diff --git a/Ten31Transcripts/Session/SessionController.swift b/Ten31Transcripts/Session/SessionController.swift
index 06c75a2..f12e045 100644
--- a/Ten31Transcripts/Session/SessionController.swift
+++ b/Ten31Transcripts/Session/SessionController.swift
@@ -444,13 +444,16 @@ final class SessionController: ObservableObject {
         if let folder = lastSession?.folder { openEditor(folder: folder) }
     }
 
-    /// Open the editor for any session folder that has a `speakers.json`.
-    private func openEditor(folder: URL) {
+    /// Open the editor for any session folder that has a `speakers.json`. Returns
+    /// false if it couldn't load (no/empty transcript).
+    @discardableResult
+    private func openEditor(folder: URL) -> Bool {
         guard let model = RecapEditModel(folder: folder, voiceprints: voiceprints,
                                          baseURL: settings.backendBaseURL, skipTLS: settings.skipTLSVerification,
                                          templates: settings.recapTemplates, defaultTemplateId: settings.defaultTemplateId)
-        else { return }
+        else { return false }
         EditorWindow.shared.show(model: model)
+        return true
     }
 
     /// Pick any past session folder and open it: edit it if already transcribed,
@@ -467,13 +470,22 @@ final class SessionController: ObservableObject {
         guard panel.runModal() == .OK, let folder = panel.url else { return }
         let fm = FileManager.default
         if fm.fileExists(atPath: folder.appendingPathComponent("speakers.json").path) {
-            openEditor(folder: folder)
+            if !openEditor(folder: folder) {
+                Self.alert("Couldn't open this session — its transcript looks empty or unreadable.")
+            }
             return
         }
         // Not transcribed yet — needs the raw tracks to (re)process.
         let mic = folder.appendingPathComponent("mic.wav")
         let sys = folder.appendingPathComponent("system.wav")
-        guard fm.fileExists(atPath: mic.path), fm.fileExists(atPath: sys.path), !isProcessing else { return }
+        guard fm.fileExists(atPath: mic.path), fm.fileExists(atPath: sys.path) else {
+            Self.alert("“\(folder.lastPathComponent)” isn’t a recorded session (no mic.wav / system.wav).")
+            return
+        }
+        guard !isProcessing else {
+            Self.alert("Already processing a session — let it finish first.")
+            return
+        }
         transcriptStatus = .processing(0, 1)
         recapURL = nil
         let selfName = settings.selfName
@@ -500,6 +512,15 @@ final class SessionController: ObservableObject {
         folder.lastPathComponent.split(separator: "_").last.map(String.init) ?? "manual"
     }
 
+    private static func alert(_ message: String) {
+        let a = NSAlert()
+        a.messageText = "Open saved session"
+        a.informativeText = message
+        a.alertStyle = .informational
+        NSApp.activate(ignoringOtherApps: true)
+        a.runModal()
+    }
+
     private func fail(_ message: String) {
         recorder = nil
         visualCapture = nil   // recorder.start() failed before visual started; nothing running
diff --git a/Ten31Transcripts/UI/MenuBarView.swift b/Ten31Transcripts/UI/MenuBarView.swift
index 8da1105..f17d613 100644
--- a/Ten31Transcripts/UI/MenuBarView.swift
+++ b/Ten31Transcripts/UI/MenuBarView.swift
@@ -99,14 +99,19 @@ struct MenuBarView: View {
                     }
                     Spacer()
                 }
-                if !transcriptText.isEmpty {
-                    Text(transcriptText).font(.caption).foregroundStyle(transcriptColor)
-                }
             }
 
-            Button("Open saved session…") { session.openSavedSession() }
-                .buttonStyle(.link).font(.caption)
-                .disabled(transcriptProcessing)
+            HStack(spacing: 6) {
+                Button("Open saved session…") { session.openSavedSession() }
+                    .buttonStyle(.link).font(.caption)
+                    .disabled(transcriptProcessing)
+                if transcriptProcessing { ProgressView().controlSize(.small) }
+            }
+
+            // Always-visible status (covers "Send to backend" AND "Open saved session").
+            if !transcriptText.isEmpty {
+                Text(transcriptText).font(.caption).foregroundStyle(transcriptColor)
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -152,6 +157,7 @@ struct MenuBarView: View {
     private var transcriptText: String {
         switch session.transcriptStatus {
         case .idle:                       return ""
+        case .processing(_, let t) where t == 0: return "Working… (this can take a few minutes)"
         case .processing(let d, let t):   return "Transcribing… chunk \(d)/\(t)"
         case .done(let s, let seg):       return "Transcript ready · \(s) speakers · \(seg) segments"
         case .failed(let m):              return "Transcript failed: \(m)"