diff --git a/client/scripts/constants.gd b/client/scripts/constants.gd
index 0afcb9106..31d4efa68 100644
--- a/client/scripts/constants.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/constants.gd
@@ -98,9 +98,8 @@ const DIALOGUE_MAX_WIDTH: int = 1200
 
 # D-031: Format game-minutes (0..1439) as station local time string "HH:MM".
 static func format_game_time(time_of_day: int) -> String:
-	var hours: int = time_of_day / 60
-	var minutes: int = time_of_day % 60
-	return "%02d:%02d" % [hours, minutes]
+	var clamped: int = clampi(time_of_day, 0, 1439)
+	return "%02d:%02d" % [clamped / 60, clamped % 60]
 
 # Default camera zoom — used as fallback when get_camera_2d() returns null
 const CAMERA_DEFAULT_ZOOM: Vector2 = Vector2(2.0, 2.0)
diff --git a/client/scripts/main.gd b/client/scripts/main.gd
index a681daabf..9c68ba529 100644
--- a/client/scripts/main.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/main.gd
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ func _process(delta: float) -> void:
 		if interaction_list and interaction_list.has_method("update_from_state"):
 			if dialogue_box and dialogue_box.is_dialogue_active():
 				if interaction_list.is_showing():
-					interaction_list._hide()
+					interaction_list.hide_list()
 			else:
 				interaction_list.update_from_state()
 
diff --git a/client/ui/interaction_list.gd b/client/ui/interaction_list.gd
index 298c4c63f..d44fd7c68 100644
--- a/client/ui/interaction_list.gd
+++ b/client/ui/interaction_list.gd
@@ -204,6 +204,10 @@ func get_visible_verb_count() -> int:
 	return _verb_items.size()
 
 
+func hide_list() -> void:
+	_hide()
+
+
 func is_showing() -> bool:
 	return _showing
 
diff --git a/client/ui/time_display.gd b/client/ui/time_display.gd
index bcf11a8ce..bf1fe44ee 100644
--- a/client/ui/time_display.gd
+++ b/client/ui/time_display.gd
@@ -24,8 +24,18 @@ const PHASE_COLORS := {
 var _time_str: String = "--:--"
 var _phase_str: String = ""
 var _day_str: String = ""
+var _day_text: String = ""
 var _phase_color: Color = Constants.IMPLANT_TEXT_DIM
 var _last_signature: String = ""
+var _has_data: bool = false
+
+# Cached geometry — recomputed in update_from_state(), used in _draw()
+var _time_size: Vector2 = Vector2.ZERO
+var _phase_size: Vector2 = Vector2.ZERO
+var _day_size: Vector2 = Vector2.ZERO
+var _meta_h: float = 0.0
+var _box_w: float = 0.0
+var _box_h: float = 0.0
 
 
 func _ready() -> void:
@@ -46,37 +56,42 @@ func update_from_state() -> void:
 	_time_str = Constants.format_game_time(tod)
 	_phase_str = phase
 	_day_str = "D%d" % (day + 1)
+	_day_text = "  " + _day_str
 	_phase_color = PHASE_COLORS.get(phase, Constants.IMPLANT_TEXT_DIM)
+	_has_data = true
+	_cache_geometry()
 	queue_redraw()
 
 
-func _draw() -> void:
-	if _time_str == "--:--":
-		return
+func _cache_geometry() -> void:
 	var font := ThemeDB.fallback_font
+	_time_size = font.get_string_size(_time_str, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_TIME)
+	_phase_size = font.get_string_size(_phase_str, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_META)
+	_day_size = font.get_string_size(_day_text, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_META)
+	_meta_h = font.get_string_size("A", HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_META).y
+	var meta_w := _phase_size.x + _day_size.x
+	var content_w := max(_time_size.x, meta_w)
+	_box_w = content_w + PADDING.x * 2
+	_box_h = PADDING.y * 2 + _time_size.y + 3 + _meta_h
 
-	# Measure
-	var time_size := font.get_string_size(_time_str, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_TIME)
-	var phase_size := font.get_string_size(_phase_str, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_META)
-	var day_text := "  " + _day_str
-	var day_size := font.get_string_size(day_text, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_META)
-	var meta_w := phase_size.x + day_size.x
-	var content_w := max(time_size.x, meta_w)
-	var box_w := content_w + PADDING.x * 2
-	var meta_h := font.get_string_size("A", HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_META).y
-	var box_h := PADDING.y * 2 + time_size.y + 3 + meta_h
+
+func _draw() -> void:
+	if not _has_data:
+		return
 
 	# Background
-	draw_rect(Rect2(Vector2.ZERO, Vector2(box_w, box_h)), BG_COLOR)
-	draw_rect(Rect2(Vector2.ZERO, Vector2(box_w, box_h)), BORDER_COLOR, false, 1.0)
+	draw_rect(Rect2(Vector2.ZERO, Vector2(_box_w, _box_h)), BG_COLOR)
+	draw_rect(Rect2(Vector2.ZERO, Vector2(_box_w, _box_h)), BORDER_COLOR, false, 1.0)
+
+	var font := ThemeDB.fallback_font
 
 	# HH:MM (primary, full brightness)
-	draw_string(font, Vector2(PADDING.x, PADDING.y + time_size.y),
+	draw_string(font, Vector2(PADDING.x, PADDING.y + _time_size.y),
 		_time_str, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_TIME, Constants.IMPLANT_TEXT_COLOR)
 
 	# Phase + day number (secondary, dimmed + phase-tinted)
-	var meta_y := PADDING.y + time_size.y + 3 + meta_h
+	var meta_y := PADDING.y + _time_size.y + 3 + _meta_h
 	draw_string(font, Vector2(PADDING.x, meta_y),
 		_phase_str, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_META, _phase_color)
-	draw_string(font, Vector2(PADDING.x + phase_size.x, meta_y),
-		day_text, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_META, Constants.IMPLANT_TEXT_DIM)
+	draw_string(font, Vector2(PADDING.x + _phase_size.x, meta_y),
+		_day_text, HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, FONT_SIZE_META, Constants.IMPLANT_TEXT_DIM)