diff --git a/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.test.tsx b/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.test.tsx
index cff5e5f70..db953ba5f 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-001 to FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-027
+// FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-001 to FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-028
 import { render, screen, waitFor } from '../../../tests/helpers/render';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import { http, HttpResponse } from 'msw';
@@ -280,6 +280,31 @@ describe('PhotoProvidersSection', () => {
     expect(await screen.findByText('Could not connect to Immich: Auth failed')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  it('FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-028: a settings read landing after the status probe does not flip the badge to connected', async () => {
+    let releaseSettings!: () => void;
+    const settingsGate = new Promise<void>(r => (releaseSettings = r));
+    let statusAnswered = false;
+    server.use(
+      // Stored credentials make the settings read say connected; the probe says the server is down.
+      http.get('/api/addons/immich/settings', async () => {
+        await settingsGate;
+        return HttpResponse.json({ url: 'https://photos.example.com', connected: true });
+      }),
+      http.get('/api/addons/immich/status', () => {
+        statusAnswered = true;
+        return HttpResponse.json({ connected: false });
+      }),
+    );
+    seedMemoriesEnabled();
+    render(<PhotoProvidersSection />);
+    await screen.findByText('Immich');
+    await waitFor(() => expect(statusAnswered).toBe(true));
+    releaseSettings();
+    await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByDisplayValue('https://photos.example.com')).toBeInTheDocument());
+    expect(screen.getByText('Not connected')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText('Connected')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   it('FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-016: Test button is disabled while test is in progress', async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     let resolveTest!: () => void;
diff --git a/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.tsx b/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.tsx
index ae2db0df1..ac1794a8a 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export default function PhotoProvidersSection(): React.ReactElement {
     isProviderSaveDisabled,
     handleSaveProvider,
     handleTestProvider,
-  } = usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge: false })
+  } = usePhotoProviderConnections()
 
   const renderPhotoProviderSection = (provider: PhotoProviderAddon): React.ReactElement => {
     const fields = getProviderFields(provider)
diff --git a/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.test.ts b/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.test.ts
index cbf202302..7d88bfd36 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.test.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.test.ts
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ function stubGets(byPath: Record<string, Resp | (() => Promise<Resp>)>) {
   });
 }
 
-function render(statusRouteOwnsBadge: boolean) {
-  return renderHook(() => usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge }));
+function render() {
+  return renderHook(() => usePhotoProviderConnections());
 }
 
 beforeEach(() => {
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ describe('usePhotoProviderConnections', () => {
       false
     );
     stubGets({});
-    const { result } = render(true);
+    const { result } = render();
     expect(result.current.memoriesEnabled).toBe(false);
     expect(result.current.activePhotoProviders.map((p) => p.id)).toEqual(['immich']);
   });
@@ -122,43 +122,37 @@ describe('usePhotoProviderConnections', () => {
       '/addons/immich/settings': { data: { url: 'https://p.example', api_key: 'secret', include_shared: true } },
       '/addons/immich/status': { data: { connected: true } },
     });
-    const { result } = render(true);
+    const { result } = render();
     await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.providerValues.immich?.url).toBe('https://p.example'));
     expect(result.current.providerValues.immich).toEqual({ url: 'https://p.example', shared: 'true' });
     await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.providerConnected.immich).toBe(true));
   });
 
-  it('FE-COMP-PHOTOCONN-004: with the status route owning the badge, a late settings read does not override it', async () => {
+  it('FE-COMP-PHOTOCONN-004: the status route owns the badge, so a late settings read does not override it', async () => {
     seedProviders([PROVIDER]);
     let resolveSettings!: (r: Resp) => void;
     stubGets({
       '/addons/immich/settings': () => new Promise<Resp>((r) => (resolveSettings = r)),
       '/addons/immich/status': { data: { connected: true } },
     });
-    const { result } = render(true);
+    const { result } = render();
     await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.providerConnected.immich).toBe(true));
     await act(async () => resolveSettings({ data: { url: 'u', connected: false } }));
     expect(result.current.providerValues.immich?.url).toBe('u');
     expect(result.current.providerConnected.immich).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it('FE-COMP-PHOTOCONN-005: without that, the later settings read sets the badge', async () => {
-    seedProviders([PROVIDER]);
-    let resolveSettings!: (r: Resp) => void;
-    stubGets({
-      '/addons/immich/settings': () => new Promise<Resp>((r) => (resolveSettings = r)),
-      '/addons/immich/status': { data: { connected: true } },
-    });
-    const { result } = render(false);
+  it('FE-COMP-PHOTOCONN-005: a provider without a status route takes the badge from the settings read', async () => {
+    seedProviders([{ ...PROVIDER, config: { settings_get: '/addons/immich/settings' } }]);
+    stubGets({ '/addons/immich/settings': { data: { url: 'u', connected: true } } });
+    const { result } = render();
     await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.providerConnected.immich).toBe(true));
-    await act(async () => resolveSettings({ data: { url: 'u', connected: false } }));
-    expect(result.current.providerConnected.immich).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it('FE-COMP-PHOTOCONN-006: save is blocked while a required field is blank', async () => {
     seedProviders([PROVIDER]);
     stubGets({ '/addons/immich/settings': { data: {} }, '/addons/immich/status': { data: {} } });
-    const { result } = render(true);
+    const { result } = render();
     await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.providerValues.immich?.url).toBe(''));
     expect(result.current.isProviderSaveDisabled(PROVIDER)).toBe(true);
     act(() => result.current.handleProviderFieldChange('immich', 'url', 'https://a'));
@@ -173,7 +167,7 @@ describe('usePhotoProviderConnections', () => {
       '/addons/immich/status': { data: { connected: false } },
     });
     const put = vi.spyOn(apiClient, 'put').mockResolvedValue({ data: {} });
-    const { result } = render(true);
+    const { result } = render();
     await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.providerValues.immich?.url).toBe('https://a'));
     act(() => result.current.handleProviderFieldChange('immich', 'url', ' https://b '));
     get.mockClear();
@@ -188,7 +182,7 @@ describe('usePhotoProviderConnections', () => {
     seedProviders([PROVIDER]);
     stubGets({ '/addons/immich/settings': { data: {} }, '/addons/immich/status': { data: {} } });
     const put = vi.spyOn(apiClient, 'put').mockRejectedValue(new Error('x'));
-    const { result } = render(true);
+    const { result } = render();
     await act(() => result.current.handleSaveProvider(PROVIDER));
     expect(toast.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith('memories.saveError(Immich)');
     put.mockClear();
@@ -203,7 +197,7 @@ describe('usePhotoProviderConnections', () => {
       '/addons/immich/status': { data: {} },
     });
     const post = vi.spyOn(apiClient, 'post').mockResolvedValue({ data: { connected: true } });
-    const { result } = render(true);
+    const { result } = render();
     await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.providerValues.immich?.url).toBe('https://a'));
     await act(() => result.current.handleTestProvider(PROVIDER));
     expect(post).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/addons/immich/test', { url: 'https://a', include_shared: false });
@@ -220,10 +214,10 @@ describe('usePhotoProviderConnections', () => {
     seedProviders([PROVIDER]);
     stubGets({ '/addons/immich/settings': { data: {} }, '/addons/immich/status': { data: {} } });
     vi.spyOn(apiClient, 'post').mockResolvedValue({ data: { connected: false, error: 'bad key' } });
-    const phone = render(true);
+    const phone = render();
     await act(() => phone.result.current.handleTestProvider(PROVIDER));
     expect(toast.error).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith('memories.connectionError(Immich): bad key');
-    const desktop = render(false);
+    const desktop = render();
     await act(() => desktop.result.current.handleTestProvider(PROVIDER));
     expect(toast.error).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith('memories.connectionError(Immich): bad key');
     vi.mocked(apiClient.post).mockResolvedValue({ data: { connected: false } });
diff --git a/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.ts b/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.ts
index 2d379c785..8fa325349 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.ts
@@ -49,22 +49,13 @@ export const getProviderFields = (provider: PhotoProviderAddon): ProviderField[]
   return [...(provider.fields || [])].sort((a, b) => a.sort_order - b.sort_order);
 };
 
-export interface PhotoProviderConnectionOptions {
-  /**
-   * When the provider has a status route, let only that route set the badge and
-   * ignore the `connected` flag of the settings read, so the two responses cannot
-   * race. The phone does this; the desktop takes whichever answer lands last.
-   */
-  statusRouteOwnsBadge: boolean;
-}
-
 /**
  * The photo provider connection cards behind both settings shells: every enabled
  * photo_provider addon with its declared fields, seeded and hydrated values
  * (secrets never prefilled), the connection badge, and save and test. The desktop
  * section and its phone twin render their own markup over this.
  */
-export function usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge }: PhotoProviderConnectionOptions) {
+export function usePhotoProviderConnections() {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
   const toast = useToast();
   const { isEnabled: addonEnabled, addons } = useAddonStore();
@@ -156,7 +147,10 @@ export function usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge }: PhotoProvi
               ...prev,
               [provider.id]: { ...(prev[provider.id] || {}), ...nextValues },
             }));
-            if (!(statusRouteOwnsBadge && cfg.status_get) && typeof res.data?.connected === 'boolean') {
+            // A provider with a status route lets only that route set the badge: the settings
+            // read can only say credentials are stored, and taking whichever of the two answers
+            // lands last would show an unreachable server as connected.
+            if (!cfg.status_get && typeof res.data?.connected === 'boolean') {
               setProviderConnected((prev) => ({ ...prev, [provider.id]: !!res.data.connected }));
             }
           })
@@ -169,7 +163,7 @@ export function usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge }: PhotoProvi
     return () => {
       isCancelled = true;
     };
-  }, [activePhotoProviders, activeProviderSignature, statusRouteOwnsBadge]);
+  }, [activePhotoProviders, activeProviderSignature]);
 
   const handleProviderFieldChange = (providerId: string, key: string, value: string) => {
     setProviderValues((prev) => ({
diff --git a/client/src/mobile/screens/settings/MPhotoProvidersSection.tsx b/client/src/mobile/screens/settings/MPhotoProvidersSection.tsx
index 29f9e2820..09ae85e99 100644
--- a/client/src/mobile/screens/settings/MPhotoProvidersSection.tsx
+++ b/client/src/mobile/screens/settings/MPhotoProvidersSection.tsx
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export default function MPhotoProvidersSection(): React.ReactElement {
     isProviderSaveDisabled,
     handleSaveProvider,
     handleTestProvider,
-  } = usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge: true })
+  } = usePhotoProviderConnections()
 
   const renderPhotoProviderSection = (provider: PhotoProviderAddon): React.ReactElement => {
     const fields = getProviderFields(provider)