diff --git a/packages/app/src/new-session/route.tsx b/packages/app/src/new-session/route.tsx
index 2f98f92fb28..76f9625baa2 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/new-session/route.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/new-session/route.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { ServerConnection } from "@/runtime/server/registry"
 import { useTabs, type DraftTab } from "@/shell/tabs/tabs"
 import { SessionUIProvider } from "@/shell/routes/session-ui-provider"
 import NewSession from "@/new-session/screen"
-import { IncompatibleServerPanel } from "@/session/incompatible-server-panel"
+import { ServerUnavailablePanel } from "@/session/server-unavailable-panel"
 import { ErrorPage } from "@/shell/errors/error"
 import { SessionPanelFrame, SessionRouteFrame } from "@/session/session-frame"
 
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ function ResolvedDraftContent(props: { draft: DraftTab }) {
       fallback={
         <SessionRouteFrame padded>
           <SessionPanelFrame raised>
-            <IncompatibleServerPanel
+            <ServerUnavailablePanel
+              reason="incompatible"
               onClose={() => {
                 const index = tabs.store.findIndex((tab) => tab.type === "draft" && tab.draftID === props.draft.draftID)
 
diff --git a/packages/app/src/runtime/i18n/en.ts b/packages/app/src/runtime/i18n/en.ts
index e7ae4682a9a..7f95fd2d39f 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/runtime/i18n/en.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/runtime/i18n/en.ts
@@ -538,6 +538,9 @@ export const dict = {
   "session.error.incompatible": "This server version isn't supported",
   "session.error.incompatible.description":
     "{{server}} is running OpenCode {{version}}, which isn't compatible with this app. Upgrade the server to OpenCode V2 to continue.",
+  "session.error.unreachable": "Can't reach this server",
+  "session.error.unreachable.description":
+    "{{server}} isn't responding, so this session can't load. It will open automatically once the server is reachable again.",
   "session.background.moveRunning": "Move to background",
   "session.background.moveInline": "Press {{keybind}} to move running work to the background",
   "command.session.background": "Move to background",
diff --git a/packages/app/src/session/route-error.tsx b/packages/app/src/session/route-error.tsx
index 8d4006bd4e8..59e91a0f3c1 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/session/route-error.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/session/route-error.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { useServer } from "@/runtime/server/current"
 import { ServerConnection, serverName, useServers } from "@/runtime/server/registry"
 import { useTabs } from "@/shell/tabs/tabs"
 import { isLocalSessionNotFoundError, isSessionNotFoundError } from "@/runtime/server/errors"
-import { IncompatibleServerPanel } from "./incompatible-server-panel"
+import { ServerUnavailablePanel } from "./server-unavailable-panel"
 
 export function SessionErrorFallback(props: { error: unknown; sessionID?: string; serverKey?: ServerConnection.Key }) {
   const language = useLanguage()
@@ -28,10 +28,14 @@ export function SessionErrorFallback(props: { error: unknown; sessionID?: string
   return (
     <Show
       when={!activeServer.health?.incompatible}
-      fallback={<IncompatibleServerPanel onClose={props.sessionID ? closeSession : undefined} />}
+      fallback={<ServerUnavailablePanel reason="incompatible" onClose={props.sessionID ? closeSession : undefined} />}
     >
       <Show
-        when={isCurrentSessionNotFoundError(props.error, props.sessionID)}
+        when={
+          props.sessionID &&
+          (isSessionNotFoundError(props.error, props.sessionID) ||
+            isLocalSessionNotFoundError(props.error, props.sessionID))
+        }
         fallback={<ErrorPage error={props.error} />}
       >
         <div class="flex-1 min-h-0 overflow-hidden">
@@ -69,9 +73,3 @@ export function SessionErrorFallback(props: { error: unknown; sessionID?: string
     </Show>
   )
 }
-
-function isCurrentSessionNotFoundError(error: unknown, sessionID: string | undefined) {
-  if (!sessionID) return false
-
-  return isSessionNotFoundError(error, sessionID) || isLocalSessionNotFoundError(error, sessionID)
-}
diff --git a/packages/app/src/session/route.tsx b/packages/app/src/session/route.tsx
index cfd75e3fa14..725510d9165 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/session/route.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/session/route.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { requireServerKey } from "@/shell/routes/session"
 import { useSessionModel } from "./model"
 import { SessionPanelFrame } from "./session-frame"
 import { SessionIdentityHeader } from "./session-identity-header"
-import { IncompatibleServerPanel } from "./incompatible-server-panel"
+import { ServerUnavailablePanel } from "./server-unavailable-panel"
 import { SessionErrorFallback } from "./route-error"
 import { createSessionResolution } from "./session-resolution"
 import { SessionScreenView } from "./screen"
@@ -128,18 +128,39 @@ function ResolvedTargetSessionRoute() {
 
   const directory = createMemo(() => current()?.location.directory)
 
+  // Only a failed health check: a version mismatch has its own panel, and a rejected credential is not an outage.
+  const unreachable = () => {
+    const health = server.health
+
+    return !!health && !health.healthy && !health.checking && !health.unauthorized && !health.incompatible
+  }
+
   return (
     <Show
       when={!server.health?.incompatible}
       fallback={
         <SessionStatePanel>
-          <IncompatibleServerPanel
+          <ServerUnavailablePanel
+            reason="incompatible"
             onClose={() => tabs.removeSessionTab({ server: server.key, sessionId: params.id })}
           />
         </SessionStatePanel>
       }
     >
-      <Show when={directory()} fallback={<PendingSessionState sessionID={params.id} />}>
+      <Show
+        when={directory()}
+        fallback={
+          // Nothing is cached and an unreachable server never resolves the session, so explain instead of waiting blank.
+          <Show when={unreachable()} fallback={<PendingSessionState sessionID={params.id} />}>
+            <SessionStatePanel>
+              <ServerUnavailablePanel
+                reason="unreachable"
+                onClose={() => tabs.removeSessionTab({ server: server.key, sessionId: params.id })}
+              />
+            </SessionStatePanel>
+          </Show>
+        }
+      >
         {(value) => (
           <LocationProvider directory={value()}>
             <SessionUIProvider directory={value()} server={server.key}>
diff --git a/packages/app/src/session/incompatible-server-panel.tsx b/packages/app/src/session/server-unavailable-panel.tsx
similarity index 58%
rename from packages/app/src/session/incompatible-server-panel.tsx
rename to packages/app/src/session/server-unavailable-panel.tsx
index 7dbfc7fd5b8..ecdd7433f2e 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/session/incompatible-server-panel.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/session/server-unavailable-panel.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { useLanguage } from "@/runtime/i18n/language"
 import { useServer } from "@/runtime/server/current"
 import { serverName } from "@/runtime/server/registry"
 
-export function IncompatibleServerPanel(props: { onClose?: () => void }) {
+export function ServerUnavailablePanel(props: { reason: "incompatible" | "unreachable"; onClose?: () => void }) {
   const language = useLanguage()
   const server = useServer()
 
@@ -14,12 +14,18 @@ export function IncompatibleServerPanel(props: { onClose?: () => void }) {
       <div class="h-full px-6 pb-42 -mt-4 flex flex-col items-center justify-center text-center gap-4">
         <Icon name="warning" size="large" class="text-icon-warning-base" />
         <div class="flex flex-col items-center gap-2">
-          <div class="text-16-medium text-text max-w-md">{language.t("session.error.incompatible")}</div>
+          <div class="text-16-medium text-text max-w-md">
+            {props.reason === "incompatible"
+              ? language.t("session.error.incompatible")
+              : language.t("session.error.unreachable")}
+          </div>
           <div class="text-13-regular text-text-weak max-w-md">
-            {language.t("session.error.incompatible.description", {
-              server: serverName(server.conn),
-              version: server.health?.version ?? "1",
-            })}
+            {props.reason === "incompatible"
+              ? language.t("session.error.incompatible.description", {
+                  server: serverName(server.conn),
+                  version: server.health?.version ?? "1",
+                })
+              : language.t("session.error.unreachable.description", { server: serverName(server.conn) })}
           </div>
         </div>
         <Show when={props.onClose}>
diff --git a/packages/app/src/shell/titlebar/tab-nav.tsx b/packages/app/src/shell/titlebar/tab-nav.tsx
index 77088bf90de..9a233efde07 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/shell/titlebar/tab-nav.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/shell/titlebar/tab-nav.tsx
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export function TabNavItem(props: {
   unread: boolean
   loading: boolean
   fallbackTitle?: string
+  fallbackDirectory?: string
   onRename: (title: string) => Promise<void>
   onClose: () => void
   onNavigate: () => void
@@ -63,9 +64,11 @@ export function TabNavItem(props: {
   const project = createMemo(() => {
     const session = props.session
 
-    if (!session) return
+    if (session) return serverCtx()?.projects.forSession(session)
 
-    return serverCtx()?.projects.forSession(session)
+    if (!props.fallbackDirectory) return
+
+    return serverCtx()?.projects.resolve({ worktree: props.fallbackDirectory, expanded: false })
   })
 
   const title = createMemo(() => {
@@ -295,7 +298,25 @@ export function TabNavItem(props: {
               <Show
                 when={props.preparing}
                 fallback={
-                  <span class="block size-4 rounded-[3px] border border-v2-border-border-muted" aria-hidden="true" />
+                  // The remembered directory keeps the project avatar while the server is unreachable.
+                  <Show
+                    when={props.fallbackDirectory}
+                    fallback={
+                      <span
+                        class="block size-4 rounded-[3px] border border-v2-border-border-muted"
+                        aria-hidden="true"
+                      />
+                    }
+                  >
+                    {(directory) => (
+                      <SessionTabAvatarView
+                        project={project()}
+                        directory={directory()}
+                        unread={false}
+                        loading={false}
+                      />
+                    )}
+                  </Show>
                 }
               >
                 <SessionProgressIndicatorV2 />
diff --git a/packages/app/src/shell/titlebar/tab-strip.tsx b/packages/app/src/shell/titlebar/tab-strip.tsx
index 884918efb44..2a7f54fd4df 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/shell/titlebar/tab-strip.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/shell/titlebar/tab-strip.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ function SessionTabSlot(props: {
   unread: boolean
   loading: boolean
   fallbackTitle?: string
+  fallbackDirectory?: string
   onRename: (title: string) => Promise<void>
   onNavigate: (element: HTMLDivElement) => void
   onClose: () => void
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ function SessionTabSlot(props: {
         unread={props.unread}
         loading={props.loading}
         fallbackTitle={props.fallbackTitle}
+        fallbackDirectory={props.fallbackDirectory}
         onRename={props.onRename}
         onNavigate={() => props.onNavigate(ref)}
         onClose={props.onClose}
@@ -209,6 +211,7 @@ function SessionTabEntry(props: {
             ? language.t("session.tab.session")
             : (persisted()?.title ?? (missingSession() ? language.t("session.tab.unknown") : undefined))
         }
+        fallbackDirectory={persisted()?.directory}
         onRename={rename}
         onNavigate={props.onNavigate}
         onClose={props.onClose}