diff --git a/console/index.html b/console/index.html
index 4df21cb..b6cadc2 100644
--- a/console/index.html
+++ b/console/index.html
@@ -147,7 +147,16 @@
         </div>
         <div class="drilldown-resizer" id="drilldown-resizer" title="Drag to resize"></div>
         <div class="drilldown-side" id="drilldown-side">
-          <section id="identity" class="identity-wrap"></section>
+          <!-- Identity (who's managing this cluster) and Remote (the live ACP
+               connection that powers Agent chat below) read as one unit — both
+               are supporting status for the same persistent chat, just two
+               different failure modes (bad credentials vs. no connection) —
+               so they're visually one box (`.mgmt-combo`) though still two
+               independently-rendered/tested sections. -->
+          <div class="mgmt-combo">
+            <section id="identity" class="identity-wrap"></section>
+            <section id="remote" class="remote-wrap"></section>
+          </div>
           <section id="chat" class="chat-wrap">
             <div class="chat-head">
               <span class="chat-title">Agent chat</span>
@@ -175,7 +184,6 @@
         <div id="cfg-editor-mount" class="cfg-editor-mount"></div>
         <div class="cfg-editor-error" id="cfg-editor-error" hidden></div>
       </section>
-      <section id="remote" class="remote-wrap"></section>
       <!-- Compose (agent-deployment-templates.md: author library → preview →
            deploy_provision) is the one surface Part C didn't fully relocate —
            `[+ New fleet]`/`[+ Add instance]` (slice 5) reach the same engine as
diff --git a/console/src/main.ts b/console/src/main.ts
index 2330012..e114d55 100644
--- a/console/src/main.ts
+++ b/console/src/main.ts
@@ -298,13 +298,14 @@ async function refreshRemote(): Promise<void> {
 // `activeFleet === null` shows the Fleets screen (the `#config` list); a
 // selected fleet shows Fleet detail (breadcrumb header + the members roster,
 // with each member drilling further into its Agent console — slice 3) instead.
-// Remote (management-connection setup) and Compose (template/bundle authoring)
-// are Fleets-screen concerns — not relevant once drilled into a fleet/agent, so
-// they hide alongside it.
+// Compose (template/bundle authoring) is a Fleets-screen concern — not
+// relevant once drilled into a fleet/agent, so it hides alongside it. Remote
+// now lives in the persistent side column (`.mgmt-combo`, next to Identity) —
+// it stays visible at every depth, same as Identity and Agent chat, since
+// it's the connection status backing that same persistent chat.
 function updateScreen(): void {
   if (configEl) configEl.hidden = activeFleet !== null;
   if (fleetDetailEl) fleetDetailEl.hidden = activeFleet === null;
-  if (remoteEl) remoteEl.hidden = activeFleet !== null;
   if (composeStandaloneEl) composeStandaloneEl.hidden = activeFleet !== null;
   if (activeFleet && fdHeaderEl) renderFleetDetailHeader(fdHeaderEl, activeFleet);
 }
@@ -720,7 +721,11 @@ async function scale(
 // already-tested path via a synthetic click rather than duplicating the
 // open/dial/teardown logic here. Tries the service-name form first, then the
 // short name — the same precedence `filterByMembers` uses for fleet members.
-function openAgentForRow(svc: string, alt: string): void {
+// `source` is the roster row button that was clicked — every "can't open"
+// path flashes feedback on it, since `note()` alone only reaches the (closed)
+// Debug drawer's Activity tab and a click that does nothing there reads as
+// the roster row simply not working.
+function openAgentForRow(svc: string, alt: string, source: HTMLButtonElement): void {
   const btn =
     document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(
       `#agent-list [data-agent="${CSS.escape(svc)}"]`,
@@ -728,14 +733,28 @@ function openAgentForRow(svc: string, alt: string): void {
     document.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(
       `#agent-list [data-agent="${CSS.escape(alt)}"]`,
     );
-  if (btn) {
+  if (btn && !btn.disabled) {
     btn.click();
-  } else {
-    note(
-      "info",
-      `agents: no agent console registered for "${svc}" — add it to agents.toml to open one`,
-    );
+    return;
   }
+  const reason = btn
+    ? "registered in agents.toml but not configured (no url/token)"
+    : "no matching agents.toml entry — or it's the management agent, whose console is already open above";
+  note("info", `agents: "${alt}" ${reason} — nothing opened`);
+  flashRowFeedback(source, btn ? "not configured" : "no console");
+}
+
+// Briefly relabel the clicked roster button so a click that can't open a
+// console still visibly does *something*, instead of looking identical to a
+// dead button.
+function flashRowFeedback(btn: HTMLButtonElement, label: string): void {
+  const original = btn.textContent;
+  btn.disabled = true;
+  btn.textContent = label;
+  setTimeout(() => {
+    btn.textContent = original;
+    btn.disabled = false;
+  }, 1800);
 }
 
 // One delegated listener on the roster. Start executes on click; Stop is
@@ -749,7 +768,7 @@ if (roster) {
     const openBtn = target.closest<HTMLButtonElement>("button.row-open");
     if (openBtn) {
       const { openAgent, openAgentAlt } = openBtn.dataset;
-      if (openAgent) openAgentForRow(openAgent, openAgentAlt ?? openAgent);
+      if (openAgent) openAgentForRow(openAgent, openAgentAlt ?? openAgent, openBtn);
       return;
     }
     const btn = target.closest<HTMLButtonElement>("button.act");
diff --git a/console/src/styles.css b/console/src/styles.css
index 39dab47..ec792a3 100644
--- a/console/src/styles.css
+++ b/console/src/styles.css
@@ -239,7 +239,18 @@ body {
   flex-direction: column;
   gap: 12px;
 }
-.drilldown-side > .identity-wrap {
+.drilldown-side > .mgmt-combo {
+  margin: 0;
+}
+/* Identity + Remote render as two independent sections (still separately
+   testable pure functions) but share one border/background so they read as
+   one status box — see the HTML comment above `.mgmt-combo`. */
+.mgmt-combo {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+}
+.mgmt-combo .identity-wrap,
+.mgmt-combo .remote-wrap {
   margin: 0;
 }
 .drilldown-side > .chat-wrap {
@@ -572,7 +583,8 @@ button.act:disabled {
 .identity {
   border: 1px solid var(--border);
   border-left: 3px solid var(--s-running);
-  border-radius: 6px;
+  border-bottom: none;
+  border-radius: 6px 6px 0 0;
   background: var(--panel);
   padding: 10px 12px;
   font-size: 13px;
@@ -894,7 +906,7 @@ button.act:disabled {
 }
 .remote {
   border: 1px solid var(--border);
-  border-radius: 6px;
+  border-radius: 0 0 6px 6px;
   background: var(--panel);
   padding: 10px 12px;
   font-size: 13px;