diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3cd53b1ab..e0de868b1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 # Change Log for SD.Next
 
-## Update for 2026-02-21
+## Update for 2026-02-22
 
-### Highlights for 2026-02-21
+### Highlights for 2026-02-22
 
 TBD
 
-### Details for 2026-02-21
+### Details for 2026-02-22
 
 - **Models**
   - [FireRed Image Edit](https://huggingface.co/FireRedTeam/FireRed-Image-Edit-1.0)  
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ TBD
   - gallery over remote/unsecure connections  
   - ltx2-i2v  
   - handle missing preview image  
+  - ui connection monitor  
 
 ## Update for 2026-02-04
 
diff --git a/javascript/logMonitor.js b/javascript/logMonitor.js
index ee3bf9369..70472ced0 100644
--- a/javascript/logMonitor.js
+++ b/javascript/logMonitor.js
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ async function logMonitor() {
       for (const line of lines) addLogLine(line);
       if (!logConnected) {
         logConnected = true;
-        monitorConnection();
         xhrPost(`${window.api}/log`, { debug: 'connected' });
       }
     } else {
diff --git a/javascript/monitor.js b/javascript/monitor.js
index abc3c38ab..c2905377b 100644
--- a/javascript/monitor.js
+++ b/javascript/monitor.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ class ConnectionMonitorState {
   static version = '';
   static commit = '';
   static branch = '';
+  static model = '';
+  static startup = '';
   static online = false;
 
   static getModel() {
@@ -11,66 +13,85 @@ class ConnectionMonitorState {
   }
 
   static trimModelName(name) {
-    // remove trailing [hash], split on / or \, return last segment, trim
     return name.replace(/\s*\[.*\]\s*$/, '').split(/[\\/]/).pop().trim() || 'unknown model';
   }
 
-  static setData({ online, updated, commit, branch }) {
+  static setData({ online, data }) {
     this.online = online;
-    this.version = updated;
-    this.commit = commit;
-    this.branch = branch;
+    if (data?.version) this.version = data.version;
+    if (data?.commit) this.commit = data.commit;
+    if (data?.branch) this.branch = data.branch;
+    if (data?.model) this.model = this.trimModelName(data.model);
   }
 
-  static setElement(el) {
-    this.element = el;
-  }
-
-  static toHTML(modelOverride) {
+  static toHTML() {
+    if (!this.model) this.model = this.getModel();
     return `
       Version: <b>${this.version}</b><br>
       Commit: <b>${this.commit}</b><br>
       Branch: <b>${this.branch}</b><br>
       Status: ${this.online ? '<b style="color:lime">online</b>' : '<b style="color:darkred">offline</b>'}<br>
-      Model: <b>${modelOverride ? this.trimModelName(modelOverride) : this.getModel()}</b><br>
-      Since: ${new Date().toLocaleString()}<br>
+      Model: <b>${this.model}</b><br>
+      Since: ${this.startup.toLocaleString()}<br>
     `;
   }
 
-  static updateState(incomingModel) {
-    this.element.dataset.hint = this.toHTML(incomingModel);
+  static updateState() {
+    if (!this.element) {
+      const el = document.getElementById('logo_nav');
+      if (el) this.element = el;
+      else return;
+    }
+    this.element.dataset.hint = this.toHTML();
     this.element.style.backgroundColor = this.online ? 'var(--sd-main-accent-color)' : 'var(--color-error)';
   }
 }
 
-let monitorAutoUpdating = false;
-
-async function updateIndicator(online, data, msg) {
-  const el = document.getElementById('logo_nav');
-  if (!el || !data) return;
-  ConnectionMonitorState.setElement(el);
-  if (!monitorAutoUpdating) {
-    monitorOption('sd_model_checkpoint', (newVal) => { ConnectionMonitorState.updateState(newVal); }); // Runs before opt actually changes
-    monitorAutoUpdating = true;
-  }
-  ConnectionMonitorState.setData({ online, ...data });
+async function updateIndicator(online, data = {}, msg = undefined) {
+  ConnectionMonitorState.setData({ online, data });
   ConnectionMonitorState.updateState();
-  if (online) {
-    log('monitorConnection: online', data);
-  } else {
-    log('monitorConnection: offline', msg);
+  if (msg) log('monitorConnection:', { online, data, msg });
+}
+
+async function wsMonitorLoop(url) {
+  try {
+    const ws = new WebSocket(`${url}/queue/join`);
+    ws.onopen = () => {};
+    ws.onmessage = (evt) => updateIndicator(true);
+    ws.onclose = () => setTimeout(() => wsMonitorLoop(url), 10000);
+    ws.onerror = (e) => {
+      updateIndicator(false, {}, e.message);
+      setTimeout(() => monitorConnection(url), 10000); // eslint-disable-line no-use-before-define
+    };
+  } catch (e) {
+    updateIndicator(false, {}, e.message);
+    setTimeout(() => monitorConnection(url), 10000); // eslint-disable-line no-use-before-define
   }
 }
 
+let monitorActive = false;
+
 async function monitorConnection() {
+  if (!monitorActive) { // start monitor loop only once on startup
+    monitorActive = true;
+    monitorOption('sd_model_checkpoint', (newVal) => { // runs before opt actually changes
+      ConnectionMonitorState.model = newVal;
+      ConnectionMonitorState.updateState();
+    });
+  }
+  ConnectionMonitorState.startup = new Date();
+
+  let data = {};
   try {
     const res = await authFetch(`${window.api}/version`);
-    const data = await res.json();
-    const url = res.url.split('/sdapi')[0].replace('http', 'ws'); // update global url as ws need fqdn
-    const ws = new WebSocket(`${url}/queue/join`);
-    ws.onopen = () => updateIndicator(true, data, '');
-    ws.onclose = () => updateIndicator(false, data, '');
-    ws.onerror = (e) => updateIndicator(false, data, e.message);
-    ws.onmessage = (evt) => log('monitorConnection: message', evt.data);
-  } catch { /**/ }
+    data = await res.json();
+    log('monitorConnection:', { data });
+    ConnectionMonitorState.startup = new Date();
+    updateIndicator(true, data);
+    const url = res.url.split('/sdapi')[0].replace('https:', 'wss:').replace('http:', 'ws:'); // update global url as ws need fqdn
+    wsMonitorLoop(url);
+  } catch {
+    monitorConnection(false, data);
+    setTimeout(monitorConnection, 10000);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/javascript/startup.js b/javascript/startup.js
index 8f512572b..5f6b3f926 100644
--- a/javascript/startup.js
+++ b/javascript/startup.js
@@ -30,22 +30,21 @@ async function initStartup() {
   if (window.setupLogger) await setupLogger();
 
   // all items here are non-blocking async calls
-  await initModels();
-  await getUIDefaults();
-  await initPromptChecker();
-  await initContextMenu();
-  await initDragDrop();
-  await initAccordions();
-  await initSettings();
-  await initImageViewer();
-  await initiGenerationParams();
-  await initChangelog();
-  await setupControlUI();
+  initModels();
+  getUIDefaults();
+  initPromptChecker();
+  initContextMenu();
+  initDragDrop();
+  initAccordions();
+  initSettings();
+  initImageViewer();
+  initiGenerationParams();
+  initChangelog();
+  setupControlUI();
 
   // reconnect server session
   await reconnectUI();
   await waitForOpts();
-
   await initGallery();
 
   log('mountURL', window.opts.subpath);
@@ -60,6 +59,7 @@ async function initStartup() {
 
   // optinally wait for modern ui
   if (window.waitForUiReady) await waitForUiReady();
+  monitorConnection();
   removeSplash();
 
   // post startup tasks that may take longer but are not critical
diff --git a/javascript/ui.js b/javascript/ui.js
index 27f159385..e76d55611 100644
--- a/javascript/ui.js
+++ b/javascript/ui.js
@@ -630,5 +630,4 @@ async function reconnectUI() {
   const sd_model_observer = new MutationObserver(sd_model_callback);
   sd_model_observer.observe(sd_model, { attributes: true, childList: true, subtree: true });
   log('reconnectUI');
-  monitorConnection();
 }