diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/(dynamicPages)/entry/[category]/[author]/[permlink]/_components/entry-page-breadcrumb.tsx b/apps/web/src/app/(dynamicPages)/entry/[category]/[author]/[permlink]/_components/entry-page-breadcrumb.tsx
index 7635ae976e..6168338159 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app/(dynamicPages)/entry/[category]/[author]/[permlink]/_components/entry-page-breadcrumb.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/(dynamicPages)/entry/[category]/[author]/[permlink]/_components/entry-page-breadcrumb.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import Link from "next/link";
+import { IntentLink } from "@/features/shared/intent-link";
 
 export interface BreadcrumbItem {
   name: string;
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ export function EntryPageBreadcrumb({ items }: Props) {
                 </span>
               ) : (
                 <>
-                  <Link href={item.path} className="hover:underline whitespace-nowrap">
+                  <IntentLink href={item.path} className="hover:underline whitespace-nowrap">
                     {item.name}
-                  </Link>
+                  </IntentLink>
                   <span aria-hidden="true">/</span>
                 </>
               )}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-main-sidebar-toggle.tsx b/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-main-sidebar-toggle.tsx
index d48b251f51..aa8498f820 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-main-sidebar-toggle.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-main-sidebar-toggle.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { Button } from "@/features/ui";
 import { UilBars } from "@tooni/iconscout-unicons-react";
 import i18next from "i18next";
 import Image from "next/image";
-import Link from "next/link";
+import { IntentLink } from "@/features/shared/intent-link";
 import defaults from "@/defaults";
 
 interface Props {
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export function NavbarMainSidebarToggle({ onClick }: Props) {
   return (
     <div className="h-[40px] min-w-[40px] md:min-w-[60px] flex items-center gap-1.5 cursor-pointer relative">
       <Button onClick={onClick} appearance="gray-link" noPadding={true} icon={<UilBars />} aria-label={i18next.t("navbar.toggle-menu")} />
-      <Link className="hidden md:block" href="/">
+      <IntentLink className="hidden md:block" href="/">
         {/*
           priority: the logo is always above the fold; the default-lazy
           behavior deferred its request until the first layout finished
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export function NavbarMainSidebarToggle({ onClick }: Props) {
           height={40}
           priority
         />
-      </Link>
+      </IntentLink>
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-mobile.tsx b/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-mobile.tsx
index ef86b8f5d7..edc5281fed 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-mobile.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-mobile.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import { Button } from "@ui/button";
 import clsx from "clsx";
 import i18next from "i18next";
 import Image from "next/image";
-import Link from "next/link";
+import { IntentLink } from "@/features/shared/intent-link";
 import { usePathname, useSearchParams } from "next/navigation";
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import defaults from "@/defaults";
@@ -132,11 +132,11 @@ export function NavbarMobile({
                 aria-label={i18next.t("navbar.toggle-menu")}
                 aria-expanded={mainBarExpanded}
               />
-              <Link href="/" className="flex items-center">
+              <IntentLink href="/" className="flex items-center">
                 {/* The image alt provides the link's accessible name (brand/home),
                     distinct from the "Home" feed tab below. */}
                 <Image src={defaults.logo} alt="Ecency" width={30} height={30} className="rounded" />
-              </Link>
+              </IntentLink>
             </div>
             <Button
               className="ml-auto"
diff --git a/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-text-menu.tsx b/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-text-menu.tsx
index 99541b3b55..5c93e61efa 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-text-menu.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/features/shared/navbar/navbar-text-menu.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 "use client";
 
 import React, { Fragment } from "react";
-import Link from "next/link";
+import { IntentLink } from "@/features/shared/intent-link";
 import i18next from "i18next";
 import i18n from "i18next";
 import { EcencyConfigManager } from "@/config";
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export function NavbarTextMenu() {
     <div className="hidden sm:flex md:hidden xl:flex text-menu items-center gap-4 justify-center h-full md:mr-2">
       {visibleItems.map((item, i) => (
         <Fragment key={i}>
-          <Link
+          <IntentLink
             key={item.link}
             className={classNameObject({
               "text-sm font-semibold duration-300 hover:opacity-75 mt-0 px-2 py-0.5 rounded-2xl":
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ export function NavbarTextMenu() {
             href={item.link}
           >
             {item.label}
-          </Link>
+          </IntentLink>
           {i !== visibleItems.length - 1 && (
             <i
               key={"circle" + item.label}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/features/ui/button/index.tsx b/apps/web/src/features/ui/button/index.tsx
index aebdb4813d..8bf3af6fd1 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/features/ui/button/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/features/ui/button/index.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import React, { forwardRef } from "react";
 import { ButtonProps } from "./props";
 import { classNameObject, useFilteredProps } from "@/features/ui/util";
 import { BUTTON_OUTLINE_STYLES, BUTTON_SIZES, BUTTON_STYLES } from "@/features/ui/button/styles";
-import Link from "next/link";
+// IntentLink prefetches on hover/touch/focus instead of viewport entry:
+// every visible href Button used to fire an RSC prefetch + origin render
+// just by scrolling into view (#1666).
+import { IntentLink } from "@/features/shared/intent-link";
 import { UilSpinner } from "@tooni/iconscout-unicons-react";
 
 export * from "./props";
@@ -86,10 +89,10 @@ const ForwardedButton = forwardRef<HTMLButtonElement | HTMLAnchorElement, Button
     const children = props.children ? <div>{props.children}</div> : <></>;
 
     return "href" in props ? (
-      <Link {...nativeProps} className={className} ref={ref as any}>
+      <IntentLink {...nativeProps} className={className} ref={ref as React.Ref<HTMLAnchorElement>}>
         {props.isLoading && props.loadingText ? props.loadingText : children}
         {icon}
-      </Link>
+      </IntentLink>
     ) : (
       <button
         {...nativeProps}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/specs/features/ui/button.spec.tsx b/apps/web/src/specs/features/ui/button.spec.tsx
index b6cdfeed7d..583f157f55 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/specs/features/ui/button.spec.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/specs/features/ui/button.spec.tsx
@@ -234,3 +234,56 @@ describe("Button", () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe("Button href prefetch behavior (#1666)", () => {
+  /*
+    A Button with href used to render a raw next/link, which fires an RSC
+    prefetch plus an origin render the moment it scrolls into view. The href
+    branch now renders IntentLink: no prefetch on render, prefetch on intent.
+  */
+  const makeRouter = () => ({
+    push: vi.fn(),
+    replace: vi.fn(),
+    refresh: vi.fn(),
+    back: vi.fn(),
+    forward: vi.fn(),
+    prefetch: vi.fn()
+  });
+
+  const renderWithRouter = async (ui: React.ReactElement, router: ReturnType<typeof makeRouter>) => {
+    const { AppRouterContext } = await import(
+      "next/dist/shared/lib/app-router-context.shared-runtime"
+    );
+    return render(
+      <AppRouterContext.Provider value={router as never}>{ui}</AppRouterContext.Provider>
+    );
+  };
+
+  it("does not prefetch on render", async () => {
+    const router = makeRouter();
+    await renderWithRouter(<Button href="/perks">Perks</Button>, router);
+    expect(router.prefetch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("prefetches on hover intent", async () => {
+    const router = makeRouter();
+    await renderWithRouter(<Button href="/perks">Perks</Button>, router);
+    fireEvent.mouseEnter(screen.getByText("Perks").closest("a")!);
+    expect(router.prefetch).toHaveBeenCalledWith("/perks", expect.anything());
+  });
+});
+
+describe("Button href ref forwarding", () => {
+  it("forwards the ref through IntentLink to the anchor element", () => {
+    // React 19 passes ref as a prop through function components; IntentLink
+    // spreads it onto next/link, which attaches it to the rendered <a>.
+    const ref = React.createRef<HTMLAnchorElement>();
+    render(
+      <Button href="/perks" ref={ref as React.Ref<HTMLButtonElement | HTMLAnchorElement>}>
+        Perks
+      </Button>
+    );
+    expect(ref.current).toBeInstanceOf(HTMLAnchorElement);
+    expect(ref.current?.getAttribute("href")).toBe("/perks");
+  });
+});