diff --git a/packages/ui/src/app.tsx b/packages/ui/src/app.tsx
index b2656fe..19a0e64 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/app.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/app.tsx
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ function MasterSliders({
 export default function Home() {
   const [configRev, setConfigRev] = useState(0);
   const config = useConfig(configRev);
-  const { user, token, checked, login } = useAuth();
+  const { user, token, checked, endedSession, lastUser, login, sessionEnded } = useAuth();
   const { connection, grid, orientation, playlistState, settings, send } = useSocket(
     config?.simulatorUrl ?? null,
     token,
@@ -490,6 +490,14 @@ export default function Home() {
     });
   }, []);
 
+  // A token the server no longer accepts can only reconnect into the same
+  // error, so stop retrying against it and hand the operator the login screen.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (token && connection.state === 'down' && connection.cause === 'sessionExpired') {
+      sessionEnded();
+    }
+  }, [token, connection.state, connection.cause, sessionEnded]);
+
   // Sync slider state from server on initial connect
   const settingsSyncedRef = useRef(false);
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -773,7 +781,17 @@ export default function Home() {
   }
 
   if (!user) {
-    return <LoginScreen onLogin={login} />;
+    return (
+      <LoginScreen
+        onLogin={login}
+        defaultUsername={lastUser}
+        notice={
+          endedSession
+            ? 'Your session ended — it expired, was revoked, or the show switched project.'
+            : undefined
+        }
+      />
+    );
   }
 
   /* ---------- PHONE LAYOUT ---------- */
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/login-screen.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/login-screen.tsx
index 3191dc3..08d528b 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/login-screen.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/login-screen.tsx
@@ -2,10 +2,14 @@ import { FormEvent, useState } from 'react';
 
 interface LoginScreenProps {
   onLogin: (username: string, token: string) => void;
+  /** Why this screen appeared, when it wasn't the operator's own sign-out. */
+  notice?: string;
+  /** Prefilled username — whoever was signed in on this device last. */
+  defaultUsername?: string;
 }
 
-export function LoginScreen({ onLogin }: LoginScreenProps) {
-  const [username, setUsername] = useState('');
+export function LoginScreen({ onLogin, notice, defaultUsername = '' }: LoginScreenProps) {
+  const [username, setUsername] = useState(defaultUsername);
   const [password, setPassword] = useState('');
   const [error, setError] = useState('');
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
@@ -59,6 +63,13 @@ export function LoginScreen({ onLogin }: LoginScreenProps) {
           </p>
         </div>
 
+        {/* Why we're back here (session expired, revoked, or project switched) */}
+        {notice && (
+          <p className='text-center text-sm' style={{ color: '#d9a441' }}>
+            {notice}
+          </p>
+        )}
+
         {/* Username */}
         <input
           type="text"
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/lib/use-auth.ts b/packages/ui/src/lib/use-auth.ts
index 828eb11..601d4ff 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/lib/use-auth.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/lib/use-auth.ts
@@ -14,10 +14,17 @@ function decodePayload(token: string): { sub: string } | null {
   }
 }
 
+/** Last username signed in on this device — prefilled after a session ends so
+ *  getting back in is one field, not two. */
+const LAST_USER_KEY = 'wg_last_user';
+
 export function useAuth() {
   const [user, setUser] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [token, setToken] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [checked, setChecked] = useState(false);
+  /** Set when a signed-in session stopped being valid, so the login screen can
+   *  say why it is showing rather than looking like a random logout. */
+  const [endedSession, setEndedSession] = useState(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const stored = localStorage.getItem('wg_token');
@@ -36,17 +43,29 @@ export function useAuth() {
 
   const login = useCallback((username: string, jwt: string) => {
     localStorage.setItem('wg_token', jwt);
+    localStorage.setItem(LAST_USER_KEY, username);
     localStorage.removeItem('wg_user');
     setToken(jwt);
     setUser(username);
+    setEndedSession(false);
   }, []);
 
-  const logout = useCallback(() => {
+  const clear = useCallback((ended: boolean) => {
     localStorage.removeItem('wg_token');
     localStorage.removeItem('wg_user');
     setToken(null);
     setUser(null);
+    setEndedSession(ended);
   }, []);
 
-  return { user, token, checked, login, logout };
+  const logout = useCallback(() => clear(false), [clear]);
+
+  /** Drop a token the server no longer accepts (expired, revoked, or issued for
+   *  another project) and fall back to the login screen — a dead token can only
+   *  ever reconnect into the same error. */
+  const sessionEnded = useCallback(() => clear(true), [clear]);
+
+  const lastUser = typeof window === 'undefined' ? '' : localStorage.getItem(LAST_USER_KEY) ?? '';
+
+  return { user, token, checked, endedSession, lastUser, login, logout, sessionEnded };
 }