diff --git a/mobile/lib/features/channels/channel_detail_page/banners.dart b/mobile/lib/features/channels/channel_detail_page/banners.dart
index 006705d3d..4af232cc3 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/features/channels/channel_detail_page/banners.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/features/channels/channel_detail_page/banners.dart
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ class _DetailConnectionBanner extends StatelessWidget {
             ),
             child: Center(
               child: Text(
-                'Connection lost — Retry',
+                state.lastError is RelayAuthRejectedException
+                    ? 'Authentication rejected — Retry'
+                    : 'Connection lost — Retry',
                 style: context.textTheme.labelSmall?.copyWith(
                   color: context.colors.onSurfaceVariant,
                 ),
diff --git a/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_page/badges.dart b/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_page/badges.dart
index 09abc6a2e..36f129f7f 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_page/badges.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_page/badges.dart
@@ -125,12 +125,16 @@ class _ConnectionBanner extends StatelessWidget {
 }
 
 class _ConnectionLostBanner extends StatelessWidget {
+  final Object? error;
   final VoidCallback onRetry;
 
-  const _ConnectionLostBanner({required this.onRetry});
+  const _ConnectionLostBanner({required this.error, required this.onRetry});
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    final message = error is RelayAuthRejectedException
+        ? 'Authentication rejected — Retry'
+        : 'Connection lost — Retry';
     return Material(
       color: context.colors.surfaceContainerHighest,
       child: InkWell(
@@ -139,7 +143,7 @@ class _ConnectionLostBanner extends StatelessWidget {
           height: _kBannerHeight,
           child: Center(
             child: Text(
-              'Connection lost — Retry',
+              message,
               style: context.textTheme.labelSmall?.copyWith(
                 color: context.colors.onSurfaceVariant,
               ),
@@ -169,11 +173,9 @@ class _OfflineView extends StatelessWidget {
         ? 'Authentication rejected by the relay'
         : "Can't reach your workspace";
     final body = authRejected
-        ? (error as RelayAuthRejectedException).message
+        ? 'Check your workspace access or credentials, then retry.'
         : 'Check your network or VPN (e.g. Cloudflare WARP), then retry.';
-    final detail = authRejected
-        ? relayHost
-        : '$relayHost\n${error ?? 'Connection failed'}';
+    final detail = relayHost;
 
     return Center(
       child: Padding(
diff --git a/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_page/body.dart b/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_page/body.dart
index ce7867da2..15cf693ca 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_page/body.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_page/body.dart
@@ -57,7 +57,10 @@ class _ChannelsBody extends StatelessWidget {
             left: 0,
             right: 0,
             child: connectionLost
-                ? _ConnectionLostBanner(onRetry: onRetryConnection)
+                ? _ConnectionLostBanner(
+                    error: sessionState.lastError,
+                    onRetry: onRetryConnection,
+                  )
                 : showConnectionBanner
                 ? _ConnectionBanner(state: sessionState)
                 : const SizedBox.shrink(),
diff --git a/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_provider.dart b/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_provider.dart
index 01f6f11d8..690d1d1a7 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_provider.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/features/channels/channels_provider.dart
@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ class ChannelsNotifier extends AsyncNotifier<List<Channel>> {
         return;
       }
       if (next.status != SessionStatus.connected) return;
-      if (initiallyFailed) {
+      if (initiallyFailed ||
+          (waitingForInitialConnection &&
+              connected.isCompleted &&
+              !_hasLoaded)) {
         ref.invalidateSelf();
       } else if (waitingForInitialConnection &&
           !_hasLoaded &&
diff --git a/mobile/lib/shared/relay/relay_socket.dart b/mobile/lib/shared/relay/relay_socket.dart
index acb9378ea..d0fd8426e 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/shared/relay/relay_socket.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/shared/relay/relay_socket.dart
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ class RelaySocket {
   }
 
   void _resetConnection() {
+    _failAuth(null);
     _state = SocketState.disconnected;
     _subscription?.cancel();
     _subscription = null;
diff --git a/mobile/test/features/channels/channels_page_test.dart b/mobile/test/features/channels/channels_page_test.dart
index 011064ddf..228a9e73f 100644
--- a/mobile/test/features/channels/channels_page_test.dart
+++ b/mobile/test/features/channels/channels_page_test.dart
@@ -207,7 +207,10 @@ void main() {
     await tester.pump();
 
     expect(find.text('Authentication rejected by the relay'), findsOneWidget);
-    expect(find.text('access revoked'), findsOneWidget);
+    expect(
+      find.text('Check your workspace access or credentials, then retry.'),
+      findsOneWidget,
+    );
     expect(find.textContaining('Cloudflare WARP'), findsNothing);
     expect(find.byType(CircularProgressIndicator), findsNothing);
   });
diff --git a/mobile/test/features/channels/channels_provider_test.dart b/mobile/test/features/channels/channels_provider_test.dart
index 0a10af2e7..a7d4710fc 100644
--- a/mobile/test/features/channels/channels_provider_test.dart
+++ b/mobile/test/features/channels/channels_provider_test.dart
@@ -264,6 +264,54 @@ void main() {
     },
   );
 
+  test(
+    'fails a pending initial build and fully reloads after recovery',
+    () async {
+      final error = Exception('relay unavailable');
+      final session = _FakeRelaySession(
+        memberships: [_membership(_channelA, myPk)],
+        metadata: [_meta(id: _channelA, name: 'general')],
+        initialState: const SessionState(status: SessionStatus.connecting),
+      );
+      final container = _buildContainer(session: session);
+      addTearDown(container.dispose);
+
+      final pending = container.read(channelsProvider.future);
+      await Future<void>.delayed(Duration.zero);
+      session.setStatus(SessionStatus.failed, lastError: error);
+      await expectLater(pending, throwsA(same(error)));
+
+      session.setStatus(SessionStatus.connected);
+      await Future<void>.delayed(Duration.zero);
+
+      final recovered = await container.read(channelsProvider.future);
+      expect(recovered.single.name, 'general');
+      expect(session.subscribeFilters, hasLength(1));
+    },
+  );
+
+  test('fully reloads after being built in a failed state', () async {
+    final session = _FakeRelaySession(
+      memberships: [_membership(_channelA, myPk)],
+      metadata: [_meta(id: _channelA, name: 'general')],
+      initialState: SessionState(
+        status: SessionStatus.failed,
+        lastError: Exception('relay unavailable'),
+      ),
+    );
+    final container = _buildContainer(session: session);
+    addTearDown(container.dispose);
+
+    await expectLater(container.read(channelsProvider.future), throwsException);
+
+    session.setStatus(SessionStatus.connected);
+    await Future<void>.delayed(Duration.zero);
+
+    final recovered = await container.read(channelsProvider.future);
+    expect(recovered.single.name, 'general');
+    expect(session.subscribeFilters, hasLength(1));
+  });
+
   test(
     'keeps cached channels and live subscriptions during reconnect',
     () async {
diff --git a/mobile/test/shared/relay/relay_socket_test.dart b/mobile/test/shared/relay/relay_socket_test.dart
index 4efe4021f..5546a822b 100644
--- a/mobile/test/shared/relay/relay_socket_test.dart
+++ b/mobile/test/shared/relay/relay_socket_test.dart
@@ -5,6 +5,28 @@ import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
 import 'package:web_socket_channel/web_socket_channel.dart';
 
 void main() {
+  test('disconnect completes a pending authentication attempt', () async {
+    final channel = _ReadyWebSocketChannel();
+    final socket = RelaySocket(
+      wsUrl: 'wss://relay.example',
+      nsec: null,
+      onMessage: (_) {},
+      onConnected: () => fail('socket must not connect'),
+      onDisconnected: (_) {},
+      channelFactory: (_) => channel,
+    );
+
+    final connecting = socket.connect();
+    await Future<void>.delayed(Duration.zero);
+    expect(socket.state, SocketState.authenticating);
+
+    await socket.disconnect();
+    await connecting.timeout(const Duration(seconds: 1));
+
+    expect(socket.state, SocketState.disconnected);
+    expect(channel.closeCount, 1);
+  });
+
   test('hung handshake times out, closes, and reports disconnection', () async {
     final channel = _HungWebSocketChannel();
     final disconnected = Completer<Object?>();
@@ -26,6 +48,35 @@ void main() {
   });
 }
 
+class _ReadyWebSocketChannel implements WebSocketChannel {
+  final _controller = StreamController<dynamic>();
+  int closeCount = 0;
+
+  @override
+  Future<void> get ready => Future.value();
+
+  @override
+  String? get protocol => null;
+
+  @override
+  int? get closeCode => null;
+
+  @override
+  String? get closeReason => null;
+
+  @override
+  Stream<dynamic> get stream => _controller.stream;
+
+  @override
+  late final WebSocketSink sink = _RecordingWebSocketSink(
+    _controller.sink,
+    () => closeCount++,
+  );
+
+  @override
+  dynamic noSuchMethod(Invocation invocation) => super.noSuchMethod(invocation);
+}
+
 class _HungWebSocketChannel implements WebSocketChannel {
   final _controller = StreamController<dynamic>();
   final _ready = Completer<void>();