diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/InstancesSettings.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/InstancesSettings.swift
index 3e8f6da54..afd578e1f 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/InstancesSettings.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/InstancesSettings.swift
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ struct InstancesSettings: View {
             if let err = store.lastError {
                 Text("Error: \(err)")
                     .foregroundStyle(.red)
+            } else if let info = store.statusMessage {
+                Text(info)
+                    .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
             }
             if self.store.instances.isEmpty {
                 Text("No instances reported yet.")
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/InstancesStore.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/InstancesStore.swift
index 141037396..49e835c97 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/InstancesStore.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/InstancesStore.swift
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ final class InstancesStore: ObservableObject {
 
     @Published var instances: [InstanceInfo] = []
     @Published var lastError: String?
+    @Published var statusMessage: String?
     @Published var isLoading = false
 
     private let logger = Logger(subsystem: "com.steipete.clawdis", category: "instances")
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ final class InstancesStore: ObservableObject {
 
     func refresh() async {
         if self.isLoading { return }
+        self.statusMessage = nil
         self.isLoading = true
         defer { self.isLoading = false }
         do {
@@ -65,7 +67,8 @@ final class InstancesStore: ObservableObject {
                 self.logger.error("instances fetch returned empty payload")
                 self.instances = [self.localFallbackInstance(reason: "no presence payload")]
                 self.lastError = nil
-                await self.probeHealthIfNeeded()
+                self.statusMessage = "No presence payload from relay; showing local fallback + health probe."
+                await self.probeHealthIfNeeded(reason: "no payload")
                 return
             }
             let decoded = try JSONDecoder().decode([InstanceInfo].self, from: data)
@@ -85,10 +88,12 @@ final class InstancesStore: ObservableObject {
             if withIDs.isEmpty {
                 self.instances = [self.localFallbackInstance(reason: "no presence entries")]
                 self.lastError = nil
-                await self.probeHealthIfNeeded()
+                self.statusMessage = "Presence list was empty; showing local fallback + health probe."
+                await self.probeHealthIfNeeded(reason: "empty list")
             } else {
                 self.instances = withIDs
                 self.lastError = nil
+                self.statusMessage = nil
             }
         } catch {
             self.logger.error(
@@ -99,7 +104,8 @@ final class InstancesStore: ObservableObject {
                 """)
             self.instances = [self.localFallbackInstance(reason: "presence decode failed")]
             self.lastError = nil
-            await self.probeHealthIfNeeded()
+            self.statusMessage = "Presence data invalid; showing local fallback + health probe."
+            await self.probeHealthIfNeeded(reason: "decode failed")
         }
     }
 
@@ -181,7 +187,7 @@ final class InstancesStore: ObservableObject {
         return "<\(data.count) bytes non-utf8>"
     }
 
-    private func probeHealthIfNeeded() async {
+    private func probeHealthIfNeeded(reason: String? = nil) async {
         do {
             let data = try await ControlChannel.shared.health(timeout: 8)
             guard let snap = decodeHealthSnapshot(from: data) else { return }
@@ -199,8 +205,12 @@ final class InstancesStore: ObservableObject {
                 self.instances.insert(entry, at: 0)
             }
             self.lastError = nil
+            self.statusMessage = "Presence unavailable (\(reason ?? "refresh")); showing health probe + local fallback."
         } catch {
             self.logger.error("instances health probe failed: \(error.localizedDescription, privacy: .public)")
+            if let reason {
+                self.statusMessage = "Presence unavailable (\(reason)), health probe failed: \(error.localizedDescription)"
+            }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/commands/status.test.ts b/src/commands/status.test.ts
index 3b2811410..7faa799e7 100644
--- a/src/commands/status.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/status.test.ts
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@ describe("statusCommand", () => {
     expect(logs.some((l) => l.includes("Active sessions"))).toBe(true);
     expect(logs.some((l) => l.includes("Default model"))).toBe(true);
     expect(logs.some((l) => l.includes("tokens:"))).toBe(true);
-    expect(logs.some((l) => l.includes("flags:") && l.includes("verbose:on"))).toBe(
-      true,
-    );
+    expect(
+      logs.some((l) => l.includes("flags:") && l.includes("verbose:on")),
+    ).toBe(true);
     expect(mocks.logWebSelfId).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/commands/status.ts b/src/commands/status.ts
index e2a24499a..49bd0cf8e 100644
--- a/src/commands/status.ts
+++ b/src/commands/status.ts
@@ -218,7 +218,9 @@ export async function statusCommand(
   const defaultCtx = defaults.contextTokens
     ? ` (${formatKTokens(defaults.contextTokens)} ctx)`
     : "";
-  runtime.log(info(`Default model: ${defaults.model ?? "unknown"}${defaultCtx}`));
+  runtime.log(
+    info(`Default model: ${defaults.model ?? "unknown"}${defaultCtx}`),
+  );
   runtime.log(info(`Active sessions: ${summary.sessions.count}`));
   if (summary.sessions.recent.length > 0) {
     runtime.log("Recent sessions:");
diff --git a/src/infra/relay-lock.test.ts b/src/infra/relay-lock.test.ts
index d931ed940..4e7b2eed4 100644
--- a/src/infra/relay-lock.test.ts
+++ b/src/infra/relay-lock.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@ import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { acquireRelayLock, RelayLockError } from "./relay-lock.js";
 
 const newLockPath = () =>
-  path.join(os.tmpdir(), `clawdis-relay-lock-test-${process.pid}-${Math.random().toString(16).slice(2)}.sock`);
+  path.join(
+    os.tmpdir(),
+    `clawdis-relay-lock-test-${process.pid}-${Math.random().toString(16).slice(2)}.sock`,
+  );
 
 describe("relay-lock", () => {
   it("prevents concurrent relay instances and releases cleanly", async () => {
@@ -16,7 +19,9 @@ describe("relay-lock", () => {
     const release1 = await acquireRelayLock(lockPath);
     expect(fs.existsSync(lockPath)).toBe(true);
 
-    await expect(acquireRelayLock(lockPath)).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(RelayLockError);
+    await expect(acquireRelayLock(lockPath)).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(
+      RelayLockError,
+    );
 
     await release1();
     expect(fs.existsSync(lockPath)).toBe(false);
diff --git a/src/infra/relay-lock.ts b/src/infra/relay-lock.ts
index 40a60db3e..7d37faef6 100644
--- a/src/infra/relay-lock.ts
+++ b/src/infra/relay-lock.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@ type ReleaseFn = () => Promise<void>;
  * the next start will detect ECONNREFUSED when connecting and clean the stale path
  * before retrying. This keeps the lock self-healing without manual pidfile cleanup.
  */
-export async function acquireRelayLock(lockPath = DEFAULT_LOCK_PATH): Promise<ReleaseFn> {
+export async function acquireRelayLock(
+  lockPath = DEFAULT_LOCK_PATH,
+): Promise<ReleaseFn> {
   // Fast path: try to listen on the lock path.
   const attemptListen = (): Promise<net.Server> =>
     new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
@@ -33,7 +35,9 @@ export async function acquireRelayLock(lockPath = DEFAULT_LOCK_PATH): Promise<Re
 
         client.once("connect", () => {
           client.destroy();
-          reject(new RelayLockError("another relay instance is already running"));
+          reject(
+            new RelayLockError("another relay instance is already running"),
+          );
         });
 
         client.once("error", (connErr: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => {
@@ -84,7 +88,11 @@ export async function acquireRelayLock(lockPath = DEFAULT_LOCK_PATH): Promise<Re
     process.exit(0);
   };
 
-  cleanupSignals.forEach((sig) => process.once(sig, handleSignal));
+  for (const sig of cleanupSignals) {
+    process.once(sig, () => {
+      void handleSignal();
+    });
+  }
   process.once("exit", () => {
     // Exit handler must be sync-safe; release is async but close+rm are fast.
     void release();
diff --git a/src/infra/system-presence.ts b/src/infra/system-presence.ts
index ec521661c..439d3e376 100644
--- a/src/infra/system-presence.ts
+++ b/src/infra/system-presence.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,17 @@ function ensureSelfPresence() {
   }
 }
 
+function touchSelfPresence() {
+  const host = os.hostname();
+  const key = host.toLowerCase();
+  const existing = entries.get(key);
+  if (existing) {
+    entries.set(key, { ...existing, ts: Date.now() });
+  } else {
+    initSelfPresence();
+  }
+}
+
 initSelfPresence();
 
 function parsePresence(text: string): SystemPresence {
@@ -96,5 +107,6 @@ export function updateSystemPresence(text: string) {
 
 export function listSystemPresence(): SystemPresence[] {
   ensureSelfPresence();
+  touchSelfPresence();
   return [...entries.values()].sort((a, b) => b.ts - a.ts);
 }