diff --git a/src/components/admin/__tests__/backups-section-empty.test.tsx b/src/components/admin/__tests__/backups-section-empty.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0d34070b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/admin/__tests__/backups-section-empty.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
+
+/**
+ * v1.4.15 phase-C5 — `/admin/backups` empty state.
+ *
+ * The previous build rendered a single-line `
No backups recorded
+ * yet.
` inside the card. Brand-new admins didn't realise the "Run
+ * backup now" CTA in the header was the way to create one, so the page
+ * felt inert. The new EmptyState primitive duplicates the header CTA
+ * inside the card so the action is right next to the explanation.
+ */
+
+vi.mock("next/navigation", () => ({
+ useRouter: () => ({ push: vi.fn(), replace: vi.fn() }),
+ usePathname: () => "/admin/backups",
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@tanstack/react-query", () => ({
+ useQuery: () => ({
+ data: { rows: [], retentionDays: 30 },
+ isLoading: false,
+ isError: false,
+ }),
+ useQueryClient: () => ({ invalidateQueries: vi.fn() }),
+ useMutation: () => ({
+ mutate: vi.fn(),
+ mutateAsync: vi.fn(),
+ isPending: false,
+ isError: false,
+ error: null,
+ variables: undefined,
+ }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@/hooks/use-auth", () => ({
+ useAuth: () => ({
+ user: { id: "u1", username: "marc", role: "ADMIN" },
+ isAuthenticated: true,
+ isLoading: false,
+ refetch: vi.fn(),
+ }),
+}));
+
+import { I18nProvider } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
+import { BackupsSection } from "../backups-section";
+
+function render() {
+ return renderToStaticMarkup(
+
+
+ ,
+ );
+}
+
+describe("BackupsSection — empty state", () => {
+ it("renders the EmptyState primitive when no backups exist", () => {
+ const html = render();
+ expect(html).toContain('role="status"');
+ expect(html).toContain('aria-live="polite"');
+ expect(html).toContain("border-dashed");
+ });
+
+ it("includes the localized title and description", () => {
+ const html = render();
+ expect(html).toContain("No backups yet");
+ expect(html).toContain(
+ "Backups run automatically every Sunday at 03:00",
+ );
+ });
+
+ it("exposes the Backup-now CTA inside the empty card", () => {
+ const html = render();
+ // The header's CTA is also "Backup now"; the empty-state CTA must
+ // appear AT LEAST TWICE — once in the header, once inside the
+ // empty card. If the empty card forgets the action we'd see only
+ // one occurrence.
+ const matches = (html.match(/Backup now/g) ?? []).length;
+ expect(matches).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(2);
+ });
+});
diff --git a/src/components/admin/__tests__/user-management-empty.test.tsx b/src/components/admin/__tests__/user-management-empty.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d948c7c18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/admin/__tests__/user-management-empty.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
+
+/**
+ * v1.4.15 phase-C5 — `/admin/users` empty state.
+ *
+ * Before this phase, when the admin's filter bucket returned zero
+ * users (or the system had only one admin and the "Users" filter was
+ * active), the table rendered an empty `` and the rest of the
+ * card was a blank rectangle. The empty state must:
+ *
+ * - mount the EmptyState primitive (`role="status"` + dashed border).
+ * - carry a localized title + description.
+ * - expose a "Show all users" reset CTA when a non-default filter is
+ * active.
+ *
+ * The default-filter ("all") path is verified by an isolated test
+ * because the empty list case is ambiguous (could be a real empty
+ * deployment or a misconfigured fetch); the reset CTA must not appear
+ * there.
+ */
+
+vi.mock("next/navigation", () => ({
+ useRouter: () => ({ push: vi.fn(), replace: vi.fn() }),
+ usePathname: () => "/admin/users",
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@tanstack/react-query", () => ({
+ useQuery: () => ({ data: [], isLoading: false }),
+ useQueryClient: () => ({ invalidateQueries: vi.fn() }),
+ useMutation: () => ({
+ mutate: vi.fn(),
+ mutateAsync: vi.fn(),
+ isPending: false,
+ isError: false,
+ error: null,
+ }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@/hooks/use-auth", () => ({
+ useAuth: () => ({
+ user: {
+ id: "u1",
+ username: "marc",
+ email: "marc@example.com",
+ role: "ADMIN",
+ },
+ isAuthenticated: true,
+ isLoading: false,
+ refetch: vi.fn(),
+ }),
+}));
+
+import { I18nProvider } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
+import { UserManagementSection } from "../user-management-section";
+
+function render() {
+ return renderToStaticMarkup(
+
+
+ ,
+ );
+}
+
+describe("UserManagementSection — empty state", () => {
+ it("renders the EmptyState primitive when no users match", () => {
+ const html = render();
+ // Polite live region marker from the primitive.
+ expect(html).toContain('role="status"');
+ expect(html).toContain('aria-live="polite"');
+ // Dashed border = card variant of EmptyState.
+ expect(html).toContain("border-dashed");
+ });
+
+ it("carries the localized title and description", () => {
+ const html = render();
+ expect(html).toContain("No users in this view");
+ expect(html).toContain(
+ "There are no users matching the current filter.",
+ );
+ });
+
+ it("does not render the reset CTA when the default filter is active", () => {
+ // Default filter is "all" — reset CTA would be a no-op so it must
+ // not appear. The other test (filter=admin) covers the visible path
+ // via the same component but isolated by its own state — we cover
+ // the absence here so a future regression that always renders the
+ // CTA is caught.
+ const html = render();
+ expect(html).not.toContain("Show all users");
+ });
+});
diff --git a/src/components/admin/api-token-overview-section.tsx b/src/components/admin/api-token-overview-section.tsx
index 03c0ae17b..0cf5b9ce0 100644
--- a/src/components/admin/api-token-overview-section.tsx
+++ b/src/components/admin/api-token-overview-section.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
import { ChevronDown, Key, Loader2 } from "lucide-react";
import { Badge } from "@/components/ui/badge";
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
+import { EmptyState } from "@/components/ui/empty-state";
import { formatDate, formatDateTime } from "@/lib/format";
import { useTranslations } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
import { type ApiTokenInfo } from "./_shared";
@@ -53,9 +54,14 @@ export function ApiTokenOverviewSection() {
) : !tokens?.length ? (
-
- {t("admin.noTokens")}
-
+ // v1.4.15 phase-C5: empty state explains where tokens come
+ // from (native client sign-in / Settings → Account) so a
+ // fresh admin doesn't think they need to create them here.
+ }
+ title={t("admin.tokensEmptyTitle")}
+ description={t("admin.tokensEmptyDescription")}
+ />
) : (
// Mobile fits within the card by hiding lower-priority
// columns (user, last-used, created) until `sm`. The
diff --git a/src/components/admin/backups-section.tsx b/src/components/admin/backups-section.tsx
index c1b2e3bdb..21ef61c6e 100644
--- a/src/components/admin/backups-section.tsx
+++ b/src/components/admin/backups-section.tsx
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import {
} from "@/components/ui/alert-dialog";
import { Badge } from "@/components/ui/badge";
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
+import { EmptyState } from "@/components/ui/empty-state";
import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input";
import { Label } from "@/components/ui/label";
import { formatDateTime } from "@/lib/format";
@@ -423,8 +424,30 @@ export function BackupsSection() {
{t("admin.section.backups.loadError")}
) : rows.length === 0 ? (
-
- {t("admin.section.backups.empty")}
+ // v1.4.15 phase-C5: replace bare text with the EmptyState
+ // primitive. The header already exposes "Backup now" but a
+ // brand-new admin lands inside the card and benefits from a
+ // duplicate CTA right next to the explanation.
+
+ ) : (
<>
{/* Desktop table: kept verbatim — only the wrapping
`md:block hidden` swaps it out for the card-list below at
@@ -370,6 +395,7 @@ export function UserManagementSection() {
))}
+ )
) : (