diff --git a/public/my.js b/public/my.js
index fd9e471..34c91f5 100644
--- a/public/my.js
+++ b/public/my.js
@@ -307,6 +307,15 @@
     try{
       const foot=document.createElement('div');
       foot.style.cssText='margin-top:12px;padding-top:10px;border-top:1px solid var(--line, #24425d)';
+      // Already connected? Say so and stop asking. Offering to connect someone
+      // who IS connected is how a working link looks broken.
+      if(data&&data.tgLinked){
+        foot.innerHTML='<div class="micro" style="color:var(--teal)">✈️ <b>Telegram connected.</b> '
+          +'Payout pings, team messages and join alerts arrive in your chat with the bot. '
+          +'Open the bot and tap ☰ for your dashboard inside Telegram.</div>';
+        el.appendChild(foot);
+        return;
+      }
       foot.innerHTML='<button id="tgLinkBtn" class="btn btn-secondary btn-sm">✈️ Connect Telegram — payout pings + team chat</button><span class="micro" id="tgLinkNote" style="margin-left:8px"></span>';
       el.appendChild(foot);
       const tb=document.getElementById('tgLinkBtn');
diff --git a/server.js b/server.js
index 1f7a48f..6f009d4 100644
--- a/server.js
+++ b/server.js
@@ -1238,7 +1238,12 @@ async function handleApi(req,res,pathname){
   if(req.method==='GET'&&pathname==='/api/public/msg-inbox'){
     const s=messages.authFromCookie(req);
     if(!s)return json(res,401,{error:'Not signed in.'});
-    return json(res,200,messages.inbox(s));
+    // Whether this position already has a Telegram chat attached. Without it
+    // the panel keeps offering "Connect Telegram" to people who are already
+    // connected, which reads as the link having silently failed.
+    let tgLinked=false;
+    try{ tgLinked=!!tgbot.memberChat(s.id); }catch(err){}
+    return json(res,200,Object.assign({},messages.inbox(s),{tgLinked:tgLinked}));
   }
   if(req.method==='POST'&&pathname.startsWith('/api/tg-hook/')){
     if(pathname.slice('/api/tg-hook/'.length)!==tgbot.webhookSecret())return json(res,404,{error:'Not found'});