diff --git a/docs/operations.md b/docs/operations.md
index 94416f7..e0e2536 100644
--- a/docs/operations.md
+++ b/docs/operations.md
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ An agent error (a turn that ends in error without a human interrupt, a process t
 
 ### Away
 
-A user who is away has byre answer their agents' questions instead of waiting (`internal/agents/away.go`). `users.away`, `away` on `GET /api/me`, is set with `PUT /api/me/away` (`Manager.SetAway`), which records `user.updated`. While it is on, every question filed by `ask_human` in a task the user created is answered at once, as that user, with an `other` response of `awayText`: pick the most likely answer and carry on; fork with the `fork` tool (see "Forking") only when strongly convinced both answers are worth following; don't guess at what only the user can give (a test result, a password, a permission), and carry on with other work or end the turn instead; and no authorization is granted. The tool's result says so, and the answer is delivered like any other, usually mid-turn right after the `ask_human` call, so it gets an `answer` snapshot and the user can **Answer again** with their own answer when back. Turning it on answers the user's tasks' questions already open the same way; turning it off lets new questions wait again. The app's Away button, at the right end of the window's toolbar (a `primaryAction` toolbar item, apart from the server picker), shows on (accent) when the user is away on any connected server and sets all of them to the opposite on click, so a mixed state is always cleared by one click. `sqlite3 byre.db "SELECT login FROM users WHERE away = 1"` lists who is away.
+A user who is away has byre answer their agents' questions instead of waiting (`internal/agents/away.go`). `users.away`, `away` on `GET /api/me`, is set with `PUT /api/me/away` (`Manager.SetAway`), which records `user.updated`. While it is on, every question filed by `ask_human` in a task the user created is answered at once, as that user, with an `other` response of `awayText`: pick the most likely answer and carry on; fork with the `fork` tool (see "Forking") only when strongly convinced both answers are worth following; don't guess at what only the user can give (a test result, a password, a permission), and carry on with other work or end the turn instead; and no authorization is granted. The tool's result says so, and the answer is delivered like any other, usually mid-turn right after the `ask_human` call, so it gets an `answer` snapshot and the user can **Answer again** with their own answer when back. Turning it on answers the user's tasks' questions already open the same way; turning it off lets new questions wait again. The app's Away button, at the right end of the window's toolbar (a `primaryAction` toolbar item, apart from the server picker), shows on when the user is away on any connected server, as an outlined warn-coloured "AWAY · click when back" pill, and sets all of them to the opposite on click, so a mixed state is always cleared by one click. While away, each time the app becomes active, and when any server finishes connecting while the app is active (so a launch asks too), it asks "You're still away … Are you back?" in a modal; "I'm back" turns Away off on every server, "Stay away" (or Escape) leaves it on. `sqlite3 byre.db "SELECT login FROM users WHERE away = 1"` lists who is away.
 
 ## Notifications
 
diff --git a/mac/Sources/Byre/Startup.swift b/mac/Sources/Byre/Startup.swift
index a418c4c..c607e6c 100644
--- a/mac/Sources/Byre/Startup.swift
+++ b/mac/Sources/Byre/Startup.swift
@@ -496,6 +496,31 @@ struct ServerWindow: View {
                 adopt(new.filter { !old.contains($0) })
             }
             .onAppear(perform: appeared)
+            .onReceive(NotificationCenter.default.publisher(for: NSApplication.didBecomeActiveNotification)) { _ in
+                remindAway()
+            }
+            .onChange(of: Set(Servers.shared.origins.filter { Servers.shared.connections[$0]?.store != nil })) { old, new in
+                if !new.isSubset(of: old), NSApp.isActive {
+                    remindAway()
+                }
+            }
+    }
+
+    private func remindAway() {
+        guard awayStores().contains(where: { $0.me?.away == true }), let overlays = connection?.overlays, overlays.modal == nil else {
+            return
+        }
+        Task {
+            let content = VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 12) {
+                Text("You're still away")
+                    .foregroundStyle(Palette.warn)
+                ModalText(text: "byre is answering your agents' questions for you, telling them to pick the most likely answer. Are you back?")
+            }
+            let choice = await overlays.showModal(content, [ModalButton(label: "Stay away", value: "cancel"), ModalButton(label: "I'm back", value: "back", primary: true)])
+            if choice == "back" {
+                await setAway(false, awayStores())
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     private func appeared() {
@@ -544,22 +569,39 @@ struct ServerPicker: View {
     }
 }
 
+@MainActor
+private func awayStores() -> [Store] {
+    Servers.shared.origins.compactMap { Servers.shared.connections[$0]?.store }
+}
+
+@MainActor
+private func setAway(_ away: Bool, _ stores: [Store]) async {
+    for store in stores {
+        do {
+            store.me = try await store.api.client.updateAway(body: .json(.init(away: away))).ok.body.json
+        } catch {
+            log.error("set away: \(errorText(error), privacy: .public)")
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 private struct AwayToggle: View {
     @ViewState private var hover = false
     @ViewState private var busy = false
 
     var body: some View {
-        let stores = Servers.shared.origins.compactMap { Servers.shared.connections[$0]?.store }
+        let stores = awayStores()
         let away = stores.contains { $0.me?.away == true }
         if !stores.isEmpty {
             Button {
                 set(!away, stores)
             } label: {
-                Text("Away")
-                    .foregroundStyle(away ? Palette.accent : hover ? Palette.text : Palette.muted)
-                    .padding(.horizontal, 8)
+                Text(away ? "AWAY · click when back" : "Away")
+                    .foregroundStyle(away ? Palette.warn : hover ? Palette.text : Palette.muted)
+                    .padding(.horizontal, away ? 12 : 8)
                     .padding(.vertical, 3)
-                    .background(away ? Palette.accentTint : .clear, in: RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 6))
+                    .background(away ? Palette.warnTint : .clear, in: RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 6))
+                    .overlay(RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 6).stroke(away ? Palette.warn : .clear))
                     .contentShape(Rectangle())
             }
             .buttonStyle(.plain)
@@ -575,13 +617,7 @@ private struct AwayToggle: View {
     private func set(_ away: Bool, _ stores: [Store]) {
         busy = true
         Task {
-            for store in stores {
-                do {
-                    store.me = try await store.api.client.updateAway(body: .json(.init(away: away))).ok.body.json
-                } catch {
-                    log.error("set away: \(errorText(error), privacy: .public)")
-                }
-            }
+            await setAway(away, stores)
             busy = false
         }
     }