diff --git a/src/main/ssh/orcad-migration-conflict-guidance.test.ts b/src/main/ssh/orcad-migration-conflict-guidance.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a9c4e942be7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/ssh/orcad-migration-conflict-guidance.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { orcadMigrationConflictGuidance } from './orcad-migration-conflict-guidance'
+
+const NO_DESKTOP_STEP = [
+  'project_group_id',
+  'folder_workspace_id',
+  'dormant_id',
+  'dormant_focus',
+  'client_state',
+  'close_intent_destination',
+  'snapshot_destination'
+]
+
+describe('orcad migration conflict guidance', () => {
+  // Why no UI words here: this text also reaches clients that have no plain SSH terminal.
+  it('names the code for every conflict retrying can’t clear, and no client-only action', () => {
+    for (const kind of NO_DESKTOP_STEP) {
+      const text = orcadMigrationConflictGuidance(
+        new Error(`orcad_migration_${kind}_conflict:ui:workspaceHostScope`)
+      )
+      expect(text).toContain('Retrying won’t clear it.')
+      expect(text).not.toContain('plain SSH')
+      expect(text).toContain(`orcad_migration_${kind}_conflict`)
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the specific way out where the desktop has one', () => {
+    expect(
+      orcadMigrationConflictGuidance(
+        new Error('orcad_migration_repository_path_conflict:/home/me/app')
+      )
+    ).toContain('remove that project from this desktop and connect again')
+  })
+
+  it('is null for anything that is not a conflict', () => {
+    expect(orcadMigrationConflictGuidance(new Error('ECONNRESET'))).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/OpenPlainSshTerminalButton.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/OpenPlainSshTerminalButton.tsx
index 75f6197a195..8d3a7b8c7f7 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/OpenPlainSshTerminalButton.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/OpenPlainSshTerminalButton.tsx
@@ -23,13 +23,22 @@ export function OpenPlainSshTerminalButton({
     return null
   }
   return (
-    <Button
-      type="button"
-      size="xs"
-      variant="outline"
-      onClick={() => showPlainSshPanel(targetId, targetLabel)}
-    >
-      {translate('auto.components.plainSshTerminal.open', 'Open plain SSH terminal')}
-    </Button>
+    <span className="inline-flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
+      <Button
+        type="button"
+        size="xs"
+        variant="outline"
+        onClick={() => showPlainSshPanel(targetId, targetLabel)}
+      >
+        {translate('auto.components.plainSshTerminal.open', 'Open plain SSH terminal')}
+      </Button>
+      {/* The next step for any block, including ones retrying can't clear. */}
+      <span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+        {translate(
+          'auto.components.plainSshTerminal.openHint',
+          'Keeps you working on the host while Orca can’t set up there.'
+        )}
+      </span>
+    </span>
   )
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalPanels.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalPanels.test.tsx
index c653b30619c..bf8e667e4d3 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalPanels.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalPanels.test.tsx
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ describe('plain SSH terminal', () => {
     render(<Harness status={blocked} />)
     await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Open plain SSH terminal' }))
     expect(await screen.findByText(/couldn’t find OpenSSH/)).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(document.querySelector('[data-plain-ssh-screen]')).toHaveClass('hidden')
   })
 
   it('hangs up when its window closes', async () => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalPanels.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalPanels.tsx
index 638efb15489..e9404d35602 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalPanels.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalPanels.tsx
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ function PlainSshTerminalCard({ panel }: { panel: PlainSshPanel }): React.JSX.El
       // Why hidden, not unmounted: minimizing must keep the SSH session and its scrollback.
       className={cn(
         'pointer-events-auto flex h-[26rem] w-[min(44rem,calc(100vw-2rem))] flex-col overflow-hidden rounded-xl border border-border bg-card text-card-foreground shadow-floating',
+        // A failed open has only its error to show.
+        phase.kind === 'failed' && 'h-auto',
         panel.minimized && 'hidden'
       )}
     >
@@ -105,7 +107,11 @@ function PlainSshTerminalCard({ panel }: { panel: PlainSshPanel }): React.JSX.El
       {message ? (
         <p className="px-3 py-1.5 text-xs text-destructive [overflow-wrap:anywhere]">{message}</p>
       ) : null}
-      <div className="min-h-0 flex-1">
+      {/* An empty terminal under a failed open's error would read as a live session. */}
+      <div
+        data-plain-ssh-screen
+        className={cn('min-h-0 flex-1', phase.kind === 'failed' && 'hidden')}
+      >
         <PlainSshTerminalView
           targetId={panel.targetId}
           hidden={panel.minimized}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalView.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalView.tsx
index ed6930a51e9..d8895fb866e 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalView.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/plain-ssh-terminal/PlainSshTerminalView.tsx
@@ -314,5 +314,18 @@ export function PlainSshTerminalView({
     }
   }, [hidden])
 
-  return <div ref={containerRef} className="size-full min-h-0 overflow-hidden px-2 py-1" />
+  // Why the theme's background: fit leaves a remainder of pixels beside the grid that must not show the card.
+  const themeBackground = resolveThemeColors(settings, systemPrefersDark).theme?.background
+  // A translucent theme is painted once by xterm already; painting it again would darken the grid.
+  // Same test as xterm's allowTransparency (preview-terminal-options), not the rgba form opacity 1 also takes.
+  const translucent =
+    settings?.terminalBackgroundOpacity !== undefined && settings.terminalBackgroundOpacity < 1
+  const background = translucent ? undefined : themeBackground
+  return (
+    <div
+      ref={containerRef}
+      className="size-full min-h-0 overflow-hidden px-2 py-1"
+      style={background ? { backgroundColor: background } : undefined}
+    />
+  )
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
index 91c855b80fc..45ab0cfe584 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
+++ b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
@@ -18598,7 +18598,8 @@
         "alreadyOpen": "Another Orca window already has a plain SSH terminal open to this host.",
         "endedBySignal": "ssh was stopped (signal {{signal}}). Close this window when you’re done reading.",
         "cancelled": "This plain SSH terminal was closed before it started.",
-        "terminalUnavailable": "Orca couldn’t open a terminal here."
+        "terminalUnavailable": "Orca couldn’t open a terminal here.",
+        "openHint": "Keeps you working on the host while Orca can’t set up there."
       }
     },
     "i18n": {