diff --git a/src/app/dashboard/_components/active-timer-widget.tsx b/src/app/dashboard/_components/active-timer-widget.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..843b04f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/dashboard/_components/active-timer-widget.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { api } from "~/trpc/react";
+import { Card, CardContent } from "~/components/ui/card";
+import { Button } from "~/components/ui/button";
+import { Square } from "lucide-react";
+import { toast } from "sonner";
+import Link from "next/link";
+
+function formatElapsed(seconds: number) {
+  const h = Math.floor(seconds / 3600);
+  const m = Math.floor((seconds % 3600) / 60);
+  const s = seconds % 60;
+  return [h, m, s].map((v) => String(v).padStart(2, "0")).join(":");
+}
+
+export function ActiveTimerWidget() {
+  const utils = api.useUtils();
+  const { data: running, isLoading } = api.timeEntries.getRunning.useQuery(undefined, {
+    refetchInterval: 30_000,
+  });
+
+  const [elapsed, setElapsed] = useState(0);
+  const intervalRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null>(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (intervalRef.current) clearInterval(intervalRef.current);
+    if (running) {
+      const tick = () =>
+        setElapsed(Math.floor((Date.now() - new Date(running.startedAt).getTime()) / 1000));
+      tick();
+      intervalRef.current = setInterval(tick, 1000);
+    }
+    return () => {
+      if (intervalRef.current) clearInterval(intervalRef.current);
+    };
+  }, [running]);
+
+  const clockOut = api.timeEntries.clockOut.useMutation({
+    onSuccess: (data) => {
+      if (data.invoice) {
+        const label = `${data.invoice.invoicePrefix}${data.invoice.invoiceNumber}`;
+        toast.success("Timer stopped", {
+          description: `Added to invoice ${label}`,
+          action: {
+            label: "View Invoice",
+            onClick: () => window.location.assign(`/dashboard/invoices/${data.invoice!.id}`),
+          },
+        });
+      } else {
+        toast.success("Timer stopped");
+      }
+      void utils.timeEntries.getRunning.invalidate();
+    },
+    onError: (e) => toast.error(e.message),
+  });
+
+  if (isLoading || !running) return null;
+
+  return (
+    <Card className="border-primary/30 bg-primary/5">
+      <CardContent className="flex flex-col gap-3 p-4 sm:flex-row sm:items-center">
+        {/* Pulse indicator */}
+        <span className="relative flex h-3 w-3 flex-shrink-0">
+          <span className="bg-primary absolute inline-flex h-full w-full animate-ping rounded-full opacity-75" />
+          <span className="bg-primary relative inline-flex h-3 w-3 rounded-full" />
+        </span>
+
+        <div className="min-w-0 flex-1">
+          <p className="text-sm font-medium">
+            {running.description || (
+              <span className="text-muted-foreground italic">No description</span>
+            )}
+            {running.client && (
+              <span className="text-muted-foreground font-normal"> · {running.client.name}</span>
+            )}
+          </p>
+          <p className="text-muted-foreground text-xs">
+            Started{" "}
+            {new Intl.DateTimeFormat("en-US", {
+              hour: "numeric",
+              minute: "2-digit",
+            }).format(new Date(running.startedAt))}
+          </p>
+        </div>
+
+        <span className="text-primary font-mono text-2xl font-bold tabular-nums">
+          {formatElapsed(elapsed)}
+        </span>
+
+        <div className="flex gap-2">
+          <Button
+            variant="destructive"
+            size="sm"
+            onClick={() => clockOut.mutate({})}
+            disabled={clockOut.isPending}
+          >
+            <Square className="mr-1.5 h-3.5 w-3.5" />
+            {clockOut.isPending ? "Stopping…" : "Stop"}
+          </Button>
+          <Button variant="outline" size="sm" asChild>
+            <Link href="/dashboard/time-clock">Details</Link>
+          </Button>
+        </div>
+      </CardContent>
+    </Card>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/app/dashboard/page.tsx b/src/app/dashboard/page.tsx
index 5299a1b..9fe6ec6 100644
--- a/src/app/dashboard/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/dashboard/page.tsx
@@ -492,6 +492,7 @@ function CardSkeleton() {
 }
 
 import { DashboardPageHeader } from "~/components/layout/page-header";
+import { ActiveTimerWidget } from "~/app/dashboard/_components/active-timer-widget";
 
 // ... imports
 
@@ -503,6 +504,7 @@ export default async function DashboardPage() {
 
   // Fetch stats centrally
   const stats = await api.dashboard.getStats();
+  void api.timeEntries.getRunning.prefetch();
 
   return (
     <div className="page-enter space-y-6">
@@ -511,6 +513,10 @@ export default async function DashboardPage() {
         description="Here's what's happening with your business today"
       />
 
+      <HydrateClient>
+        <ActiveTimerWidget />
+      </HydrateClient>
+
       <HydrateClient>
         <Suspense fallback={<StatsSkeleton />}>
           <DashboardStats stats={stats} />