[eric] settings: a dead backend greeted a configured user as new and tried to sell them a subscription

frontend/src/app/Main.tsx

@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ const SettingsLoader: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ children }) =
   const accentColor = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.accent_color);
   const accentGradient = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.accent_gradient);
   const loaded = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.loaded);
+  const settled = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.settled);
   const allowExperimentalUpdates = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.allow_experimental_updates);
   useEffect(() => {
     dispatch(fetchSettings());
@@ -275,8 +276,8 @@ const SettingsLoader: React.FC<{ children: React.ReactNode }> = ({ children }) =
     if (!loaded) return;
     (window as any).openswarm?.setAllowPrerelease?.(allowExperimentalUpdates);
   }, [loaded, allowExperimentalUpdates]);
-  // Hold paint until settings land so the user's theme renders first; Electron's ready-to-show relies on this.
-  if (!loaded) return null;
+  // Hold paint until the settings fetch SETTLES so the user's theme renders first; Electron's ready-to-show relies on this. Settling, not succeeding: a backend that never answers used to leave a blank window forever.
+  if (!settled) return null;
   return <>{children}</>;
 };
 

frontend/src/app/components/Layout/AppShell.tsx

@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ const AppShell: React.FC = () => {
   }, []);
 
   const modelsLoaded = useAppSelector((s) => s.models.loaded);
+  // The models list is marked loaded even when its fetch fails, so it alone can't tell "no model" from "couldn't ask". Settings is where the user's own key/sub lives, so the banner waits for it.
+  const settingsKnown = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.loaded);
   // "Connected" = the user's OWN model (key/sub/pro/custom), NOT a non-empty /models list: the free-trial Haiku is always in that list now, so a byProvider-length check would falsely read as connected and hide the out-of-runs banner.
   const hasModelConnected = useAppSelector(selectHasModelConnected);
   // While onboarding owns the window, the floating sidebar (and its hover-peek strip) must not exist; both out-z the overlay.
@@ -147,12 +149,14 @@ const AppShell: React.FC = () => {
   // Hold the banner until the boot free-trial mint settles, else a brand-new user sees it flash red for the ~1-3s the trial takes to arm. (Offline shows immediately, it's its own signal.)
   const freeTrialArmSettled = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.freeTrialArmSettled);
   // The red wall is for genuine "no way to run" only; the free-trial states get the quiet nudge below.
-  const showWarningBanner = !isOnline || (modelsLoaded && freeTrialArmSettled && !hasModelConnected && !freeTrialActive && !freeTrialSpent);
+  const settingsSettled = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.settled);
+  const backendUnreachable = settingsSettled && !settingsKnown;
+  const showWarningBanner = !isOnline || backendUnreachable || (settingsKnown && modelsLoaded && freeTrialArmSettled && !hasModelConnected && !freeTrialActive && !freeTrialSpent);
   const [ftNudgeDismissed, setFtNudgeDismissed] = useState<boolean>(() => {
     try { return localStorage.getItem('os_ft_nudge_dismissed') === '1'; } catch { return false; }
   });
   // Spent nudge hides the moment they connect a real model; the post-wow nudge only shows on the trial lane (so it already implies no own model) and is dismissible.
-  const showFreeTrialNudge = isOnline && ((freeTrialSpent && !hasModelConnected) || (freeTrialUsed && !ftNudgeDismissed));
+  const showFreeTrialNudge = isOnline && settingsKnown && ((freeTrialSpent && !hasModelConnected) || (freeTrialUsed && !ftNudgeDismissed));
 
   const bannerDismissedForVersion = availableVersion != null && dismissedVersion === availableVersion;
   const isUpdateActionable = updateStatus === 'available' || updateStatus === 'downloaded' || updateStatus === 'downloading';
@@ -478,6 +482,8 @@ const AppShell: React.FC = () => {
           <Typography sx={{ fontSize: '0.875rem', color: '#ef4444', flex: 1, fontWeight: 500, letterSpacing: '0.01em' }}>
             {!isOnline
               ? 'No internet connection; agents cannot reach AI models or external services'
+              : backendUnreachable
+              ? 'Cannot reach the OpenSwarm backend; your settings and agents are unavailable until it comes back'
               : (
                 <>
                   No AI model connected.{' '}

frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/canvas/DashboardEmptyState.tsx

@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ const DashboardEmptyState: React.FC<{
   const model = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.default_model);
   const mode = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.default_mode);
   const canRun = useAppSelector((s) => hasFreeTrialActive(s) || hasModelConnected(s));
+  const settingsKnown = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.loaded);
   const personalized = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.personalized_starters ?? []);
   const personalizedMenu = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.personalized_menu ?? null);
   const userName = useAppSelector((s) => s.settings.data.user_name ?? null);
@@ -248,7 +249,8 @@ const DashboardEmptyState: React.FC<{
           </>
         ) : (
           <Typography sx={{ color: c.text.ghost, fontSize: c.font.size.base, textAlign: 'center' }}>
-            Connect a model in Settings to get started.
+            {/* With the backend down we don't know what the user has connected, so don't tell them they have nothing. */}
+            {settingsKnown ? 'Connect a model in Settings to get started.' : 'Waiting for the OpenSwarm backend...'}
           </Typography>
         )}
       </Box>

frontend/src/shared/state/settingsSlice.ts

@@ -139,7 +139,12 @@ export interface BrowseResult {
 interface SettingsState {
   data: AppSettings;
   loading: boolean;
+  /** We have the user's real settings. Anything that judges the user (no model connected, onboarding
+   *  not done, free runs spent) must read THIS, never `settled`: a failed fetch is not an answer. */
   loaded: boolean;
+  /** The first fetch finished, either way. Only the paint gate wants this, so a dead backend shows a
+   *  window with an honest error instead of a blank one. */
+  settled: boolean;
   modalOpen: boolean;
   /** When non-null, Settings opens to this tab instead of 'general'. */
   initialTab: string | null;
@@ -182,6 +187,7 @@ const initialState: SettingsState = {
   data: DEFAULT_SETTINGS,
   loading: false,
   loaded: false,
+  settled: false,
   modalOpen: false,
   initialTab: null,
   draft: null,
@@ -334,6 +340,7 @@ const settingsSlice = createSlice({
       .addCase(fetchSettings.fulfilled, (state, action) => {
         state.loading = false;
         state.loaded = true;
+        state.settled = true;
         // Drop a stale response: on boot three fetches race (initial, sub-sync, free-trial mint); if the pre-mint one resolves last it would wipe the armed trial. Newest wins.
         if (state.latestWriteId && action.meta.requestId !== state.latestWriteId) return;
         // Fill any field an older backend shape omitted so no consumer reads undefined; the payload still wins for everything it does send.
@@ -347,7 +354,8 @@ const settingsSlice = createSlice({
       })
       .addCase(fetchSettings.rejected, (state) => {
         state.loading = false;
-        state.loaded = true;
+        state.settled = true;
+        // `loaded` deliberately stays put. A failed fetch is not an answer, and claiming one made every gate read DEFAULT_SETTINGS as fact: with the backend down the app greeted a configured user as a brand-new one and offered to sell them a subscription. A refresh that fails keeps the last good copy; a first fetch that fails stays unknown.
       })
       .addCase(updateSettingsPatch.fulfilled, (state, action) => {
         // A user save is authoritative; claim newest so an in-flight GET can't overwrite it, and consume the draft so reopening shows the saved state.