diff --git a/src/gui/views/goblin/mod.rs b/src/gui/views/goblin/mod.rs
index 3b944a8..b2bbf17 100644
--- a/src/gui/views/goblin/mod.rs
+++ b/src/gui/views/goblin/mod.rs
@@ -168,11 +168,25 @@ struct ClaimState {
 }
 
 enum ClaimMsg {
-	Availability(bool),
+	Availability(crate::nostr::nip05::Availability),
 	Registered(String),
 	Error(String),
 }
 
+/// Map an availability probe to user-facing state: `None` availability
+/// means the check itself failed — never present that as "Taken".
+fn availability_feedback(avail: crate::nostr::nip05::Availability) -> (Option<bool>, &'static str) {
+	use crate::nostr::nip05::Availability::*;
+	match avail {
+		Available => (Some(true), "Available!"),
+		Taken => (Some(false), "Taken"),
+		Reserved => (Some(false), "Reserved"),
+		Invalid => (Some(false), "Names are 3–30 chars: a–z, 0–9, _ or -"),
+		Quarantined => (Some(false), "Not available"),
+		Unknown => (None, "Couldn't check — connection hiccup. Try again."),
+	}
+}
+
 impl Default for ClaimState {
 	fn default() -> Self {
 		Self {
@@ -2099,13 +2113,10 @@ impl GoblinWalletView {
 		if let Some(msg) = claim.result.lock().unwrap().take() {
 			claim.checking = false;
 			match msg {
-				ClaimMsg::Availability(ok) => {
-					claim.available = Some(ok);
-					claim.message = Some(if ok {
-						"Available!".into()
-					} else {
-						"Taken".into()
-					});
+				ClaimMsg::Availability(avail) => {
+					let (available, msg) = availability_feedback(avail);
+					claim.available = available;
+					claim.message = Some(msg.to_string());
 				}
 				ClaimMsg::Registered(nip05) => {
 					claim.message = Some(format!("Registered {}", nip05));
@@ -2156,10 +2167,10 @@ impl GoblinWalletView {
 				ui.label(
 					RichText::new(msg)
 						.font(FontId::new(13.0, fonts::regular()))
-						.color(if claim.available == Some(false) {
-							t.neg
-						} else {
-							t.pos
+						.color(match claim.available {
+							Some(false) => t.neg,
+							Some(true) => t.pos,
+							None => t.surface_text_dim,
 						}),
 				);
 			}
@@ -2227,7 +2238,7 @@ fn start_claim_check(claim: &mut ClaimState, name: &str, wallet: &Wallet) {
 			Err(_) => return,
 		};
 		let avail = rt.block_on(crate::nostr::nip05::check_availability(&server, &name));
-		let msg = ClaimMsg::Availability(avail == crate::nostr::nip05::Availability::Available);
+		let msg = ClaimMsg::Availability(avail);
 		*slot.lock().unwrap() = Some(msg);
 	});
 }
diff --git a/src/gui/views/goblin/onboarding.rs b/src/gui/views/goblin/onboarding.rs
index 094d309..381cd67 100644
--- a/src/gui/views/goblin/onboarding.rs
+++ b/src/gui/views/goblin/onboarding.rs
@@ -732,13 +732,10 @@ impl OnboardingContent {
 		if let Some(msg) = self.claim.result.lock().unwrap().take() {
 			self.claim.checking = false;
 			match msg {
-				ClaimMsg::Availability(ok) => {
-					self.claim.available = Some(ok);
-					self.claim.message = Some(if ok {
-						"Available!".into()
-					} else {
-						"Taken".into()
-					});
+				ClaimMsg::Availability(avail) => {
+					let (available, msg) = super::availability_feedback(avail);
+					self.claim.available = available;
+					self.claim.message = Some(msg.to_string());
 				}
 				ClaimMsg::Registered(nip05) => {
 					self.claim.message =
@@ -805,10 +802,10 @@ impl OnboardingContent {
 					ui.label(
 						RichText::new(msg)
 							.font(FontId::new(13.0, fonts::regular()))
-							.color(if self.claim.available == Some(false) {
-								t.neg
-							} else {
-								t.pos
+							.color(match self.claim.available {
+								Some(false) => t.neg,
+								Some(true) => t.pos,
+								None => t.surface_text_dim,
 							}),
 					);
 				}
diff --git a/src/tor/tor.rs b/src/tor/tor.rs
index fee340f..11f7a5b 100644
--- a/src/tor/tor.rs
+++ b/src/tor/tor.rs
@@ -401,16 +401,19 @@ impl Tor {
 	/// Perform an HTTP request over the embedded Tor client with optional
 	/// headers, returning the response body. Used for NIP-05 and price APIs.
 	/// Retries with a fresh isolated circuit: single-circuit connect failures
-	/// right after bootstrap are common and transient.
+	/// right after bootstrap are common and transient, and fresh circuits
+	/// fail for tens of seconds while arti refreshes its directory consensus
+	/// over the bridge (existing circuits keep working) — back off long
+	/// enough to ride a refresh out.
 	pub async fn http_request(
 		method: &str,
 		url: String,
 		body: Option<String>,
 		headers: Vec<(String, String)>,
 	) -> Option<String> {
-		for attempt in 0..3 {
+		for attempt in 0..5 {
 			if attempt > 0 {
-				tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1500)).await;
+				tokio::time::sleep(Duration::from_secs(1 << (attempt - 1))).await;
 			}
 			let resp =
 				Self::http_request_once(method, url.clone(), body.clone(), headers.clone()).await;