diff --git a/installer b/installer
index 5618b59..4f6477d 100755
--- a/installer
+++ b/installer
@@ -405,6 +405,10 @@ $stratum = 'stratum+tcp://' . $host . ':3333';
 const syncTracker = { samples: [] };
 const WINDOW_SECONDS = 900; // 15 minutes
 
+// 30-second heartbeat
+let lastStatusOk = Date.now();     // timestamp of last good fetch
+const STALE_MS = 30000;            // 30 seconds
+
 function formatEta(seconds) {
   if (seconds == null || !isFinite(seconds)) return 'estimating…';
   if (seconds < 60) return seconds.toFixed(0) + 's';
@@ -457,13 +461,15 @@ async function loadStatus() {
     const res = await fetch('/status.php', {cache: 'no-store'});
     const data = await res.json();
     const box = document.getElementById('node-status');
+    const rawIbd = data.initialblockdownload;
+    const hasRealIbd = (typeof rawIbd === 'boolean');
 
     if (data.error) {
       box.innerHTML = '<h2>Status</h2><p class="status-err">' + data.error + '</p>' + renderServices(data.services);
       return;
     }
 
-    const ibd = !!data.initialblockdownload;
+    const ibd = hasRealIbd ? rawIbd : true; // default to "syncing/problem" if unknown
     const blocks = data.blocks ?? '–';
     const pruned = data.pruned ? '(pruned)' : '';
     let progress = 0;
@@ -474,15 +480,32 @@ async function loadStatus() {
     }
 
     // Update favicon dynamically
-    setFaviconAndTitle(ibd, progress);
+    lastStatusOk = Date.now();
+    const bitcoindActive = data.services && data.services.bitcoind === 'active';
+    if (!bitcoindActive) {
+      setFaviconAndTitle(false, 0, true); // show Disconnected
+    } else {
+      setFaviconAndTitle(ibd, progress, false);
+    }
 
     // update window + estimate
     updateSamples(progress);
     const etaSeconds = ibd ? estimateEta(progress) : null;
 
     let html = '<h2>Status</h2>';
-
-    if (ibd) {
+    if (!hasRealIbd) {
+      if (data.services && data.services.bitcoind === 'active') {
+        html += '<p class="status-err">❌ Cannot read Bitcoin Core status. If this persists, try refreshing your browser.</p>';
+      } else {
+        html += '<p class="status-err">❌ Bitcoin service is not running.</p>';
+      }
+    } else if (!bitcoindActive) {
+      // technically covered above, but keep explicit
+      html += '<p class="status-err">❌ Bitcoin service is not running.</p>';
+    } else if (ibd && progress < 0.1) {
+      // active but no real progress yet
+      html += '<p class="status-warn">⚠ Bitcoin Core is starting up and loading blockchain data. Please wait...</p>';
+    } else if (ibd) {
       html += '<p class="status-warn">⚠ Bitcoin Core is syncing. Your miners will not be able to submit shares or receive work until the node is fully synced.</p>';
     } else {
       html += '<p class="status-ok">✔ Bitcoin Core is in sync.</p>';
@@ -519,27 +542,44 @@ async function loadStatus() {
   } catch (e) {
     const box = document.getElementById('node-status');
     box.innerHTML = '<h2>Status</h2><p class="status-err">Failed to fetch status.</p>';
+    setFaviconAndTitle(false, 0, true);
   }
 }
 
 // Inline SVG favicons
 const FAV_SYNC = "data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' width='64' height='64'%3E%3Crect width='64' height='64' fill='%23222'/%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' text-anchor='middle' font-size='32' fill='%23ffb347'%3E%E2%9A%A0%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E";
 const FAV_READY = "data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' width='64' height='64'%3E%3Crect width='64' height='64' fill='%23161717'/%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' text-anchor='middle' font-size='34' fill='%238f8'%3E%E2%9C%94%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E";
+const FAV_ERR  = "data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' width='64' height='64'%3E%3Crect width='64' height='64' fill='%23222222'/%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' text-anchor='middle' font-size='34' fill='%23ff6b6b'%3E!%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E";
 
-function setFaviconAndTitle(isSyncing, progress) {
+function setFaviconAndTitle(isSyncing, progress, isError = false) {
   const link = document.getElementById('app-favicon');
   if (!link) return;
+  if (isError) {
+    link.href = FAV_ERR;
+    document.title = "Disconnected • Bitcoin Solo Miner";
+    return;
+  }
   if (isSyncing) {
     link.href = FAV_SYNC;
-    document.title = "Syncing… " + progress.toFixed(1) + "% | Bitcoin Node";
+    document.title = "Syncing… " + progress.toFixed(1) + "% | Bitcoin Solo Miner";
   } else {
     link.href = FAV_READY;
-    document.title = "Ready • Bitcoin Node";
+    document.title = "Ready • Bitcoin Solo Miner";
   }
 }
 
 loadStatus();
 setInterval(loadStatus, 5000);
+setInterval(() => {
+  if (Date.now() - lastStatusOk > STALE_MS) {
+    // no successful poll in 30s -> error state
+    setFaviconAndTitle(false, 0, true);
+    const box = document.getElementById('node-status');
+    if (box && !box.innerHTML.includes('Failed to fetch')) {
+      box.innerHTML = '<h2>Status</h2><p class="status-err">Status information unavailable (stale data &gt; 30s). If this persists, try refreshing your browser.</p>';
+    }
+  }
+}, 3000);
 </script>
 
 </body>