diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/session/SessionSidebar.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/session/SessionSidebar.tsx
index 3ea80c83..86813fe4 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/session/SessionSidebar.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/session/SessionSidebar.tsx
@@ -320,6 +320,7 @@ export const SessionSidebar: React.FC<SessionSidebarProps> = ({
   const liveSessions = useAllLiveSessions();
   const isVSCode = React.useMemo(() => isVSCodeRuntime(), []);
   const hasLoadedGlobalSessions = useGlobalSessionsStore((state) => state.hasLoaded);
+  const hasAuthoritativeGlobalSessions = useGlobalSessionsStore((state) => state.status === 'ready');
   const globalActiveSessions = useGlobalSessionsStore((state) => state.activeSessions);
   const archivedSessions = useGlobalSessionsStore((state) => state.archivedSessions);
   const currentSessionId = useSessionUIStore((state) => state.currentSessionId);
@@ -539,7 +540,7 @@ export const SessionSidebar: React.FC<SessionSidebarProps> = ({
 
   const { scheduleCollapsedProjectsPersist } = useSidebarPersistence({
     isVSCode,
-    hasLoadedGlobalSessions,
+    hasAuthoritativeGlobalSessions,
     safeStorage,
     keys: {
       sessionExpanded: SESSION_EXPANDED_STORAGE_KEY,
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/session/sidebar/hooks/useSidebarPersistence.ts b/packages/ui/src/components/session/sidebar/hooks/useSidebarPersistence.ts
index 13519d9a..3a4a2146 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/session/sidebar/hooks/useSidebarPersistence.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/session/sidebar/hooks/useSidebarPersistence.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ const LEGACY_EXPANSION_CONTEXT_PREFIXES = [
 
 type Args = {
   isVSCode: boolean;
-  hasLoadedGlobalSessions: boolean;
+  hasAuthoritativeGlobalSessions: boolean;
   safeStorage: SafeStorageLike;
   keys: Keys;
   sessions: Session[];
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ type Args = {
 export const useSidebarPersistence = (args: Args) => {
   const {
     isVSCode,
-    hasLoadedGlobalSessions,
+    hasAuthoritativeGlobalSessions,
     safeStorage,
     keys,
     sessions,
@@ -151,14 +151,14 @@ export const useSidebarPersistence = (args: Args) => {
   }, [keys.projectCollapse, keys.sessionExpanded, keys.sessionExpandedLegacy, safeStorage, setCollapsedProjects, setExpandedParents]);
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    if (!hasLoadedGlobalSessions) {
+    if (!hasAuthoritativeGlobalSessions) {
       return;
     }
 
     setPinnedSessionIds((prev) => {
       return prunePinnedSessionIds(sessions, prev);
     });
-  }, [hasLoadedGlobalSessions, sessions, setPinnedSessionIds]);
+  }, [hasAuthoritativeGlobalSessions, sessions, setPinnedSessionIds]);
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
     try {
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/stores/useGlobalSessionsStore.ts b/packages/ui/src/stores/useGlobalSessionsStore.ts
index 2599e608..7acfd763 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/stores/useGlobalSessionsStore.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/stores/useGlobalSessionsStore.ts
@@ -420,7 +420,10 @@ export const useGlobalSessionsStore = create<GlobalSessionsState>((set, get) =>
           // instance — drop it.
           return { activeSessions: [], archivedSessions: [] };
         }
-        set((state) => applySnapshot(state, nextActiveSessions, nextArchivedSessions, 'ready'));
+        const status = activeResult.status === 'fulfilled' && archivedResult.status === 'fulfilled'
+          ? 'ready'
+          : 'error';
+        set((state) => applySnapshot(state, nextActiveSessions, nextArchivedSessions, status));
         return { activeSessions: nextActiveSessions, archivedSessions: nextArchivedSessions };
       } catch (error) {
         if (generation !== loadGeneration) {