diff --git a/ui/src/components/WorkFolderBrowser.test.tsx b/ui/src/components/WorkFolderBrowser.test.tsx
index ed1ed61d54d..9fdeee87151 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/WorkFolderBrowser.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/WorkFolderBrowser.test.tsx
@@ -10,13 +10,16 @@ vi.mock("@/context/CompanyContext", () => ({ useCompany: () => ({ selectedCompan
 
 const owner = { companyId: "company", scope: "task" as const, ownerId: "task" };
 const key = ["work-folders", owner.companyId, owner.scope, owner.ownerId];
-function render(statuses: WorkFolderSyncStatus[], lastOperationAt: string | null, readOnly = false, queryState?: "loading" | "error") {
+function render(statuses: WorkFolderSyncStatus[], lastOperationAt: string | null, readOnly = false, queryState?: "loading" | "error", filesState?: "loading" | "error") {
   const client = new QueryClient({ defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false, staleTime: Infinity } } });
   client.setQueryData([...key, "files", false], { files: [], lastOperationAt });
   client.setQueryData([...key, "sync"], statuses);
   if (queryState === "loading") client.removeQueries({ queryKey: [...key, "sync"] });
   if (queryState === "error") client.getQueryCache().find({ queryKey: [...key, "sync"] })!
     .setState({ status: "error", error: new Error("Save service unavailable") });
+  if (filesState === "loading") client.removeQueries({ queryKey: [...key, "files", false] });
+  if (filesState === "error") client.getQueryCache().find({ queryKey: [...key, "files", false] })!
+    .setState({ status: "error", error: new Error("File listing unavailable") });
   return renderToStaticMarkup(<MemoryRouter initialEntries={["/STG/issues/task"]}><QueryClientProvider client={client}><TooltipProvider><WorkFolderBrowser owner={owner} readOnly={readOnly} /></TooltipProvider></QueryClientProvider></MemoryRouter>);
 }
 const checkpoint: WorkFolderSyncStatus = { runId: "run", state: "saved", active: false,
@@ -36,6 +39,18 @@ describe("work folder save feedback", () => {
     expect(unavailable).toContain("Last agent save");
     expect(unavailable).toContain("Save service unavailable");
   });
+  it.each(["loading", "error"] as const)("preserves known save status while file listing is %s", (filesState) => {
+    for (const [state, expected] of [["saved", "Saved"], ["saving", "Saving…"], ["failed", "Run save failed"]] as const) {
+      const html = render([{ ...checkpoint, state }], null, true, undefined, filesState);
+      expect(html).toContain(`role="status">${expected}`);
+      expect(html).toContain("Last agent save");
+      if (filesState === "error") {
+        expect(html).toContain("File listing unavailable");
+        expect(html).toContain("File list unavailable");
+        expect(html).not.toContain("No files yet");
+      }
+    }
+  });
   it("keeps inspection free of controls that mutate the cache or refresh the sandbox", () => {
     const html = render([checkpoint], null, true);
     for (const action of ["Upload", "Create folder", "Refresh sandbox", "Delete", "Restore", "Purge"]) expect(html).not.toContain(action);
diff --git a/ui/src/components/WorkFolderBrowser.tsx b/ui/src/components/WorkFolderBrowser.tsx
index 2040c6143e3..36e0de7c5ba 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/WorkFolderBrowser.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/WorkFolderBrowser.tsx
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ export function WorkFolderBrowser({ owner, exampleFiles, readOnly = false, fillH
   const lastOperation = filesQuery.data?.lastOperationAt;
   const saveLabel = mutation.isPending ? "Saving…"
     : mutation.isError ? "Save failed"
-    : syncQuery.isError || filesQuery.isError ? "Save status unavailable"
-    : !exampleFiles && (syncQuery.isPending || filesQuery.isPending) ? "Loading save status…"
+    : syncQuery.isError ? "Save status unavailable"
+    : !exampleFiles && syncQuery.isPending ? "Loading save status…"
     : saving ? "Saving…"
     : failures.length > 0 ? "Run save failed"
     : !lastSaved && statuses.some((status) => status.active) ? "Waiting for first save"
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ export function WorkFolderBrowser({ owner, exampleFiles, readOnly = false, fillH
             return next;
           });
         }}
-        onSelectFile={setSelectedPath} loading={!exampleFiles && filesQuery.isLoading} empty={{ title: "No files yet", description: readOnly ? "No cached files have been saved for this scope." : "Upload files here, or create them during a sandbox run." }} ariaLabel={`${owner.scope} files`} /></div>
+        onSelectFile={setSelectedPath} loading={!exampleFiles && filesQuery.isLoading} empty={filesQuery.isError ? { title: "File list unavailable", description: "The saved contents could not be listed." } : { title: "No files yet", description: readOnly ? "No cached files have been saved for this scope." : "Upload files here, or create them during a sandbox run." }} ariaLabel={`${owner.scope} files`} /></div>
       <div className="flex min-h-0 flex-col gap-2 md:col-span-2">
         {selected && <div className="flex items-center gap-2"><span className="min-w-0 flex-1 truncate text-sm">{selected.path}</span>
           {selected.kind === "file" && !exampleFiles && <Button asChild size="sm" variant="outline"><a href={workFoldersApi.downloadUrl(owner, selected.path)} download><Download aria-hidden />Download</a></Button>}