diff --git a/frontend/src/components/notifications/NotificationToaster.tsx b/frontend/src/components/notifications/NotificationToaster.tsx
index 9ac1f36..0dff878 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/notifications/NotificationToaster.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/notifications/NotificationToaster.tsx
@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@ import { toast } from 'sonner';
 import { Check, X, Bell, UserPlus } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import { useNotifications } from '@/hooks/useNotifications';
-import api, { getErrorMessage } from '@/lib/api';
+import { useConnections } from '@/hooks/useConnections';
+import { getErrorMessage } from '@/lib/api';
 import type { AppNotification } from '@/types';
 
 export default function NotificationToaster() {
   const { notifications, unreadCount } = useNotifications();
+  const { respond } = useConnections();
   const queryClient = useQueryClient();
   const maxSeenIdRef = useRef(0);
   const initializedRef = useRef(false);
@@ -16,20 +18,15 @@ export default function NotificationToaster() {
   const handleConnectionRespond = useCallback(
     async (requestId: number, action: 'accept' | 'reject', toastId: string | number) => {
       try {
-        await api.put(`/connections/requests/${requestId}/respond`, { action });
+        await respond({ requestId, action });
+        // onSuccess in useConnections already dismisses the custom toast and invalidates caches
+        toast.success(action === 'accept' ? 'Connection accepted' : 'Request declined');
       } catch (err) {
         toast.dismiss(toastId);
         toast.error(getErrorMessage(err, 'Failed to respond to request'));
-        return;
       }
-      toast.dismiss(toastId);
-      toast.success(action === 'accept' ? 'Connection accepted' : 'Request declined');
-      // Fire-and-forget — invalidation errors should not surface as "Failed to respond"
-      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['connections'] });
-      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['people'] });
-      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['notifications'] });
     },
-    [queryClient],
+    [respond],
   );
 
   // Track unread count changes to force-refetch the list
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useConnections.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useConnections.ts
index 65e31b5..919abed 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useConnections.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useConnections.ts
@@ -57,14 +57,13 @@ export function useConnections() {
       const { data } = await api.put(`/connections/requests/${requestId}/respond`, { action });
       return data;
     },
-    onSuccess: async (_, variables) => {
+    onSuccess: (_, variables) => {
       // Dismiss any lingering Sonner toast for this request
       toast.dismiss(`connection-request-${variables.requestId}`);
-      await Promise.all([
-        queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['connections'] }),
-        queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['people'] }),
-        queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['notifications'] }),
-      ]);
+      // Fire-and-forget — errors here must not surface as mutation failures
+      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['connections'] });
+      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['people'] });
+      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['notifications'] });
     },
   });