diff --git a/.changeset/row-panel-loading-state.md b/.changeset/row-panel-loading-state.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..413a85d213
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/row-panel-loading-state.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+'@hyperdx/app': patch
+---
+
+fix: show a loader while row details load
+
+Expanded search rows and the trace viewer's span details showed "Empty" or "No
+body for this event." while the row was still loading. They now show a loader
+until the row arrives.
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/DBRowDataPanel.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/DBRowDataPanel.tsx
index 5a3803b327..2667f7f4ae 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/DBRowDataPanel.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/DBRowDataPanel.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import {
   SourceKind,
   TSource,
 } from '@hyperdx/common-utils/dist/types';
-import { Box } from '@mantine/core';
+import { Box, Center, Loader } from '@mantine/core';
 import type { Query } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 
 import { useQueriedChartConfig } from '@/hooks/useChartConfig';
@@ -431,6 +431,18 @@ export function getMapColumnNames(meta: ResponseJSON['meta'] | undefined) {
   );
 }
 
+export function RowPanelLoader({
+  'data-testid': dataTestId,
+}: {
+  'data-testid'?: string;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <Center py="xl" data-testid={dataTestId}>
+      <Loader size="sm" aria-label="Loading row" />
+    </Center>
+  );
+}
+
 export function RowDataPanel({
   source,
   rowId,
@@ -448,7 +460,12 @@ export function RowDataPanel({
   flush?: boolean;
   'data-testid'?: string;
 }) {
-  const { data } = useRowData({ source, rowId, aliasWith, dateRange });
+  const { data, isLoading } = useRowData({
+    source,
+    rowId,
+    aliasWith,
+    dateRange,
+  });
 
   const firstRow = useMemo(() => {
     const firstRow = { ...(data?.data?.[0] ?? {}) };
@@ -461,6 +478,10 @@ export function RowDataPanel({
   const jsonColumns = getJSONColumnNames(data?.meta);
   const mapColumns = getMapColumnNames(data?.meta);
 
+  if (isLoading) {
+    return <RowPanelLoader data-testid={dataTestId} />;
+  }
+
   return (
     <div className="flex-grow-1 overflow-auto" data-testid={dataTestId}>
       <Box mx={flush ? 0 : 'md'} my="sm">
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/DBRowOverviewPanel.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/DBRowOverviewPanel.tsx
index 49d6509654..09ff58c64f 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/DBRowOverviewPanel.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/DBRowOverviewPanel.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { BrowserEventSubpanel } from './BrowserEventSubpanel';
 import {
   getJSONColumnNames,
   getMapColumnNames,
+  RowPanelLoader,
   useRowData,
 } from './DBRowDataPanel';
 import { DBRowJsonViewer } from './DBRowJsonViewer';
@@ -64,7 +65,12 @@ export function RowOverviewPanel({
   'data-testid'?: string;
 }) {
   const contentPx = flush ? 0 : 'md';
-  const { data } = useRowData({ source, rowId, aliasWith, dateRange });
+  const { data, isLoading } = useRowData({
+    source,
+    rowId,
+    aliasWith,
+    dateRange,
+  });
   const { onPropertyAddClick, generateSearchUrl, onOpenLinkedTrace } =
     use(RowSidePanelContext);
 
@@ -292,6 +298,10 @@ export function RowOverviewPanel({
       ? JSON.stringify(firstRow['__hdx_body'])
       : undefined;
 
+  if (isLoading) {
+    return <RowPanelLoader data-testid={dataTestId} />;
+  }
+
   return (
     <div className="flex-grow-1 overflow-auto" data-testid={dataTestId}>
       {!hideHeader && (
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/__tests__/DBRowDataPanel.rowQuery.test.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/__tests__/DBRowDataPanel.rowQuery.test.tsx
index cff83b9b58..19cb6fd1c4 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/__tests__/DBRowDataPanel.rowQuery.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/__tests__/DBRowDataPanel.rowQuery.test.tsx
@@ -155,6 +155,21 @@ describe('row lookup', () => {
     ).toEqual(['logs', 'logs_v2']);
   });
 
+  it('shows a loader instead of an empty row while the row loads', async () => {
+    mockQueryChartConfig.mockReturnValue(new Promise(() => {}));
+
+    render(
+      <MantineProvider>
+        <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
+          <RowDataPanel source={source} rowId="id='a'" />
+        </QueryClientProvider>
+      </MantineProvider>,
+    );
+
+    expect(await screen.findByLabelText('Loading row')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(mockJsonViewerData).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('runs again for a row it did not find', async () => {
     mockQueryChartConfig.mockResolvedValue({ data: [], meta: [], rows: 0 });