diff --git a/flutter_client/lib/app.dart b/flutter_client/lib/app.dart
index d4a1150e..93a6684c 100644
--- a/flutter_client/lib/app.dart
+++ b/flutter_client/lib/app.dart
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
 
 import 'cache/cache_filler.dart';
 import 'cache/metadata_prefetcher.dart';
+import 'cache/offline_provider.dart';
 import 'cache/mutation_queue.dart';
 import 'cache/prefetcher.dart';
 import 'cache/sync_controller.dart';
@@ -61,6 +62,10 @@ class _MinstrelAppState extends ConsumerState<MinstrelApp> {
       // scoring, scrobbles, and system-playlist rotation, and is the
       // path that carries the `source` tag for #415.
       ref.read(playEventsReporterProvider);
+      // Offline marker (#427 S1): periodic /healthz reachability
+      // probe → offlineProvider. Read here to start the poller; S4
+      // gates system-playlist play + Shuffle-all on it.
+      ref.read(offlineProvider);
     });
   }
 
diff --git a/flutter_client/lib/cache/offline_provider.dart b/flutter_client/lib/cache/offline_provider.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0ef4bcc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flutter_client/lib/cache/offline_provider.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+// Reachability-based offline marker (#427 S1).
+//
+// `connectivityProvider` only knows whether a network *interface* is
+// up — not whether the Minstrel server is actually reachable (captive
+// portals, server down, DNS, VPN-only routes all read "online"). This
+// is the single source of truth other features gate on: offline =
+// the server failed its /healthz probe N times in a row; recovery on
+// the first success.
+//
+// Deliberately NOT coupled to connectivityProvider: subscribing to
+// that StreamProvider eagerly mounts its 2s checkConnectivity timeout
+// and leaks a pending Timer through widget tests that never reach the
+// auth state (the bug fixed for MutationReplayer). /healthz failing
+// already covers interface-down — it just fails the probe.
+//
+// Optimistic: assume online until proven offline, so a cold launch
+// behaves normally and only flips after sustained unreachability.
+
+import 'dart:async';
+
+import 'package:dio/dio.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_riverpod/flutter_riverpod.dart';
+
+import '../api/endpoints/health.dart';
+import '../library/library_providers.dart' show dioProvider;
+
+class OfflineMonitor extends Notifier<bool> {
+  Timer? _initial;
+  Timer? _periodic;
+  int _consecutiveFails = 0;
+
+  /// Consecutive failed probes before we declare offline. Small
+  /// enough to react within ~half a minute, large enough that a
+  /// single dropped request doesn't flip the whole UI.
+  static const _threshold = 3;
+
+  /// Probe cadence. Slower when believed-online (cheap heartbeat);
+  /// faster when offline so recovery is noticed quickly.
+  static const _onlineInterval = Duration(seconds: 30);
+  static const _offlineInterval = Duration(seconds: 10);
+
+  /// Let auth + server-url + dio providers finish async warmup
+  /// before the first probe so a cold start doesn't false-positive.
+  static const _initialDelay = Duration(seconds: 5);
+
+  @override
+  bool build() {
+    ref.onDispose(() {
+      _initial?.cancel();
+      _periodic?.cancel();
+    });
+    _initial = Timer(_initialDelay, () {
+      _check();
+      _arm();
+    });
+    return false; // optimistic until a probe says otherwise
+  }
+
+  void _arm() {
+    _periodic?.cancel();
+    _periodic = Timer.periodic(
+      state ? _offlineInterval : _onlineInterval,
+      (_) => _check(),
+    );
+  }
+
+  Future<void> _check() async {
+    final Dio dio;
+    try {
+      // Not configured yet (no server URL) → don't flip; the app is
+      // still on the connect screen and "offline" is meaningless.
+      dio = await ref.read(dioProvider.future);
+    } catch (_) {
+      return;
+    }
+    try {
+      // dio's own connect/receive timeouts bound this — no extra
+      // Timer (which would leak in widget tests).
+      await HealthApi(dio).check();
+      _consecutiveFails = 0;
+      _set(false);
+    } catch (_) {
+      _consecutiveFails++;
+      if (_consecutiveFails >= _threshold) {
+        _set(true);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  void _set(bool offline) {
+    if (state == offline) return;
+    state = offline;
+    _arm(); // cadence follows the new state
+  }
+
+  /// Force an immediate probe — e.g. a user-initiated retry. Public
+  /// so S4's offline surfaces can offer a "try again" affordance.
+  Future<void> recheck() => _check();
+}
+
+/// `true` when the server is unreachable. Watch this to gate
+/// online-only affordances; read it once at app start to activate
+/// the poller.
+final offlineProvider =
+    NotifierProvider<OfflineMonitor, bool>(OfflineMonitor.new);