diff --git a/app/features/chat/ChatProvider.tsx b/app/features/chat/ChatProvider.tsx
index 3e76874ef..c11dac5b8 100644
--- a/app/features/chat/ChatProvider.tsx
+++ b/app/features/chat/ChatProvider.tsx
@@ -277,7 +277,11 @@ function ChatProviderInner({
 			isSystemMessage,
 		);
 		if (isSystemMessage || messageArr[0].revalidateOnly) {
-			revalidate();
+			// The actor that triggered this revalidate is the current user — their
+			// own form submission already reran loaders, so skip the duplicate fetch.
+			const isOwnRevalidate =
+				messageArr[0].revalidateOnly && messageArr[0].authorUserId === userId;
+			if (!isOwnRevalidate) revalidate();
 		}
 
 		const sound = messageTypeToSound(messageArr[0].type);
@@ -444,6 +448,14 @@ function ChatProviderInner({
 		ws.current?.send(JSON.stringify({ event: "UNSUBSCRIBE", chatCode }));
 	}, []);
 
+	const subscribeTopic = React.useCallback((topic: string) => {
+		ws.current?.send(JSON.stringify({ event: "SUBSCRIBE_TOPIC", topic }));
+	}, []);
+
+	const unsubscribeTopic = React.useCallback((topic: string) => {
+		ws.current?.send(JSON.stringify({ event: "UNSUBSCRIBE_TOPIC", topic }));
+	}, []);
+
 	const requestHistory = React.useCallback((chatCode: string) => {
 		ws.current?.send(JSON.stringify({ event: "CHAT_HISTORY", chatCode }));
 	}, []);
@@ -508,6 +520,8 @@ function ChatProviderInner({
 			send,
 			subscribe,
 			unsubscribe,
+			subscribeTopic,
+			unsubscribeTopic,
 			requestHistory,
 			markAsRead,
 			unreadCounts,
@@ -529,6 +543,8 @@ function ChatProviderInner({
 			send,
 			subscribe,
 			unsubscribe,
+			subscribeTopic,
+			unsubscribeTopic,
 			requestHistory,
 			markAsRead,
 			unreadCounts,
diff --git a/app/features/chat/ChatSystemMessage.server.ts b/app/features/chat/ChatSystemMessage.server.ts
index 69da91c06..8fa6bc90d 100644
--- a/app/features/chat/ChatSystemMessage.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/chat/ChatSystemMessage.server.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ function logSkalpError(action: string) {
 
 type PartialChatMessage = Pick<
 	ChatMessage,
-	"type" | "context" | "room" | "revalidateOnly"
+	"type" | "context" | "room" | "revalidateOnly" | "authorUserId"
 >;
 interface ChatSystemMessageService {
 	send: (msg: PartialChatMessage | PartialChatMessage[]) => undefined;
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ export const send: ChatSystemMessageService["send"] = (partialMsg) => {
 			context: partialMsg.context,
 			type: partialMsg.type,
 			revalidateOnly: partialMsg.revalidateOnly,
+			authorUserId: partialMsg.authorUserId,
 		};
 	});
 
diff --git a/app/features/chat/chat-hooks.ts b/app/features/chat/chat-hooks.ts
index 51a2ee265..57d3ecebd 100644
--- a/app/features/chat/chat-hooks.ts
+++ b/app/features/chat/chat-hooks.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import * as React from "react";
 import { useUser } from "../auth/core/user";
 import type { ChatMessage } from "./chat-types";
+import { useChatContext } from "./useChatContext";
 
 // increasing this = scrolling happens even when scrolled more upwards
 const THRESHOLD = 100;
@@ -69,3 +70,25 @@ export function useChatAutoScroll(
 		scrollToBottom,
 	};
 }
+
+/**
+ * Subscribes the page to a Skalop topic over the shared chat WebSocket so that
+ * `revalidateOnly` broadcasts to the topic trigger a data loader revalidation.
+ * Topics are lightweight: no metadata, no participants, no history — purely a
+ * fan-out channel. Pass `connected=false` to opt out (e.g. once a tournament
+ * has been finalized and no further updates are expected).
+ */
+export function useWebsocketRevalidation(topic: string, connected = true) {
+	const chat = useChatContext();
+	const subscribeTopic = chat?.subscribeTopic;
+	const unsubscribeTopic = chat?.unsubscribeTopic;
+	const readyState = chat?.readyState;
+
+	React.useEffect(() => {
+		if (!connected || readyState !== "CONNECTED") return;
+		if (!subscribeTopic || !unsubscribeTopic) return;
+
+		subscribeTopic(topic);
+		return () => unsubscribeTopic(topic);
+	}, [topic, connected, readyState, subscribeTopic, unsubscribeTopic]);
+}
diff --git a/app/features/chat/chat-provider-types.ts b/app/features/chat/chat-provider-types.ts
index 4d1162278..e0d6476e2 100644
--- a/app/features/chat/chat-provider-types.ts
+++ b/app/features/chat/chat-provider-types.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ export interface ChatContextValue {
 	send: (chatCode: string, contents: string) => void;
 	subscribe: (chatCode: string) => void;
 	unsubscribe: (chatCode: string) => void;
+	subscribeTopic: (topic: string) => void;
+	unsubscribeTopic: (topic: string) => void;
 	requestHistory: (chatCode: string) => void;
 	markAsRead: (chatCode: string) => void;
 	unreadCounts: Record<string, number>;
diff --git a/app/features/chat/chat-types.ts b/app/features/chat/chat-types.ts
index 6a535db07..8fe14dee9 100644
--- a/app/features/chat/chat-types.ts
+++ b/app/features/chat/chat-types.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ export interface ChatMessage {
 	context?: SystemMessageContext;
 	/** If true, the purpose of this message is just to run the data loaders again meaning the logic related to showing a new chat message is skipped. Defaults to false.  */
 	revalidateOnly?: boolean;
+	/** User id of the actor that triggered this message. Used to skip own-author revalidates so we don't double-fetch loaders right after a form submission. */
+	authorUserId?: number;
 	userId?: number;
 	timestamp: number;
 	room: string;
diff --git a/app/features/sendouq-match/actions/q.match.$id.server.ts b/app/features/sendouq-match/actions/q.match.$id.server.ts
index 69d4fa7b4..1af5e95f1 100644
--- a/app/features/sendouq-match/actions/q.match.$id.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/sendouq-match/actions/q.match.$id.server.ts
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ export const action = async ({ request, params }: ActionFunctionArgs) => {
 						ChatSystemMessage.send({
 							room: match.chatCode,
 							revalidateOnly: true,
+							authorUserId: user.id,
 						});
 					}
 				}
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ export const action = async ({ request, params }: ActionFunctionArgs) => {
 					ChatSystemMessage.send({
 						room: match.chatCode,
 						revalidateOnly: true,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					});
 				}
 
@@ -226,6 +228,7 @@ export const action = async ({ request, params }: ActionFunctionArgs) => {
 					ChatSystemMessage.send({
 						room: match.chatCode,
 						revalidateOnly: true,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					});
 				}
 
@@ -280,6 +283,7 @@ export const action = async ({ request, params }: ActionFunctionArgs) => {
 					ChatSystemMessage.send({
 						room: match.chatCode,
 						revalidateOnly: true,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					});
 				}
 
@@ -304,6 +308,7 @@ export const action = async ({ request, params }: ActionFunctionArgs) => {
 					ChatSystemMessage.send({
 						room: match.chatCode,
 						revalidateOnly: true,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					});
 				}
 
@@ -384,6 +389,7 @@ export const action = async ({ request, params }: ActionFunctionArgs) => {
 					ChatSystemMessage.send({
 						room: match.chatCode,
 						revalidateOnly: true,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					});
 				}
 
diff --git a/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.looking.server.ts b/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.looking.server.ts
index e6837b014..c539d42b1 100644
--- a/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.looking.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.looking.server.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ export const action: ActionFunction = async ({ request }) => {
 						room: targetChatCode,
 						type: "LIKE_RECEIVED",
 						revalidateOnly: true,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					});
 				}
 
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ export const action: ActionFunction = async ({ request }) => {
 						room: targetChatCode,
 						type: "LIKE_RECEIVED",
 						revalidateOnly: true,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					});
 				}
 				break;
@@ -201,11 +203,13 @@ export const action: ActionFunction = async ({ request }) => {
 							room: ownGroup.chatCode,
 							type: "MATCH_STARTED",
 							revalidateOnly: true,
+							authorUserId: user.id,
 						},
 						{
 							room: theirGroup.chatCode,
 							type: "MATCH_STARTED",
 							revalidateOnly: true,
+							authorUserId: user.id,
 						},
 					]);
 				}
diff --git a/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.preparing.server.ts b/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.preparing.server.ts
index 44fc1391e..989da7574 100644
--- a/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.preparing.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.preparing.server.ts
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export const action = async ({ request }: ActionFunctionArgs) => {
 					ChatSystemMessage.send({
 						room: chatCodeToRevalidate,
 						revalidateOnly: true,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					});
 				}
 
diff --git a/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.server.ts b/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.server.ts
index 0e83c5565..58f52b851 100644
--- a/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/sendouq/actions/q.server.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ export const action: ActionFunction = async ({ request }) => {
 					ChatSystemMessage.send({
 						room: chatCodeToRevalidate,
 						revalidateOnly: true,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					});
 				}
 
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ export const action: ActionFunction = async ({ request }) => {
 					ChatSystemMessage.send({
 						room: chatCodeToRevalidate,
 						revalidateOnly: true,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					});
 				}
 
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/actions/to.$id.brackets.server.ts b/app/features/tournament-bracket/actions/to.$id.brackets.server.ts
index d44a49749..f669e26ce 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/actions/to.$id.brackets.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/actions/to.$id.brackets.server.ts
@@ -347,6 +347,7 @@ export const action: ActionFunction = async ({ params, request }) => {
 				room: tournamentWebsocketRoom(tournament.ctx.id),
 				type: "TOURNAMENT_UPDATED",
 				revalidateOnly: true,
+				authorUserId: user.id,
 			},
 		]);
 	}
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-bracket/routes/to.$id.brackets.tsx b/app/features/tournament-bracket/routes/to.$id.brackets.tsx
index 7b21d0b9f..e0f8e830b 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-bracket/routes/to.$id.brackets.tsx
+++ b/app/features/tournament-bracket/routes/to.$id.brackets.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
 	SendouTabs,
 } from "~/components/elements/Tabs";
 import { useUser } from "~/features/auth/core/user";
+import { useWebsocketRevalidation } from "~/features/chat/chat-hooks";
 import { TOURNAMENT } from "~/features/tournament/tournament-constants";
 import { useHydrated } from "~/hooks/useHydrated";
 import { useSearchParamState } from "~/hooks/useSearchParamState";
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ import * as AbDivisions from "../core/AbDivisions";
 import type { Bracket as BracketType } from "../core/Bracket";
 import * as PreparedMaps from "../core/PreparedMaps";
 import type { Tournament } from "../core/Tournament";
+import { tournamentWebsocketRoom } from "../tournament-bracket-utils";
 
 export { action };
 
@@ -81,6 +83,11 @@ export default function TournamentBracketsPage() {
 		[tournament, bracketIdx],
 	);
 
+	useWebsocketRevalidation(
+		tournamentWebsocketRoom(tournament.ctx.id),
+		!tournament.ctx.isFinalized,
+	);
+
 	React.useEffect(() => {
 		if (visibility !== "visible" || tournament.ctx.isFinalized) return;
 
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-match/actions/to.$id.matches.$mid.server.ts b/app/features/tournament-match/actions/to.$id.matches.$mid.server.ts
index 4822656fd..e1b8db9e5 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-match/actions/to.$id.matches.$mid.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament-match/actions/to.$id.matches.$mid.server.ts
@@ -813,18 +813,19 @@ export const action: ActionFunction = async ({ params, request }) => {
 
 	clearTournamentDataCache(tournamentId);
 
-	// TODO: we could optimize this in the future by including an `authorUserId` field and skip revalidation if the author is the same as the current user
 	if (emitMatchUpdate) {
 		ChatSystemMessage.send([
 			{
 				room: tournamentMatchWebsocketRoom(matchId),
 				type: "TOURNAMENT_MATCH_UPDATED",
 				revalidateOnly: true,
+				authorUserId: user.id,
 			},
 			...endedDroppedMatchIds.map((id) => ({
 				room: tournamentMatchWebsocketRoom(id),
 				type: "TOURNAMENT_MATCH_UPDATED" as const,
 				revalidateOnly: true as const,
+				authorUserId: user.id,
 			})),
 		]);
 	}
@@ -834,6 +835,7 @@ export const action: ActionFunction = async ({ params, request }) => {
 				room: tournamentWebsocketRoom(tournament.ctx.id),
 				type: "TOURNAMENT_UPDATED",
 				revalidateOnly: true,
+				authorUserId: user.id,
 			},
 		]);
 	}
diff --git a/app/features/tournament-match/routes/to.$id.matches.$mid.tsx b/app/features/tournament-match/routes/to.$id.matches.$mid.tsx
index 8214d3a30..6f73c5fe8 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament-match/routes/to.$id.matches.$mid.tsx
+++ b/app/features/tournament-match/routes/to.$id.matches.$mid.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useLoaderData } from "react-router";
 import { containerClassName } from "~/components/Main";
 import { MatchPage } from "~/components/match-page/MatchPage";
+import { useWebsocketRevalidation } from "~/features/chat/chat-hooks";
 import type { SendouRouteHandle } from "~/utils/remix.server";
 import { action } from "../actions/to.$id.matches.$mid.server";
 import { TournamentMatchBanner } from "../components/TournamentMatchBanner";
@@ -8,6 +9,7 @@ import { TournamentMatchHeader } from "../components/TournamentMatchHeader";
 import { TournamentMatchTabs } from "../components/TournamentMatchTabs";
 import { loader } from "../loaders/to.$id.matches.$mid.server";
 import { MatchPageProvider } from "../match-page-context";
+import { tournamentMatchWebsocketRoom } from "../tournament-match-utils";
 
 export { action, loader };
 
@@ -18,6 +20,11 @@ export const handle: SendouRouteHandle = {
 export default function TournamentMatchPage() {
 	const data = useLoaderData<typeof loader>();
 
+	useWebsocketRevalidation(
+		tournamentMatchWebsocketRoom(data.match.id),
+		!data.matchIsOver,
+	);
+
 	return (
 		<MatchPageProvider data={data}>
 			<MatchPage className={containerClassName("normal")}>
diff --git a/app/features/tournament/actions/to.$id.admin.server.ts b/app/features/tournament/actions/to.$id.admin.server.ts
index 2f8e0f406..576683809 100644
--- a/app/features/tournament/actions/to.$id.admin.server.ts
+++ b/app/features/tournament/actions/to.$id.admin.server.ts
@@ -410,11 +410,13 @@ export const action: ActionFunction = async ({ request, params }) => {
 						room: tournamentMatchWebsocketRoom(matchId),
 						type: "TOURNAMENT_MATCH_UPDATED" as const,
 						revalidateOnly: true as const,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					})),
 					{
 						room: tournamentWebsocketRoom(tournament.ctx.id),
 						type: "TOURNAMENT_UPDATED" as const,
 						revalidateOnly: true as const,
+						authorUserId: user.id,
 					},
 				]);
 			}