diff --git a/src/common/livefile/store-live-file.ts b/src/common/livefile/store-live-file.ts
index a19d91366..fffa682e6 100644
--- a/src/common/livefile/store-live-file.ts
+++ b/src/common/livefile/store-live-file.ts
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ export const useLiveFileStore = create<LiveFileState & LiveFileActions>()(persis
             [fileId]: {
               ...file,
               isLoading: false,
-              error: `Error loading File: ${error?.message || typeof error === 'string' ? error : 'Unknown error'}`,
+              error: `Error reading: ${error?.message || typeof error === 'string' ? error : 'Unknown error'}`,
             },
           },
         }));
diff --git a/src/common/livefile/useLiveFileComparison.tsx b/src/common/livefile/useLiveFileComparison.tsx
index 2fc117a2f..0c19674da 100644
--- a/src/common/livefile/useLiveFileComparison.tsx
+++ b/src/common/livefile/useLiveFileComparison.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import * as React from 'react';
 import { fileOpen } from 'browser-fs-access';
-import { focusManager } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import { cleanupEfficiency, makeDiff } from '@sanity/diff-match-patch';
 
 import { Alert, Box, Button, ColorPaletteProp, IconButton } from '@mui/joy';
@@ -8,6 +7,7 @@ import CloseRoundedIcon from '@mui/icons-material/CloseRounded';
 import WarningRoundedIcon from '@mui/icons-material/WarningRounded';
 
 import { TooltipOutlined } from '~/common/components/TooltipOutlined';
+import { WindowFocusObserver } from '~/common/util/windowUtils';
 
 import type { LiveFileId } from './liveFile.types';
 import { LiveFileChooseIcon, LiveFileIcon, LiveFileReloadIcon, LiveFileSaveIcon } from './liveFile.icons';
@@ -217,16 +217,16 @@ export function useLiveFileComparison(
   const liveFileActionBox = React.useMemo(() => {
     if (!status && !fileHasContent) return null;
 
-    const statusColor: ColorPaletteProp = status?.mtype === 'error' ? 'danger'
-      : status?.mtype === 'success' ? 'success'
-        : status?.mtype === 'changes' ? 'neutral'
-          : 'neutral';
+    const statusColor: ColorPaletteProp =
+      status?.mtype === 'error' ? 'warning'
+        : status?.mtype === 'success' ? 'success'
+          : status?.mtype === 'changes' ? 'neutral'
+            : 'neutral';
 
     return (
       <Alert
         variant='plain'
         color={statusColor}
-        startDecorator={status?.mtype === 'error' ? <WarningRoundedIcon /> : undefined}
         sx={{
           display: 'flex',
           flexFlow: 'row wrap',
@@ -237,11 +237,17 @@ export function useLiveFileComparison(
         }}
       >
         <Box sx={{ display: 'flex', gap: 0.5, alignItems: 'center' }}>
+
+          {/* Pair Button */}
           {isPairingValid && (
             <IconButton size='sm' onClick={handleSyncButtonClicked}>
               <LiveFileIcon />
             </IconButton>
           )}
+
+          {/* Alert Decorator (startDecorator will have it messy) */}
+          {status?.mtype === 'error' && <WarningRoundedIcon sx={{ mr: 1 }} />}
+
           {' '}<span>{status?.message}</span>
         </Box>
 
@@ -299,7 +305,7 @@ export function useLiveFileComparison(
   // Auto-click on 'refresh' on window focus
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    return focusManager.subscribe(async (focused) => {
+    return WindowFocusObserver.getInstance().subscribe(async (focused) => {
       if (focused && shallUpdateOnRefocus)
         await handleUpdateFileContent();
     });
diff --git a/src/common/util/windowUtils.tsx b/src/common/util/windowUtils.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2a1f0721
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/util/windowUtils.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import { isBrowser } from './pwaUtils';
+
+export class WindowFocusObserver {
+  private static instance: WindowFocusObserver | null = null;
+  private listeners: Set<(isWindowFocused: boolean) => void> = new Set();
+  private isWindowFocused: boolean = true;
+  private refCount: number = 0;
+
+  // singleton
+
+  public static getInstance(): WindowFocusObserver {
+    if (!WindowFocusObserver.instance)
+      WindowFocusObserver.instance = new WindowFocusObserver();
+    return WindowFocusObserver.instance;
+  }
+
+  private constructor() {
+    if (!isBrowser) return;
+    this.isWindowFocused = document.hasFocus();
+    window.addEventListener('focus', this._handleWindowFocus);
+    window.addEventListener('blur', this._handleWindowBlur);
+  }
+
+  // clients
+
+  get windowFocusState(): boolean {
+    return this.isWindowFocused;
+  }
+
+  public subscribe(listener: (isWindowFocused: boolean) => void): () => void {
+    this.listeners.add(listener);
+    this.refCount++;
+    return () => {
+      this.listeners.delete(listener);
+      this.refCount--;
+      if (this.refCount === 0) {
+        this._cleanup();
+      }
+    };
+  }
+
+  // private methods
+
+  private _cleanup(): void {
+    if (!isBrowser) return;
+    window.removeEventListener('focus', this._handleWindowFocus);
+    window.removeEventListener('blur', this._handleWindowBlur);
+    this.listeners.clear();
+    WindowFocusObserver.instance = null;
+  }
+
+  private _handleWindowFocus = (): void => {
+    this._updateWindowFocusState(true);
+  };
+
+  private _handleWindowBlur = (): void => {
+    this._updateWindowFocusState(false);
+  };
+
+  private _updateWindowFocusState(newState: boolean): void {
+    if (this.isWindowFocused !== newState) {
+      this.isWindowFocused = newState;
+      this.listeners.forEach(listener => listener(this.isWindowFocused));
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+
+// // React to window visibility changes.
+// export function useWindowFocus(): boolean {
+//   const [isWindowFocused, setIsWindowFocused] = React.useState<boolean>(() =>
+//     WindowFocusObserver.getInstance().windowFocusState,
+//   );
+//   React.useEffect(() => WindowFocusObserver.getInstance().subscribe(setIsWindowFocused), []);
+//   return isWindowFocused;
+// }