diff --git a/.idea/hydrawlics-webui.iml b/.idea/hydrawlics-webui.iml
index 2322132..140e2ee 100644
--- a/.idea/hydrawlics-webui.iml
+++ b/.idea/hydrawlics-webui.iml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <content url="file://$MODULE_DIR$">
       <excludeFolder url="file://$MODULE_DIR$/.venv" />
     </content>
-    <orderEntry type="jdk" jdkName="Python 3.13 virtualenv at ~/PycharmProjects/hydrawlics-webui/.venv" jdkType="Python SDK" />
+    <orderEntry type="jdk" jdkName="Python 3.13 (hydrawlics-webui)" jdkType="Python SDK" />
     <orderEntry type="sourceFolder" forTests="false" />
   </component>
 </module>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.idea/misc.xml b/.idea/misc.xml
index 5868a99..371afce 100644
--- a/.idea/misc.xml
+++ b/.idea/misc.xml
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@
   <component name="Black">
     <option name="sdkName" value="Python 3.13" />
   </component>
-  <component name="ProjectRootManager" version="2" project-jdk-name="Python 3.13 virtualenv at ~/PycharmProjects/hydrawlics-webui/.venv" project-jdk-type="Python SDK" />
+  <component name="ProjectRootManager" version="2" project-jdk-name="Python 3.13 (hydrawlics-webui)" project-jdk-type="Python SDK" />
 </project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hydrawlics-frontend/src/components/StatusIndicator.vue b/hydrawlics-frontend/src/components/StatusIndicator.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..56cf8b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hydrawlics-frontend/src/components/StatusIndicator.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+<script setup lang="ts">
+import {SERVER_URL} from "../constants.ts";
+import {onMounted, ref} from "vue";
+import axios, {AxiosError} from "axios";
+
+export type ConnectionLevel = 'local' | 'server' | 'robot'
+
+const connectionStatus = ref<undefined | ConnectionLevel>(undefined);
+
+const tryConnectServer = async () => {
+  const response = await axios.get(SERVER_URL + `/ping`, {})
+  const res = response.data;
+  console.log(res)
+  console.log("connected")
+  connectionStatus.value = 'server';
+}
+
+const connectIter = async () => {
+  try {
+    await tryConnectServer();
+    setTimeout(connectIter, 3000);
+  } catch (error) {
+    connectionStatus.value = 'local';
+    setTimeout(connectIter, 1000);
+  }
+}
+
+onMounted(async () => {
+  connectIter();
+})
+
+defineExpose({
+  connectionStatus
+})
+
+</script>
+
+<template>
+<div class="flex flex-row items-center">
+
+  <div class="status-icon">
+    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" height="20px" viewBox="0 -960 960 960" width="24px" fill="#e3e3e3"><path d="M160-80q-33 0-56.5-23.5T80-160v-360q0-33 23.5-56.5T160-600h80v-200q0-33 23.5-56.5T320-880h480q33 0 56.5 23.5T880-800v360q0 33-23.5 56.5T800-360h-80v200q0 33-23.5 56.5T640-80H160Zm0-80h480v-280H160v280Zm560-280h80v-280H320v120h320q33 0 56.5 23.5T720-520v80Z"/></svg>
+  </div>
+
+  <div class="flex flex-row dots" :class="{'error-dots': connectionStatus == 'local'}">
+    <span v-for="i in 3" :style="{animationDelay: i/5+0.2+'s'}">
+      <span v-if="i == 2 && connectionStatus == 'local'" class="error-x">+</span>
+      <template v-else>·</template>
+    </span>
+  </div>
+
+  <div class="status-icon">
+    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" height="24px" viewBox="0 -960 960 960" width="24px" fill="#e3e3e3"><path d="M323-160q-11 0-20.5-5.5T288-181l-78-139h58l40 80h92v-40h-68l-40-80H188l-57-100q-2-5-3.5-10t-1.5-10q0-4 5-20l57-100h104l40-80h68v-40h-92l-40 80h-58l78-139q5-10 14.5-15.5T323-800h97q17 0 28.5 11.5T460-760v160h-60l-40 40h100v120h-88l-40-80h-92l-40 40h108l40 80h112v200q0 17-11.5 28.5T420-160h-97Zm217 0q-17 0-28.5-11.5T500-200v-200h112l40-80h108l-40-40h-92l-40 80h-88v-120h100l-40-40h-60v-160q0-17 11.5-28.5T540-800h97q11 0 20.5 5.5T672-779l78 139h-58l-40-80h-92v40h68l40 80h104l57 100q2 5 3.5 10t1.5 10q0 4-5 20l-57 100H668l-40 80h-68v40h92l40-80h58l-78 139q-5 10-14.5 15.5T637-160h-97Z"/></svg>
+  </div>
+
+
+  <div class="flex flex-row dots" :class="{'error-dots': true, 'hide': connectionStatus == 'local', 'second-connect': connectionStatus == 'server' || connectionStatus == undefined}">
+    <span v-for="i in 3" :style="{animationDelay: i/5+1+'s'}">
+      <span v-if="i == 2 && true" class="error-x">+</span>
+      <template v-else>·</template>
+    </span>
+  </div>
+
+  <div class="status-icon">
+    <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" height="24px" viewBox="0 -960 960 960" width="24px" fill="#e3e3e3"><path d="M159-120v-120h124L181-574q-27-15-44.5-44T119-680q0-50 35-85t85-35q39 0 69.5 22.5T351-720h128v-40q0-17 11.5-28.5T519-800q9 0 17.5 4t14.5 12l68-64q9-9 21.5-11.5T665-856l156 72q12 6 16.5 17.5T837-744q-6 12-17.5 15.5T797-730l-144-66-94 88v56l94 86 144-66q11-5 23-1t17 15q6 12 1 23t-17 17l-156 74q-12 6-24.5 3.5T619-512l-68-64q-6 6-14.5 11t-17.5 5q-17 0-28.5-11.5T479-600v-40H351q-3 8-6.5 15t-9.5 15l200 370h144v120H159Zm80-520q17 0 28.5-11.5T279-680q0-17-11.5-28.5T239-720q-17 0-28.5 11.5T199-680q0 17 11.5 28.5T239-640Zm126 400h78L271-560h-4l98 320Zm78 0Z"/></svg>
+  </div>
+</div>
+</template>
+
+<style scoped lang="scss">
+$dot-size: 2em;
+
+.status-icon {
+  background-color: var(--md-sys-color-secondary-container);
+  color: var(--md-sys-color-on-secondary-container);
+  padding: 0.4em;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  margin-right: $dot-size * 0.18;
+
+  svg {
+    height: 1.8em;
+    width: 1.8em;
+  }
+}
+
+.dots {
+  font-family: 'Bitcount Grid Double', sans-serif;
+  font-size: $dot-size;
+  margin: 0;
+
+  &.hide {
+    opacity: 0 !important;
+  }
+
+  &:not(.error-dots) {
+    span {
+      opacity: 0;
+      animation: dot-appear 0.1s forwards ease-in-out, dot-blink 1s infinite ease-in-out;
+    }
+  }
+
+  &.error-dots {
+    font-family: 'Bitcount Grid Double', sans-serif;
+    font-size: $dot-size;
+    color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--md-sys-color-on-background) 50%, transparent 100%);
+    .error-x {
+      opacity: 1;
+      display: inline-block;
+      transform: rotate(45deg);
+      margin-right: $dot-size * 0.045;
+      margin-left: $dot-size * -0.045;
+      animation: error-blink 1s infinite step-end;
+      color: red;
+    }
+
+    &.second-connect {
+      opacity: 0;
+      animation: dot-appear 0.1s forwards 2s ease-in-out;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+@keyframes dot-appear {
+  0% {
+    opacity: 0;
+  }
+  100% {
+    opacity: 1;
+  }
+}
+
+@keyframes dot-blink {
+  0% {
+    opacity: 1;
+  }
+  100% {
+    opacity: 0.8;
+  }
+}
+
+@keyframes error-blink {
+  0% {
+    opacity: 1;
+  }
+  50% {
+    opacity: 0;
+  }
+}
+</style>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hydrawlics-frontend/src/constants.ts b/hydrawlics-frontend/src/constants.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e93923b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hydrawlics-frontend/src/constants.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export const SERVER_URL = "http://localhost:5000";
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/hydrawlics-frontend/src/pages/IndexPage.vue b/hydrawlics-frontend/src/pages/IndexPage.vue
index 611d33d..f5de8a1 100644
--- a/hydrawlics-frontend/src/pages/IndexPage.vue
+++ b/hydrawlics-frontend/src/pages/IndexPage.vue
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 
 import axios from "axios";
-import {onMounted, ref} from "vue";
+import {SERVER_URL} from "../constants.ts";
+import {onMounted, ref, computed} from "vue";
 import LoadingDots from "../components/LoadingDots.vue";
 import type {FileStatus} from "../models/server-objects.ts";
+import StatusIndicator from "../components/StatusIndicator.vue";
+import type {ConnectionLevel} from "../components/StatusIndicator.vue";
 
 const input = ref<HTMLInputElement | null>(null);
 const selectedFile = ref<File | null>(null);
@@ -13,13 +16,18 @@ const selectorWidth = ref<string>(DEFAULT_selectorWidth);
 const isDarkTheme = ref<boolean>(false);
 const isUploading = ref(false);
 
-const SERVER_URL = "http://localhost:5000";
-
 const jobId = ref<string | null>(null);
 
 const sitestage = ref<'not-uploaded' | 'uploading' | 'processing' | 'done'>('not-uploaded');
 const fileState = ref<FileStatus | null>(null);
 
+// Status indicator ref
+const statusRef = ref<InstanceType<typeof StatusIndicator>>();
+
+const connectionStatus = computed<ConnectionLevel | undefined>(() => {
+  return statusRef.value?.connectionStatus ?? undefined;
+});
+
 // Title animation
 const title = 'Hydrawlics';
 const animatedLetters = ref<{ char: string; animated: boolean }[]>(
@@ -139,6 +147,9 @@ onMounted(()=> {
         {{ letter.char }}
       </span>
     </h1>
+    <div>
+      <status-indicator ref="statusRef"/>
+    </div>
   </div>
 
   <div class="main-visualizer flex-1 flex flex-column items-center ">
@@ -155,7 +166,7 @@ onMounted(()=> {
 
 
     <!-- idle image -->
-    <img v-else :src="isDarkTheme ? '/scribble-hydrawlics-dark.svg' : '/scribble-hydrawlics-light.svg'" alt="Hydrawlics logo" class="scribble-svg">
+    <img v-else :src="isDarkTheme ? '/scribble-hydrawlics-dark.svg' : '/scribble-hydrawlics-light.svg'" alt="Hydrawlics logo" class="scribble-svg" :class="{disconnected: connectionStatus == 'local' || connectionStatus == undefined}">
   </div>
 
   <div class="main-container container mb-6">
@@ -261,6 +272,12 @@ button {
   color: var(--md-sys-color-primary);
   opacity: 0.6;
   height: 12rem;
+  transition: filter 0.3s ease-in-out;
+  filter: brightness(0%);
+
+  &:not(.disconnected) {
+    filter: initial;
+  }
 }
 
 @keyframes img-appear {