diff --git a/client b/client
index 819a4b63..e17321c9 160000
--- a/client
+++ b/client
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 819a4b6300c34e749efc14a25eca92e2c5c61e78
+Subproject commit e17321c951fd3b1d18d2b10ecd0966742091abcc
diff --git a/server b/server
index 32b38e5a..8b7a88ec 160000
--- a/server
+++ b/server
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 32b38e5a5bb6a3e1a794ecb7fdcf426cbb2dec27
+Subproject commit 8b7a88ec3ee3095e5a25f305d68b477696b57939
diff --git a/web/src/lib.rs b/web/src/lib.rs
index 8af98615..de3401ac 100644
--- a/web/src/lib.rs
+++ b/web/src/lib.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@ mod schema;
 mod services;
 mod ui;
 mod authz;
+// The server's system column vocabulary, read out of `common` the same way the
+// generated protos are: this crate compiles that source tree directly instead
+// of depending on the crate. Only `is_system_column` is used here.
+#[path = "../../common/src/system_column.rs"]
+#[allow(dead_code)]
+mod system_column;
 mod analytics {
     include!(concat!(
         env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"),
diff --git a/web/src/pages/admin/admin/loader.rs b/web/src/pages/admin/admin/loader.rs
index de47f8dd..f991b446 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/admin/admin/loader.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/admin/admin/loader.rs
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn load_admin_page(
                     nullable: column.is_nullable,
                     primary_key: column.is_primary_key,
                     quantity_ledger: column.quantity_ledger,
+                    system: crate::system_column::is_system_column(&column.name),
                 })
                 .collect()
         }
diff --git a/web/src/pages/admin/admin/state.rs b/web/src/pages/admin/admin/state.rs
index 7f4b2596..aa8e9548 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/admin/admin/state.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/admin/admin/state.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,20 @@ pub(crate) struct AdminPageState {
     pub can_export: bool,
 }
 
+impl AdminPageState {
+    /// The columns the user defined, in the order the backend reported them.
+    /// The columns pane renders these first.
+    pub(crate) fn user_columns(&self) -> Vec<&ColumnView> {
+        self.columns.iter().filter(|column| !column.system).collect()
+    }
+
+    /// The columns the server puts on every managed table. They are hidden
+    /// everywhere else, so they trail the user's own here.
+    pub(crate) fn system_columns(&self) -> Vec<&ColumnView> {
+        self.columns.iter().filter(|column| column.system).collect()
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub(crate) struct ProfileView {
     pub name: String,
@@ -40,12 +54,18 @@ pub(crate) struct ColumnView {
     pub nullable: bool,
     pub primary_key: bool,
     pub quantity_ledger: bool,
+    /// The server named this column, not the user. Ordinary screens never show
+    /// it, so the admin panel is the only place it is visible.
+    pub system: bool,
 }
 
 impl ColumnView {
     /// The badge list rendered under each column name.
     pub(crate) fn flags(&self) -> Vec<&'static str> {
         let mut flags = Vec::new();
+        if self.system {
+            flags.push("system");
+        }
         if self.primary_key {
             flags.push("primary key");
         }
diff --git a/web/src/pages/admin/admin/ui.rs b/web/src/pages/admin/admin/ui.rs
index 24b81874..549d6d37 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/admin/admin/ui.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/admin/admin/ui.rs
@@ -80,4 +80,41 @@ mod tests {
             assert!(html.contains(route), "missing admin action route {route}");
         }
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn system_columns_render_after_the_user_defined_ones() {
+        let column = |name: &str, system: bool| crate::pages::admin::admin::state::ColumnView {
+            name: name.to_string(),
+            data_type: "TEXT".to_string(),
+            nullable: true,
+            primary_key: false,
+            quantity_ledger: false,
+            system,
+        };
+        let page = AdminPageState {
+            nav: Nav::default(),
+            profiles: Vec::new(),
+            selected_profile: Some("books".to_string()),
+            tables: Vec::new(),
+            selected_table: Some("invoice".to_string()),
+            // The backend reports the physical order, system columns first.
+            columns: vec![
+                column("id", true),
+                column("title", false),
+                column("created_at", true),
+            ],
+            can_manage_tables: true,
+            can_manage_scripts: true,
+            can_manage_validations: true,
+            can_export: true,
+        };
+
+        let html = render_workspace(&page);
+        let title = html.find(">title<").expect("the user column is rendered");
+        let label = html
+            .find("System columns")
+            .expect("the system group is labelled");
+        let id = html.find(">id<").expect("the system column is rendered");
+        assert!(title < label && label < id, "system columns must trail");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/web/static/app.css b/web/static/app.css
index 74b6b4e8..7a777cbc 100644
--- a/web/static/app.css
+++ b/web/static/app.css
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@
   .column { display: grid; grid-template-columns: minmax(100px, 1fr) auto; gap: 3px 12px; padding: 10px 11px; border-bottom: 1px solid #edf0f3; }
   .column code { color: #315078; font-size: 12px; }
   .column small { grid-column: 1 / -1; }
+  .column.system { color: #6b7686; background: #fafbfc; }
+  .column.system code { color: #67788e; }
+  .group-label { margin: 14px 0 4px; padding: 0 11px; color: #7c8796; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: .04em; text-transform: uppercase; }
   .empty { margin: 8px; color: #7c8796; }
 
   /* ---------- Forms (components/form_card.html) ---------- */
diff --git a/web/templates/pages/admin/admin/workspace.html b/web/templates/pages/admin/admin/workspace.html
index 9db81f7d..c564e97d 100644
--- a/web/templates/pages/admin/admin/workspace.html
+++ b/web/templates/pages/admin/admin/workspace.html
@@ -49,20 +49,34 @@
   </section>
 
   <section class="pane">
-    <div class="pane-title"><h2>Columns</h2><span>{{ page.columns.len() }}</span></div>
+    <div class="pane-title">
+      <h2>Columns</h2>
+      <span>{{ page.user_columns().len() }} user · {{ page.system_columns().len() }} system</span>
+    </div>
     <div class="pane-list">
       {% if page.selected_table.is_none() %}
         <p class="empty">Select a table to inspect its columns.</p>
       {% else if page.columns.is_empty() %}
         <p class="empty">This table has no visible columns.</p>
       {% else %}
-        {% for column in page.columns %}
+        {% for column in page.user_columns() %}
           <div class="column">
             <span>{{ column.name }}</span>
             <code>{{ column.data_type }}</code>
             <small>{{ column.flags()|join(" · ") }}</small>
           </div>
         {% endfor %}
+        {% let system_columns = page.system_columns() %}
+        {% if !system_columns.is_empty() %}
+          <p class="group-label">System columns · hidden from users</p>
+          {% for column in system_columns %}
+            <div class="column system">
+              <span>{{ column.name }}</span>
+              <code>{{ column.data_type }}</code>
+              <small>{{ column.flags()|join(" · ") }}</small>
+            </div>
+          {% endfor %}
+        {% endif %}
       {% endif %}
     </div>
   </section>