diff --git a/crates/colibri-daemon/src/socket.rs b/crates/colibri-daemon/src/socket.rs
index c664f5c..7ad3d79 100644
--- a/crates/colibri-daemon/src/socket.rs
+++ b/crates/colibri-daemon/src/socket.rs
@@ -346,10 +346,14 @@ async fn cmd_status(state: &SharedState) -> ColibriResponse {
     let last_warm_hit = *state.last_warm_cache_hit.read().await;
     let last_warm_tokens = *state.last_warm_hit_tokens.read().await;
 
+    let secured_path = state.config.data_dir.join(".secured");
+    let secured = secured_path.exists();
+
     ColibriResponse::ok(serde_json::json!({
         "daemon": "colibri-daemon",
         "version": env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"),
         "host": state.config.host,
+        "secured": secured,
         "paths": {
             "data_dir": state.config.data_dir,
             "db_path": state.config.db_path,
diff --git a/crates/colibri-glasspane-tui/src/main.rs b/crates/colibri-glasspane-tui/src/main.rs
index c7e2105..446e29f 100644
--- a/crates/colibri-glasspane-tui/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/colibri-glasspane-tui/src/main.rs
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ struct App {
     sessions: Vec<String>,            // all known session IDs
     session_idx: usize,               // which session is selected
     attention_only: bool,             // 'a' filter: show only attention panes
+    secured: Option<bool>,            // node secured state (None = unknown yet)
 }
 
 impl App {
@@ -97,6 +98,7 @@ impl App {
             sessions: Vec::new(),
             session_idx: 0,
             attention_only: false,
+            secured: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -234,6 +236,10 @@ impl App {
                 self.error = Some(format!("daemon error: {e}"));
             }
         }
+        // check secured state on each refresh (lightweight status call)
+        if let Ok(st) = self.client.status().await {
+            self.secured = st.get("secured").and_then(|v| v.as_bool());
+        }
         // decay status message
         if let Some((_, ref mut ttl)) = &mut self.status_msg {
             *ttl = ttl.saturating_sub(1);
@@ -392,6 +398,14 @@ impl App {
             )));
         }
 
+        // Unsecured node notice
+        if self.secured == Some(false) {
+            lines.push(Line::from(Span::styled(
+                "[UNSECURED — set root password to activate agent]",
+                Style::default().fg(Color::Red).add_modifier(Modifier::BOLD),
+            )));
+        }
+
         f.render_widget(
             Paragraph::new(lines).block(Block::default().borders(Borders::NONE)),
             area,