diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/ChatScreens.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/ChatScreens.kt
index a8d8e8a..a882bb8 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/ChatScreens.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/ChatScreens.kt
@@ -352,6 +352,21 @@ fun ColumnScope.GroupsSection(
         ) { Text("Create group") }
     }
 
+    // ⚠️ An empty list rendered NOTHING here — no guidance, and no way to tell
+    // "you have no groups" from "the list did not load". Say which.
+    if (phase.groups.isEmpty()) {
+        Text(
+            if (phase.groupsLoaded) {
+                "No groups yet. Start one with your buddies."
+            } else {
+                "Couldn't load your groups. Check the connection and sign in again."
+            },
+            style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium,
+            color = Palette.SecondaryText,
+            modifier = Modifier.testTag("groups-empty"),
+        )
+    }
+
     phase.groups.forEach { group ->
         val thread = io.flamenet.e2e.Vault.threadForGroup(group.id)
         Row(
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/MessengerViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/MessengerViewModel.kt
index 5c636d1..f45b1b1 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/MessengerViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/MessengerViewModel.kt
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ class MessengerViewModel(app: Application) : AndroidViewModel(app) {
              * groups invisible on iOS for far longer.
              */
             val buddiesLoaded: Boolean = false,
+
+            /** Same question for the group list. See [buddiesLoaded]. */
+            val groupsLoaded: Boolean = false,
             val groups: List<io.flamenet.client.RelayClient.Group> = emptyList(),
             val blocked: Set<Long> = emptySet(),
             val notifications: List<MessengerApi.Notification> = emptyList(),
@@ -236,6 +239,7 @@ class MessengerViewModel(app: Application) : AndroidViewModel(app) {
                             credential.relayBaseUrl, credential.username, credential.appPassword),
                     )
                     val fetchedBuddies = runCatching { session!!.api.buddies() }
+                    val fetchedGroups = runCatching { session!!.relay.listGroups() }
                     stored to Phase.SignedIn(
                         handle = credential.username,
                         userId = credential.userId,
@@ -244,7 +248,8 @@ class MessengerViewModel(app: Application) : AndroidViewModel(app) {
                         status = "Signed in on this device.",
                         buddies = fetchedBuddies.getOrDefault(emptyList()),
                         buddiesLoaded = fetchedBuddies.isSuccess,
-                        groups = runCatching { session!!.relay.listGroups() }.getOrDefault(emptyList()),
+                        groups = fetchedGroups.getOrDefault(emptyList()),
+                        groupsLoaded = fetchedGroups.isSuccess,
                     )
                 }
             }
@@ -351,6 +356,7 @@ class MessengerViewModel(app: Application) : AndroidViewModel(app) {
         )
 
         val fetchedBuddies = runCatching { session!!.api.buddies() }
+        val fetchedGroups = runCatching { session!!.relay.listGroups() }
         return Phase.SignedIn(
             handle = account.username,
             userId = account.userId,
@@ -359,7 +365,8 @@ class MessengerViewModel(app: Application) : AndroidViewModel(app) {
             status = "Registered with ${preKeys.size} one-time prekeys published.",
             buddies = fetchedBuddies.getOrDefault(emptyList()),
             buddiesLoaded = fetchedBuddies.isSuccess,
-            groups = runCatching { session!!.relay.listGroups() }.getOrDefault(emptyList()),
+            groups = fetchedGroups.getOrDefault(emptyList()),
+            groupsLoaded = fetchedGroups.isSuccess,
         )
     }
 
@@ -904,7 +911,12 @@ class MessengerViewModel(app: Application) : AndroidViewModel(app) {
 
     fun refreshStories() = viewModelScope.launch {
         val current = session ?: return@launch
-        val live = withContext(Dispatchers.IO) { runCatching { current.stories() }.getOrDefault(emptyList()) }
+        // 🔴 **A failed fetch must not empty the strip.** Defaulting to an
+        // empty list here did not merely look wrong, it CLOBBERED whatever was
+        // on screen — so one hiccup wiped the stories the user was looking at,
+        // and the poll below repeated that on every tick.
+        val fetched = withContext(Dispatchers.IO) { runCatching { current.stories() } }
+        val live = fetched.getOrNull() ?: return@launch
         update { it.copy(stories = live) }
     }
 
@@ -1166,12 +1178,19 @@ class MessengerViewModel(app: Application) : AndroidViewModel(app) {
                     // Read back every tick rather than only when a thread was
                     // touched: a story files itself outside the thread map, so
                     // `threads` is empty for a poll that brought one in.
-                    val live = withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
-                        runCatching { current.stories() }.getOrDefault(emptyList())
+                    // Keep what is on screen when the fetch fails; see
+                    // refreshStories. A poll that cannot reach the relay has
+                    // learned nothing, and "nothing" is not "no stories".
+                    val polled = withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
+                        runCatching { current.stories() }
                     }
-                    update { state ->
-                        if (state.stories.map { it.id } == live.map { it.id }) state
-                        else state.copy(stories = live)
+                    // Skip THIS tick's update on failure rather than leaving
+                    // the loop — the next poll may well succeed.
+                    polled.getOrNull()?.let { live ->
+                        update { state ->
+                            if (state.stories.map { it.id } == live.map { it.id }) state
+                            else state.copy(stories = live)
+                        }
                     }
                     if (threads.isNotEmpty()) {
                         update { state ->