diff --git a/frontend/src/components/GatewayPanel.tsx b/frontend/src/components/GatewayPanel.tsx
index 9e34664b..9277721b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/GatewayPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/GatewayPanel.tsx
@@ -68,6 +68,67 @@ export function StoryRow({ item }: { item: PipelineItem }) {
 	const color = STAGE_COLORS[item.stage] ?? "#8b949e";
 	const label = STAGE_LABELS[item.stage] ?? item.stage;
 	const idNum = item.story_id.match(/^(\d+)/)?.[1];
+	const agentStatus = item.agent?.status;
+	const isStuck = item.blocked || (item.merge_failure != null && item.merge_failure !== "");
+
+	const recoveryBadge = isStuck
+		? agentStatus === "running"
+			? (
+				<span
+					data-testid={`recovery-badge-${item.story_id}`}
+					title="Recovery in progress — no human action needed"
+					style={{
+						fontSize: "0.75em",
+						fontWeight: 700,
+						color: "#e3b341",
+						background: "#2a1e00",
+						border: "1px solid #6e4f00",
+						borderRadius: "4px",
+						padding: "1px 5px",
+						flexShrink: 0,
+					}}
+				>
+					⟳ RECOVERING
+				</span>
+			)
+			: agentStatus === "pending"
+				? (
+					<span
+						data-testid={`recovery-badge-${item.story_id}`}
+						title="Recovery scheduled — waiting for a slot"
+						style={{
+							fontSize: "0.75em",
+							fontWeight: 700,
+							color: "#e3b341",
+							background: "#2a1e00",
+							border: "1px solid #6e4f00",
+							borderRadius: "4px",
+							padding: "1px 5px",
+							flexShrink: 0,
+						}}
+					>
+						⏳ QUEUED
+					</span>
+				)
+				: (
+					<span
+						data-testid={`recovery-badge-${item.story_id}`}
+						title={item.merge_failure ? "Merge failed — needs human" : "Blocked — awaiting human unblock"}
+						style={{
+							fontSize: "0.75em",
+							fontWeight: 700,
+							color: "#f85149",
+							background: "#2a1010",
+							border: "1px solid #6e1b1b",
+							borderRadius: "4px",
+							padding: "1px 5px",
+							flexShrink: 0,
+						}}
+					>
+						⊘ STUCK
+					</span>
+				)
+		: null;
 
 	return (
 		<div
@@ -92,6 +153,7 @@ export function StoryRow({ item }: { item: PipelineItem }) {
 			>
 				{label}
 			</span>
+			{recoveryBadge}
 			<span style={{ color: "#e6edf3", overflow: "hidden", textOverflow: "ellipsis", whiteSpace: "nowrap" }}>
 				{idNum && <span style={{ color: "#8b949e", fontFamily: "monospace" }}>#{idNum}{" "}</span>}
 				{item.name}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/StagePanel.tsx b/frontend/src/components/StagePanel.tsx
index 422ae881..bd8e84f4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/StagePanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/StagePanel.tsx
@@ -345,19 +345,53 @@ export function StagePanel({
 							<>
 								<div style={{ flex: 1 }}>
 									<div style={{ fontWeight: 600, fontSize: "0.9em" }}>
-										{hasMergeFailure && (
-											<span
-												data-testid={`merge-failure-icon-${item.story_id}`}
-												title="Merge failed"
-												style={{
-													color: "#f85149",
-													marginRight: "6px",
-													fontStyle: "normal",
-												}}
-											>
-												✕
-											</span>
-										)}
+										{hasMergeFailure && (() => {
+											const agentStatus = item.agent?.status;
+											if (agentStatus === "running") {
+												return (
+													<span
+														data-testid={`merge-failure-icon-${item.story_id}`}
+														title="Merge recovery in progress — no human action needed"
+														style={{
+															display: "inline-block",
+															color: "#e3b341",
+															marginRight: "6px",
+															animation: "spin 1s linear infinite",
+														}}
+													>
+														⟳
+													</span>
+												);
+											}
+											if (agentStatus === "pending") {
+												return (
+													<span
+														data-testid={`merge-failure-icon-${item.story_id}`}
+														title="Merge recovery scheduled — waiting for a slot"
+														style={{
+															color: "#e3b341",
+															marginRight: "6px",
+															fontStyle: "normal",
+														}}
+													>
+														⏳
+													</span>
+												);
+											}
+											return (
+												<span
+													data-testid={`merge-failure-icon-${item.story_id}`}
+													title="Merge failed — needs human"
+													style={{
+														color: "#f85149",
+														marginRight: "6px",
+														fontStyle: "normal",
+													}}
+												>
+													✕
+												</span>
+											);
+										})()}
 										{mergesInFlight?.has(item.story_id) && (
 											<span
 												data-testid={`merge-in-flight-icon-${item.story_id}`}
@@ -396,25 +430,70 @@ export function StagePanel({
 												{typeLabel}
 											</span>
 										)}
-										{item.blocked && !item.merge_failure && (
-											<span
-												data-testid={`blocked-badge-${item.story_id}`}
-												title="Blocked — awaiting human unblock"
-												style={{
-													fontSize: "0.65em",
-													fontWeight: 700,
-													color: "#f85149",
-													background: "#2a1010",
-													border: "1px solid #6e1b1b",
-													borderRadius: "4px",
-													padding: "1px 4px",
-													marginRight: "8px",
-													letterSpacing: "0.05em",
-												}}
-											>
-												⊘ BLOCKED
-											</span>
-										)}
+										{item.blocked && !item.merge_failure && (() => {
+											const agentStatus = item.agent?.status;
+											if (agentStatus === "running") {
+												return (
+													<span
+														data-testid={`blocked-badge-${item.story_id}`}
+														title="Recovery in progress — no human action needed"
+														style={{
+															fontSize: "0.65em",
+															fontWeight: 700,
+															color: "#e3b341",
+															background: "#2a1e00",
+															border: "1px solid #6e4f00",
+															borderRadius: "4px",
+															padding: "1px 4px",
+															marginRight: "8px",
+															letterSpacing: "0.05em",
+														}}
+													>
+														⟳ RECOVERING
+													</span>
+												);
+											}
+											if (agentStatus === "pending") {
+												return (
+													<span
+														data-testid={`blocked-badge-${item.story_id}`}
+														title="Recovery scheduled — waiting for a slot"
+														style={{
+															fontSize: "0.65em",
+															fontWeight: 700,
+															color: "#e3b341",
+															background: "#2a1e00",
+															border: "1px solid #6e4f00",
+															borderRadius: "4px",
+															padding: "1px 4px",
+															marginRight: "8px",
+															letterSpacing: "0.05em",
+														}}
+													>
+														⏳ QUEUED
+													</span>
+												);
+											}
+											return (
+												<span
+													data-testid={`blocked-badge-${item.story_id}`}
+													title="Blocked — awaiting human unblock"
+													style={{
+														fontSize: "0.65em",
+														fontWeight: 700,
+														color: "#f85149",
+														background: "#2a1010",
+														border: "1px solid #6e1b1b",
+														borderRadius: "4px",
+														padding: "1px 4px",
+														marginRight: "8px",
+														letterSpacing: "0.05em",
+													}}
+												>
+													⊘ BLOCKED
+												</span>
+											);
+										})()}
 										{item.frozen && (
 											<span
 												data-testid={`frozen-badge-${item.story_id}`}
diff --git a/server/src/chat/commands/status/render.rs b/server/src/chat/commands/status/render.rs
index 54617a7f..bc7b35bc 100644
--- a/server/src/chat/commands/status/render.rs
+++ b/server/src/chat/commands/status/render.rs
@@ -233,13 +233,27 @@ fn render_item_line(
         item.stage,
         Stage::Merge { .. } | Stage::MergeFailure { .. } | Stage::MergeFailureFinal { .. }
     ) {
-        // MergeFailure and MergeFailureFinal carry their reason directly on
-        // the stage variant — always show ⛔ with the failure snippet.
         match &item.stage {
-            Stage::MergeFailure { reason, .. } | Stage::MergeFailureFinal { reason } => {
+            // MergeFailureFinal: mergemaster already tried and gave up — always ⛔.
+            Stage::MergeFailureFinal { reason } => {
                 let snippet = first_non_empty_snippet(reason, 120);
                 return format!("  \u{26D4} {display}{cost_suffix}{dep_suffix} — {snippet}\n");
             }
+            // MergeFailure: a recovery agent may be running or queued.
+            Stage::MergeFailure { reason, .. } => {
+                return match agent.map(|a| &a.status) {
+                    Some(AgentStatus::Running) => format!(
+                        "  \u{1F916} {display}{cost_suffix}{dep_suffix} — mergemaster running\n"
+                    ),
+                    Some(AgentStatus::Pending) => format!(
+                        "  \u{23F3} {display}{cost_suffix}{dep_suffix} — mergemaster queued\n"
+                    ),
+                    _ => {
+                        let snippet = first_non_empty_snippet(reason, 120);
+                        format!("  \u{26D4} {display}{cost_suffix}{dep_suffix} — {snippet}\n")
+                    }
+                };
+            }
             _ => {}
         }
 
@@ -264,6 +278,18 @@ fn render_item_line(
     }
 
     let blocked = item.stage.is_blocked();
+    // Blocked items with a recovery agent get differentiated indicators.
+    if blocked {
+        return match agent.map(|a| &a.status) {
+            Some(AgentStatus::Running) => {
+                format!("  \u{1F916} {display}{cost_suffix}{dep_suffix} — recovery coder running\n")
+            }
+            Some(AgentStatus::Pending) => {
+                format!("  \u{23F3} {display}{cost_suffix}{dep_suffix} — recovery coder queued\n")
+            }
+            _ => format!("  \u{1F534} {display}{cost_suffix}{dep_suffix}\n"),
+        };
+    }
     let throttled = agent.map(|a| a.throttled).unwrap_or(false);
     let dot = super::traffic_light_dot(blocked, throttled, agent.is_some());
     if let Some(agent) = agent {