diff --git a/src/gui_2.py b/src/gui_2.py
index 274ea0b7..029bdbf0 100644
--- a/src/gui_2.py
+++ b/src/gui_2.py
@@ -1672,7 +1672,8 @@ def render_log_management(app: App) -> None:
   if exp:
    if app._log_registry is None: app._log_registry = log_registry.LogRegistry(str(paths.get_logs_dir() / "log_registry.toml"))
    else:
-    if imgui.button("Refresh Registry"): app._log_registry = log_registry.LogRegistry(str(paths.get_logs_dir() / "log_registry.toml"))
+    if imgui.button("Refresh Registry"):
+     if app._log_registry is not None: app._log_registry.load_registry()
     imgui.same_line()
    if imgui.button("Load Log"): app.cb_load_prior_log()
    imgui.same_line()
diff --git a/tests/test_log_management_refresh.py b/tests/test_log_management_refresh.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b4e719ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_log_management_refresh.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import inspect
+from src import gui_2
+
+def test_refresh_registry_button_calls_load_registry():
+ src = inspect.getsource(gui_2)
+ marker = "Refresh Registry"
+ idx = src.find(marker)
+ assert idx != -1, "Could not find Refresh Registry button in gui_2.py"
+ snippet = src[idx:idx + 400]
+ assert "load_registry" in snippet, (
+  "Refresh Registry button must invoke load_registry(); "
+  "currently it only re-instantiates LogRegistry which leaves .data empty."
+ )
+ assert snippet.count("log_registry.LogRegistry(") <= 1, (
+  "Refresh Registry button should not re-instantiate LogRegistry. "
+  "Prefer in-place load_registry() on the live instance."
+ )