diff --git a/src/features/relay/native.test.ts b/src/features/relay/native.test.ts
index 0bdaeea32c..55053d200e 100644
--- a/src/features/relay/native.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/relay/native.test.ts
@@ -2252,3 +2252,46 @@ it.each([
   await expect(work).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(ArtifactIncrementalError);
   await expect(work).rejects.toMatchObject({ code });
 });
+
+it.each([
+  ["sign-in", 401, "authentication required\n"],
+  ["access", 403, "authorization denied\n"],
+  ["access", 403, JSON.stringify({ error: "relay_membership_required" })],
+])(
+  "a refused response reports its %s refusal to the community's observer without the window event",
+  async (kind, status, body) => {
+    // This test environment has no Tauri window, so the event listener never
+    // installs: only the response itself can report the refusal.
+    const transport = await connectNativeTransport(community);
+    const refusals: string[] = [];
+    const stop = transport.observeRefusal?.((refusal) =>
+      refusals.push(refusal),
+    );
+    const answer = vi.mocked(invoke).getMockImplementation();
+    vi.mocked(invoke).mockImplementation(async (command, args, options) =>
+      command === "relay_http" && (args as Request).path === "/query"
+        ? { status, headers: {}, body }
+        : answer?.(command, args, options),
+    );
+    await expect(
+      transport.query([{ kinds: [9], "#h": ["channel"], limit: 10 }]),
+    ).rejects.toThrow();
+    expect(refusals).toEqual([kind]);
+    stop?.();
+  },
+);
+
+it("an ordinary 403 reports no community refusal", async () => {
+  const transport = await connectNativeTransport(community);
+  const refusals: string[] = [];
+  const stop = transport.observeRefusal?.((refusal) => refusals.push(refusal));
+  respond = () => ({
+    status: 403,
+    body: { error: "restricted: not a channel member" },
+  });
+  await expect(
+    transport.query([{ kinds: [9], "#h": ["channel"], limit: 10 }]),
+  ).rejects.toThrow();
+  expect(refusals).toEqual([]);
+  stop?.();
+});
diff --git a/src/features/relay/native.ts b/src/features/relay/native.ts
index 35ed60aba3..c8573dec60 100644
--- a/src/features/relay/native.ts
+++ b/src/features/relay/native.ts
@@ -154,7 +154,10 @@ export async function nativeRelayRequest(
     // The shared admission slot stays held until native work settles: at
     // once for a cancelled read, otherwise within its timeout.
     bounded.throwIfAborted();
-    return nativeResponse(result);
+    const response = nativeResponse(result);
+    if (response.status === 401 || response.status === 403)
+      await announceRefusal(community, response);
+    return response;
   } finally {
     if (id) bounded.removeEventListener("abort", cancel);
   }
@@ -385,6 +388,21 @@ export function relaySelf(info: Record<string, unknown>): string | undefined {
 type RefusalListener = (kind: CommunityRefusal) => void;
 const refusalListeners = new Map<string, Set<RefusalListener>>();
 let refusalEvents: Promise<unknown> | undefined;
+function notifyRefusal(community: string, kind: CommunityRefusal) {
+  for (const listener of [...(refusalListeners.get(community) ?? [])])
+    listener(kind);
+}
+/** The response itself also reports a refusal, so the community's owner hears
+ * it even when the window event never arrives (its listener failed to
+ * install). The owner takes the first report; a repeat changes nothing. */
+async function announceRefusal(community: string, response: Response) {
+  const { admission } = await readApiFailure(response.clone());
+  if (admission)
+    notifyRefusal(
+      new URL(communityDestination(community).url).origin,
+      admission,
+    );
+}
 /** Native reports a community's refusal from whichever signed request met it
  * (`observe_refusal` in relay.rs), so no command needs its own check. One
  * window listener serves every connection; it is ready before any connects. */
@@ -394,13 +412,11 @@ async function nativeRefusals(origin: string) {
     ({ payload }) => {
       const kind = payload.refusal;
       if (kind !== "sign-in" && kind !== "access") return;
-      for (const listener of [
-        ...(refusalListeners.get(payload.community) ?? []),
-      ])
-        listener(kind);
+      notifyRefusal(payload.community, kind);
     },
   ).catch(() => {
-    // Without it a refusal still fails its own request; the next connect retries.
+    // Without it the failed response still reports the refusal (see
+    // announceRefusal); the next connect retries the listener.
     refusalEvents = undefined;
   });
   await refusalEvents;
diff --git a/src/features/relay/revocation.test.ts b/src/features/relay/revocation.test.ts
index d32bad05cf..dcde9a7edf 100644
--- a/src/features/relay/revocation.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/relay/revocation.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { assert, afterEach, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import type { OutgoingEvent, OutboxStorage } from "./outbox";
 import type { ChannelStoreOptions } from "./store";
 import { createRelaySession } from "./session";
+import { ReadError } from "./errors";
 import type { RelayEvent } from "./events";
 import {
   type Key,
@@ -911,3 +912,157 @@ it("a profile subscriber cannot restore a persisted head after revoking and regr
   h.session.channels.ensure("a");
   expect(h.session.channels.window("a").rows).toEqual([]);
 });
+
+function emptyDisk() {
+  return {
+    read: vi.fn(async () => []),
+    write: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    remove: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    retain: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    clear: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    close: vi.fn(),
+  };
+}
+
+it.each([
+  ["an ended sign-in", "auth-required: authentication required", 401],
+  ["lost community access", "restricted: authorization denied", 403],
+])(
+  "a channel read refused for %s hides the channel's rows but leaves saved data to the community owner",
+  async (_case, reason, status) => {
+    const disk = emptyDisk();
+    const h = setup({ persistence: disk });
+    h.emit([roster(relay, "a", [viewer.pubkey], 10)]);
+    h.session.channels.ensure("a");
+    h.next().respond([
+      message(alice, "a", "shown", 11),
+      bounds(relay, "a", "head", { has_more: false, next_cursor: null }),
+    ]);
+    await flush();
+    expect(h.session.channels.window("a").rows).toHaveLength(1);
+    // A revalidation of the rows on screen meets the refusal.
+    h.session.channels.refresh?.("a");
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(h.pending.length).toBeGreaterThan(0));
+    for (const request of h.pending.splice(0))
+      request.fail(new ReadError("denied", reason, status));
+    await flush();
+    expect(h.session.channels.window("a")).toMatchObject({
+      status: "error",
+      rows: [],
+      loadingOlder: false,
+    });
+    expect(h.session.channels.window("a").refreshing).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(h.pending).toEqual([]);
+    expect(disk.remove).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(disk.clear).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  },
+);
+
+it.each([
+  ["an ended sign-in", "auth-required: authentication required", 401],
+  ["lost community access", "restricted: authorization denied", 403],
+])(
+  "revisiting a channel refused for %s does not bring its rows or preview back",
+  async (_case, reason, status) => {
+    const disk = emptyDisk();
+    const h = setup({ prepared: true, persistence: disk });
+    h.emit([roster(relay, "a", [viewer.pubkey], 10)]);
+    await flush();
+    h.session.channels.ensure("a");
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(h.pending.length).toBeGreaterThan(0));
+    h.next().respond([
+      message(alice, "a", "shown", 11),
+      bounds(relay, "a", "head", { has_more: false, next_cursor: null }),
+    ]);
+    await flush();
+    for (let i = 0; i < 10 && h.pending.length; i++) {
+      for (const request of h.pending.splice(0)) request.respond([]);
+      await flush();
+    }
+    expect(h.session.channels.window("a").rows).toHaveLength(1);
+    h.session.channels.refresh?.("a");
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(h.pending.length).toBeGreaterThan(0));
+    for (const request of h.pending.splice(0))
+      request.fail(new ReadError("denied", reason, status));
+    await flush();
+    h.session.channels.ensure("b");
+    h.session.channels.ensure("a");
+    await flush();
+    expect(h.session.channels.window("a").rows).toEqual([]);
+    expect(
+      h.session.channels.list().channels.find((channel) => channel.id === "a")
+        ?.preview,
+    ).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(disk.remove).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  },
+);
+
+it("a first channel read refused by the community settles the window instead of loading forever", async () => {
+  const disk = emptyDisk();
+  const h = setup({ prepared: true, persistence: disk });
+  h.emit([roster(relay, "a", [viewer.pubkey], 10)]);
+  await flush();
+  h.session.channels.ensure("a");
+  await vi.waitFor(() => expect(h.pending.length).toBeGreaterThan(0));
+  for (const request of h.pending.splice(0))
+    request.fail(
+      new ReadError("denied", "auth-required: authentication required", 401),
+    );
+  await flush();
+  expect(h.session.channels.window("a").status).toBe("error");
+  expect(disk.remove).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+});
+
+it.each([
+  ["the community", "auth-required: authentication required", 401, 0],
+  ["that channel alone", "restricted: not a channel member", 403, 1],
+])(
+  "a single-channel session read refused by %s leaves the channel's saved copy to the right owner",
+  async (_case, reason, status, removals) => {
+    const disk = emptyDisk();
+    const h = setup({ persistence: disk });
+    h.emit([roster(relay, "a", [viewer.pubkey], 10)]);
+    const read = h.session.read([{ kinds: [9], "#h": ["a"], limit: 20 }]);
+    h.next().fail(new ReadError("denied", reason, status));
+    await expect(read).rejects.toThrow(reason);
+    await flush();
+    expect(disk.remove).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(removals);
+  },
+);
+
+it("a channel read refused for that channel alone still forgets its saved copy", async () => {
+  const disk = emptyDisk();
+  const h = setup({ prepared: true, persistence: disk });
+  h.emit([roster(relay, "a", [viewer.pubkey], 10)]);
+  await flush();
+  h.session.channels.ensure("a");
+  await vi.waitFor(() => expect(h.pending.length).toBeGreaterThan(0));
+  for (const request of h.pending.splice(0))
+    request.fail(
+      new ReadError("denied", "restricted: not a channel member", 403),
+    );
+  await flush();
+  await vi.waitFor(() => expect(disk.remove).toHaveBeenCalledWith("a"));
+});
+
+it.each([
+  [
+    "a community refusal keeps",
+    "auth-required: authentication required",
+    401,
+    0,
+  ],
+  ["a directory denial clears", "restricted: not a channel member", 403, 1],
+])(
+  "%s saved data when the first channel directory read is refused",
+  async (_case, reason, status, clears) => {
+    const disk = emptyDisk();
+    const h = setup({ persistence: disk });
+    h.session.channels.ensureList();
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(h.pending.length).toBeGreaterThan(0));
+    for (const request of h.pending.splice(0))
+      request.fail(new ReadError("denied", reason, status));
+    await flush();
+    expect(disk.clear).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(clears);
+  },
+);
diff --git a/src/features/relay/store.ts b/src/features/relay/store.ts
index dbf21bed1c..6b4bbb9304 100644
--- a/src/features/relay/store.ts
+++ b/src/features/relay/store.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type { Outbox } from "./outbox";
 import { MessageProjection } from "./message-projection";
 import { createRelayProfiler, type RelayProfiler } from "./profiling";
 import { isTransientFailure, ReadError, readErrorKind } from "./errors";
+import { refusalOfError } from "./http-admission";
 import type {
   ChannelReference,
   ChannelList,
@@ -920,10 +921,40 @@ export function createChannelStore(
       if (!discovery?.authorized(id) && unchangedPreview(id, version))
         denyChannel(id, new Error("Conversation is unavailable"));
   }
+  /** Ends a window's reads and leaves it showing only the refusal. */
+  function closeWindow(state: WindowState, error: unknown) {
+    state.generation++;
+    state.controller?.abort();
+    state.noticeRead?.controller.abort();
+    state.events = [];
+    state.notices.clear();
+    state.noticeCursor = undefined;
+    state.floor = undefined;
+    state.traffic.clear();
+    setWindow(state, {
+      status: "error",
+      rows: EMPTY_ROWS,
+      error: describe(error),
+      loadingOlder: false,
+      refreshing: undefined,
+    });
+  }
   function denyChannel(channelId: string, error: unknown) {
     // A chat still starting is not there to deny yet; only a refused or
     // missing create ends it (see channelWrites.start).
     if (discovery?.isPending(channelId)) return;
+    // The community refused the account, not this channel. Its owner (the
+    // relay service's deny) ends the session and decides what saved data
+    // survives: it keeps it for an ended sign-in. Until then, stop showing
+    // this channel's rows and preview, but keep its access and saved copy.
+    if (refusalOfError(error)) {
+      heads.delete(channelId);
+      tails.delete(channelId);
+      const state = windows.get(channelId);
+      if (state) closeWindow(state, error);
+      setList(list);
+      return;
+    }
     accessVersions.set(channelId, (accessVersions.get(channelId) ?? 0) + 1);
     discovery?.deny(channelId);
     allowed?.delete(channelId);
@@ -931,22 +962,7 @@ export function createChannelStore(
       heads.delete(channelId);
       tails.delete(channelId);
       const state = windows.get(channelId);
-      if (state) {
-        state.generation++;
-        state.controller?.abort();
-        state.noticeRead?.controller.abort();
-        state.events = [];
-        state.notices.clear();
-        state.noticeCursor = undefined;
-        state.floor = undefined;
-        state.traffic.clear();
-        setWindow(state, {
-          status: "error",
-          rows: EMPTY_ROWS,
-          error: describe(error),
-          loadingOlder: false,
-        });
-      }
+      if (state) closeWindow(state, error);
       setList(
         {
           ...list,
@@ -2083,7 +2099,12 @@ export function createChannelStore(
           };
       if (error instanceof ReadError && error.retryAfterMs !== undefined)
         listRetryAt = performance.now() + error.retryAfterMs;
-      if (denyAllOnFailure && readErrorKind(error) === "denied") {
+      if (
+        denyAllOnFailure &&
+        readErrorKind(error) === "denied" &&
+        // A community-wide refusal belongs to the relay service (see denyChannel).
+        !refusalOfError(error)
+      ) {
         discovery.denyAll();
         transport.revokeAccess(() => {
           for (const id of allowed ?? [])