From d413dfb424852d751ec202144d04f731ec7c623d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Brennan Benson <79079362+brennanb2025@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:59:01 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] fix(mobile): reset reconnect attempts only after the E2EE
 handshake completes (#11465)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

ws.onopen zeroed reconnectAttempt before the handshake, so any endpoint
that accepted the socket but never authenticated pinned the counter at
0-1: no escalation gate could fire, backoff never grew, and every screen
showed "Connecting…" forever (issue #10119). Reset the counter on
e2ee_authenticated instead, and make classifyConnection apply the
warning/unreachable gates during connecting/handshaking so an escalated
verdict latches through redials.
---
 .../cellular-connecting-label-stall.test.ts   | 246 ++++++++++++++++++
 ...llular-handshake-stall-real-socket.test.ts | 136 ++++++++++
 .../src/transport/connection-health.test.ts   |  39 +++
 mobile/src/transport/connection-health.ts     |  11 +-
 .../rpc-client-unauthorized-close.test.ts     |   6 +-
 mobile/src/transport/rpc-client.test.ts       |   9 +-
 mobile/src/transport/rpc-client.ts            |   8 +-
 7 files changed, 442 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 mobile/src/transport/cellular-connecting-label-stall.test.ts
 create mode 100644 mobile/src/transport/cellular-handshake-stall-real-socket.test.ts

diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/cellular-connecting-label-stall.test.ts b/mobile/src/transport/cellular-connecting-label-stall.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e7bc67314
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/cellular-connecting-label-stall.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,246 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { connect } from './rpc-client'
+import { classifyConnection, verdictDisplayLabel } from './connection-health'
+
+// Issue #10119 — "mobile client fails to connect over cellular and remains stuck
+// at connecting". Each scenario below is a way a cellular link fails and what the
+// user is shown while it does. On the parent commit ws.onopen reset
+// reconnectAttempt before the E2EE handshake completed and classifyConnection
+// reverted to "Connecting…" on every redial, so no escalation assertion here
+// could pass: the label looped "Connecting…" forever.
+
+vi.mock('./e2ee', () => ({
+  generateKeyPair: () => ({ publicKey: new Uint8Array(32), secretKey: new Uint8Array(32) }),
+  deriveSharedKey: () => new Uint8Array(32),
+  publicKeyFromBase64: () => new Uint8Array(32),
+  publicKeyToBase64: () => 'client-public-key',
+  encrypt: (plaintext: string) => plaintext,
+  decrypt: (raw: string) => raw,
+  decryptBytes: (bytes: Uint8Array) => bytes
+}))
+
+type CarrierBehavior =
+  // Carrier silently drops the SYN to a LAN/CGNAT destination: the socket sits
+  // CONNECTING until the client's 12s connect timeout fires.
+  | { kind: 'blackhole' }
+  // Carrier answers with an RST.
+  | { kind: 'refused' }
+  // Endpoint completes the WS upgrade, then never speaks (relay accepted the
+  // socket but no desktop joined the session).
+  | { kind: 'open-then-silent' }
+  // Endpoint is healthy but its e2ee_ready lands after readyAfterMs, which a
+  // high-latency / lossy cellular link readily pushes past the 5s budget.
+  | { kind: 'slow-handshake'; readyAfterMs: number }
+
+let carrier: CarrierBehavior = { kind: 'blackhole' }
+const sockets: CarrierWebSocket[] = []
+
+class CarrierWebSocket {
+  static CONNECTING = 0
+  // Why: sendEncrypted compares readyState against WebSocket.OPEN — the mock
+  // must define it or the e2ee_auth write silently fails.
+  static OPEN = 1
+  static CLOSED = 3
+  readonly CONNECTING = 0
+  readyState = 0
+  onopen: (() => void) | null = null
+  onclose: ((event?: unknown) => void) | null = null
+  onmessage: ((event: { data: unknown }) => void) | null = null
+  onerror: ((event?: unknown) => void) | null = null
+
+  constructor(readonly endpoint: string) {
+    sockets.push(this)
+    if (carrier.kind === 'refused') {
+      setTimeout(() => this.fail(), 1)
+      return
+    }
+    if (carrier.kind === 'open-then-silent' || carrier.kind === 'slow-handshake') {
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        this.readyState = 1
+        this.onopen?.()
+      }, 200)
+    }
+  }
+
+  send(payload: string): void {
+    if (carrier.kind !== 'slow-handshake') {
+      return
+    }
+    if (payload.includes('e2ee_hello')) {
+      const delay = carrier.readyAfterMs
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        if (this.readyState === 1) {
+          this.onmessage?.({ data: JSON.stringify({ type: 'e2ee_ready' }) })
+        }
+      }, delay)
+      return
+    }
+    if (payload.includes('e2ee_auth')) {
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        if (this.readyState === 1) {
+          this.onmessage?.({ data: JSON.stringify({ type: 'e2ee_authenticated' }) })
+        }
+      }, 10)
+    }
+  }
+
+  close(): void {
+    if (this.readyState === 3) {
+      return
+    }
+    this.fail()
+  }
+
+  private fail(): void {
+    this.readyState = 3
+    this.onerror?.({ message: 'network error' })
+    this.onclose?.({ code: 1006, wasClean: false })
+  }
+}
+
+const originalWebSocket = globalThis.WebSocket
+
+type Sample = { atMs: number; state: string; attempts: number; label: string }
+
+// Walks simulated time recording what every screen would render, since
+// classifyConnection is the single label source for home, host, tasks and session.
+function observe(endpoint: string, durationMs: number): Sample[] {
+  const client = connect(endpoint, 'device-token', 'server-public-key')
+  const samples: Sample[] = []
+  const stepMs = 250
+  for (let atMs = 0; atMs <= durationMs; atMs += stepMs) {
+    const state = client.getState()
+    const attempts = client.getReconnectAttempt()
+    samples.push({
+      atMs,
+      state,
+      attempts,
+      label: verdictDisplayLabel(
+        classifyConnection({
+          state,
+          reconnectAttempts: attempts,
+          lastConnectedAt: client.getLastConnectedAt(),
+          endpoint,
+          nowMs: Date.now()
+        })
+      )
+    })
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(stepMs)
+  }
+  client.close()
+  return samples
+}
+
+function isEscalated(label: string): boolean {
+  return label !== 'Connecting…' && label !== 'Reconnecting…'
+}
+
+function labelsAfterFirstEscalation(samples: Sample[]): Sample[] {
+  const first = samples.findIndex((s) => isEscalated(s.label))
+  expect(first).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+  return samples.slice(first)
+}
+
+describe('issue #10119 — what a phone shows while it cannot reach the desktop', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation(() => {})
+    sockets.length = 0
+    // @ts-expect-error test double for the RN global
+    globalThis.WebSocket = CarrierWebSocket
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers()
+    vi.restoreAllMocks()
+    globalThis.WebSocket = originalWebSocket
+  })
+
+  it('escalates and stays escalated when the handshake never fits the 5s budget', () => {
+    carrier = { kind: 'slow-handshake', readyAfterMs: 6_000 }
+    const samples = observe('ws://192.168.0.56:6769', 900_000)
+
+    // 15 minutes of failure against a desktop that is up and answering.
+    expect(samples.some((s) => s.state === 'handshaking')).toBe(true)
+    expect(samples.some((s) => s.state === 'connected')).toBe(false)
+
+    // The failure counter survives ws.onopen, so both connection-health gates
+    // (warning >= 3, unreachable >= 12) are reachable.
+    expect(Math.max(...samples.map((s) => s.attempts))).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(12)
+    expect(samples.some((s) => s.label === "Can't connect")).toBe(true)
+    expect(samples.some((s) => s.label === "Can't reach desktop")).toBe(true)
+
+    // Once escalated, no later redial reverts the label to "Connecting…".
+    const after = labelsAfterFirstEscalation(samples)
+    expect(after.every((s) => s.label !== 'Connecting…')).toBe(true)
+
+    // Growing backoff: the pinned counter burned a socket every ~5.6s (~160 in
+    // 15 min); with the tiered delays plus the 90s trickle it stays modest.
+    expect(sockets.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(5)
+    expect(sockets.length).toBeLessThan(30)
+  })
+
+  it('escalates when the endpoint accepts the socket and then says nothing', () => {
+    carrier = { kind: 'open-then-silent' }
+    const samples = observe('ws://relay.example:443', 900_000)
+
+    expect(Math.max(...samples.map((s) => s.attempts))).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(12)
+    expect(samples.some((s) => s.label === "Can't reach desktop")).toBe(true)
+
+    const after = labelsAfterFirstEscalation(samples)
+    expect(after.every((s) => s.label !== 'Connecting…')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('latches "Can\'t connect" on a blackholed LAN endpoint instead of reverting each dial', () => {
+    carrier = { kind: 'blackhole' }
+    const samples = observe('ws://192.168.0.56:6769', 120_000)
+
+    // Three 12s connect timeouts plus backoff: first escalation lands ≈ 37.5s.
+    const first = samples.find((s) => isEscalated(s.label))
+    expect(first?.atMs ?? Infinity).toBeLessThanOrEqual(40_000)
+
+    // Every later 12s dial window used to flip the label back to "Connecting…".
+    const after = labelsAfterFirstEscalation(samples)
+    expect(after.every((s) => s.label !== 'Connecting…')).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('holds "Can\'t reach desktop" through every trickle dial once past the give-up cap', () => {
+    carrier = { kind: 'blackhole' }
+    const samples = observe('ws://192.168.0.56:6769', 900_000)
+
+    const firstUnreachable = samples.findIndex((s) => s.label === "Can't reach desktop")
+    expect(firstUnreachable).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+
+    // The loop has given up internally (attempts held at the cap); the label
+    // must say so through the 12s of every 90s trickle dial, not just between them.
+    const after = samples.slice(firstUnreachable)
+    expect(after.every((s) => s.attempts >= 12)).toBe(true)
+    expect(after.every((s) => s.label === "Can't reach desktop")).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('resets the failure counter only once a handshake actually completes', () => {
+    carrier = { kind: 'slow-handshake', readyAfterMs: 6_000 }
+    const client = connect('ws://192.168.0.56:6769', 'device-token', 'server-public-key')
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(40_000)
+    expect(client.getState()).not.toBe('connected')
+    expect(client.getReconnectAttempt()).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3)
+
+    // The link heals: the same desktop now answers inside the budget.
+    carrier = { kind: 'slow-handshake', readyAfterMs: 50 }
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(20_000)
+    expect(client.getState()).toBe('connected')
+    expect(client.getReconnectAttempt()).toBe(0)
+
+    client.close()
+  })
+
+  it('contrast: an endpoint that RSTs escalates the same way', () => {
+    carrier = { kind: 'refused' }
+    const samples = observe('ws://192.168.0.56:6769', 60_000)
+
+    expect(samples.some((s) => s.label === "Can't connect")).toBe(true)
+    const after = labelsAfterFirstEscalation(samples)
+    expect(after.every((s) => s.label !== 'Connecting…')).toBe(true)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/cellular-handshake-stall-real-socket.test.ts b/mobile/src/transport/cellular-handshake-stall-real-socket.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3cb87609c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/cellular-handshake-stall-real-socket.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { WebSocketServer, type WebSocket as ServerWebSocket } from 'ws'
+import { connect } from './rpc-client'
+import { classifyConnection, verdictDisplayLabel } from './connection-health'
+
+// Issue #10119 verification over a REAL socket, real timers, real WebSocket
+// upgrade — guards the fake-timer suite in
+// cellular-connecting-label-stall.test.ts against mock drift.
+//
+// The desktop is up and listening. The only thing wrong is that its E2EE
+// handshake reply lands later than HANDSHAKE_TIMEOUT_MS (5s) — the condition a
+// high-latency / lossy cellular link produces on a handshake that needs two
+// round trips (e2ee_hello → e2ee_ready → e2ee_auth → e2ee_authenticated).
+//
+// The client must escalate past "Connecting…" and stay escalated. On the parent
+// commit ws.onopen reset reconnectAttempt to 0 before the handshake succeeded,
+// so getReconnectAttempt() never passed the connection-health gates and the
+// label looped "Connecting…" forever.
+//
+// Opt-in like rpc-client-live-recovery.test.ts — needs ~22s wall-clock:
+//   ORCA_MOBILE_LIVE_REPRO=1 pnpm vitest run src/transport/cellular-handshake-stall-real-socket.test.ts
+
+vi.mock('./e2ee', () => ({
+  generateKeyPair: () => ({ publicKey: new Uint8Array(32), secretKey: new Uint8Array(32) }),
+  deriveSharedKey: () => new Uint8Array(32),
+  publicKeyFromBase64: () => new Uint8Array(32),
+  publicKeyToBase64: () => 'client-public-key',
+  encrypt: (plaintext: string) => plaintext,
+  decrypt: (raw: string) => raw,
+  decryptBytes: (bytes: Uint8Array) => bytes
+}))
+
+const RUN_LIVE =
+  process.env.ORCA_MOBILE_LIVE_REPRO === '1' || !!process.env.ORCA_MOBILE_LIVE_REPRO_FULL
+
+// Long enough for three handshake-timeout cycles (≈17s) plus CI scheduling slack.
+const OBSERVE_MS = 22_000
+const SAMPLE_MS = 200
+
+let server: WebSocketServer | null = null
+const serverSockets: ServerWebSocket[] = []
+
+// Completes the WebSocket upgrade, then answers e2ee_hello later than the
+// client's 5s handshake budget allows.
+async function startSlowHandshakeDesktop(replyAfterMs: number): Promise<number> {
+  const wss = new WebSocketServer({ host: '127.0.0.1', port: 0 })
+  server = wss
+  wss.on('connection', (socket) => {
+    serverSockets.push(socket)
+    socket.on('message', (data) => {
+      const text = data.toString()
+      if (!text.includes('e2ee_hello')) {
+        return
+      }
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        if (socket.readyState === socket.OPEN) {
+          socket.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'e2ee_ready', publicKeyB64: 'server-public-key' }))
+        }
+      }, replyAfterMs)
+    })
+  })
+  await new Promise<void>((resolve) => wss.once('listening', resolve))
+  const address = wss.address()
+  if (typeof address === 'string' || address === null) {
+    throw new Error('expected a TCP address')
+  }
+  return address.port
+}
+
+describe.runIf(RUN_LIVE)('issue #10119 — real socket, handshake slower than the 5s budget', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    serverSockets.length = 0
+    vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation(() => {})
+  })
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks()
+    for (const socket of serverSockets) {
+      socket.terminate()
+    }
+    const wss = server
+    server = null
+    if (wss) {
+      await new Promise<void>((resolve) => wss.close(() => resolve()))
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('escalates and latches against a live desktop that answers 1s too late', async () => {
+    const port = await startSlowHandshakeDesktop(6_000)
+    const endpoint = `ws://127.0.0.1:${port}`
+    const client = connect(endpoint, 'device-token', 'server-public-key')
+
+    const labels: string[] = []
+    const states: string[] = []
+    let maxAttempts = 0
+    const started = Date.now()
+    while (Date.now() - started < OBSERVE_MS) {
+      const state = client.getState()
+      const attempts = client.getReconnectAttempt()
+      maxAttempts = Math.max(maxAttempts, attempts)
+      states.push(state)
+      labels.push(
+        verdictDisplayLabel(
+          classifyConnection({
+            state,
+            reconnectAttempts: attempts,
+            lastConnectedAt: client.getLastConnectedAt(),
+            endpoint
+          })
+        )
+      )
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, SAMPLE_MS))
+    }
+    client.close()
+
+    // The dial loop really did run and really did keep failing.
+    expect(serverSockets.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(2)
+    expect(states).toContain('handshaking')
+    expect(states).not.toContain('connected')
+
+    // The failure counter survives ws.onopen, so the warning gate (>= 3) fires.
+    expect(maxAttempts).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3)
+    const firstEscalated = labels.findIndex((l) => l !== 'Connecting…' && l !== 'Reconnecting…')
+    expect(firstEscalated).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+
+    // Once escalated, later redials never revert the label to "Connecting…".
+    expect(labels.slice(firstEscalated).every((l) => l !== 'Connecting…')).toBe(true)
+  }, 60_000)
+})
+
+// Why: vitest fails a file with zero tests; keep a sentinel for default runs.
+describe.runIf(!RUN_LIVE)('real-socket handshake stall (skipped)', () => {
+  it('is opt-in via ORCA_MOBILE_LIVE_REPRO=1', () => {
+    expect(true).toBe(true)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/connection-health.test.ts b/mobile/src/transport/connection-health.test.ts
index 4a0973dae..5ac61c06a 100644
--- a/mobile/src/transport/connection-health.test.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/connection-health.test.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,45 @@ describe('classifyConnection Tailscale hint', () => {
   })
 })
 
+// Issue #10119: every redial re-enters 'connecting', which used to revert an
+// escalated verdict to "Connecting…" for the whole dial window — on a loop that
+// had already failed for minutes, the user mostly saw the reassuring label.
+describe('classifyConnection while dialing (issue #10119)', () => {
+  const base = { lastConnectedAt: null, nowMs: 1_000_000 }
+
+  it('keeps the warning verdict through a redial instead of reverting to Connecting…', () => {
+    for (const state of ['connecting', 'handshaking'] as const) {
+      const verdict = classifyConnection({ ...base, state, reconnectAttempts: 3 })
+      expect(verdict).toMatchObject({ kind: 'warning', label: "Can't connect" })
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the unreachable verdict through a trickle dial', () => {
+    const verdict = classifyConnection({ ...base, state: 'connecting', reconnectAttempts: 12 })
+    expect(verdict).toMatchObject({ kind: 'unreachable', reason: 'never-connected' })
+  })
+
+  it('applies the stale heuristic while dialing too', () => {
+    const verdict = classifyConnection({
+      state: 'handshaking',
+      reconnectAttempts: 12,
+      lastConnectedAt: 900_000,
+      nowMs: 1_000_000
+    })
+    expect(verdict).toMatchObject({ kind: 'unreachable', reason: 'stale' })
+  })
+
+  it('still shows Connecting… before any failures', () => {
+    const verdict = classifyConnection({ ...base, state: 'connecting', reconnectAttempts: 0 })
+    expect(verdict).toEqual({ kind: 'normal', label: 'Connecting…' })
+  })
+
+  it('still shows Connecting… below the warning gate', () => {
+    const verdict = classifyConnection({ ...base, state: 'handshaking', reconnectAttempts: 2 })
+    expect(verdict).toEqual({ kind: 'normal', label: 'Connecting…' })
+  })
+})
+
 describe('verdictDisplayLabel', () => {
   it('appends the hint to warning and unreachable labels', () => {
     expect(
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/connection-health.ts b/mobile/src/transport/connection-health.ts
index c244b6c9a..6774b111f 100644
--- a/mobile/src/transport/connection-health.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/connection-health.ts
@@ -61,19 +61,18 @@ export function classifyConnection(args: {
     return { kind: 'auth-failed', label: 'Pairing invalid — re-pair with your desktop' }
   }
 
-  // Connected / connecting / handshaking are normal.
   if (state === 'connected') {
     return { kind: 'normal', label: 'Connected' }
   }
-  if (state === 'connecting' || state === 'handshaking') {
-    return { kind: 'normal', label: 'Connecting…' }
-  }
 
   if (state === 'disconnected') {
     return { kind: 'normal', label: 'Disconnected' }
   }
 
-  // state === 'reconnecting' from here.
+  // connecting / handshaking / reconnecting from here. The gates apply to all
+  // three: every redial re-enters 'connecting', and letting that revert an
+  // escalated verdict to "Connecting…" hid the failure loop behind a reassuring
+  // label for most of each cycle (issue #10119).
   if (reconnectAttempts >= UNREACHABLE_ATTEMPTS) {
     if (lastConnectedAt == null) {
       return {
@@ -97,7 +96,7 @@ export function classifyConnection(args: {
     return { kind: 'warning', label: "Can't connect", hint }
   }
 
-  return { kind: 'normal', label: 'Reconnecting…' }
+  return { kind: 'normal', label: state === 'reconnecting' ? 'Reconnecting…' : 'Connecting…' }
 }
 
 // Why: single place that turns a verdict into display text so every screen
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client-unauthorized-close.test.ts b/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client-unauthorized-close.test.ts
index 5fb4ab18e..464d0b958 100644
--- a/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client-unauthorized-close.test.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client-unauthorized-close.test.ts
@@ -89,9 +89,10 @@ describe('unauthorized close-code mapping (silent 4001)', () => {
 
     // A desktop with a regenerated keypair can't send a decryptable e2ee_error —
     // the phone only ever sees the 4001 close. Three of those must latch.
+    // Why 1_000: failed handshakes grow the backoff since issue #10119.
     for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
       if (i > 0) {
-        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(500)
+        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1_000)
       }
       const socket = lastSocket()
       socket.open()
@@ -130,9 +131,10 @@ describe('unauthorized close-code mapping (silent 4001)', () => {
   it('shares one budget between decrypted e2ee_error rejections and 4001 closes', async () => {
     const client = connect('ws://desktop.invalid', 'token', 'server-key')
 
+    // Why 1_000: failed handshakes grow the backoff since issue #10119.
     for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
       if (i > 0) {
-        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(500)
+        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1_000)
       }
       const socket = lastSocket()
       socket.open()
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client.test.ts b/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client.test.ts
index b2adb18c4..0b6d5c84a 100644
--- a/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client.test.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client.test.ts
@@ -875,9 +875,11 @@ describe('mobile rpc-client connection timeout', () => {
       const client = connect('ws://desktop.invalid', 'token', 'server-key')
 
       // Three consecutive handshake rejections (AUTH_RETRY_BUDGET = 3).
+      // Why 1_000: failed handshakes grow the backoff since issue #10119 —
+      // cycle 2 waits RECONNECT_DELAYS[1].
       for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
         if (i > 0) {
-          await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(500)
+          await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1_000)
         }
         const socket = mockSockets[mockSockets.length - 1]!
         socket.open()
@@ -894,16 +896,17 @@ describe('mobile rpc-client connection timeout', () => {
       const client = connect('ws://desktop.invalid', 'token', 'server-key')
 
       // Two rejections, then a clean connect resets the budget...
+      // Why 1_000: failed handshakes grow the backoff since issue #10119.
       for (let i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
         if (i > 0) {
-          await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(500)
+          await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1_000)
         }
         const socket = mockSockets[mockSockets.length - 1]!
         socket.open()
         socket.receive(JSON.stringify({ type: 'e2ee_ready' }))
         socket.receive('encrypted:{"type":"e2ee_error","error":{"code":"unauthorized"}}')
       }
-      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(500)
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1_000)
       authenticate(mockSockets[mockSockets.length - 1]!)
       expect(client.getState()).toBe('connected')
 
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client.ts b/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client.ts
index 62ead1851..1f026e550 100644
--- a/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/rpc-client.ts
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ export type RpcClient = {
     viewport: { cols: number; rows: number }
   ) => void
   getState: () => ConnectionState
-  // 0 means never failed (reset on successful open); the UI escalates "Reconnecting…" to "Can't connect" past a threshold.
+  // 0 means never failed (reset once the handshake authenticates); the UI escalates "Reconnecting…" to "Can't connect" past a threshold.
   getReconnectAttempt: () => number
   // Last 'connected' timestamp (ms epoch); null = never connected. Lets the UI tell "never reachable" from "transient blip".
   getLastConnectedAt: () => number | null
@@ -220,6 +220,8 @@ export function connect(
     })
     if (next === 'connected') {
       lastConnectedAt = Date.now()
+      // Why: only a completed E2EE handshake proves the path is healthy (issue #10119).
+      reconnectAttempt = 0
       // Why: a clean handshake proves the token is valid — reset the auth retry budget.
       authRejectionCount = 0
       for (const waiter of connectWaiters.splice(0)) {
@@ -348,7 +350,9 @@ export function connect(
       }
       console.log('[net] ws.onopen', { attempt: reconnectAttempt })
       clearConnectTimer()
-      reconnectAttempt = 0
+      // Why: no reconnectAttempt reset here — an open socket isn't a healthy session
+      // until e2ee_authenticated. Resetting pre-handshake pinned the counter at 0↔1,
+      // so a handshake-stall loop never escalated past "Connecting…" (issue #10119).
       setState('handshaking')
       emitLog('success', 'WebSocket open', 'Starting E2EE handshake')