diff --git a/web/src/jmap/push.ts b/web/src/jmap/push.ts
index 23fe199..63ab75e 100644
--- a/web/src/jmap/push.ts
+++ b/web/src/jmap/push.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ import type { Id, StateChange } from "./types";
 
 export type PushListener = (accountId: Id, type: string, newState: string) => void;
 
+/** Connected, trying to connect, or not trying. */
+export type PushState = "connected" | "connecting" | "disconnected";
+
 /**
  * JMAP push over Server-Sent Events (proxied through our server).
  * Emits per-type state changes so stores can refresh incrementally.
@@ -9,12 +12,17 @@ export type PushListener = (accountId: Id, type: string, newState: string) => vo
 class PushManager {
   private es: EventSource | null = null;
   private listeners = new Set<PushListener>();
-  private connectionListeners = new Set<(connected: boolean) => void>();
+  private connectionListeners = new Set<(state: PushState) => void>();
   private backoff = 1000;
   private reconnectTimer: number | null = null;
   private stopped = true;
   private lastStates = new Map<string, string>();
   connected = false;
+  /**
+   * Finer than `connected`, which cannot tell "trying" from "given up".
+   * "connecting" covers the first attempt and every backoff retry.
+   */
+  state: PushState = "disconnected";
 
   start(): void {
     this.stopped = false;
@@ -31,7 +39,7 @@ class PushManager {
     this.reconnectTimer = null;
     this.es?.close();
     this.es = null;
-    this.setConnected(false);
+    this.setState("disconnected");
   }
 
   subscribe(fn: PushListener): () => void {
@@ -39,14 +47,15 @@ class PushManager {
     return () => this.listeners.delete(fn);
   }
 
-  onConnection(fn: (connected: boolean) => void): () => void {
+  onConnection(fn: (state: PushState) => void): () => void {
     this.connectionListeners.add(fn);
     return () => this.connectionListeners.delete(fn);
   }
 
-  private setConnected(v: boolean) {
-    if (this.connected === v) return;
-    this.connected = v;
+  private setState(v: PushState) {
+    if (this.state === v) return;
+    this.state = v;
+    this.connected = v === "connected";
     for (const fn of this.connectionListeners) fn(v);
   }
 
@@ -60,12 +69,13 @@ class PushManager {
 
   private connect(): void {
     if (this.stopped || this.es) return;
+    if (this.state !== "connected") this.setState("connecting");
     const url = `/api/events?types=*&closeafter=no&ping=30`;
     const es = new EventSource(url, { withCredentials: true });
     this.es = es;
     es.onopen = () => {
       this.backoff = 1000;
-      this.setConnected(true);
+      this.setState("connected");
     };
     es.addEventListener("state", (ev) => {
       try {
@@ -89,8 +99,9 @@ class PushManager {
     es.onerror = () => {
       es.close();
       this.es = null;
-      this.setConnected(false);
-      if (this.stopped) return;
+      if (this.stopped) { this.setState("disconnected"); return; }
+      // A retry is already scheduled below, so this is "trying", not "given up".
+      this.setState("connecting");
       const delay = Math.min(this.backoff, 60_000);
       this.backoff = Math.min(this.backoff * 2, 60_000);
       this.reconnectTimer = window.setTimeout(() => {
diff --git a/web/src/store/session.ts b/web/src/store/session.ts
index 7b528f9..bd79cf5 100644
--- a/web/src/store/session.ts
+++ b/web/src/store/session.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { create } from "zustand";
 import { apiFetch, ApiError, CAP, client } from "@/jmap/client";
 import type { Id, JmapSession } from "@/jmap/types";
-import { push } from "@/jmap/push";
+import { push, type PushState } from "@/jmap/push";
 import { setServerLocale } from "@/lib/datetime";
 
 export type AuthStatus = "loading" | "anonymous" | "authenticated";
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ interface SessionState {
   accountId: Id | null;
   error: string | null;
   pushConnected: boolean;
+  /** Finer than pushConnected: tells "reconnecting" from "not connected". */
+  pushState: PushState;
   bootstrap(): Promise<void>;
   login(username: string, password: string, totp: string, remember: boolean): Promise<void>;
   logout(): Promise<void>;
@@ -28,6 +30,7 @@ export const useSession = create<SessionState>((set, get) => ({
   accountId: null,
   error: null,
   pushConnected: false,
+  pushState: "disconnected",
 
   async bootstrap() {
     try {
@@ -97,7 +100,7 @@ client.onUnauthenticated(() => {
   useSession.setState({ status: "anonymous", session: null, accountId: null });
 });
 
-push.onConnection((connected) => useSession.setState({ pushConnected: connected }));
+push.onConnection((state) => useSession.setState({ pushConnected: state === "connected", pushState: state }));
 
 export function hasCap(cap: string): boolean {
   return client.hasCapability(cap);
diff --git a/web/src/styles/app.css b/web/src/styles/app.css
index 3c99413..73c3cc4 100644
--- a/web/src/styles/app.css
+++ b/web/src/styles/app.css
@@ -302,8 +302,28 @@ img { max-width: 100%; }
 .search-panel .grid { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 10px 14px; }
 .search-suggest { position: absolute; top: calc(100% + 6px); left: 0; right: 0; background: var(--bg-elev); border: 1px solid var(--border); border-radius: var(--radius); box-shadow: var(--shadow-2); padding: 6px; z-index: 60; }
 .topbar-actions { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 4px; }
-.push-dot { width: 8px; height: 8px; border-radius: 50%; background: var(--fg-faint); }
-.push-dot.on { background: var(--success); box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px var(--success-soft); }
+/* Live-updates indicator. Three states, and a raised bead rather than a flat
+   speck: at 8px flat it was invisible against either theme. The gloss is a
+   highlight over a solid colour rather than a colour-mix, so it needs no
+   per-theme variant -- the same bead reads on light and dark alike. */
+.push-status { display: inline-flex; align-items: center; padding: 0 4px; }
+.push-dot {
+  width: 12px;
+  height: 12px;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  background:
+    radial-gradient(circle at 34% 30%, rgba(255, 255, 255, .8), rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) 46%),
+    var(--dot);
+  box-shadow:
+    0 0 0 3px var(--dot-halo),
+    0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, .45),
+    inset 0 -1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, .3);
+}
+.push-dot.connected { --dot: #16a34a; --dot-halo: rgba(22, 163, 74, .25); }
+.push-dot.connecting { --dot: #eab308; --dot-halo: rgba(234, 179, 8, .25); animation: push-pulse 1.6s ease-in-out infinite; }
+.push-dot.disconnected { --dot: #dc2626; --dot-halo: rgba(220, 38, 38, .25); }
+@keyframes push-pulse { 50% { opacity: .45; } }
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) { .push-dot.connecting { animation: none; } }
 
 .app-body { display: grid; grid-template-columns: var(--sidebar-w) 1fr; min-height: 0; transition: grid-template-columns .2s var(--ease); }
 .app-body.collapsed { grid-template-columns: var(--sidebar-w-collapsed) 1fr; }
diff --git a/web/src/views/AppShell.tsx b/web/src/views/AppShell.tsx
index 5338fe0..5fbeb25 100644
--- a/web/src/views/AppShell.tsx
+++ b/web/src/views/AppShell.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ import { ShortcutsDialog, useGlobalShortcuts } from "./Shortcuts";
 import { formatSize } from "@/lib/format";
 import { CAP } from "@/jmap/client";
 
+const PUSH_LABEL = {
+  connected: "Live updates connected",
+  connecting: "Live updates reconnecting…",
+  disconnected: "Live updates off — checking periodically instead",
+} as const;
+
 export function AppShell({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   const [location, navigate] = useLocation();
   const isMobile = useIsMobile();
@@ -22,7 +28,7 @@ export function AppShell({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
   const [drawer, setDrawer] = useState(false);
   const [helpOpen, setHelpOpen] = useState(false);
   const openCompose = useCompose((s) => s.open);
-  const pushConnected = useSession((s) => s.pushConnected);
+  const pushState = useSession((s) => s.pushState);
   const session = useSession((s) => s.session);
   const accountId = useSession((s) => s.accountId);
   const setAccount = useSession((s) => s.setAccount);
@@ -64,8 +70,8 @@ export function AppShell({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
         </Link>
         <SearchBar />
         <div className="topbar-actions">
-          <span className="push-dot hide-mobile" title={pushConnected ? "Live updates connected" : "Live updates disconnected (polling)"} aria-hidden="true">
-            <span className={`push-dot ${pushConnected ? "on" : ""}`} />
+          <span className="push-status hide-mobile" role="img" aria-label={PUSH_LABEL[pushState]} title={PUSH_LABEL[pushState]}>
+            <span className={`push-dot ${pushState}`} />
           </span>
           <button className="icon-btn hide-mobile" aria-label="Keyboard shortcuts" title="Keyboard shortcuts (?)" onClick={() => setHelpOpen(true)}>
             <HelpCircle size={21} />
diff --git a/web/src/views/mail/MailboxTree.tsx b/web/src/views/mail/MailboxTree.tsx
index e6d8192..78217f8 100644
--- a/web/src/views/mail/MailboxTree.tsx
+++ b/web/src/views/mail/MailboxTree.tsx
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ export function MailboxTree() {
         )}
       </nav>
       <Popover anchor={menu.anchor} onClose={menu.close} width={300}>
-        {menuTarget && <MailboxMenu mailbox={menuTarget} onCreateChild={() => void createFolder(menuTarget.id)} onShare={() => setShareTarget(menuTarget)} />}
+        {menuTarget && <MailboxMenu mailbox={menuTarget} onClose={menu.close} onCreateChild={() => void createFolder(menuTarget.id)} onShare={() => setShareTarget(menuTarget)} />}
       </Popover>
       {shareTarget && <ShareDialog kind="Mailbox" id={shareTarget.id} name={shareTarget.name} shareWith={shareTarget.shareWith ?? null} onClose={() => setShareTarget(null)} />}
     </>
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ function FolderRow({ mailbox: m, label, depth, hasChildren, open, hiddenUnread,
   );
 }
 
-function MailboxMenu({ mailbox: m, onCreateChild, onShare }: { mailbox: Mailbox; onCreateChild: () => void; onShare: () => void }) {
+function MailboxMenu({ mailbox: m, onClose, onCreateChild, onShare }: { mailbox: Mailbox; onClose: () => void; onCreateChild: () => void; onShare: () => void }) {
   const [, navigate] = useLocation();
   const colors = useSettings((s) => s.settings.folderColors);
   const update = useSettings((s) => s.update);
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ function MailboxMenu({ mailbox: m, onCreateChild, onShare }: { mailbox: Mailbox;
   const isSpecial = Boolean(m.role) && m.role !== "subscribed";
   const color = folderColor(colors, m.id);
   const setColor = (c: string | null) => {
+    onClose();
     const next = { ...colors };
     if (c) next[m.id] = c;
     else delete next[m.id];