diff --git a/node/src/cli.ts b/node/src/cli.ts
index 0068a4c..aad3bdc 100644
--- a/node/src/cli.ts
+++ b/node/src/cli.ts
@@ -260,8 +260,8 @@ program
       windowMinutes: opts.peerWindowMinutes,
       maxPeers: opts.maxPeers,
       watcherCommand: `claude-mailbox watch --block --name ${name}`,
+      daemonError: daemonError ?? undefined,
     });
-    if (daemonError) lines.push("", daemonError);
     lines.push("");
     process.stdout.write(lines.join("\n"));
   });
diff --git a/node/src/hook.ts b/node/src/hook.ts
index a399ba9..f26c8b0 100644
--- a/node/src/hook.ts
+++ b/node/src/hook.ts
@@ -123,10 +123,11 @@ export interface SessionAnnounceOptions {
   windowMinutes: number;
   maxPeers: number;
   watcherCommand?: string;
+  daemonError?: string;
 }
 
 export function buildSessionAnnounceLines(opts: SessionAnnounceOptions): string[] {
-  const { name, peers, windowMinutes, maxPeers, watcherCommand } = opts;
+  const { name, peers, windowMinutes, maxPeers, watcherCommand, daemonError } = opts;
   const lines = [
     `Claude-Mailbox: your mailbox name this session is \`${name}\`.`,
     `The name is auto-derived as <project>-<session-short>. You can rename it (e.g. to tag your working area) with mcp__mailbox__rename(current_name="${name}", new_name="<project>-<area>-<short>"); after that, use the new name everywhere.`,
@@ -151,7 +152,11 @@ export function buildSessionAnnounceLines(opts: SessionAnnounceOptions): string[
       `    - exit code 2 → daemon unreachable; wait ~5 s, then relaunch.`,
     );
   }
-  lines.push("", ...formatActivePeerList(peers, name, { windowMinutes, maxPeers }));
+  if (daemonError) {
+    lines.push("", daemonError);
+  } else {
+    lines.push("", ...formatActivePeerList(peers, name, { windowMinutes, maxPeers }));
+  }
   return lines;
 }
 
diff --git a/node/tests/hook.test.ts b/node/tests/hook.test.ts
index 285a087..e036b20 100644
--- a/node/tests/hook.test.ts
+++ b/node/tests/hook.test.ts
@@ -402,6 +402,20 @@ describe("buildSessionAnnounceLines", () => {
     expect(out).not.toContain("watch --block");
     expect(out).not.toContain("run_in_background");
   });
+
+  it("replaces the peer list with the daemonError hint when daemon is unreachable", () => {
+    const out = buildSessionAnnounceLines({
+      name: "alice-abc12345",
+      peers: [],
+      windowMinutes: 60,
+      maxPeers: 10,
+      daemonError: "[Claude-Mailbox] Daemon not reachable at http://127.0.0.1:1.",
+    }).join("\n");
+    expect(out).toContain("Daemon not reachable");
+    // The misleading "no peers" line must NOT appear when the daemon is down.
+    expect(out).not.toMatch(/No other mailboxes seen/);
+    expect(out).not.toMatch(/Active peers/);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("readSettings / writeSettings roundtrip", () => {