diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index e5cb75b..f7ae463 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -351,18 +351,16 @@ $(document).ready(function () {
 	World.spawn(wsconn);
 	World.spawn({
 	    // Monitor connection, notifying connectivity changes
-	    state: null,
+	    state: "crashed", // start with this to avoid spurious initial message print
 	    boot: function () {
 		World.updateRoutes([sub(["broker_state", __], 0, 1)]);
 	    },
 	    handleEvent: function (e) {
 		if (e.type === "routes") {
-		    if (e.routes.length > 0) {
-			var newState = e.routes[0].pattern[1];
-			if (this.state != newState) {
-			    outputState(newState);
-			    this.state = newState;
-			}
+		    var newState = (e.routes.length > 0) ? e.routes[0].pattern[1] : "crashed";
+		    if (this.state != newState) {
+			outputState(newState);
+			this.state = newState;
 		    }
 		}
 	    }
diff --git a/style.css b/style.css
index 7d581ee..a19cf9d 100644
--- a/style.css
+++ b/style.css
@@ -30,6 +30,15 @@ span.state.disconnected, span.departed {
     color: #c00000;
 }
 
+span.state.crashed {
+    color: white;
+    background: red;
+}
+
+span.state.crashed:after {
+    content: "; please reload the page";
+}
+
 div.state_disconnected {
     background-color: #ffeeee;
 }