diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f7586e0..2704da8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -71,10 +71,12 @@ HTTP 503 with an error when Gitea is unavailable or authentication fails.
 ## Offline mobile shell
 
 After one successful online load, the installed dashboard precaches a versioned,
-subpath-scoped application shell. During a network outage, navigation falls back
-to that shell so local issue and review drafts remain reachable. A visible,
-accessible offline notice distinguishes this mode from live Gitea data, and the
-dashboard refreshes its live snapshot when connectivity returns.
+subpath-scoped application shell. During a network outage or a dashboard HTTP
+`500`, `502`, `503`, or `504` response, navigation falls back to that shell when
+it is available so local issue and review drafts remain reachable. Authentication
+and other client-error responses are never hidden. A visible, accessible offline
+or server-outage notice distinguishes cached mode from live Gitea data, and the
+dashboard keeps polling until it can restore its live snapshot automatically.
 
 Users can explicitly enable **Keep My Work available offline**. Each healthy live
 refresh then stores a seven-day, versioned snapshot containing only the signed-in
diff --git a/frontend/index.html b/frontend/index.html
index 13d5605..e37b613 100644
--- a/frontend/index.html
+++ b/frontend/index.html
@@ -1186,6 +1186,7 @@ textarea { resize: vertical; min-height: 120px; }
   function handleContextError(e) {
     console.error('context failed', e);
     liveMode = false;
+    if (!hasContextSnapshot && hydrateOfflineWork('outage')) return;
     setStatus(hasContextSnapshot ? 'Update failed · showing last snapshot' : 'Unavailable');
     if (!hasContextSnapshot) {
       qs('#context').innerHTML = '<div class="muted">Context unavailable.</div>';
@@ -2095,6 +2096,8 @@ textarea { resize: vertical; min-height: 120px; }
   }
 
   function renderLiveSnapshot(snapshot) {
+    setOfflineWorkMode(false);
+    offlineStatus.hidden = true;
     const contextFreshness = snapshot.freshness?.sections?.context;
     const eventsFreshness = snapshot.freshness?.sections?.events;
     const notificationFreshness = snapshot.freshness?.sections?.notifications;
@@ -3033,9 +3036,10 @@ textarea { resize: vertical; min-height: 120px; }
     ['#find-work', '#start-work-session', '#load-more-work', '#load-more-notifications', '#bulk-mark-read']
       .forEach(selector => { const button = qs(selector); if (button) button.disabled = value; });
   }
-  function hydrateOfflineWork() {
+  function hydrateOfflineWork(mode = 'offline') {
     const saved = offlineWorkStore.load();
     if (!saved) return false;
+    const outage = mode === 'outage';
     lastNotifications = saved.notifications || [];
     notificationPagination = saved.notification_pagination || { page:1, total:lastNotifications.length, has_more:false };
     workPagination = saved.work_pagination || {};
@@ -3044,9 +3048,18 @@ textarea { resize: vertical; min-height: 120px; }
     paintMyWork(saved);
     setOfflineWorkMode(true);
     const savedLabel = fmt(saved.saved_at);
-    qs('#my-work-status').textContent = 'Offline · saved ' + savedLabel + ' · read-only';
-    offlineStatus.textContent = 'Offline · showing private My Work saved ' + savedLabel + '. Live details and actions require reconnection.';
-    offlineWorkStatus.textContent = 'Offline · saved ' + savedLabel + ' · expires after 7 days.';
+    if (outage) {
+      qs('#my-work-status').textContent = 'Outage · saved ' + savedLabel + ' · read-only';
+      offlineStatus.textContent = 'Server unavailable · showing private My Work saved ' + savedLabel + '. Live details and actions will return automatically.';
+      offlineWorkStatus.textContent = 'Outage · saved ' + savedLabel + ' · expires after 7 days.';
+      setStatus('Outage · saved snapshot');
+    } else {
+      qs('#my-work-status').textContent = 'Offline · saved ' + savedLabel + ' · read-only';
+      offlineStatus.textContent = 'Offline · showing private My Work saved ' + savedLabel + '. Live details and actions require reconnection.';
+      offlineWorkStatus.textContent = 'Offline · saved ' + savedLabel + ' · expires after 7 days.';
+      setStatus('Offline · saved snapshot');
+    }
+    offlineStatus.hidden = false;
     return true;
   }
   function showOfflineStatus() {
diff --git a/frontend/service-worker.js b/frontend/service-worker.js
index ce0f224..e3db038 100644
--- a/frontend/service-worker.js
+++ b/frontend/service-worker.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-const CACHE = 'stackchain-dashboard-shell-v3';
+const CACHE = 'stackchain-dashboard-shell-v4';
+const OUTAGE_STATUSES = new Set([500, 502, 503, 504]);
 const BASE = new URL('./', self.location.href).pathname;
 const SHELL = [
   BASE,
@@ -41,9 +42,12 @@ self.addEventListener('fetch', event => {
   if (request.mode === 'navigate') {
     event.respondWith(
       fetch(request).then(async response => {
+        const cache = await caches.open(CACHE);
         if (response.ok) {
-          const cache = await caches.open(CACHE);
           await cache.put(BASE, response.clone());
+        } else if (OUTAGE_STATUSES.has(response.status)) {
+          const cached = await cache.match(BASE);
+          if (cached) return cached;
         }
         return response;
       }).catch(async () => {
diff --git a/tests/test_offline_work.py b/tests/test_offline_work.py
index 3feb987..976dcb1 100644
--- a/tests/test_offline_work.py
+++ b/tests/test_offline_work.py
@@ -102,3 +102,14 @@ async def test_dashboard_offers_private_offline_work_controls_and_read_only_hydr
     assert "setOfflineWorkMode(true)" in html
     assert "if (offlineWorkMode)" in html
     assert '.offline-work-controls button { min-height:44px;' in html
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_initial_http_outage_hydrates_saved_work_and_recovers_on_live_snapshot():
+    html = await dashboard()
+
+    assert "if (!hasContextSnapshot && hydrateOfflineWork('outage')) return;" in html
+    assert "Outage · saved " in html
+    assert "Server unavailable · showing private My Work saved " in html
+    assert "Live details and actions will return automatically." in html
+    assert "function renderLiveSnapshot(snapshot) {\n    setOfflineWorkMode(false);\n    offlineStatus.hidden = true;" in html
diff --git a/tests/test_service_worker.py b/tests/test_service_worker.py
index af73fef..e925c43 100644
--- a/tests/test_service_worker.py
+++ b/tests/test_service_worker.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import json
 import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path
 
+import pytest
+
 
 WORKER = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "frontend" / "service-worker.js"
 
@@ -140,16 +142,52 @@ def test_cross_origin_navigation_is_not_intercepted_or_cached():
     assert result["state"]["puts"] == []
 
 
-def test_failed_online_navigation_does_not_replace_working_cached_shell():
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("status", [500, 502, 503, 504])
+def test_server_outage_navigation_returns_working_cached_shell_without_replacing_it(status):
+    result = run_worker_scenario(
+        f"""
+  state.fetchStatus = {status};
+  state.cachedBody = 'cached dashboard';
+  const response = await dispatch('fetch', {{
+    method: 'GET', mode: 'navigate', url: 'https://forge.example/dashboard/',
+  }});
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({{ status: response.status, body: await response.text(), state }}));
+"""
+    )
+
+    assert result["status"] == 200
+    assert result["body"] == "cached dashboard"
+    assert result["state"]["puts"] == []
+
+
+def test_server_outage_without_cached_shell_preserves_network_error():
     result = run_worker_scenario(
         """
   state.fetchStatus = 503;
   const response = await dispatch('fetch', {
     method: 'GET', mode: 'navigate', url: 'https://forge.example/dashboard/',
   });
-  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ status: response.status, state }));
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ status: response.status, body: await response.text(), state }));
 """
     )
 
     assert result["status"] == 503
+    assert result["body"] == "network"
+    assert result["state"]["puts"] == []
+
+
+def test_client_error_navigation_is_not_hidden_by_cached_shell():
+    result = run_worker_scenario(
+        """
+  state.fetchStatus = 401;
+  state.cachedBody = 'cached dashboard';
+  const response = await dispatch('fetch', {
+    method: 'GET', mode: 'navigate', url: 'https://forge.example/dashboard/',
+  });
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ status: response.status, body: await response.text(), state }));
+"""
+    )
+
+    assert result["status"] == 401
+    assert result["body"] == "network"
     assert result["state"]["puts"] == []