diff --git a/packages/tui/src/context/client.tsx b/packages/tui/src/context/client.tsx
index 6afee05f8e..a417d70be0 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/context/client.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/context/client.tsx
@@ -49,43 +49,57 @@ export const { use: useClient, provider: ClientProvider } = createSimpleContext(
       if (history.length > connectionHistoryLimit) history.shift()
     }
 
-    async function runConnection(signal: AbortSignal, attempt: number) {
+    async function connect(signal: AbortSignal, attempt: number) {
       let connectedAt: number | undefined
+
+      // Bound the initial handshake and tie this request to the stream lifetime.
       const request = new AbortController()
       const cancel = () => request.abort(signal.reason)
       const timeout = setTimeout(() => request.abort(new Error("Timed out connecting to server")), connectTimeout)
       signal.addEventListener("abort", cancel, { once: true })
 
       try {
+        // Open the event stream and validate its initial handshake.
         record(attempt === 0 ? "connecting" : "reconnecting", attempt)
         log.info("event stream connecting", { attempt })
+
         const iterator = api.event.subscribe({ signal: request.signal })[Symbol.asyncIterator]()
         const first = await iterator.next()
+
         if (signal.aborted) return { error: undefined, connectedAt }
-        if (first.done)
-          throw request.signal.reason instanceof Error
-            ? request.signal.reason
-            : new Error("Event stream disconnected")
+        if (first.done) {
+          const error =
+            request.signal.reason instanceof Error ? request.signal.reason : new Error("Event stream disconnected")
+          return { error, connectedAt }
+        }
         if (first.value.type !== "server.connected")
-          throw new Error("Event stream did not start with server.connected")
+          return { error: new Error("Event stream did not start with server.connected"), connectedAt }
+
+        // Publish the connected state before forwarding live events.
         clearTimeout(timeout)
         record("connected", attempt)
         connectedAt = Date.now()
         log.info("event stream connected")
         events.emit(first.value.type, first.value)
         setConnection({ status: "connected", attempt: 0, error: undefined })
+
+        // Forward events until the stream closes or this connection is cancelled.
         while (!signal.aborted) {
           const event = await iterator.next()
+
           if (signal.aborted) return { error: undefined, connectedAt }
-          if (event.done) throw new Error("Event stream disconnected")
+          if (event.done) return { error: new Error("Event stream disconnected"), connectedAt }
+
           if ("durable" in event.value)
             log.debug("event", {
               type: event.value.type,
               aggregateID: event.value.durable.aggregateID,
               seq: event.value.durable.seq,
             })
+
           events.emit(event.value.type, event.value)
         }
+
         return { error: undefined, connectedAt }
       } catch (error) {
         return { error, connectedAt }
@@ -103,7 +117,7 @@ export const { use: useClient, provider: ClientProvider } = createSimpleContext(
       void (async () => {
         let attempt = 0
         while (!abort.signal.aborted && !controller.signal.aborted) {
-          const result = await runConnection(controller.signal, attempt)
+          const result = await connect(controller.signal, attempt)
           if (abort.signal.aborted || controller.signal.aborted) return
           if (result.connectedAt !== undefined && Date.now() - result.connectedAt >= 1_000) attempt = 0
           attempt += 1