diff --git a/src/aare/gui/panels/beamline_state_panel.py b/src/aare/gui/panels/beamline_state_panel.py
index 0719ded7..da6854e5 100644
--- a/src/aare/gui/panels/beamline_state_panel.py
+++ b/src/aare/gui/panels/beamline_state_panel.py
@@ -1,9 +1,18 @@
 from typing import ClassVar
 
 from aarecommon.models.models import BeamlineStateEnum, DAQStatusModel
-from PySide6.QtCore import Qt, QTimer, Signal, Slot
+from PySide6.QtCore import QByteArray, QPropertyAnimation, Qt, QTimer, Signal, Slot
 from PySide6.QtGui import QCursor, QFont, QFontMetrics
-from PySide6.QtWidgets import QFrame, QHBoxLayout, QLabel, QMenu, QPushButton, QSizePolicy, QToolTip
+from PySide6.QtWidgets import (
+    QFrame,
+    QGraphicsOpacityEffect,
+    QHBoxLayout,
+    QLabel,
+    QMenu,
+    QPushButton,
+    QSizePolicy,
+    QToolTip,
+)
 
 from aare.gui.styles import FONT_VALUE, THEME_SUNRISE, state_colors
 
@@ -133,6 +142,7 @@ class BeamlineStatePanel(QFrame):
         self._hovered_state: BeamlineStateEnum | None = None
         self._pending_target_state: BeamlineStateEnum | None = None
         self._busy = False
+        self._breathing_button: HoverableButton | None = None
 
         # After 3 s of hovering an unavailable state, explain which states
         # it can be reached from.
@@ -322,8 +332,31 @@ class BeamlineStatePanel(QFrame):
             self._style_separator(separator)
         self._apply_highlight()
 
+    def _sync_breathing(self, button: HoverableButton | None) -> None:
+        # The transition target used to sit solid blue while Moving, reading
+        # as "already there". Breathe it via an opacity effect instead of a
+        # stylesheet animation: restyling would repolish the button per frame.
+        if button is self._breathing_button:
+            return
+        if self._breathing_button is not None:
+            # Qt deletes the old effect (and the animation parented to it).
+            self._breathing_button.setGraphicsEffect(None)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+        self._breathing_button = button
+        if button is None:
+            return
+        effect = QGraphicsOpacityEffect(button)
+        button.setGraphicsEffect(effect)
+        animation = QPropertyAnimation(effect, QByteArray(b"opacity"), effect)
+        animation.setDuration(1600)
+        animation.setStartValue(1.0)
+        animation.setKeyValueAt(0.5, 0.35)
+        animation.setEndValue(1.0)
+        animation.setLoopCount(-1)
+        animation.start()
+
     def _apply_highlight(self) -> None:
         available = self._available_targets()
+        pending_button: HoverableButton | None = None
         for state, button in self._buttons.items():
             is_current = state == self._current_state
             is_pending = (
@@ -331,6 +364,8 @@ class BeamlineStatePanel(QFrame):
                 and self._current_state == BeamlineStateEnum.Moving
             )
             is_available = state in available
+            if is_pending:
+                pending_button = button
 
             # Availability drives the look: active = bold (red for
             # Maintenance, blue otherwise), reachable = orange, rest = grey.
@@ -391,6 +426,8 @@ class BeamlineStatePanel(QFrame):
             if button.toolTip() != tooltip:
                 button.setToolTip(tooltip)
 
+        self._sync_breathing(pending_button)
+
     def set_current_state(self, state: BeamlineStateEnum | None) -> None:
         self._current_state = state
         if (
diff --git a/tests/unit/gui/test_beamline_state_panel.py b/tests/unit/gui/test_beamline_state_panel.py
index 3e9bce74..0e4c7bb9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/gui/test_beamline_state_panel.py
+++ b/tests/unit/gui/test_beamline_state_panel.py
@@ -121,3 +121,19 @@ def test_pending_target_cleared_on_arrival(qtbot):
     assert panel._pending_target_state == BeamlineStateEnum.SampleExchange
     panel.set_current_state(BeamlineStateEnum.SampleExchange)
     assert panel._pending_target_state is None
+
+
+def test_pending_target_breathes_only_while_moving(qtbot):
+    panel = _panel(qtbot)
+    panel.set_current_state(BeamlineStateEnum.Maintenance)
+    panel._emit_for_state(BeamlineStateEnum.SampleExchange)
+    target = panel._buttons[BeamlineStateEnum.SampleExchange]
+    assert target.graphicsEffect() is None  # not Moving yet
+
+    panel.set_current_state(BeamlineStateEnum.Moving)
+    assert panel._breathing_button is target
+    assert target.graphicsEffect() is not None
+
+    panel.set_current_state(BeamlineStateEnum.SampleExchange)
+    assert panel._breathing_button is None
+    assert target.graphicsEffect() is None