diff --git a/codemem/viewer_static/app.js b/codemem/viewer_static/app.js
index 3c431462..cb3605f4 100644
--- a/codemem/viewer_static/app.js
+++ b/codemem/viewer_static/app.js
@@ -248,6 +248,9 @@
     const query = buildProjectParams(project, options?.limit, options?.offset, options?.scope);
     return fetchJson(`/api/summaries?${query}`);
   }
+  async function loadObserverStatus() {
+    return fetchJson("/api/observer-status");
+  }
   async function loadConfig() {
     return fetchJson("/api/config");
   }
@@ -3452,11 +3455,90 @@ Global: ${Number(totalsGlobal.tokens_saved || 0).toLocaleString()} saved` : "";
       saveBtn.disabled = !state.settingsDirty;
     }
   }
+  function formatAuthMethod(method) {
+    switch (method) {
+      case "anthropic_consumer":
+        return "OAuth (Claude Max/Pro)";
+      case "codex_consumer":
+        return "OAuth (ChatGPT subscription)";
+      case "sdk_client":
+        return "API key";
+      case "claude_sidecar":
+        return "Local Claude session";
+      case "opencode_run":
+        return "OpenCode sidecar";
+      default:
+        return method;
+    }
+  }
+  function formatCredentialSources(creds) {
+    const parts = [];
+    if (creds.oauth) parts.push("OAuth");
+    if (creds.api_key) parts.push("API key");
+    if (creds.env_var) parts.push("env var");
+    return parts.length ? parts.join(", ") : "none";
+  }
+  function createEl(tag, className, text) {
+    const el2 = document.createElement(tag);
+    if (className) el2.className = className;
+    if (text) el2.textContent = text;
+    return el2;
+  }
+  function renderObserverStatusBanner(status) {
+    const banner = $("observerStatusBanner");
+    if (!banner) return;
+    if (!status || typeof status !== "object") {
+      banner.hidden = true;
+      return;
+    }
+    banner.textContent = "";
+    const active = status.active;
+    const available = status.available_credentials || {};
+    if (active) {
+      const provider = String(active.provider || "unknown");
+      const model = String(active.model || "");
+      const method = formatAuthMethod(active.auth?.method || "none");
+      const tokenOk = active.auth?.token_present === true;
+      banner.append(createEl("div", "status-label", "Active observer"));
+      const row = createEl("div", "status-active");
+      row.textContent = `${provider} → ${model} via ${method} `;
+      const tokenSpan = createEl("span", tokenOk ? "cred-ok" : "cred-none", tokenOk ? "✓" : "✗");
+      row.append(tokenSpan);
+      banner.append(row);
+    } else {
+      banner.append(createEl("div", "status-label", "Observer status"));
+      banner.append(createEl("div", "status-active", "Not yet initialized (waiting for first session)"));
+    }
+    const credEntries = Object.entries(available).filter(
+      ([, creds]) => creds && typeof creds === "object"
+    );
+    if (credEntries.length) {
+      banner.append(createEl("div", "status-label", "Available credentials"));
+      const row = createEl("div");
+      credEntries.forEach(([provider, creds], idx) => {
+        const c = creds;
+        const sources = formatCredentialSources(c);
+        const hasAny = Object.values(c).some(Boolean);
+        const span = createEl("span", "status-cred");
+        const icon = createEl("span", hasAny ? "cred-ok" : "cred-none", hasAny ? "✓" : "–");
+        span.append(icon);
+        span.append(` ${String(provider)}: ${sources}`);
+        if (idx > 0) row.append(" · ");
+        row.append(span);
+      });
+      banner.append(row);
+    }
+    banner.hidden = false;
+  }
   async function loadConfigData() {
     if (settingsOpen) return;
     try {
-      const payload = await loadConfig();
+      const [payload, status] = await Promise.all([
+        loadConfig(),
+        loadObserverStatus().catch(() => null)
+      ]);
       renderConfigModal(payload);
+      renderObserverStatusBanner(status);
     } catch {
     }
   }
diff --git a/codemem/viewer_static/index.html b/codemem/viewer_static/index.html
index bdbd17d7..81d5e7da 100644
--- a/codemem/viewer_static/index.html
+++ b/codemem/viewer_static/index.html
@@ -1214,6 +1214,35 @@
       }
       .settings-panel { display: none; flex-direction: column; gap: var(--sp-3); }
       .settings-panel.active { display: flex; }
+      .observer-status-banner {
+        display: flex;
+        flex-direction: column;
+        gap: var(--sp-1);
+        padding: var(--sp-2) var(--sp-3);
+        border: 1px solid var(--border);
+        border-radius: var(--radius-md);
+        background: var(--surface-0);
+        font-size: 12px;
+        color: var(--text-secondary);
+        line-height: 1.5;
+      }
+      .observer-status-banner .status-active {
+        color: var(--text-primary);
+        font-weight: 500;
+      }
+      .observer-status-banner .status-label {
+        color: var(--text-tertiary);
+        font-size: 11px;
+        text-transform: uppercase;
+        letter-spacing: 0.06em;
+      }
+      .observer-status-banner .status-cred {
+        display: inline-flex;
+        align-items: center;
+        gap: 4px;
+      }
+      .observer-status-banner .cred-ok { color: var(--semantic-success, #4ade80); }
+      .observer-status-banner .cred-none { color: var(--text-tertiary); }
       .settings-group {
         display: flex;
         flex-direction: column;
@@ -1466,6 +1495,7 @@ <h2 id="settingsTitle">Memory & model settings</h2>
           </div>
 
           <div class="settings-panel active" id="settingsPanelObserver" data-settings-panel="observer">
+            <div id="observerStatusBanner" class="observer-status-banner" hidden></div>
             <div class="settings-group">
               <h3 class="settings-group-title">Connection</h3>
               <div class="field">
diff --git a/viewer_ui/src/lib/api.ts b/viewer_ui/src/lib/api.ts
index a7b8647e..e1155521 100644
--- a/viewer_ui/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/viewer_ui/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ export async function loadSummariesPage(
   return fetchJson(`/api/summaries?${query}`);
 }
 
+export async function loadObserverStatus(): Promise<any> {
+  return fetchJson('/api/observer-status');
+}
+
 export async function loadConfig(): Promise<any> {
   return fetchJson('/api/config');
 }
diff --git a/viewer_ui/src/tabs/settings.ts b/viewer_ui/src/tabs/settings.ts
index 29d1158e..c64b2ba1 100644
--- a/viewer_ui/src/tabs/settings.ts
+++ b/viewer_ui/src/tabs/settings.ts
@@ -786,11 +786,100 @@ export async function saveSettings(startPolling: () => void, refreshCallback: ()
   }
 }
 
+function formatAuthMethod(method: string): string {
+  switch (method) {
+    case 'anthropic_consumer':
+      return 'OAuth (Claude Max/Pro)';
+    case 'codex_consumer':
+      return 'OAuth (ChatGPT subscription)';
+    case 'sdk_client':
+      return 'API key';
+    case 'claude_sidecar':
+      return 'Local Claude session';
+    case 'opencode_run':
+      return 'OpenCode sidecar';
+    default:
+      return method || 'none';
+  }
+}
+
+function formatCredentialSources(creds: Record<string, boolean>): string {
+  const parts: string[] = [];
+  if (creds.oauth) parts.push('OAuth');
+  if (creds.api_key) parts.push('API key');
+  if (creds.env_var) parts.push('env var');
+  return parts.length ? parts.join(', ') : 'none';
+}
+
+function createEl(tag: string, className?: string, text?: string): HTMLElement {
+  const el = document.createElement(tag);
+  if (className) el.className = className;
+  if (text) el.textContent = text;
+  return el;
+}
+
+function renderObserverStatusBanner(status: any) {
+  const banner = $('observerStatusBanner');
+  if (!banner) return;
+
+  if (!status || typeof status !== 'object') {
+    banner.hidden = true;
+    return;
+  }
+
+  banner.textContent = '';
+  const active = status.active;
+  const available = status.available_credentials || {};
+
+  if (active) {
+    const provider = String(active.provider || 'unknown');
+    const model = String(active.model || '');
+    const method = formatAuthMethod(active.auth?.method || 'none');
+    const tokenOk = active.auth?.token_present === true;
+
+    banner.append(createEl('div', 'status-label', 'Active observer'));
+    const row = createEl('div', 'status-active');
+    row.textContent = `${provider} \u2192 ${model} via ${method} `;
+    const tokenSpan = createEl('span', tokenOk ? 'cred-ok' : 'cred-none', tokenOk ? '\u2713' : '\u2717');
+    row.append(tokenSpan);
+    banner.append(row);
+  } else {
+    banner.append(createEl('div', 'status-label', 'Observer status'));
+    banner.append(createEl('div', 'status-active', 'Not yet initialized (waiting for first session)'));
+  }
+
+  const credEntries = Object.entries(available).filter(
+    ([, creds]) => creds && typeof creds === 'object',
+  );
+  if (credEntries.length) {
+    banner.append(createEl('div', 'status-label', 'Available credentials'));
+    const row = createEl('div');
+    credEntries.forEach(([provider, creds], idx) => {
+      const c = creds as Record<string, boolean>;
+      const sources = formatCredentialSources(c);
+      const hasAny = Object.values(c).some(Boolean);
+      const span = createEl('span', 'status-cred');
+      const icon = createEl('span', hasAny ? 'cred-ok' : 'cred-none', hasAny ? '\u2713' : '\u2013');
+      span.append(icon);
+      span.append(` ${String(provider)}: ${sources}`);
+      if (idx > 0) row.append(' \u00b7 ');
+      row.append(span);
+    });
+    banner.append(row);
+  }
+
+  banner.hidden = false;
+}
+
 export async function loadConfigData() {
   if (settingsOpen) return;
   try {
-    const payload = await api.loadConfig();
+    const [payload, status] = await Promise.all([
+      api.loadConfig(),
+      api.loadObserverStatus().catch(() => null),
+    ]);
     renderConfigModal(payload);
+    renderObserverStatusBanner(status);
   } catch {}
 }