diff --git a/src/app/api/forum/categories/route.ts b/src/app/api/forum/categories/route.ts
index 0ad7cd4..b73adfc 100644
--- a/src/app/api/forum/categories/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/forum/categories/route.ts
@@ -4,13 +4,42 @@ import { createClient } from '@/lib/supabase/server';
 export async function GET() {
   try {
     const supabase = await createClient();
-    const { data, error } = await supabase
+    const { data: cats, error } = await supabase
       .from('forum_categories')
       .select('*')
       .order('display_order', { ascending: true });
 
     if (error) throw error;
-    return NextResponse.json({ categories: data });
+
+    // Latest thread per category — joined client-side so we keep one
+    // round-trip per category instead of N+1. Each cat ends up with
+    // last_thread_title + last_activity_at attached.
+    const catIds = (cats || []).map((c: any) => c.id);
+    let lastByCat: Record<string, { title: string; at: string }> = {};
+    if (catIds.length) {
+      const { data: latest } = await supabase
+        .from('forum_threads')
+        .select('id, category_id, title, last_reply_at, created_at')
+        .in('category_id', catIds)
+        .order('last_reply_at', { ascending: false, nullsFirst: false })
+        .limit(2000);
+      for (const t of latest || []) {
+        const k = t.category_id as string;
+        if (!lastByCat[k]) {
+          lastByCat[k] = {
+            title: t.title,
+            at:    t.last_reply_at || t.created_at,
+          };
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    const enriched = (cats || []).map((c: any) => ({
+      ...c,
+      last_thread_title: lastByCat[c.id]?.title || null,
+      last_activity_at:  lastByCat[c.id]?.at    || null,
+    }));
+
+    return NextResponse.json({ categories: enriched });
   } catch (err: any) {
     return NextResponse.json({ error: err.message }, { status: 500 });
   }
diff --git a/src/app/forum/page.tsx b/src/app/forum/page.tsx
index 6b2ea0e..ebb4fde 100644
--- a/src/app/forum/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/forum/page.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ interface ForumCategory {
   thread_count: number;
   post_count: number;
   display_order: number;
+  last_thread_title?: string | null;
+  last_activity_at?: string | null;
 }
 
 interface ForumThread {
@@ -549,38 +551,10 @@ export default function ForumIndexPage() {
                     </div>
                   )}
 
-                  {/* Recent Threads — newest first across all categories */}
-                  {!loading && !error && threads.length > 0 && (
-                    <div className="mb-8">
-                      <h2 className="text-white font-heading font-bold text-base mb-3">Recent Threads</h2>
-                      <div className="space-y-1">
-                        {threads.slice(0, 12).map((thread) => (
-                          <Link
-                            key={thread.id}
-                            href={`/forum/thread/${thread.id}`}
-                            className="flex items-center gap-4 bg-[#1a1a1a] hover:bg-[#1e2a3a] border border-[#252525] hover:border-[#3b82f6] rounded-lg px-4 py-3 transition-all group"
-                          >
-                            <div className="flex-1 min-w-0">
-                              <h3 className="text-white font-body font-semibold text-sm group-hover:text-[#3b82f6] transition-colors truncate">
-                                {thread.title}
-                              </h3>
-                              <p className="text-[#666] font-body text-xs mt-0.5">
-                                by <Link href={`/forum/user/${encodeURIComponent(thread.author_name)}`} className="text-[#888] hover:text-[#3b82f6] hover:underline" onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}>{thread.author_name}</Link>
-                                {thread.forum_categories && (
-                                  <> · <span className="text-[#3b82f6]">{thread.forum_categories.name}</span></>
-                                )}
-                                {' · '}{timeAgo(thread.last_reply_at || thread.created_at)}
-                              </p>
-                            </div>
-                            <div className="flex-shrink-0 text-right hidden sm:block">
-                              <div className="text-[#aaa] font-body text-sm font-semibold">{thread.reply_count}</div>
-                              <div className="text-[#555] font-body text-xs">replies</div>
-                            </div>
-                          </Link>
-                        ))}
-                      </div>
-                    </div>
-                  )}
+                  {/* "Recent Threads" widget removed per Ryan — users can drill
+                       into a category to see latest-first ordering. Each category
+                       card now surfaces the last-post title + timestamp inline so
+                       the homepage glance still shows activity. */}
 
                   {!loading && !error && (
                     <>
@@ -598,6 +572,15 @@ export default function ForumIndexPage() {
                                 {cat.name}
                               </h2>
                               <p className="text-[#888] font-body text-sm mt-0.5 truncate">{cat.description}</p>
+                              {cat.last_thread_title && (
+                                <p className="text-[10px] text-[#666] font-body mt-1.5 truncate">
+                                  <span className="text-[#555]">Last post:</span>{' '}
+                                  <span className="text-[#aaa]">{cat.last_thread_title}</span>
+                                  {cat.last_activity_at && (
+                                    <span className="text-[#555]"> · {timeAgo(cat.last_activity_at)}</span>
+                                  )}
+                                </p>
+                              )}
                             </div>
                             <div className="flex-shrink-0 text-right hidden sm:block">
                               <div className="text-white font-body font-semibold text-sm">{cat.thread_count}</div>