diff --git a/docker/routlin-dash/app/view_page.py b/docker/routlin-dash/app/view_page.py
index dd8af80..567d619 100644
--- a/docker/routlin-dash/app/view_page.py
+++ b/docker/routlin-dash/app/view_page.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import sanitize
 import validation as validate
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from zoneinfo import ZoneInfo, ZoneInfoNotFoundError
-from config_utils import core_hash, get_pending_entries, get_dashboard_pending, _seconds_until_next_run, _format_timing, _is_locked, _lock_mtime, WEB_APP_DISPLAY_NAME, CONFIGS_DIR, DATA_DIR, DDNS_TIMER_NAME
+from config_utils import core_hash, get_pending_entries, get_dashboard_pending, _seconds_until_next_run, _format_timing, _is_locked, _lock_mtime, WEB_APP_DISPLAY_NAME, CONFIGS_DIR, DATA_DIR
 
 bp = Blueprint('view_page', __name__)
 
@@ -566,17 +566,14 @@ def _public_ip_info(ddns_cfg):
     return 'DDNS Offline', domains_sub, next_interval, ''
 
 def _ddns_last_checked():
-    """Return 'Last checked: X ago' based on when the DDNS timer last fired, or ''."""
+    """Return 'Last checked: X ago' by scanning ddns.log in reverse for 'Public IP retrieved from'."""
     try:
-        out = _run(f'systemctl show {DDNS_TIMER_NAME}.timer --property=LastTriggerUSec --timestamp=utc')
-        val = out.split('=', 1)[1].strip() if '=' in out else ''
-        if not val or val == '0' or val == 'n/a':
-            return ''
-        parts = val.split()  # ['Mon', '2026-05-25', '04:28:00', 'UTC']
-        if len(parts) >= 3:
-            dt = datetime.strptime(f'{parts[1]} {parts[2]}', '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
-            mtime = dt.replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc).timestamp()
-            return f'Last checked: {_relative_time(mtime)}'
+        with open(f'{CONFIGS_DIR}/ddns.log') as f:
+            lines = f.read().splitlines()
+        for line in reversed(lines):
+            if 'Public IP retrieved from' in line:
+                dt = datetime.strptime(line[:19], '%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
+                return f'Last checked: {_relative_time(dt.timestamp())}'
     except Exception:
         pass
     return ''