diff --git a/frontend/dashboard.js b/frontend/dashboard.js
index df47d31..1f4be91 100644
--- a/frontend/dashboard.js
+++ b/frontend/dashboard.js
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@
     onStatus: (state, detail = {}) => {
       const status = qs('#today-sync-status');
       status.textContent = state === 'saved' ? 'Today saved to account.' :
-        (state === 'recovered' ? `Recovered ${detail.discarded} Today edit${detail.discarded === 1 ? '' : 's'} · discarded ${detail.discarded} unreadable device record${detail.discarded === 1 ? '' : 's'}.` :
+        (state === 'recovered' ? `Today queue recovered · discarded ${detail.discarded} unreadable device record${detail.discarded === 1 ? '' : 's'}.` :
           (state === 'retrying' ? `Today saved on this device · retrying in ${Math.ceil(detail.delayMs / 1000)}s.` :
             (state === 'pending' ? 'Today saved on this device · sync pending.' :
               (state === 'full' ? 'Another device filled Today · showing its saved plan.' :
diff --git a/frontend/today-sync.js b/frontend/today-sync.js
index 2e18ae0..a6bf255 100644
--- a/frontend/today-sync.js
+++ b/frontend/today-sync.js
@@ -303,8 +303,12 @@ function createTodaySync({ storage, getLogin, fetchJson, onRemoteIds, onRemotePl
       cancelRetry();
       return !hadConflict;
     } catch (error) {
-      if (pending().length) scheduleRetry(error, ownerKey);
-      else onStatus?.('error');
+      const stillPending = pending().length;
+      if (discardedCount) recoveryNotice = { discarded: discardedCount, until: now() + 5000 };
+      const recovered = recoveryNotice.until > now() ? recoveryNotice.discarded : 0;
+      if (stillPending) scheduleRetry(error, ownerKey);
+      else onStatus?.(recovered ? 'recovered' : 'error', recovered ? { discarded: recovered } : {});
+      discardedCount = 0;
       return false;
     }
   }
diff --git a/tests/e2e/test_mobile_today_handoff_release.py b/tests/e2e/test_mobile_today_handoff_release.py
index c2881b0..d999354 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/test_mobile_today_handoff_release.py
+++ b/tests/e2e/test_mobile_today_handoff_release.py
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ def test_release_artifact_plans_hands_off_and_opens_next_mobile_issue(tmp_path:
             page.reload(wait_until="networkidle")
             expect(page.locator("#my-work-status")).to_contain_text("2")
             expect(page.locator("#today-sync-status")).to_have_text(
-                "Recovered 1 Today edit · discarded 1 unreadable device record."
+                "Today queue recovered · discarded 1 unreadable device record."
             )
             assert page.evaluate("""() => !Object.keys(localStorage).some(
               key => key.startsWith('stackchain.today-sync.v1.timmy.operation.')
diff --git a/tests/test_today_sync.py b/tests/test_today_sync.py
index 471ece4..41db9ab 100644
--- a/tests/test_today_sync.py
+++ b/tests/test_today_sync.py
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ const sync=createTodaySync({{storage,getLogin:()=> 'timmy',
 def test_today_sync_reports_queue_recovery_instead_of_plain_saved_status():
     source = DASHBOARD.read_text()
 
-    assert "Recovered ${detail.discarded} Today edit" in source
+    assert "Today queue recovered" in source
     assert "discarded ${detail.discarded} unreadable device record" in source