diff --git a/src/components/layout/header.tsx b/src/components/layout/header.tsx
index 416ac350..cfb9e782 100644
--- a/src/components/layout/header.tsx
+++ b/src/components/layout/header.tsx
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ export function Header() {
   const autoOfflineAttemptedRef = useRef(false)
   const { wrapUpSecondsRemaining } = useWrapUpCountdown()
   const { connectionState, reconnectPresence } = usePresence()
-  const { isRegistered, hasInitialized, currentCall } = useTelnyxContext()
+  const { isRegistered, hasInitialized, currentCall, reconnect, connectionStatus } = useTelnyxContext()
+  const isRegisteredRef = useRef(isRegistered)
 
   // Sync status when user.agent_status changes mid-session (e.g. a call is routed to this agent).
   // Without this, the dropdown stays editable even while the agent is on_call.
@@ -76,10 +77,29 @@ export function Header() {
     return () => window.removeEventListener('agent-status-optimistic', handleOptimistic)
   }, [])
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    isRegisteredRef.current = isRegistered
+  }, [isRegistered])
+
+  const waitForRegistration = useCallback(async (timeoutMs = 12000) => {
+    const startedAt = Date.now()
+    while (Date.now() - startedAt < timeoutMs) {
+      if (isRegisteredRef.current) return true
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 300))
+    }
+    return false
+  }, [])
+
   const handleStatusChange = useCallback(async (newStatus: AgentStatus): Promise<boolean> => {
     if (newStatus === 'available' && !isRegistered) {
-      showPresenceToast('Cannot go available — phone not connected. Please refresh.', 'error')
-      return false
+      showPresenceToast('Phone reconnecting…', 'warning')
+      reconnect()
+
+      const recovered = await waitForRegistration()
+      if (!recovered) {
+        showPresenceToast('Cannot go available — phone not connected. Click Agent Diagnostic → Reconnect.', 'error')
+        return false
+      }
     }
 
     const previousStatus = status
@@ -129,7 +149,7 @@ export function Header() {
       )
       return false
     }
-  }, [isRegistered, status])
+  }, [isRegistered, status, reconnect, waitForRegistration])
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (isRegistered) {
@@ -137,6 +157,15 @@ export function Header() {
     }
   }, [isRegistered])
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (document.visibilityState !== 'visible') return
+    if (connectionStatus !== 'disconnected' && connectionStatus !== 'error') return
+
+    reconnect()
+    const retryTimer = setTimeout(() => reconnect(), 2500)
+    return () => clearTimeout(retryTimer)
+  }, [connectionStatus, reconnect])
+
   useEffect(() => {
     const activeCall = currentCall?.state && ['ringing_inbound', 'ringing_outbound', 'answering', 'active', 'held'].includes(currentCall.state)
     if (status === 'available' && hasInitialized && !isRegistered && !activeCall) {
diff --git a/src/hooks/use-telnyx.ts b/src/hooks/use-telnyx.ts
index 5c43712e..9fefbea1 100644
--- a/src/hooks/use-telnyx.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/use-telnyx.ts
@@ -667,7 +667,8 @@ export function useTelnyx(): UseTelnyxReturn {
       }
 
       const now = Date.now()
-      if (now - lastManualReconnectAtRef.current < MANUAL_RECONNECT_COOLDOWN_MS) {
+      const bypassCooldown = reason === 'manual-button' || reason === 'visibility-resume' || reason === 'go-available'
+      if (!bypassCooldown && now - lastManualReconnectAtRef.current < MANUAL_RECONNECT_COOLDOWN_MS) {
         console.log(`[useTelnyx] Manual reconnect skipped (${reason}) - in cooldown`)
         return
       }
@@ -881,6 +882,13 @@ export function useTelnyx(): UseTelnyxReturn {
     function handleVisibilityChange() {
       if (document.visibilityState === 'visible') {
         console.log('[useTelnyx] Tab visible, checking registration...')
+
+        if (connectionStatusRef.current === 'disconnected' || connectionStatusRef.current === 'error') {
+          void triggerManualReconnect('visibility-resume')
+          runLifecycleRecovery('visibilitychange', 500)
+          return
+        }
+
         runLifecycleRecovery('visibilitychange', 1500)
       }
     }