diff --git a/server/lib/player-media-health.js b/server/lib/player-media-health.js
index f460780..4322fd8 100644
--- a/server/lib/player-media-health.js
+++ b/server/lib/player-media-health.js
@@ -44,5 +44,17 @@
     return !s.surfaceAttached;
   }
 
-  return { needsReattach: needsReattach };
+  // Whether the idle "Waiting for content..." screen should be shown, given player state.
+  // THE RECONNECT BUG: the server re-emits device:paired on every re-register of an already-
+  // paired device, and the player showed the idle overlay UNCONDITIONALLY — covering live
+  // content (audio kept playing underneath), and the following "Playlist unchanged" left it
+  // up. Rule: only fall to idle when nothing is playing AND there is genuinely no content to
+  // play. Already playing, or content present and about to render, is NEVER idle.
+  function shouldShowIdle(state) {
+    var s = state || {};
+    if (s.isPlaying) return false;   // something is playing -> never cover it with idle
+    return !s.hasContent;            // idle only when there's genuinely no content
+  }
+
+  return { needsReattach: needsReattach, shouldShowIdle: shouldShowIdle };
 });
diff --git a/server/player/index.html b/server/player/index.html
index d95cd08..dc788c3 100644
--- a/server/player/index.html
+++ b/server/player/index.html
@@ -807,7 +807,15 @@
         saveConfig(config);
         console.log('Paired as:', data.name);
         document.getElementById('setupScreen').style.display = 'none';
-        showStatus('Waiting for content...');
+        // #146 fix: the server re-emits device:paired on EVERY re-register of an already-
+        // paired device (deviceSocket.js), i.e. on every reconnect — while content is already
+        // playing. Showing the idle "Waiting for content..." overlay unconditionally covered
+        // the live video (audio kept playing underneath) and the subsequent "Playlist
+        // unchanged" left it up. Only fall to idle when nothing is actually playing.
+        const showIdle = window.PlayerMediaHealth
+          ? PlayerMediaHealth.shouldShowIdle({ isPlaying: isPlaying, hasContent: playlist.length > 0 })
+          : !isPlaying;
+        if (showIdle) showStatus('Waiting for content...');
       });
 
       socket.on('device:unpaired', () => {
@@ -1333,6 +1341,11 @@
           if (window.PlayerMediaHealth && PlayerMediaHealth.needsReattach(state)) {
             console.log('[refresh] media surface lost on no-change refresh — re-attaching current item');
             playCurrentItem();
+          } else if (isPlaying) {
+            // #146 fix: unchanged + already playing must LEAVE playback exactly as-is. Clear
+            // any stale idle overlay (e.g. the one a reconnect's device:paired put up) so the
+            // "unchanged" confirmation never leaves "Waiting for content..." over live content.
+            hideStatus();
           }
         } catch (e) { /* never let the health check break a refresh */ }
         return;
diff --git a/server/player/sw.js b/server/player/sw.js
index 08a6af9..bb78c16 100644
--- a/server/player/sw.js
+++ b/server/player/sw.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const CACHE_NAME = 'rd-player-v10';
+const CACHE_NAME = 'rd-player-v11';
 
 // Install: skip waiting to activate immediately
 self.addEventListener('install', (event) => {
diff --git a/server/test/player-media-health.test.js b/server/test/player-media-health.test.js
index a1fb825..afdd0ba 100644
--- a/server/test/player-media-health.test.js
+++ b/server/test/player-media-health.test.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 const { test } = require('node:test');
 const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
-const { needsReattach } = require('../lib/player-media-health');
+const { needsReattach, shouldShowIdle } = require('../lib/player-media-health');
 
 const video = (o) => ({ isPlaying: true, hasCurrentItem: true, itemKind: 'video', videoEl: o, surfaceAttached: true });
 
@@ -40,3 +40,16 @@ test('non-video surface (image/youtube/widget): re-attach only when the surface
   assert.equal(needsReattach({ ...base, itemKind: 'youtube', surfaceAttached: false }), true);
   assert.equal(needsReattach({ ...base, itemKind: 'widget', surfaceAttached: true }), false);
 });
+
+// shouldShowIdle — the reconnect reset guard (device:paired / unchanged reconciliation).
+test('THE RECONNECT BUG: already playing -> NEVER show the idle "Waiting" screen', () => {
+  // reconnect re-emits device:paired while content is playing: must stay on the content
+  assert.equal(shouldShowIdle({ isPlaying: true, hasContent: true }), false);
+  assert.equal(shouldShowIdle({ isPlaying: true, hasContent: false }), false);
+});
+
+test('idle screen shows ONLY when genuinely no content and nothing playing', () => {
+  assert.equal(shouldShowIdle({ isPlaying: false, hasContent: false }), true);  // first pair, empty
+  assert.equal(shouldShowIdle({ isPlaying: false, hasContent: true }), false);  // content present, about to render
+  assert.equal(shouldShowIdle(undefined), true);
+});