diff --git a/src/components/common/infinite-scroll.tsx b/src/components/common/infinite-scroll.tsx
index d618185..5381b2d 100644
--- a/src/components/common/infinite-scroll.tsx
+++ b/src/components/common/infinite-scroll.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { PropsWithChildren } from "react"
+import type { PropsWithChildren, ReactNode } from "react"
 import { useEffect, useRef } from "react"
 import { useTab } from "@/tab-provider"
 import { IconLoader2 } from "@tabler/icons-react"
@@ -10,9 +10,16 @@ import { ScrollArea } from "@/components/ui/scroll-area"
 export const InfiniteScroll = ({
   query,
   children,
+  // When false, scrolling / viewport-fill won't auto-fetch the next page. Used to
+  // pause runaway fetching (e.g. a type filter that matches nothing) and hand
+  // control to an explicit continue action rendered via `endSlot`.
+  autoFetch = true,
+  endSlot,
   ...props
 }: PropsWithChildren<{
   query: UseInfiniteQueryResult
+  autoFetch?: boolean
+  endSlot?: ReactNode
 }> &
   React.ComponentProps<typeof ScrollArea>) => {
   const { active } = useTab()
@@ -21,6 +28,7 @@ export const InfiniteScroll = ({
 
   // Fetch more on scroll
   const handleScroll = (e: React.UIEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
+    if (!autoFetch) return
     const { scrollTop, clientHeight, scrollHeight } = e.currentTarget
     if (scrollTop + clientHeight > scrollHeight - 100) {
       if (query.isFetching || !query.hasNextPage) {
@@ -32,6 +40,7 @@ export const InfiniteScroll = ({
 
   // Check if viewport is filled and fetch more if needed
   const checkAndFetchMore = () => {
+    if (!autoFetch) return
     if (!scrollRef.current || !contentRef.current) return
 
     const viewportHeight = scrollRef.current.clientHeight
@@ -64,7 +73,7 @@ export const InfiniteScroll = ({
         {children}
 
         <div className="flex h-[100px] justify-center py-2 text-zinc-300">
-          {query.isFetching && <IconLoader2 className="animate-spin" size={16} />}
+          {query.isFetching ? <IconLoader2 className="animate-spin" size={16} /> : endSlot}
         </div>
       </div>
     </ScrollArea>
diff --git a/src/components/databrowser/components/sidebar/index.tsx b/src/components/databrowser/components/sidebar/index.tsx
index 754f657..3a4c8fb 100644
--- a/src/components/databrowser/components/sidebar/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/databrowser/components/sidebar/index.tsx
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@ import { InfiniteScroll } from "../../../common/infinite-scroll"
 import { useKeys } from "../../hooks/use-keys"
 import { Empty } from "./empty"
 import { KeysList } from "./keys-list"
+import { KeepScanningSlot, ScanEmpty } from "./scan-status"
 import { LoadingSkeleton } from "./skeleton-buttons"
 
 export function Sidebar() {
-  const { keys, query } = useKeys()
+  const { keys, query, scan } = useKeys()
 
   return (
     <div className="relative flex h-full flex-col gap-2">
@@ -15,12 +16,19 @@ export function Sidebar() {
         // Infinite scroll already has a loader at the bottom
         <InfiniteScroll
           query={query}
+          // Pause runaway auto-fetching when a sparse type filter stops matching;
+          // the user resumes via the "keep scanning" slot.
+          autoFetch={!scan.paused}
+          endSlot={scan.paused ? <KeepScanningSlot /> : undefined}
           disableRoundedInherit
           className="h-full min-h-0 rounded-xl bg-zinc-100 px-2 py-5 pr-4 dark:bg-zinc-200"
           scrollBarClassName="py-5"
         >
           <KeysList />
         </InfiniteScroll>
+      ) : query.hasNextPage ? (
+        // No matches yet, but keyspace remains (e.g. sparse type filter).
+        <ScanEmpty />
       ) : (
         <Empty />
       )}
diff --git a/src/components/databrowser/components/sidebar/scan-status.tsx b/src/components/databrowser/components/sidebar/scan-status.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b965dae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/databrowser/components/sidebar/scan-status.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import { useTab } from "@/tab-provider"
+import { IconLoader2 } from "@tabler/icons-react"
+
+import { useKeys } from "../../hooks/use-keys"
+
+const formatScanned = (n: number) => {
+  if (n >= 1_000_000) return `~${(n / 1_000_000).toFixed(1)}M`
+  if (n >= 1000) return `~${(n / 1000).toFixed(1)}K`
+  return `${n}`
+}
+
+const ScanMessage = () => {
+  const { scan } = useKeys()
+  const { search } = useTab()
+  const typeLabel = search.type ? `${search.type} ` : ""
+
+  return (
+    <p className="text-balance text-sm text-zinc-500">
+      No {typeLabel}keys found in the first {formatScanned(scan.scannedKeys)} keys scanned.
+    </p>
+  )
+}
+
+const KeepScanningButton = () => {
+  const { query } = useKeys()
+
+  return (
+    <button
+      onClick={() => query.fetchNextPage()}
+      disabled={query.isFetchingNextPage}
+      className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg border border-zinc-300 bg-white px-3 py-1.5 text-sm font-medium text-zinc-700 transition-colors hover:bg-zinc-50 disabled:opacity-60"
+    >
+      {query.isFetchingNextPage && <IconLoader2 className="size-4 animate-spin" />}
+      {query.isFetchingNextPage ? "Scanning…" : "Keep scanning"}
+    </button>
+  )
+}
+
+/**
+ * Sidebar body state when a type filter has matched nothing yet but there is
+ * still keyspace left to scan. Replaces the infinite SCAN loop with an explicit,
+ * user-driven continue.
+ */
+export const ScanEmpty = () => (
+  <div className="flex h-full w-full items-center justify-center rounded-md border bg-white px-4 py-6 text-center">
+    <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-4">
+      <ScanMessage />
+      <KeepScanningButton />
+    </div>
+  </div>
+)
+
+/** Bottom-of-list slot when some matches are shown but auto-scan has paused. */
+export const KeepScanningSlot = () => (
+  <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-2">
+    <ScanMessage />
+    <KeepScanningButton />
+  </div>
+)
diff --git a/src/components/databrowser/hooks/use-keys.tsx b/src/components/databrowser/hooks/use-keys.tsx
index 412ca97..3c66388 100644
--- a/src/components/databrowser/hooks/use-keys.tsx
+++ b/src/components/databrowser/hooks/use-keys.tsx
@@ -15,13 +15,24 @@ const KeysContext = createContext<
   | {
       keys: RedisKey[]
       query: UseInfiniteQueryResult
+      scan: { paused: boolean; scannedKeys: number }
     }
   | undefined
 >(undefined)
 
 export const FETCH_KEYS_QUERY_KEY = "use-fetch-keys"
 
-const SCAN_COUNTS = [100, 300, 500]
+// Upstash REST caps SCAN at ~1000 examined/returned keys per call regardless of
+// COUNT (measured), so escalating past 1000 is pointless. We still ramp up from a
+// small count for a snappy first response, then sit at the 1000 ceiling.
+const SCAN_COUNTS = [100, 500, 1000]
+
+// Hard cap on SCAN round-trips per page fetch. On a large keyspace a type filter
+// can match nothing for millions of keys; without this the query loops effectively
+// forever. When the budget is spent without finding a key we yield an empty page
+// and let the user explicitly continue (see `scan.paused`).
+const MAX_SCANS_PER_FETCH = 20
+
 type ScanResult = { cursor: string; keys: { key: string; type: DataType; score?: number }[] }
 
 export const KeysProvider = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
@@ -153,22 +164,36 @@ export const KeysProvider = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Keeps scanning until a result shows up.
+   * Keeps scanning until a key shows up, the keyspace is exhausted, or this
+   * fetch's request budget (MAX_SCANS_PER_FETCH) is spent.
+   *
+   * When the db is large and sparse for the active type filter, matching keys can
+   * be millions of keys apart. Rather than loop until we find one (which can mean
+   * tens of thousands of requests), we stop after a bounded number of round-trips
+   * and report back so the UI can pause and let the user continue on demand.
    *
-   * When a db is sparse and the type argument is used, it could take a lot of
-   * requests to find those sparse keys. Best method is to increase the count
-   * argument when no result is being returned to decrease the number of
-   * requests.
+   * `signal` is React Query's abort signal; we bail between round-trips so a
+   * filter/type change cancels the in-flight scan instead of churning in the
+   * background.
    */
-  const scanUntilAvailable = async (cursor: string) => {
-    let i = 0
-    while (true) {
-      const [newCursor, values] = await performScan(SCAN_COUNTS[i] ?? SCAN_COUNTS.at(-1), cursor)
-      cursor = newCursor
-      i++
+  const scanUntilAvailable = async (cursor: string, signal?: AbortSignal) => {
+    let scannedKeys = 0
+    for (let i = 0; ; i++) {
+      if (signal?.aborted) throw new DOMException("Scan aborted", "AbortError")
 
-      if (values.length > 0 || cursor === "0") {
-        return [cursor, values] as const
+      const count = SCAN_COUNTS[i] ?? SCAN_COUNTS.at(-1)
+      const [newCursor, values] = await performScan(count, cursor)
+      cursor = newCursor
+      // SCAN examines at most ~1000 keys per call on Upstash REST (see SCAN_COUNTS).
+      scannedKeys += Math.min(count, 1000)
+
+      const exhausted = cursor === "0"
+      const budgetSpent = i + 1 >= MAX_SCANS_PER_FETCH
+      if (values.length > 0 || exhausted || budgetSpent) {
+        // paused === we spent the budget without finding anything and there is
+        // still more keyspace left to scan.
+        const paused = budgetSpent && values.length === 0 && !exhausted
+        return { cursor, values, scannedKeys, paused }
       }
     }
   }
@@ -178,8 +203,8 @@ export const KeysProvider = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
     enabled: isQueryEnabled,
 
     initialPageParam: "0",
-    queryFn: async ({ pageParam: lastCursor }) => {
-      const [cursor, values] = await scanUntilAvailable(lastCursor)
+    queryFn: async ({ pageParam: lastCursor, signal }) => {
+      const { cursor, values, scannedKeys, paused } = await scanUntilAvailable(lastCursor, signal)
 
       const keys: RedisKey[] = values.map((value) => [value.key, value.type, value.score])
 
@@ -192,6 +217,8 @@ export const KeysProvider = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
         cursor: cursor === "0" ? undefined : cursor,
         keys,
         hasNextPage: cursor !== "0",
+        scannedKeys,
+        paused,
       }
     },
     meta: {
@@ -218,6 +245,15 @@ export const KeysProvider = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
     return dedupedKeys
   }, [query.data])
 
+  const scan = useMemo(() => {
+    const pages = query.data?.pages ?? []
+    return {
+      // Latest fetch spent its budget without a match — wait for the user to continue.
+      paused: Boolean(pages.at(-1)?.paused),
+      scannedKeys: pages.reduce((sum, page) => sum + (page.scannedKeys ?? 0), 0),
+    }
+  }, [query.data])
+
   return (
     <KeysContext.Provider
       value={{
@@ -226,6 +262,7 @@ export const KeysProvider = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren) => {
           ...query,
           isLoading: query.isLoading || isIndexDetailsLoading,
         } as UseInfiniteQueryResult,
+        scan,
       }}
     >
       {children}