diff --git a/canvas/.env.example b/canvas/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..977948ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/canvas/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Platform API base URL — used by the canvas for all REST calls and WebSocket connection.
+# Set this to your deployed platform URL.
+NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL=http://localhost:8080
+
+# WebSocket URL override — optional.
+# If not set, derived automatically from NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL (http→ws, appends /ws).
+# Only set this if your WS endpoint is at a different host/path than the REST API.
+# NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL=ws://localhost:8080/ws
diff --git a/canvas/src/components/Toolbar.tsx b/canvas/src/components/Toolbar.tsx
index ce766c32..11ed276c 100644
--- a/canvas/src/components/Toolbar.tsx
+++ b/canvas/src/components/Toolbar.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { showToast } from "@/components/Toaster";
 
 export function Toolbar() {
   const nodes = useCanvasStore((s) => s.nodes);
+  const wsStatus = useCanvasStore((s) => s.wsStatus);
 
   const [stopping, setStopping] = useState(false);
   const [restartingAll, setRestartingAll] = useState(false);
@@ -17,6 +18,23 @@ export function Toolbar() {
   const [helpOpen, setHelpOpen] = useState(false);
   const helpRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
 
+  // Suppress toast on the very first connect at page load; only fire on reconnects.
+  const mountedRef = useRef(false);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const t = setTimeout(() => { mountedRef.current = true; }, 2000);
+    return () => clearTimeout(t);
+  }, []);
+
+  const prevWsStatus = useRef<string>("connecting");
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (prevWsStatus.current === "connecting" && wsStatus === "connected") {
+      if (mountedRef.current) {
+        showToast("Live updates restored", "success");
+      }
+    }
+    prevWsStatus.current = wsStatus;
+  }, [wsStatus]);
+
   const counts = useMemo(() => {
     const c = { total: nodes.length, roots: 0, children: 0, online: 0, offline: 0, failed: 0, provisioning: 0, activeTasks: 0 };
     for (const n of nodes) {
@@ -122,6 +140,11 @@ export function Toolbar() {
         </span>
       </div>
 
+      {/* WebSocket connection status */}
+      <div className="pl-3 border-l border-zinc-800/60">
+        <WsStatusPill status={wsStatus} />
+      </div>
+
       {/* Stop All — visible when agents have active tasks */}
       {counts.activeTasks > 0 && (
         <button
@@ -231,6 +254,31 @@ function StatusPill({ color, count, label }: { color: string; count: number; lab
   );
 }
 
+function WsStatusPill({ status }: { status: "connected" | "connecting" | "disconnected" }) {
+  if (status === "connected") {
+    return (
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5" title="Real-time updates: connected">
+        <div className="w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-emerald-400" />
+        <span className="text-[10px] text-zinc-500">Live</span>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+  if (status === "connecting") {
+    return (
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5" title="Real-time updates: reconnecting…">
+        <div className="w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-amber-400 animate-pulse" />
+        <span className="text-[10px] text-zinc-500">Reconnecting</span>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+  return (
+    <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5" title="Real-time updates: disconnected">
+      <div className="w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-red-400" />
+      <span className="text-[10px] text-zinc-500">Offline</span>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 function HelpRow({ shortcut, text }: { shortcut: string; text: string }) {
   return (
     <div className="flex items-start gap-3 rounded-lg border border-zinc-800/70 bg-zinc-900/45 px-3 py-2">
diff --git a/canvas/src/store/__tests__/socket.test.ts b/canvas/src/store/__tests__/socket.test.ts
index 1d3801a3..caef6878 100644
--- a/canvas/src/store/__tests__/socket.test.ts
+++ b/canvas/src/store/__tests__/socket.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ vi.mock("../canvas", () => ({
     getState: vi.fn(() => ({
       applyEvent: vi.fn(),
       hydrate: vi.fn(),
+      setWsStatus: vi.fn(),
     })),
   },
 }));
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   vi.mocked(useCanvasStore.getState).mockReturnValue({
     applyEvent: vi.fn(),
     hydrate: vi.fn(),
+    setWsStatus: vi.fn(),
   } as unknown as ReturnType<typeof useCanvasStore.getState>);
 });
 
@@ -180,6 +182,7 @@ describe("WebSocket onmessage", () => {
     vi.mocked(useCanvasStore.getState).mockReturnValue({
       applyEvent,
       hydrate: vi.fn(),
+      setWsStatus: vi.fn(),
     } as unknown as ReturnType<typeof useCanvasStore.getState>);
 
     const msg = {
diff --git a/canvas/src/store/__tests__/socket.url.test.ts b/canvas/src/store/__tests__/socket.url.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..563005ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/canvas/src/store/__tests__/socket.url.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, afterEach } from "vitest";
+
+// Helper: reset modules, set env vars, import module, then restore env.
+async function importWsUrl(env: Record<string, string | undefined>) {
+  vi.resetModules();
+  const saved: Record<string, string | undefined> = {};
+  for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(env)) {
+    saved[k] = process.env[k];
+    if (v === undefined) delete process.env[k];
+    else process.env[k] = v;
+  }
+  const mod = await import("@/store/socket");
+  // Restore env
+  for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(saved)) {
+    if (v === undefined) delete process.env[k];
+    else process.env[k] = v;
+  }
+  return mod;
+}
+
+describe("socket WS_URL derivation", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.resetModules();
+    delete process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL;
+    delete process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL;
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to ws://localhost:8080/ws when no env vars are set", async () => {
+    const mod = await importWsUrl({
+      NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL: undefined,
+      NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL: undefined,
+    });
+    expect(mod.WS_URL).toBe("ws://localhost:8080/ws");
+  });
+
+  it("derives WS_URL from NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL by replacing http→ws and appending /ws", async () => {
+    const mod = await importWsUrl({
+      NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL: "http://api.example.com",
+      NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL: undefined,
+    });
+    expect(mod.WS_URL).toBe("ws://api.example.com/ws");
+  });
+
+  it("handles https→wss correctly", async () => {
+    const mod = await importWsUrl({
+      NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL: "https://api.example.com",
+      NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL: undefined,
+    });
+    expect(mod.WS_URL).toBe("wss://api.example.com/ws");
+  });
+
+  it("NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL takes precedence over derived value", async () => {
+    const mod = await importWsUrl({
+      NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL: "http://api.example.com",
+      NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL: "wss://ws.example.com/custom",
+    });
+    expect(mod.WS_URL).toBe("wss://ws.example.com/custom");
+  });
+
+  it("PLATFORM_URL in api.ts falls back to localhost:8080", async () => {
+    vi.resetModules();
+    delete process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL;
+    const mod = await import("@/lib/api");
+    expect(mod.PLATFORM_URL).toBe("http://localhost:8080");
+  });
+
+  it("PLATFORM_URL in api.ts reads from NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL", async () => {
+    vi.resetModules();
+    process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL = "http://prod.example.com";
+    const apiMod = await import("@/lib/api");
+    expect(apiMod.PLATFORM_URL).toBe("http://prod.example.com");
+    delete process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL;
+  });
+});
diff --git a/canvas/src/store/canvas.ts b/canvas/src/store/canvas.ts
index df980f6b..6056fafa 100644
--- a/canvas/src/store/canvas.ts
+++ b/canvas/src/store/canvas.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ interface CanvasState {
   /** Agent-pushed messages keyed by workspace ID. ChatTab consumes and clears these. */
   agentMessages: Record<string, Array<{ id: string; content: string; timestamp: string }>>;
   consumeAgentMessages: (workspaceId: string) => Array<{ id: string; content: string; timestamp: string }>;
+  /** WebSocket connection status — drives the live indicator in the Toolbar. */
+  wsStatus: "connected" | "connecting" | "disconnected";
+  setWsStatus: (status: "connected" | "connecting" | "disconnected") => void;
 }
 
 export const useCanvasStore = create<CanvasState>((set, get) => ({
@@ -79,6 +82,8 @@ export const useCanvasStore = create<CanvasState>((set, get) => ({
   panelTab: "chat",
   dragOverNodeId: null,
   contextMenu: null,
+  wsStatus: "connecting",
+  setWsStatus: (status) => set({ wsStatus: status }),
 
   viewport: { x: 0, y: 0, zoom: 1 },
 
diff --git a/canvas/src/store/socket.ts b/canvas/src/store/socket.ts
index e9bfbf29..3362bcad 100644
--- a/canvas/src/store/socket.ts
+++ b/canvas/src/store/socket.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { useCanvasStore } from "./canvas";
 
-export const WS_URL = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL || "ws://localhost:8080/ws";
+export const WS_URL =
+  process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_WS_URL ??
+  (process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_PLATFORM_URL ?? "http://localhost:8080")
+    .replace(/^http/, "ws")
+    .concat("/ws");
 
 export interface WSMessage {
   event: string;
@@ -21,11 +25,13 @@ class ReconnectingSocket {
   }
 
   connect() {
+    useCanvasStore.getState().setWsStatus("connecting");
     this.ws = new WebSocket(this.url);
 
     this.ws.onopen = () => {
       this.attempt = 0;
       this.lastEventTime = Date.now();
+      useCanvasStore.getState().setWsStatus("connected");
       this.rehydrate();
       this.startHealthCheck();
     };
@@ -42,6 +48,7 @@ class ReconnectingSocket {
 
     this.ws.onclose = () => {
       this.stopHealthCheck();
+      useCanvasStore.getState().setWsStatus("connecting");
       const delay = Math.min(1000 * 2 ** this.attempt, 30000);
       this.attempt++;
       setTimeout(() => this.connect(), delay);
@@ -90,6 +97,7 @@ class ReconnectingSocket {
       this.ws.close();
       this.ws = null;
     }
+    useCanvasStore.getState().setWsStatus("disconnected");
   }
 }