diff --git a/mobile/app/index.tsx b/mobile/app/index.tsx
index 3c8c18f7ebc..47034eb8abf 100644
--- a/mobile/app/index.tsx
+++ b/mobile/app/index.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@ import type { RpcClient } from '../src/transport/rpc-client'
 import { sendSingleFlightRequest } from '../src/transport/request-single-flight'
 import { useCloseHost, useForceReconnect, usePrimeHosts } from '../src/transport/client-context'
 import { useAllHostClients } from '../src/transport/all-host-client-connections'
-import { selectHomeAutoConnectHostIds } from '../src/transport/home-host-auto-connect'
+import {
+  resolveHomeHostConnectionState,
+  selectHomeAutoConnectHostIds
+} from '../src/transport/home-host-auto-connect'
 import { classifyConnection } from '../src/transport/connection-health'
 import { subscribeToDesktopNotifications } from '../src/notifications/mobile-notifications'
 import {
@@ -777,7 +780,11 @@ export default function HomeScreen() {
           }
           ItemSeparatorComponent={CardGap}
           renderItem={({ item }) => {
-            const state = hostStates[item.id] ?? 'connecting'
+            const state = resolveHomeHostConnectionState(
+              item.id,
+              hostStates[item.id],
+              autoConnectHostIds
+            )
             const attempts = hostAttempts[item.id] ?? 0
             const lastConnectedAt = hostLastConnected[item.id] ?? null
             const info = worktreeInfo[item.id]
@@ -975,7 +982,11 @@ export default function HomeScreen() {
           if (!host) {
             return []
           }
-          const state = hostStates[host.id] ?? 'connecting'
+          const state = resolveHomeHostConnectionState(
+            host.id,
+            hostStates[host.id],
+            autoConnectHostIds
+          )
           const isLive =
             state === 'connected' ||
             state === 'connecting' ||
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/all-host-client-connections.ts b/mobile/src/transport/all-host-client-connections.ts
index e06ed1e62a4..ae64b46ad05 100644
--- a/mobile/src/transport/all-host-client-connections.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/all-host-client-connections.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ export function useAllHostClients(hostIds: string[], options?: UseAllHostClients
         ctx.release(id)
       }
     }
-    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [key])
 
   return useMemo(() => {
@@ -56,6 +55,5 @@ export function useAllHostClients(hostIds: string[], options?: UseAllHostClients
         ? [{ hostId, client, state: ctx.getState(hostId), path: ctx.getActivePath(hostId) }]
         : []
     })
-    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [key, tick])
 }
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/client-context.test.ts b/mobile/src/transport/client-context.test.ts
index 86dbbcdb816..d697015a622 100644
--- a/mobile/src/transport/client-context.test.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/client-context.test.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ vi.mock('./connection-revival-triggers', () => ({
   subscribeConnectionRevivalTriggers: () => () => {}
 }))
 
-import { RpcClientProvider, useCloseHost, useHostClient } from './client-context'
+import { RpcClientProvider, useCloseHost, useForceReconnect, useHostClient } from './client-context'
 import { useAllHostClients } from './all-host-client-connections'
+import { selectHomeAutoConnectHostIds } from './home-host-auto-connect'
 
 type FakeClient = RpcClient & {
   emitState: (state: ConnectionState) => void
@@ -344,4 +345,95 @@ describe('useAllHostClients', () => {
       act(() => renderer?.unmount())
     }
   })
+
+  it('keeps startup connection fanout constant for a large saved-host list', async () => {
+    const hosts = Array.from({ length: 1_000 }, (_, index) => ({
+      ...HOST,
+      id: `host-${index}`,
+      name: `Host ${index}`,
+      lastConnected: index
+    }))
+    const hostIds = hosts.map((host) => host.id)
+    const autoConnectHostIds = selectHomeAutoConnectHostIds(hosts)
+    connectMock.mockReturnValue(makeFakeClient('connected'))
+    loadHostsMock.mockResolvedValue(hosts)
+
+    let renderer: ReactTestRenderer | null = null
+    function Probe(): null {
+      useAllHostClients(hostIds, { autoConnectHostIds })
+      return null
+    }
+
+    const restore = suppressReactTestRendererDeprecationWarning()
+    try {
+      await act(async () => {
+        renderer = create(createElement(RpcClientProvider, null, createElement(Probe)))
+        await Promise.resolve()
+      })
+      expect(connectMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3)
+      expect(connectMock.mock.calls.map(([host]) => host.id)).toEqual([
+        'host-999',
+        'host-998',
+        'host-997'
+      ])
+    } finally {
+      restore()
+      act(() => renderer?.unmount())
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('retains connect-all behavior when no startup subset is provided', async () => {
+    const host2 = { ...HOST, id: 'host-2', name: 'Host 2' }
+    connectMock.mockReturnValue(makeFakeClient('connected'))
+    loadHostsMock.mockResolvedValue([HOST, host2])
+
+    let renderer: ReactTestRenderer | null = null
+    function Probe(): null {
+      useAllHostClients([HOST.id, host2.id])
+      return null
+    }
+
+    const restore = suppressReactTestRendererDeprecationWarning()
+    try {
+      await act(async () => {
+        renderer = create(createElement(RpcClientProvider, null, createElement(Probe)))
+        await Promise.resolve()
+      })
+      expect(connectMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    } finally {
+      restore()
+      act(() => renderer?.unmount())
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('allows an excluded host to connect manually', async () => {
+    connectMock.mockReturnValue(makeFakeClient('connected'))
+    loadHostsMock.mockResolvedValue([HOST])
+
+    let reconnect: ((hostId: string) => Promise<void>) | null = null
+    let renderer: ReactTestRenderer | null = null
+    function Probe(): null {
+      useAllHostClients([HOST.id], { autoConnectHostIds: [] })
+      reconnect = useForceReconnect()
+      return null
+    }
+
+    const restore = suppressReactTestRendererDeprecationWarning()
+    try {
+      await act(async () => {
+        renderer = create(createElement(RpcClientProvider, null, createElement(Probe)))
+      })
+      expect(connectMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      if (!reconnect) {
+        throw new Error('reconnect harness did not initialize')
+      }
+      await act(async () => {
+        await reconnect?.(HOST.id)
+      })
+      expect(connectMock).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    } finally {
+      restore()
+      act(() => renderer?.unmount())
+    }
+  })
 })
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/home-host-auto-connect.test.ts b/mobile/src/transport/home-host-auto-connect.test.ts
index 53f0bafce1d..ecf04934809 100644
--- a/mobile/src/transport/home-host-auto-connect.test.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/home-host-auto-connect.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 import type { HostProfile } from './types'
-import { HOME_AUTO_CONNECT_LIMIT, selectHomeAutoConnectHostIds } from './home-host-auto-connect'
+import {
+  HOME_AUTO_CONNECT_LIMIT,
+  resolveHomeHostConnectionState,
+  selectHomeAutoConnectHostIds
+} from './home-host-auto-connect'
 
 function host(id: string, lastConnected: number, credentials = true): HostProfile {
   return {
@@ -13,7 +17,7 @@ function host(id: string, lastConnected: number, credentials = true): HostProfil
   }
 }
 
-describe('selectHomeAutoConnectHostIds', () => {
+describe('home host auto-connect', () => {
   it('limits startup connections to the most recently used credentialed hosts', () => {
     const hosts = [
       host('old', 1),
@@ -35,4 +39,18 @@ describe('selectHomeAutoConnectHostIds', () => {
 
     expect(hosts.map((item) => item.id)).toEqual(['old', 'new'])
   })
+
+  it('only presents hosts in the startup subset as connecting before clients open', () => {
+    const autoConnectHostIds = ['recent']
+
+    expect(resolveHomeHostConnectionState('recent', undefined, autoConnectHostIds)).toBe(
+      'connecting'
+    )
+    expect(resolveHomeHostConnectionState('stale', undefined, autoConnectHostIds)).toBe(
+      'disconnected'
+    )
+    expect(resolveHomeHostConnectionState('stale', 'connected', autoConnectHostIds)).toBe(
+      'connected'
+    )
+  })
 })
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/home-host-auto-connect.ts b/mobile/src/transport/home-host-auto-connect.ts
index 94bb8ab2bd1..995d653a0df 100644
--- a/mobile/src/transport/home-host-auto-connect.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/home-host-auto-connect.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { HostProfile } from './types'
+import type { ConnectionState, HostProfile } from './types'
 
 export const HOME_AUTO_CONNECT_LIMIT = 3
 
@@ -14,3 +14,11 @@ export function selectHomeAutoConnectHostIds(
     .slice(0, Math.max(0, limit))
     .map((host) => host.id)
 }
+
+export function resolveHomeHostConnectionState(
+  hostId: string,
+  state: ConnectionState | undefined,
+  autoConnectHostIds: readonly string[]
+): ConnectionState {
+  return state ?? (autoConnectHostIds.includes(hostId) ? 'connecting' : 'disconnected')
+}