diff --git a/relay/src/message.rs b/relay/src/message.rs
index 372f17e..58da534 100644
--- a/relay/src/message.rs
+++ b/relay/src/message.rs
@@ -73,7 +73,12 @@ pub(crate) enum FromTcpThreadMessage {
     Disconnected(String),
     /// A packet was sent to remote (In bytes)
     Sent(usize),
-    /// Error reported
+    /// Error reported.
+    ///
+    /// Nothing constructs this today: a failed write means the socket is gone,
+    /// so the TCP thread reports `Disconnected` and exits rather than emitting
+    /// a send error per dropped packet. Kept for a future transient-failure
+    /// case that can be reported without tearing the connection down.
     SendError(String),
     /// Mirror destination accepted the connection
     MirrorConnected(String),
diff --git a/relay/src/state.rs b/relay/src/state.rs
index 2b3f6e4..a1e6cc6 100644
--- a/relay/src/state.rs
+++ b/relay/src/state.rs
@@ -821,6 +821,9 @@ impl State {
                 Ok(stream) => {
                     human_log("TCP", "Successfully connected to iMotions server.");
                     let _ = child_bichannel.set_is_conn_to_endpoint(true);
+                    // Report it so the status line follows the real socket instead
+                    // of waiting for a manual Check TCP Connection Status press.
+                    let _ = child_bichannel.send_to_parent(FromTcpThreadMessage::Connected);
                     stream
                 }
                 Err(e) => {
@@ -856,16 +859,60 @@ impl State {
                             }
 
                             for packet in packets_for_fields(&fields) {
+                                let bytes = packet.len();
                                 let res = send_packet_and_debug(&mut stream, &packet);
                                 let _ = child_bichannel.set_is_conn_to_endpoint(res.is_ok());
+                                // Mirror regardless of the iMotions result: the mirror is
+                                // a separate destination and should not lose a copy just
+                                // because iMotions went away.
                                 mirror_send(&mut mirror, &packet, &mut child_bichannel);
+
+                                match res {
+                                    Ok(()) => {
+                                        // Report the write so the throughput block has
+                                        // something to count.
+                                        let _ = child_bichannel
+                                            .send_to_parent(FromTcpThreadMessage::Sent(bytes));
+                                    }
+                                    Err(e) => {
+                                        // A write failure means the socket is gone, so stop
+                                        // at the first one and report it as a disconnect.
+                                        // Reporting each failed packet instead would write
+                                        // ~120 entries/sec to the event log and bury
+                                        // everything else in the GUI panel.
+                                        let reason = format!("TCP send failed: {}", e);
+                                        human_log("TCP", &reason);
+                                        // Same path #179 established for a failed connect:
+                                        // the GUI shows it and reap_tcp_thread clears the
+                                        // handle, so Connect TCP works again without
+                                        // pressing Disconnect TCP first.
+                                        let _ = child_bichannel.send_to_parent(
+                                            FromTcpThreadMessage::Disconnected(reason.clone()),
+                                        );
+                                        bail!(reason);
+                                    }
+                                }
                             }
                         }
                         ToTcpThreadMessage::SendRaw(packet) => {
-                            let res = send_packet_and_debug(&mut stream, &packet);
-                            let _ = child_bichannel.set_is_conn_to_endpoint(res.is_ok());
-                            if let Err(e) = res {
-                                human_log("TCP", &format!("Test packet failed: {}", e));
+                            match send_packet_and_debug(&mut stream, &packet) {
+                                Ok(()) => {
+                                    let _ = child_bichannel.set_is_conn_to_endpoint(true);
+                                    // A test packet is still a packet on the wire, so it
+                                    // counts toward throughput like any other.
+                                    let _ = child_bichannel.send_to_parent(
+                                        FromTcpThreadMessage::Sent(packet.len()),
+                                    );
+                                }
+                                Err(e) => {
+                                    let reason = format!("Test packet failed: {}", e);
+                                    human_log("TCP", &reason);
+                                    let _ = child_bichannel.set_is_conn_to_endpoint(false);
+                                    let _ = child_bichannel.send_to_parent(
+                                        FromTcpThreadMessage::Disconnected(reason.clone()),
+                                    );
+                                    bail!(reason);
+                                }
                             }
                             // The mirror gets the test packet too, so the button
                             // checks both links at once.
diff --git a/relay/src/update.rs b/relay/src/update.rs
index b10ec37..0901e71 100644
--- a/relay/src/update.rs
+++ b/relay/src/update.rs
@@ -1012,6 +1012,49 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn connecting_reports_status_without_a_manual_check() {
+        let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").expect("bind failed");
+        let addr = listener.local_addr().expect("local_addr failed").to_string();
+
+        let mut state = State::default();
+        state.tcp_connect(addr).expect("tcp_connect failed");
+        let (_stream, _) = listener.accept().expect("accept failed");
+
+        pump_update(&mut state, 50);
+
+        // Before #181 the TCP thread never sent Connected, so this stayed false
+        // until Check TCP Connection Status was pressed.
+        assert!(
+            state.tcp_connected,
+            "status never flipped on its own: {:?}",
+            state.event_log
+        );
+
+        let _ = state.tcp_disconnect();
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn sent_packets_make_the_throughput_block_appear() {
+        let listener = TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:0").expect("bind failed");
+        let addr = listener.local_addr().expect("local_addr failed").to_string();
+
+        let mut state = State::default();
+        state.tcp_connect(addr).expect("tcp_connect failed");
+        let (_stream, _) = listener.accept().expect("accept failed");
+        assert!(wait_until(|| state.is_tcp_connected()), "TCP never connected");
+
+        let _ = update(&mut state, Message::SendPacket);
+        pump_update(&mut state, 50);
+
+        // show_metrics gates metrics_block in view.rs. Nothing ever set it
+        // before #181, so the throughput indicator could never render.
+        assert!(state.packets_last_60s > 0, "no packets counted");
+        assert!(state.show_metrics, "throughput block still hidden");
+
+        let _ = state.tcp_disconnect();
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn send_packet_with_every_toggle_off_reports_an_error() {
         let mut state = State::default();