diff --git a/anonstream/routes/nojs.py b/anonstream/routes/nojs.py
index c1b7d59..967f894 100644
--- a/anonstream/routes/nojs.py
+++ b/anonstream/routes/nojs.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from quart import current_app, request, render_template, redirect, url_for, esca
 
 from anonstream.captcha import get_random_captcha_digest_for
 from anonstream.chat import add_chat_message, Rejected
-from anonstream.stream import get_stream_title, get_stream_uptime_and_viewership
+from anonstream.stream import is_online, get_stream_title, get_stream_uptime_and_viewership
 from anonstream.user import add_state, pop_state, try_change_appearance, update_presence, get_users_by_presence, Presence, verify, deverify, BadCaptcha
 from anonstream.routes.wrappers import with_user_from, render_template_with_etag
 from anonstream.helpers.chat import get_scrollback
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ async def nojs_stream(user):
         'nojs_stream.html',
         csp=generate_csp(),
         user=user,
+        online=is_online(),
     )
 
 @current_app.route('/info.html')
diff --git a/anonstream/static/anonstream.js b/anonstream/static/anonstream.js
index f84f946..08eed06 100644
--- a/anonstream/static/anonstream.js
+++ b/anonstream/static/anonstream.js
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ const TOKEN_HASH = document.body.dataset.tokenHash;
 const CSP = document.body.dataset.csp;
 
 /* insert js-only markup */
-const jsmarkup_stream = `<video id="stream_js" src="/stream.mp4?token=${encodeURIComponent(TOKEN)}" autoplay controls></video>`
+const jsmarkup_stream_video = '<video id="stream__video" autoplay controls></video>'
+const jsmarkup_stream_offline = '<header id="stream__offline"><h1>[offline]</h1></header>'
 const jsmarkup_info = '<div id="info_js" data-js="true"></div>';
 const jsmarkup_info_float = '<aside id="info_js__float"></aside>';
 const jsmarkup_info_float_button = '<button id="info_js__float__button">Reload stream</button>';
@@ -83,9 +84,13 @@ const insert_jsmarkup = () => {
     style_tripcode_colors.nonce = CSP;
     document.head.insertAdjacentElement("beforeend", style_tripcode_colors);
   }
-  if (document.getElementById("stream_js") === null) {
+  if (document.getElementById("stream__video") === null) {
     const parent = document.getElementById("stream");
-    parent.insertAdjacentHTML("beforeend", jsmarkup_stream);
+    parent.insertAdjacentHTML("beforeend", jsmarkup_stream_video);
+  }
+  if (document.getElementById("stream__offline") === null) {
+    const parent = document.getElementById("stream");
+    parent.insertAdjacentHTML("beforeend", jsmarkup_stream_offline);
   }
   if (document.getElementById("info_js") === null) {
     const parent = document.getElementById("info");
@@ -568,6 +573,12 @@ const update_users_list = () => {
   chat_users_notwatching_header.innerText = `Not watching (${notwatching})`;
 }
 
+const show_offline_screen = () => {
+  video.removeAttribute("src");
+  video.load();
+  stream.dataset.offline = "";
+}
+
 const on_websocket_message = (event) => {
   //console.log("websocket message", event);
   const receipt = JSON.parse(event.data);
@@ -664,7 +675,7 @@ const on_websocket_message = (event) => {
       }
 
       // stream reload button
-      if (stats === null || stream.networkState === stream.NETWORK_LOADING) {
+      if (stats === null || video.networkState === video.NETWORK_LOADING) {
         info_button.removeAttribute("data-visible");
       } else {
         info_button.dataset.visible = "";
@@ -819,18 +830,26 @@ const connect_websocket = () => {
 connect_websocket();
 
 /* stream reload button */
-const stream = document.getElementById("stream_js");
+const video = document.getElementById("stream__video");
 const info_button = document.getElementById("info_js__float__button");
 info_button.addEventListener("click", (event) => {
-  stream.load();
+  stream.removeAttribute("data-offline");
+  video.src = `/stream.mp4?token=${encodeURIComponent(TOKEN)}`;
+  video.load();
   info_button.removeAttribute("data-visible");
 });
-stream.addEventListener("error", (event) => {
+video.addEventListener("error", (event) => {
+  if (video.error !== null && video.error.message === "404: Not Found") {
+    show_offline_screen();
+  }
   if (stats !== null) {
     info_button.dataset.visible = "";
   }
 });
 
+/* load stream */
+video.src = `/stream.mp4?token=${encodeURIComponent(TOKEN)}`;
+
 /* override js-only chat form */
 const chat_form_nonce = document.getElementById("chat-form_js__nonce");
 const chat_form_comment = document.getElementById("chat-form_js__comment");
diff --git a/anonstream/static/style.css b/anonstream/static/style.css
index 4420dcb..f0482dd 100644
--- a/anonstream/static/style.css
+++ b/anonstream/static/style.css
@@ -56,11 +56,30 @@ noscript {
 #stream {
   background: black;
   grid-area: stream;
+  position: relative;
 }
-#stream_js {
+#stream__video {
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
 }
+#stream__offline {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 0;
+  width: 100%;
+  height: 100%;
+  text-align: center;
+  display: grid;
+  align-content: center;
+  font-size: 20pt;
+  background-color: black;
+  user-select: none;
+}
+#stream__offline > h1 {
+  margin: 0;
+}
+#stream:not([data-offline]) > #stream__offline {
+  display: none;
+}
 #stream_nojs {
   height: 100%;
 }
diff --git a/anonstream/templates/nojs_stream.html b/anonstream/templates/nojs_stream.html
index 025e409..b657618 100644
--- a/anonstream/templates/nojs_stream.html
+++ b/anonstream/templates/nojs_stream.html
@@ -16,14 +16,35 @@
       height: 100%;
       margin: 0;
       overflow: hidden;
+      color: #ddd;
+      font-family: sans-serif;
     }
-    #stream {
-      width: 100%;
-      height: 100%;
-    }
+    {% if online %}
+      #video {
+        width: 100%;
+        height: 100%;
+      }
+    {% else %}
+      #offline {
+        width: 100%;
+        height: 100%;
+        text-align: center;
+        display: grid;
+        align-content: center;
+        font-size: 20pt;
+        user-select: none;
+      }
+      #offline > h1 {
+        margin: 0;
+      }
+    {% endif %}
   </style>
 </head>
 <body>
-  <video id="stream" src="{{ url_for('stream', token=user.token) }}" autoplay controls></video>
+  {% if online %}
+    <video id="video" src="{{ url_for('stream', token=user.token) }}" autoplay controls></video>
+  {% else %}
+    <header id="offline"><h1>[offline]</h1></header>
+  {% endif %}
 </body>
 </html>