diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs b/apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs
index f766ac0d7f7..8b47104d292 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/main.cjs
@@ -4578,7 +4578,7 @@ function buildSshBlock(input, existingBlock = {}) {
 // and is shared by the per-profile, env, and global resolution paths. `token`
 // is the DECRYPTED static token (or null in OAuth mode). `source` is a label
 // for diagnostics ('profile' | 'env' | 'settings').
-async function buildRemoteConnection(rawUrl, authMode, token, source, remoteHost) {
+async function buildRemoteConnection(rawUrl, authMode, token, source, remoteHost, remoteKind = 'url') {
   const baseUrl = normalizeRemoteBaseUrl(rawUrl)
   // For token/oauth remotes the meaningful host is the real backend URL; for
   // SSH remotes the caller passes the entered/resolved host explicitly (the
@@ -4621,6 +4621,7 @@ async function buildRemoteConnection(rawUrl, authMode, token, source, remoteHost
       source,
       authMode: 'oauth',
       remoteHost: host || undefined,
+      remoteKind,
       // No static token in OAuth mode; REST is cookie-authed via the partition.
       token: null,
       wsUrl: buildGatewayWsUrlWithTicket(baseUrl, ticket)
@@ -4640,6 +4641,7 @@ async function buildRemoteConnection(rawUrl, authMode, token, source, remoteHost
     source,
     authMode: 'token',
     remoteHost: host || undefined,
+    remoteKind,
     token,
     wsUrl: buildGatewayWsUrl(baseUrl, token)
   }
@@ -4774,7 +4776,7 @@ async function bootstrapSshConnection(profile, sshConfig, reuseToken, source) {
 
   // Hand the existing token-remote machinery the loopback baseUrl. The pill's
   // host is the SSH host, NOT 127.0.0.1.
-  return buildRemoteConnection(result.baseUrl, 'token', result.token, source, hostLabel)
+  return buildRemoteConnection(result.baseUrl, 'token', result.token, source, hostLabel, 'ssh')
 }
 
 // Save the served token back into the SSH connection entry (encrypted), so a
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/hooks/use-statusbar-items.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/hooks/use-statusbar-items.tsx
index a95ac3217f5..487ce8472f7 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/hooks/use-statusbar-items.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/shell/hooks/use-statusbar-items.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   Command,
   Hash,
   Loader2,
+  Network,
   Sparkles,
   Terminal,
   Zap,
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ import {
 } from '@/store/updates'
 import type { StatusResponse } from '@/types/hermes'
 
-import { CRON_ROUTE } from '../../routes'
+import { CRON_ROUTE, SETTINGS_ROUTE } from '../../routes'
 import type { StatusbarItem, StatusbarSelectModifiers } from '../statusbar-controls'
 
 interface StatusbarItemsOptions {
@@ -291,6 +292,44 @@ export function useStatusbarItems({
     copy
   ])
 
+  // Connection-identity pill (VS Code's load-bearing "where am I?" cue). Shown
+  // only for remote connections; hidden in local mode (the unmarked default).
+  // SSH remotes read "SSH: user@host"; token/oauth remotes read "Remote: host"
+  // — closing the same gap for the existing remote modes. Clicking opens the
+  // gateway connection settings so the pill doubles as the switch/disconnect
+  // entry point.
+  const connectionItem = useMemo<StatusbarItem | null>(() => {
+    if (connection?.mode !== 'remote') {
+      return null
+    }
+    // Prefer the host main.cjs put on the descriptor; fall back to parsing the
+    // backend URL (never the 127.0.0.1 tunnel — that's only the SSH baseUrl,
+    // and SSH descriptors always carry remoteHost).
+    let host = connection.remoteHost ?? ''
+    if (!host && connection.baseUrl) {
+      try {
+        host = new URL(connection.baseUrl).host
+      } catch {
+        host = ''
+      }
+    }
+    if (!host) {
+      return null
+    }
+
+    const isSsh = connection.remoteKind === 'ssh'
+    const label = isSsh ? copy.connectionSsh(host) : copy.connectionRemote(host)
+
+    return {
+      icon: <Network className="size-3" />,
+      id: 'connection',
+      label,
+      title: isSsh ? copy.connectionSshTooltip(host) : copy.connectionRemoteTooltip(host),
+      to: SETTINGS_ROUTE,
+      variant: 'link'
+    }
+  }, [connection?.mode, connection?.remoteHost, connection?.remoteKind, connection?.baseUrl, copy])
+
   const coreLeftStatusbarItems = useMemo<readonly StatusbarItem[]>(
     () => [
       {
@@ -421,6 +460,7 @@ export function useStatusbarItems({
         title: terminalTakeover ? copy.hideTerminal : copy.showTerminal,
         variant: 'action'
       },
+      ...(connectionItem ? [connectionItem] : []),
       clientVersionItem,
       ...(backendVersionItem ? [backendVersionItem] : [])
     ],
@@ -435,6 +475,7 @@ export function useStatusbarItems({
       terminalTakeover,
       toggleYolo,
       turnStartedAt,
+      connectionItem,
       clientVersionItem,
       backendVersionItem,
       yoloActive
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts b/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts
index 99bad3c09e7..bfcb1017bc9 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/global.d.ts
@@ -289,6 +289,9 @@ export interface HermesConnection {
   // is the user@host the tunnel reaches; for token/oauth remotes it's the host
   // parsed from the real backend URL. Absent in local mode.
   remoteHost?: string
+  // Distinguishes an SSH-tunnelled remote ('ssh') from a direct URL remote
+  // ('url') so the pill can label it SSH: vs Remote:. Absent in local mode.
+  remoteKind?: 'ssh' | 'url'
   nativeOverlayWidth: number
   source?: 'env' | 'local' | 'settings'
   token: string
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts
index 7a3c3553a15..d2e6c4c349e 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts
@@ -1622,6 +1622,10 @@ export const en: Translations = {
       backendVersion: version => `Backend v${version}`,
       clientLabel: version => `client v${version}`,
       backendLabel: version => `backend v${version}`,
+      connectionSsh: host => `SSH: ${host}`,
+      connectionRemote: host => `Remote: ${host}`,
+      connectionSshTooltip: host => `Connected over SSH to ${host} · click to manage`,
+      connectionRemoteTooltip: host => `Connected to remote backend ${host} · click to manage`,
       commit: sha => `commit ${sha}`,
       branch: branch => `branch ${branch}`,
       closeCommandCenter: 'Close Command Center',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts
index 50a54d977ce..4f9b56e8189 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts
@@ -1751,6 +1751,10 @@ export const ja = defineLocale({
       backendVersion: version => `バックエンド v${version}`,
       clientLabel: version => `クライアント v${version}`,
       backendLabel: version => `バックエンド v${version}`,
+      connectionSsh: host => `SSH: ${host}`,
+      connectionRemote: host => `リモート: ${host}`,
+      connectionSshTooltip: host => `SSH 経由で ${host} に接続中 · クリックして管理`,
+      connectionRemoteTooltip: host => `リモートバックエンド ${host} に接続中 · クリックして管理`,
       commit: sha => `コミット ${sha}`,
       branch: branch => `ブランチ ${branch}`,
       closeCommandCenter: 'コマンドセンターを閉じる',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts
index 19f81f19b0f..10e5e71ad73 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts
@@ -1255,6 +1255,10 @@ export interface Translations {
       backendVersion: (version: string) => string
       clientLabel: (version: string) => string
       backendLabel: (version: string) => string
+      connectionSsh: (host: string) => string
+      connectionRemote: (host: string) => string
+      connectionSshTooltip: (host: string) => string
+      connectionRemoteTooltip: (host: string) => string
       commit: (sha: string) => string
       branch: (branch: string) => string
       closeCommandCenter: string
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts
index efb457ee35d..23836783955 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts
@@ -1694,6 +1694,10 @@ export const zhHant = defineLocale({
       backendVersion: version => `後端 v${version}`,
       clientLabel: version => `用戶端 v${version}`,
       backendLabel: version => `後端 v${version}`,
+      connectionSsh: host => `SSH: ${host}`,
+      connectionRemote: host => `遠端: ${host}`,
+      connectionSshTooltip: host => `已透過 SSH 連線到 ${host} · 點擊管理`,
+      connectionRemoteTooltip: host => `已連線到遠端後端 ${host} · 點擊管理`,
       commit: sha => `提交 ${sha}`,
       branch: branch => `分支 ${branch}`,
       closeCommandCenter: '關閉命令中心',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts
index 45549fbbe08..c2e556f8214 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts
@@ -1799,6 +1799,10 @@ export const zh: Translations = {
       backendVersion: version => `后端 v${version}`,
       clientLabel: version => `客户端 v${version}`,
       backendLabel: version => `后端 v${version}`,
+      connectionSsh: host => `SSH: ${host}`,
+      connectionRemote: host => `远程: ${host}`,
+      connectionSshTooltip: host => `已通过 SSH 连接到 ${host} · 点击管理`,
+      connectionRemoteTooltip: host => `已连接到远程后端 ${host} · 点击管理`,
       commit: sha => `提交 ${sha}`,
       branch: branch => `分支 ${branch}`,
       closeCommandCenter: '关闭命令中心',