diff --git a/api/server_status.php b/api/server_status.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c616e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/server_status.php
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// JSON endpoint for async status badge updates.
+// Important: output must be clean UTF-8 JSON.
+
+require_once __DIR__ . '/../includes/lib/server_status.php';
+$serverStatusTargets = require __DIR__ . '/../includes/config/server_status_targets.php';
+
+header('Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8');
+header('Cache-Control: no-store, max-age=0');
+
+$cacheTtlSeconds = 30;
+$cacheKey = 'server_status_api_v1';
+$cacheFile = rtrim(sys_get_temp_dir(), DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR) . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $cacheKey . '.json';
+
+$noCache = isset($_GET['nocache']) && $_GET['nocache'] === '1';
+
+$serverStatus = null;
+if (!$noCache && is_file($cacheFile)) {
+    $raw = @file_get_contents($cacheFile);
+    if ($raw !== false) {
+        $decoded = json_decode($raw, true);
+        if (is_array($decoded) && isset($decoded['ts'], $decoded['data']) && is_array($decoded['data'])) {
+            $age = time() - (int)$decoded['ts'];
+            if ($age >= 0 && $age <= $cacheTtlSeconds) {
+                $serverStatus = $decoded['data'];
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+if (!is_array($serverStatus)) {
+    $serverStatus = build_server_status($serverStatusTargets);
+    @file_put_contents($cacheFile, json_encode(['ts' => time(), 'data' => $serverStatus], JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES | JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE));
+}
+
+$byUrlNormalized = [];
+foreach ($serverStatus as $svc) {
+    if (!empty($svc['url']) && is_string($svc['url'])) {
+        $byUrlNormalized[rtrim($svc['url'], '/')] = $svc;
+    }
+}
+
+$payload = json_encode([
+    'ts' => time(),
+    'byUrlNormalized' => $byUrlNormalized,
+], JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES | JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE);
+
+if ($payload === false) {
+    http_response_code(500);
+    $payload = '{"error":"json_encode_failed"}';
+}
+
+echo $payload;
+
diff --git a/assets/js/main.js b/assets/js/main.js
index 5c00330..24383d0 100644
--- a/assets/js/main.js
+++ b/assets/js/main.js
@@ -94,41 +94,37 @@ document.querySelectorAll('.card').forEach(card => {
     });
 });
 
-// ── Server Status Badges (async) ───────────────────────────
+// ── Server Status Badges (async, no reload) ───────────────
 (async function () {
     const cards = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('.card[data-status-url]'));
     if (cards.length === 0) return;
 
-    const endpoint = './server_status.php';
+    const endpoint = '/api/server_status.php';
 
     const normalize = (url) => {
         if (!url) return '';
         return String(url).replace(/\/+$/, '');
     };
 
-    const parsePossiblyUtf16Json = (text) => {
-        if (!text) return null;
-        const cleaned = String(text)
-            .replace(/^?\uFEFF/, '')
+    const safeJsonParse = (text) => {
+        const cleaned = String(text || '')
+            .replace(/^\uFEFF/, '')
             .replace(/\u0000/g, '')
             .trim();
+        if (!cleaned) return null;
         return JSON.parse(cleaned);
     };
 
-    const applyPayload = (payload) => {
-        const byUrl = payload && payload.byUrl ? payload.byUrl : {};
-        const byUrlNormalized = payload && payload.byUrlNormalized ? payload.byUrlNormalized : {};
-
-        let applied = 0;
+    const apply = (byUrl) => {
         for (const card of cards) {
             const key = normalize(card.getAttribute('data-status-url'));
-            const svc = byUrl[key] || byUrl[key + '/'] || byUrlNormalized[key] || null;
+            const svc = byUrl[key] || byUrl[key + '/'] || null;
             if (!svc) continue;
 
-            const state = svc.state || 'unknown';
             const badge = card.querySelector('[data-status-badge="1"]');
             if (!badge) continue;
 
+            const state = svc.state || 'unknown';
             badge.classList.remove('status-badge--unknown', 'status-badge--up', 'status-badge--down');
             badge.classList.add('status-badge--' + state);
 
@@ -142,37 +138,22 @@ document.querySelectorAll('.card').forEach(card => {
                 badge.textContent = 'Unbekannt';
                 badge.title = svc.detail || 'Unbekannt';
             }
-            applied++;
         }
-
-        console.debug('[server-status] applied badges:', applied);
     };
 
-    const fetchAndApply = async () => {
+    // Exactly ~1s delay, then fetch.
+    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 1000));
+
+    try {
         const res = await fetch(endpoint, { cache: 'no-store' });
-        if (!res.ok) throw new Error('status_fetch_failed_' + res.status);
+        if (!res.ok) return;
 
         const text = await res.text();
-        let payload;
-        try {
-            payload = parsePossiblyUtf16Json(text);
-        } catch (e) {
-            console.warn('[server-status] JSON parse failed, first 120 chars:', text.slice(0, 120));
-            throw e;
-        }
-        if (!payload) throw new Error('status_json_empty');
+        const payload = safeJsonParse(text);
+        if (!payload || !payload.byUrlNormalized) return;
 
-        applyPayload(payload);
-    };
-
-    const delays = [1000, 1000, 1500];
-    for (const d of delays) {
-        await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, d));
-        try {
-            await fetchAndApply();
-            break;
-        } catch (e) {
-            console.warn('[server-status] update failed:', e);
-        }
+        apply(payload.byUrlNormalized);
+    } catch (e) {
+        // keep "Unbekannt"
     }
 })();
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index 16d001b..2bf4e91 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -15,65 +15,13 @@ require_once __DIR__ . '/includes/lib/server_status.php';
 require_once __DIR__ . '/includes/lib/view_helpers.php';
 
 // ── Serverstatus ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-// Performance: Beim ersten Rendern sofort antworten (=> Unbekannt).
-// Nach ~1s lädt die Seite einmal neu mit ?status=1 und rendert dann serverseitig Online/Offline.
-$shouldComputeStatus = isset($_GET['status']) && $_GET['status'] === '1';
-
+// Performance: initial sofort rendern (=> Unbekannt). Badges werden clientseitig nachgeladen.
 $serverStatusByUrl = [];
-if ($shouldComputeStatus) {
-    $cacheTtlSeconds = 30;
-    $cacheKey = 'server_status_v5';
-    $cacheFile = rtrim(sys_get_temp_dir(), DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR) . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . $cacheKey . '.json';
-
-    $serverStatus = null;
-    if (is_file($cacheFile)) {
-        $raw = @file_get_contents($cacheFile);
-        if ($raw !== false) {
-            $decoded = json_decode($raw, true);
-            if (is_array($decoded) && isset($decoded['ts'], $decoded['data']) && is_array($decoded['data'])) {
-                $age = time() - (int)$decoded['ts'];
-                if ($age >= 0 && $age <= $cacheTtlSeconds) {
-                    $serverStatus = $decoded['data'];
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    if (!is_array($serverStatus)) {
-        $serverStatus = build_server_status($serverStatusTargets);
-        @file_put_contents($cacheFile, json_encode(['ts' => time(), 'data' => $serverStatus], JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES));
-    }
-
-    foreach ($serverStatus as $svc) {
-        if (!empty($svc['url']) && is_string($svc['url'])) {
-            $serverStatusByUrl[$svc['url']] = $svc;
-        }
-    }
-}
 
 require __DIR__ . '/includes/views/layout_head.php';
 require __DIR__ . '/includes/views/header.php';
 ?>
 
-<?php if (!$shouldComputeStatus): ?>
-<script>
-    // Einmaliger Reload nach ~1 Sekunde, um dann serverseitig den Status zu laden.
-    setTimeout(function () {
-        try {
-            const url = new URL(window.location.href);
-            if (url.searchParams.get('status') === '1') return;
-            url.searchParams.set('status', '1');
-            window.location.replace(url.toString());
-        } catch (e) {
-            // Fallback
-            if (window.location.search.indexOf('status=1') === -1) {
-                window.location.replace(window.location.pathname + '?status=1');
-            }
-        }
-    }, 1000);
-</script>
-<?php endif; ?>
-
 <main>
     <?php foreach ($projects as $category => $items): ?>
         <?php require __DIR__ . '/includes/views/projects_section.php'; ?>