diff --git a/surfsense_web/components/homepage/github-stars-badge.tsx b/surfsense_web/components/homepage/github-stars-badge.tsx
index 8aaeea65b..8f313db58 100644
--- a/surfsense_web/components/homepage/github-stars-badge.tsx
+++ b/surfsense_web/components/homepage/github-stars-badge.tsx
@@ -1,174 +1,14 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { IconBrandGithub } from "@tabler/icons-react";
-import { StarIcon } from "lucide-react";
-import type { HTMLMotionProps, UseInViewOptions } from "motion/react";
 import {
-	AnimatePresence,
 	motion,
-	useInView,
 	useMotionValue,
 	useSpring,
-	useTransform,
 } from "motion/react";
 import * as React from "react";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Utilities
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-function getStrictContext<T>(name?: string) {
-	const Context = React.createContext<T | undefined>(undefined);
-	const Provider = ({ value, children }: { value: T; children?: React.ReactNode }) => (
-		<Context.Provider value={value}>{children}</Context.Provider>
-	);
-	const useSafeContext = () => {
-		const ctx = React.useContext(Context);
-		if (ctx === undefined) {
-			throw new Error(`useContext must be used within ${name ?? "a Provider"}`);
-		}
-		return ctx;
-	};
-	return [Provider, useSafeContext] as const;
-}
-
-interface UseIsInViewOptions {
-	inView?: boolean;
-	inViewOnce?: boolean;
-	inViewMargin?: UseInViewOptions["margin"];
-}
-
-function useIsInView<T extends HTMLElement = HTMLElement>(
-	ref: React.Ref<T>,
-	options: UseIsInViewOptions = {}
-) {
-	const { inView, inViewOnce = false, inViewMargin = "0px" } = options;
-	const localRef = React.useRef<T>(null);
-	React.useImperativeHandle(ref, () => localRef.current as T);
-	const inViewResult = useInView(localRef, {
-		once: inViewOnce,
-		margin: inViewMargin,
-	});
-	const isInView = !inView || inViewResult;
-	return { ref: localRef, isInView };
-}
-
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Particles (for star burst effect on completion)
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-type ParticlesContextType = { animate: boolean; isInView: boolean };
-const [ParticlesProvider, useParticles] =
-	getStrictContext<ParticlesContextType>("ParticlesContext");
-
-function Particles({
-	ref,
-	animate = true,
-	inView = false,
-	inViewMargin = "0px",
-	inViewOnce = true,
-	children,
-	style,
-	...props
-}: Omit<HTMLMotionProps<"div">, "children"> & {
-	animate?: boolean;
-	children: React.ReactNode;
-} & UseIsInViewOptions) {
-	const { ref: localRef, isInView } = useIsInView(ref as React.Ref<HTMLDivElement>, {
-		inView,
-		inViewOnce,
-		inViewMargin,
-	});
-	return (
-		<ParticlesProvider value={{ animate, isInView }}>
-			<motion.div ref={localRef} style={{ position: "relative", ...style }} {...props}>
-				{children}
-			</motion.div>
-		</ParticlesProvider>
-	);
-}
-
-function ParticlesEffect({
-	side = "top",
-	align = "center",
-	count = 6,
-	radius = 30,
-	spread = 360,
-	duration = 0.8,
-	holdDelay = 0.05,
-	sideOffset = 0,
-	alignOffset = 0,
-	delay = 0,
-	transition,
-	style,
-	...props
-}: Omit<HTMLMotionProps<"div">, "children"> & {
-	side?: "top" | "bottom" | "left" | "right";
-	align?: "start" | "center" | "end";
-	count?: number;
-	radius?: number;
-	spread?: number;
-	duration?: number;
-	holdDelay?: number;
-	sideOffset?: number;
-	alignOffset?: number;
-	delay?: number;
-}) {
-	const { animate, isInView } = useParticles();
-	const isVertical = side === "top" || side === "bottom";
-	const alignPct = align === "start" ? "0%" : align === "end" ? "100%" : "50%";
-
-	const top = isVertical
-		? side === "top"
-			? `calc(0% - ${sideOffset}px)`
-			: `calc(100% + ${sideOffset}px)`
-		: `calc(${alignPct} + ${alignOffset}px)`;
-	const left = isVertical
-		? `calc(${alignPct} + ${alignOffset}px)`
-		: side === "left"
-			? `calc(0% - ${sideOffset}px)`
-			: `calc(100% + ${sideOffset}px)`;
-
-	const containerStyle: React.CSSProperties = {
-		position: "absolute",
-		top,
-		left,
-		transform: "translate(-50%, -50%)",
-	};
-	const angleStep = (spread * (Math.PI / 180)) / Math.max(1, count - 1);
-
-	return (
-		<AnimatePresence>
-			{animate &&
-				isInView &&
-				[...Array(count)].map((_, i) => {
-					const angle = i * angleStep;
-					const x = Math.cos(angle) * radius;
-					const y = Math.sin(angle) * radius;
-					return (
-						<motion.div
-							key={`particle-${angle}`}
-							style={{ ...containerStyle, ...style }}
-							initial={{ scale: 0, opacity: 0 }}
-							animate={{
-								x: `${x}px`,
-								y: `${y}px`,
-								scale: [0, 1, 0],
-								opacity: [0, 1, 0],
-							}}
-							transition={{
-								duration,
-								delay: delay + i * holdDelay,
-								ease: "easeOut",
-								...transition,
-							}}
-							{...props}
-						/>
-					);
-				})}
-		</AnimatePresence>
-	);
-}
-
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Per-digit scrolling wheel
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -409,11 +249,6 @@ function NavbarGitHubStars({
 }: NavbarGitHubStarsProps) {
 	const [stars, setStars] = React.useState(0);
 	const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = React.useState(true);
-	const [isCompleted, setIsCompleted] = React.useState(false);
-
-	const fillRaw = useMotionValue(0);
-	const fillSpring = useSpring(fillRaw, { stiffness: 12, damping: 14 });
-	const clipPath = useTransform(fillSpring, (v) => `inset(${100 - v * 100}% 0 0 0)`);
 
 	React.useEffect(() => {
 		const abortController = new AbortController();
@@ -424,7 +259,6 @@ function NavbarGitHubStars({
 			.then((data) => {
 				if (data && typeof data.stargazers_count === "number") {
 					setStars(data.stargazers_count);
-					fillRaw.set(1);
 				}
 			})
 			.catch((err) => {
@@ -434,7 +268,7 @@ function NavbarGitHubStars({
 			})
 			.finally(() => setIsLoading(false));
 		return () => abortController.abort();
-	}, [username, repo, fillRaw]);
+	}, [username, repo]);
 
 	return (
 		<a
@@ -442,38 +276,17 @@ function NavbarGitHubStars({
 			target="_blank"
 			rel="noopener noreferrer"
 			className={cn(
-				"group flex items-center gap-2 rounded-full px-3 py-1.5 transition-colors",
+				"group flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-full px-3 py-1.5 hover:bg-gray-100 dark:hover:bg-neutral-800 transition-colors",
 				className
 			)}
 		>
 			<IconBrandGithub className="h-5 w-5 text-neutral-600 dark:text-neutral-300 shrink-0" />
-			<div className="flex items-center gap-1 rounded-md bg-neutral-100 dark:bg-neutral-800 group-hover:bg-neutral-200 dark:group-hover:bg-neutral-700 px-2 py-0.5 transition-colors">
-				<AnimatedStarCount
-					value={isLoading ? 10000 : stars}
-					itemSize={ITEM_SIZE}
-					isRolling={isLoading}
-					className="text-sm font-semibold tabular-nums text-neutral-500 dark:text-neutral-400 group-hover:text-neutral-800 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-200 transition-colors"
-					onComplete={() => setIsCompleted(true)}
-				/>
-				<Particles animate={isCompleted}>
-					<div className="relative size-4">
-						<StarIcon
-							aria-hidden="true"
-							className="absolute inset-0 size-4 fill-neutral-400 stroke-neutral-400 dark:fill-neutral-700 dark:stroke-neutral-700 group-hover:fill-neutral-600 group-hover:stroke-neutral-600 dark:group-hover:fill-neutral-300 dark:group-hover:stroke-neutral-300 transition-colors"
-						/>
-						<motion.div className="absolute inset-0" style={{ clipPath }}>
-							<StarIcon
-								aria-hidden="true"
-								className="size-4 fill-neutral-300 stroke-neutral-300 dark:fill-neutral-400 dark:stroke-neutral-400 group-hover:fill-neutral-500 group-hover:stroke-neutral-500 dark:group-hover:fill-neutral-200 dark:group-hover:stroke-neutral-200 transition-colors"
-							/>
-						</motion.div>
-					</div>
-					<ParticlesEffect
-						delay={0.3}
-						className="size-1 rounded-full bg-neutral-300 dark:bg-neutral-400"
-					/>
-				</Particles>
-			</div>
+			<AnimatedStarCount
+				value={isLoading ? 10000 : stars}
+				itemSize={ITEM_SIZE}
+				isRolling={isLoading}
+				className="text-sm font-semibold tabular-nums text-neutral-600 dark:text-neutral-400 group-hover:text-neutral-800 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-200 transition-colors"
+			/>
 		</a>
 	);
 }