diff --git a/src/e_mod_popup.c b/src/e_mod_popup.c
index c8ef68a..d4abda4 100644
--- a/src/e_mod_popup.c
+++ b/src/e_mod_popup.c
@@ -257,13 +257,24 @@ _rebuild_list(Popup *p)
              memcpy(ssid_buf + copy, "\xe2\x80\xa6", 4); /* "…" + NUL */
              raw_ssid = ssid_buf;
           }
+        /* Connection marker: connecting (…) and failure (!) take priority
+         * over Connected, which iwd may briefly assert mid-handshake. */
+        const char *mark, *amark;
+        switch (n->conn_status)
+          {
+           case IWD_CONN_CONNECTING: mark = "  …"; amark = ", connecting"; break;
+           case IWD_CONN_FAILED:     mark = "  !"; amark = ", failed";     break;
+           default:
+             mark  = n->connected ? "  ✔" : "";
+             amark = n->connected ? ", connected" : "";
+          }
         char label[256];
         snprintf(label, sizeof(label), "%s %s%s  [%s]%s",
                  _signal_bars(iwd_network_signal_tier(n)),
                  n->known_path ? "★ " : "  ",
                  raw_ssid,
                  iwd_security_label(n->security),
-                 n->connected ? "  ✔" : "");
+                 mark);
         elm_object_text_set(btn, label);
         /* Spoken label: avoids the ▂▄▆█ glyphs and ★/✔ markers which
          * screen readers announce as raw Unicode. */
@@ -274,7 +285,7 @@ _rebuild_list(Popup *p)
                  iwd_network_signal_tier(n),
                  iwd_security_label(n->security),
                  n->known_path ? ", saved" : "",
-                 n->connected ? ", connected" : "");
+                 amark);
         elm_object_access_info_set(btn, access);
         evas_object_size_hint_weight_set(btn, EVAS_HINT_EXPAND, 0);
         evas_object_size_hint_align_set(btn, EVAS_HINT_FILL, 0);
diff --git a/src/iwd/iwd_manager.c b/src/iwd/iwd_manager.c
index ec4648e..ac853f1 100644
--- a/src/iwd/iwd_manager.c
+++ b/src/iwd/iwd_manager.c
@@ -245,6 +245,20 @@ _on_iface_removed(void *data, const char *path, const char *iface)
      {
         eina_hash_del(m->networks, path, NULL);
      }
+   else if (!strcmp(iface, IWD_IFACE_KNOWN_NETWORK))
+     {
+        /* A saved network was forgotten: iwd removes the KnownNetwork object
+         * but the matching Network.KnownNetwork change arrives only as an
+         * invalidation, which our changed-only property handler drops. Clear
+         * the back-reference here so the ★ marker and Forget (✕) button vanish
+         * immediately instead of lingering until the next full repopulate. */
+        Eina_Iterator *it = eina_hash_iterator_data_new(m->networks);
+        Iwd_Network *n;
+        EINA_ITERATOR_FOREACH(it, n)
+          if (n->known_path && !strcmp(n->known_path, path))
+            { free(n->known_path); n->known_path = NULL; }
+        eina_iterator_free(it);
+     }
    else if (!strcmp(iface, IWD_IFACE_ADAPTER))
      {
         eina_hash_del(m->adapters, path, NULL);
diff --git a/src/iwd/iwd_network.c b/src/iwd/iwd_network.c
index de83d92..b22daf3 100644
--- a/src/iwd/iwd_network.c
+++ b/src/iwd/iwd_network.c
@@ -22,7 +22,12 @@ _prop_cb(void *data, const char *key, Eldbus_Message_Iter *v)
    Iwd_Network *n = data;
    if (!strcmp(key, "Name"))           { free(n->ssid);        n->ssid        = iwd_props_str_dup(v); }
    else if (!strcmp(key, "Type"))      { char *s = iwd_props_str_dup(v); n->security = _sec_from_str(s); free(s); }
-   else if (!strcmp(key, "Connected")) { n->connected = iwd_props_bool(v); }
+   else if (!strcmp(key, "Connected")) {
+      n->connected = iwd_props_bool(v);
+      /* A confirmed connection clears any in-flight/failed marker so the
+       * row settles on ✔ (and a stale ! from a prior attempt disappears). */
+      if (n->connected) n->conn_status = IWD_CONN_IDLE;
+   }
    else if (!strcmp(key, "Device"))    { free(n->device_path); n->device_path = iwd_props_str_dup(v); }
    else if (!strcmp(key, "KnownNetwork")) { free(n->known_path); n->known_path = iwd_props_str_dup(v); }
 }
@@ -79,25 +84,50 @@ iwd_network_free(Iwd_Network *n)
    free(n);
 }
 
-/* Reply context captures the *manager* (which outlives all sub-objects) and
- * a strdup'd SSID, never the Iwd_Network — the network may disappear from
- * the next scan before iwd's reply lands, and a raw back-ref would UAF. */
+/* Reply context captures the *manager* (which outlives all sub-objects) plus
+ * a strdup'd SSID and object path, never the Iwd_Network — the network may
+ * disappear from the next scan before iwd's reply lands, and a raw back-ref
+ * would UAF. The path is re-resolved through the live hash at reply time. */
 typedef struct
 {
    Iwd_Manager *m;
    char        *ssid;
+   char        *path;
 } _Net_Reply_Ctx;
 
+static Iwd_Network *
+_ctx_resolve(const _Net_Reply_Ctx *ctx)
+{
+   if (!ctx->m || !ctx->path) return NULL;
+   const Eina_Hash *h = iwd_manager_networks(ctx->m);
+   return h ? eina_hash_find(h, ctx->path) : NULL;
+}
+
 static void
 _on_connect_reply(void *data, const Eldbus_Message *msg, Eldbus_Pending *p EINA_UNUSED)
 {
    _Net_Reply_Ctx *ctx = data;
+   Iwd_Network *n = _ctx_resolve(ctx);
    const char *en, *em;
-   if (eldbus_message_error_get(msg, &en, &em) && ctx->m)
-     iwd_manager_report_error(ctx->m,
-                              "Connect to '%s' failed: %s",
-                              ctx->ssid ? ctx->ssid : "?", em ? em : en);
+   if (eldbus_message_error_get(msg, &en, &em))
+     {
+        /* iwd only fails Connect() once the attempt is truly over — wrong
+         * passphrase, out of range, etc. Mark the row failed (!) rather than
+         * leaving a misleading ✔ behind. */
+        if (n) n->conn_status = IWD_CONN_FAILED;
+        if (ctx->m)
+          iwd_manager_report_error(ctx->m,
+                                   "Connect to '%s' failed: %s",
+                                   ctx->ssid ? ctx->ssid : "?", em ? em : en);
+     }
+   else
+     {
+        if (n) n->conn_status = IWD_CONN_IDLE;
+        /* report_error notifies on the failure path; do it here for success. */
+        if (ctx->m) iwd_manager_notify(ctx->m);
+     }
    free(ctx->ssid);
+   free(ctx->path);
    free(ctx);
 }
 
@@ -111,6 +141,7 @@ _on_forget_reply(void *data, const Eldbus_Message *msg, Eldbus_Pending *p EINA_U
                               "Forget '%s' failed: %s",
                               ctx->ssid ? ctx->ssid : "?", em ? em : en);
    free(ctx->ssid);
+   free(ctx->path);
    free(ctx);
 }
 
@@ -134,6 +165,7 @@ _reply_ctx_new(Iwd_Network *n)
    if (!ctx) return NULL;
    ctx->m    = n->manager;
    ctx->ssid = n->ssid ? strdup(n->ssid) : NULL;
+   ctx->path = n->path ? strdup(n->path) : NULL;
    return ctx;
 }
 
@@ -141,6 +173,10 @@ void
 iwd_network_connect(Iwd_Network *n)
 {
    if (!n || !n->proxy) return;
+   /* Show progress immediately and clear any prior failure marker; the reply
+    * (success/failure) and the Connected property settle the final state. */
+   n->conn_status = IWD_CONN_CONNECTING;
+   if (n->manager) iwd_manager_notify(n->manager);
    /* Network.Connect() takes no args; iwd will dial the registered Agent
     * for a passphrase if needed. */
    eldbus_proxy_call(n->proxy, "Connect", _on_connect_reply,
diff --git a/src/iwd/iwd_network.h b/src/iwd/iwd_network.h
index dd7d56f..a9f4439 100644
--- a/src/iwd/iwd_network.h
+++ b/src/iwd/iwd_network.h
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ typedef enum {
    IWD_SEC_UNKNOWN,
 } Iwd_Security;
 
+/* Connection attempt status, tracked locally from our own Connect() call so
+ * the row can show progress and failure. iwd's Network.Connect() only returns
+ * once the attempt concludes, so its reply is authoritative — Network.Connected
+ * may flicker true mid-handshake and must not be trusted on its own. */
+typedef enum {
+   IWD_CONN_IDLE,         /* not attempting; ✔ iff Network.Connected */
+   IWD_CONN_CONNECTING,   /* Connect() in flight */
+   IWD_CONN_FAILED,       /* last Connect() returned an error (e.g. bad PSK) */
+} Iwd_Conn_Status;
+
 typedef struct _Iwd_Network Iwd_Network;
 
 struct _Iwd_Network
@@ -23,6 +33,7 @@ struct _Iwd_Network
    char         *known_path;
    Iwd_Security  security;
    Eina_Bool     connected;
+   Iwd_Conn_Status conn_status;
 
    /* Signal strength in 100*dBm units (iwd convention). Valid iff have_signal. */
    int16_t       signal_dbm;