(
             // VideoListScreen (My videos, Search, Subscriptions, History, channel pages).
             item(key = "initial-placeholders", span = { androidx.compose.foundation.lazy.grid.GridItemSpan(maxLineSpan) }) {
                 LaunchedEffect(source) { viewModel.loadMore(force = true) }
-                androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column {
-                    repeat(2) {
-                        androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Row {
-                            repeat(cardsPerRow) {
-                                ShimmerCard(
-                                    modifier = Modifier
-                                        .padding(6.dp)
-                                        .width(rowCardWidth()),
-                                )
-                            }
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
+                // A single loading card, not a full fake grid (issue #31).
+                ShimmerCard(
+                    modifier = Modifier
+                        .padding(6.dp)
+                        .width(rowCardWidth() - 12.dp),
+                )
             }
         }
         itemsIndexed(items, key = { _, item -> itemStableKey(item) }) { index, item ->