diff --git a/Features/Backup/BackupView.swift b/Features/Backup/BackupView.swift
index 511fd89..f19aed2 100644
--- a/Features/Backup/BackupView.swift
+++ b/Features/Backup/BackupView.swift
@@ -646,9 +646,11 @@ struct BackupView: View {
                         .animation(.spring(response: 0.3, dampingFraction: 0.8), value: nasStatusLabel)
                 }
                 if lanMonitor.nasReachable == false {
-                    Text("Unreachable")
+                    Text(statusService.refreshError ?? "Unreachable")
                         .font(.system(size: 9, weight: .regular))
                         .foregroundStyle(AppTheme.destructive.opacity(0.7))
+                        .lineLimit(2)
+                        .multilineTextAlignment(.trailing)
                 } else if lanMonitor.nasReachable == true && !engine.job.status.isActive {
                     Text("Connected")
                         .font(.system(size: 9, weight: .regular))
@@ -691,43 +693,56 @@ struct BackupView: View {
 
     private var actionButton: some View {
         Group {
-            switch resolvedStatus {
-            case .idle, .completed, .failed, .cancelled:
-                Button(action: startBackup) {
-                    Text(resolvedStatus == .idle ? "Start backup" : "Back up again")
-                }
-                .buttonStyle(PrimaryButtonStyle(
-                    color: ctaFlashGreen ? AppTheme.positive : AppTheme.ink
-                ))
-                .accessibilityHint("Starts backing up your photos to the NAS")
-
-            case .running:
-                Button { engine.pause() } label: { Text("Pause") }
-                    .buttonStyle(GhostButtonStyle())
-                    .accessibilityLabel("Pause backup")
-
-            case .paused:
-                HStack(spacing: 10) {
-                    Button { engine.resume() } label: { Text("Resume") }
-                        .buttonStyle(PrimaryButtonStyle())
-                        .accessibilityLabel("Resume backup")
-                    Button { engine.cancel() } label: { Text("Cancel") }
-                        .buttonStyle(GhostButtonStyle())
-                        .frame(width: 90)
-                        .accessibilityLabel("Cancel backup")
-                }
-
-            case .preparing:
+            // Coordinator is running a status check — block the start button so
+            // a backup cannot be triggered before reconciliation completes.
+            if coordinator.phase == .checking {
                 HStack(spacing: 8) {
                     ProgressView().scaleEffect(0.8).tint(AppTheme.inkSecondary)
-                    Text("Preparing…")
+                    Text("Checking status…")
                         .font(AppTheme.body())
                         .foregroundStyle(AppTheme.inkSecondary)
                 }
                 .frame(height: 50)
+            } else {
+                switch resolvedStatus {
+                case .idle, .completed, .failed, .cancelled:
+                    Button(action: startBackup) {
+                        Text(resolvedStatus == .idle ? "Start backup" : "Back up again")
+                    }
+                    .buttonStyle(PrimaryButtonStyle(
+                        color: ctaFlashGreen ? AppTheme.positive : AppTheme.ink
+                    ))
+                    .accessibilityHint("Starts backing up your photos to the NAS")
+
+                case .running:
+                    Button { engine.pause() } label: { Text("Pause") }
+                        .buttonStyle(GhostButtonStyle())
+                        .accessibilityLabel("Pause backup")
+
+                case .paused:
+                    HStack(spacing: 10) {
+                        Button { engine.resume() } label: { Text("Resume") }
+                            .buttonStyle(PrimaryButtonStyle())
+                            .accessibilityLabel("Resume backup")
+                        Button { engine.cancel() } label: { Text("Cancel") }
+                            .buttonStyle(GhostButtonStyle())
+                            .frame(width: 90)
+                            .accessibilityLabel("Cancel backup")
+                    }
+
+                case .preparing:
+                    HStack(spacing: 8) {
+                        ProgressView().scaleEffect(0.8).tint(AppTheme.inkSecondary)
+                        Text("Preparing…")
+                            .font(AppTheme.body())
+                            .foregroundStyle(AppTheme.inkSecondary)
+                    }
+                    .frame(height: 50)
+                }
             }
         }
         .animation(.spring(response: 0.3, dampingFraction: 0.82), value: engine.job.status == .running)
+        .animation(.spring(response: 0.3, dampingFraction: 0.82), value: coordinator.phase == .checking)
     }
 
     private func startBackup() {
diff --git a/Services/BackupStatusService.swift b/Services/BackupStatusService.swift
index f2f2f13..002a622 100644
--- a/Services/BackupStatusService.swift
+++ b/Services/BackupStatusService.swift
@@ -240,6 +240,12 @@ final class BackupStatusService: NSObject, ObservableObject {
         updated.lastCheckedAt   = Date()
         snapshot = updated
         saveSnapshot()
+
+        // Invariant check — alreadySafe + needBackup must always equal phoneTotal
+        let inv = updated.alreadySafe + updated.needBackup
+        if inv != updated.phoneTotal {
+            log.error("Invariant broken: alreadySafe(\(updated.alreadySafe)) + needBackup(\(updated.needBackup)) = \(inv) ≠ phoneTotal(\(updated.phoneTotal))")
+        }
     }
 
     /// Builds a ManifestIndex from NAS.
@@ -250,8 +256,10 @@ final class BackupStatusService: NSObject, ObservableObject {
         path: String,
         conn: NASConnection
     ) async -> ManifestIndex {
+        log.info("buildManifestIndex: remotePath=\(conn.remotePath, privacy: .public) manifestFile=\(path, privacy: .public)")
         do {
             let data = try await transfer.downloadData(at: path)
+            log.info("buildManifestIndex: manifest downloaded — \(data.count) bytes")
             // Decode and build index off main actor — JSONDecoder is not cheap for large manifests.
             let decoded: (ManifestIndex, BackupManifest)? = await Task.detached(priority: .utility) {
                 guard let manifest = try? JSONDecoder.kisani.decode(BackupManifest.self, from: data)
@@ -259,6 +267,7 @@ final class BackupStatusService: NSObject, ObservableObject {
                 return (ManifestIndex(manifest: manifest), manifest)
             }.value
             if let (index, manifest) = decoded {
+                log.info("buildManifestIndex: decoded \(index.totalCount) entries (isFilenameOnly=\(index.isFilenameOnly))")
                 lastManifest = manifest
                 Task { await NASManifestCache.shared.update(manifest) }
 
@@ -270,20 +279,21 @@ final class BackupStatusService: NSObject, ObservableObject {
                     let dirCount = items.filter {
                         !$0.isDirectory && !$0.name.hasPrefix(".") && $0.name != BackupManifest.remoteFilename
                     }.count
-                    log.info("buildManifestIndex: manifest=\(index.totalCount) dir=\(dirCount) — using max for nasArchiveTotal")
+                    log.info("buildManifestIndex: validity — manifest=\(index.totalCount) dir=\(dirCount) — using max")
                     if dirCount > index.totalCount {
                         return ManifestIndex(manifest: manifest, overrideTotalCount: dirCount)
                     }
                 }
                 return index
             }
+            log.warning("buildManifestIndex: manifest downloaded but failed to decode (\(data.count) bytes)")
         } catch {
-            // File not found — fall through to directory listing bootstrap
+            log.info("buildManifestIndex: manifest not found at \(path, privacy: .public) — \(error.localizedDescription, privacy: .public) — falling back to directory listing")
         }
 
         // Bootstrap: list NAS directory and build filename-only index in background.
         let items = (try? await transfer.listDirectory(at: conn.remotePath)) ?? []
-        log.info("Manifest not found — bootstrapping from \(items.count) NAS items")
+        log.info("buildManifestIndex: bootstrap from \(items.count) items in \(conn.remotePath, privacy: .public)")
         return await Task.detached(priority: .utility) {
             ManifestIndex(nasListing: items)
         }.value