@@ -1387,6 +1387,34 @@ describe("resolveThreadStatusPill", () => {
     ).toMatchObject({ label: "Failed", pulse: false });
   });
 
+  it("shows failed for a thread nobody has opened yet", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveThreadStatusPill({
+        thread: {
+          ...baseThread,
+          interactionMode: "default",
+          latestRun: { ...makeLatestRun(), status: "failed" },
+          lastVisitedAt: null,
+          runtime: { ...baseThread.runtime, status: "failed", activeRunId: null },
+        },
+      }),
+    ).toMatchObject({ label: "Failed" });
+  });
+
+  it("shows failed, not plan ready, when a plan run proposed a plan and then failed", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveThreadStatusPill({
+        thread: {
+          ...baseThread,
+          hasActionableProposedPlan: true,
+          latestRun: { ...makeLatestRun(), status: "failed" },
+          lastVisitedAt: "2026-03-09T10:04:00.000Z",
+          runtime: { ...baseThread.runtime, status: "failed", activeRunId: null },
+        },
+      }),
+    ).toMatchObject({ label: "Failed" });
+  });
+
   it("drops the failed pill once the failure has been seen", () => {
     expect(
       resolveThreadStatusPill({
 
@@ -720,6 +720,20 @@ export function hasUnseenCompletion(thread: ThreadStatusInput): boolean {
   return completedAt > lastVisitedAt;
 }
 
+/**
+ * A failed latest run the person hasn't looked at since it ended. Unlike a
+ * completion, a thread nobody has opened yet (an automation's, say) counts:
+ * its failure still needs someone.
+ */
+export function hasUnseenFailure(thread: ThreadStatusInput): boolean {
+  if (thread.latestRun?.status !== "failed") return false;
+  if (!thread.lastVisitedAt) return true;
+  const completedAt = Date.parse(thread.latestRun.completedAt ?? "");
+  const lastVisitedAt = Date.parse(thread.lastVisitedAt);
+  if (Number.isNaN(completedAt) || Number.isNaN(lastVisitedAt)) return true;
+  return completedAt > lastVisitedAt;
+}
+
 export function shouldClearThreadSelectionOnMouseDown(target: HTMLElement | null): boolean {
   if (target === null) return true;
   return !target.closest(THREAD_SELECTION_SAFE_SELECTOR);
@@ -1133,6 +1147,15 @@ export function resolveThreadStatusPill(input: {
     };
   }
 
+  if (hasUnseenFailure(thread)) {
+    return {
+      label: "Failed",
+      colorClass: "text-red-600 dark:text-red-300/90",
+      dotClass: "bg-red-500 dark:bg-red-300/90",
+      pulse: false,
+    };
+  }
+
   const hasPlanReadyPrompt =
     !thread.hasPendingUserInput &&
     thread.interactionMode === "plan" &&
@@ -1147,15 +1170,6 @@ export function resolveThreadStatusPill(input: {
     };
   }
 
-  if (hasUnseenCompletion(thread) && thread.latestRun?.status === "failed") {
-    return {
-      label: "Failed",
-      colorClass: "text-red-600 dark:text-red-300/90",
-      dotClass: "bg-red-500 dark:bg-red-300/90",
-      pulse: false,
-    };
-  }
-
   if (hasUnseenCompletion(thread)) {
     return {
       label: "Completed",