diff --git a/tools/observer/observer.mjs b/tools/observer/observer.mjs
index e46ff961..8db92d5b 100644
--- a/tools/observer/observer.mjs
+++ b/tools/observer/observer.mjs
@@ -440,6 +440,9 @@ async function flushChain() {
 }
 
 async function tick(rpc) {
+  try { await tickInner(rpc); rpc.noteTick && rpc.noteTick(true); } catch (e) { rpc.noteTick && rpc.noteTick(false); }
+}
+async function tickInner(rpc) {
   const now = Date.now();
   let dag, info, peersRes, hps;
   try {
@@ -449,7 +452,7 @@ async function tick(rpc) {
       rpc.call('getConnectedPeerInfo', {}),
       rpc.call('estimateNetworkHashesPerSecond', { windowSize: 1000, startHash: null }).catch(() => null),
     ]);
-  } catch (e) { log('tick failed', e.message); return; }
+  } catch (e) { log('tick failed', e.message); throw e; }
   if (dag.network) network = String(dag.network).startsWith('igneum') ? dag.network : `igneum-${dag.network}`;
   nodeVersion = info.serverVersion || nodeVersion;
   if (dag.sink && dag.sink !== sinkHash) { sinkHash = dag.sink; pendingChain.add.add(dag.sink); }
@@ -963,6 +966,20 @@ async function main() {
   };
   rpc.onClose = () => { setTimeout(connect, 2000); };
   await connect();
+  // Watchdog (5 October 2026): after the observer node was restarted for 0.3.9 the reporter logged "rpc not connected" for
+  // an hour without reconnecting (the socket's close never resolved into a new connect). Ten failed ticks in a row force
+  // the socket shut and a fresh connect; the live page must never go stale while the node answers.
+  let failedTicks = 0;
+  rpc.noteTick = (ok) => {
+    failedTicks = ok ? 0 : failedTicks + 1;
+    if (failedTicks === 10) {
+      log('watchdog: 10 failed ticks, forcing a reconnect');
+      failedTicks = 0;
+      try { rpc.ws && rpc.ws.close(); } catch { }
+      rpc.open = false;
+      setTimeout(connect, 1000);
+    }
+  };
 
   setInterval(async () => { if (flushBusy) return; flushBusy = true; try { await flushBlocks(); await flushChain(); } finally { flushBusy = false; } }, FLUSH_EVERY_MS);
   setInterval(() => flushColors(rpc), FLUSH_EVERY_MS);