diff --git a/packages/tui/src/app.tsx b/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
index c5a299b94b..93bd6ca73d 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ function App(props: { pair?: DialogPairCredentials }) {
         toast.show({
           variant: "error",
           title: `MCP server failed: ${server.name}`,
-          message: "Open MCP servers to view details.",
+          message: "Run /mcps to view details.",
         })
     }
   })
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-error-details.tsx b/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-error-details.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0dde159474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-error-details.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import { TextAttributes, type ScrollBoxRenderable } from "@opentui/core"
+import { useKeyboard, useTerminalDimensions } from "@opentui/solid"
+import { createMemo, createSignal, onMount } from "solid-js"
+import { useConfig } from "../config"
+import { useClipboard } from "../context/clipboard"
+import { Keymap } from "../context/keymap"
+import { getScrollAcceleration } from "../util/scroll"
+import { useDialog } from "../ui/dialog"
+import { useTheme } from "../context/theme"
+import { useToast } from "../ui/toast"
+
+export function DialogErrorDetails(props: { title: string; error: string; onBack: () => void }) {
+  const dialog = useDialog()
+  const clipboard = useClipboard()
+  const toast = useToast()
+  const theme = useTheme("elevated")
+  const overlayTheme = useTheme("overlay")
+  const dimensions = useTerminalDimensions()
+  const config = useConfig().data
+  const [copied, setCopied] = createSignal(false)
+  const height = createMemo(() => Math.max(3, Math.floor(dimensions().height / 2) - 5))
+  let scroll: ScrollBoxRenderable | undefined
+
+  onMount(() => dialog.setSize("large"))
+
+  const copy = () => {
+    void clipboard
+      .write(props.error)
+      .then(() => setCopied(true))
+      .catch(toast.error)
+  }
+
+  Keymap.createLayer(() => ({
+    mode: "modal",
+    commands: [{ bind: "escape", title: "Back", group: "Dialog", run: props.onBack }],
+  }))
+
+  useKeyboard((event) => {
+    if (event.name === "c") return copy()
+    if (event.name === "up") return scroll?.scrollBy(-1)
+    if (event.name === "down") return scroll?.scrollBy(1)
+    if (event.name === "pageup") return scroll?.scrollBy(-height())
+    if (event.name === "pagedown") return scroll?.scrollBy(height())
+    if (event.name === "home") return scroll?.scrollTo(0)
+    if (event.name === "end" && scroll) return scroll.scrollTo(scroll.scrollHeight)
+  })
+
+  return (
+    <box paddingLeft={4} paddingRight={4} paddingBottom={1} gap={1}>
+      <box flexDirection="row" justifyContent="space-between">
+        <text attributes={TextAttributes.BOLD} fg={theme.text.default}>
+          {props.title}
+        </text>
+        <text fg={theme.text.subdued} onMouseUp={props.onBack}>
+          esc back
+        </text>
+      </box>
+      <text fg={theme.text.feedback.error.default}>✗ Failed</text>
+      <box
+        backgroundColor={overlayTheme.background.default}
+        paddingLeft={2}
+        paddingRight={2}
+        paddingTop={1}
+        paddingBottom={1}
+      >
+        <scrollbox
+          ref={(element: ScrollBoxRenderable) => (scroll = element)}
+          height={height()}
+          scrollbarOptions={{ visible: false }}
+          scrollAcceleration={getScrollAcceleration(config)}
+        >
+          <text fg={overlayTheme.text.default} wrapMode="word">
+            {props.error}
+          </text>
+        </scrollbox>
+      </box>
+      <box flexDirection="row" justifyContent="space-between">
+        <text fg={theme.text.subdued}>↑↓ scroll</text>
+        <text fg={theme.text.subdued} onMouseUp={copy}>
+          {copied() ? "✓ copied" : "c copy details"}
+        </text>
+      </box>
+    </box>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-mcp.tsx b/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-mcp.tsx
index a2999a081e..fe2e333181 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-mcp.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/component/dialog-mcp.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { createEffect, createMemo, createSignal, onMount, Show } from "solid-js"
+import { createEffect, createMemo, createSignal, Show } from "solid-js"
 import { useData } from "../context/data"
 import { useClient } from "../context/client"
 import { Keymap } from "../context/keymap"
@@ -6,13 +6,10 @@ import { pipe, sortBy } from "remeda"
 import { DialogSelect } from "../ui/dialog-select"
 import { useDialog } from "../ui/dialog"
 import { useTheme } from "../context/theme"
-import { TextAttributes, type ScrollBoxRenderable } from "@opentui/core"
+import { TextAttributes } from "@opentui/core"
 import type { McpServer } from "@opencode-ai/client"
-import { useClipboard } from "../context/clipboard"
 import { useToast } from "../ui/toast"
-import { useKeyboard, useTerminalDimensions } from "@opentui/solid"
-import { useConfig } from "../config"
-import { getScrollAcceleration } from "../util/scroll"
+import { DialogErrorDetails } from "./dialog-error-details"
 
 function statusError(status: McpServer["status"]) {
   if (status.status === "failed") return status.error
@@ -143,8 +140,9 @@ export function DialogMcp() {
         }
       >
         {(server) => (
-          <DialogMcpError
-            server={server()}
+          <DialogErrorDetails
+            title={`MCP server: ${server().name}`}
+            error={statusError(server().status) ?? "Unknown MCP connection error"}
             onBack={() => {
               setDetail()
               dialog.setSize("medium")
@@ -155,79 +153,3 @@ export function DialogMcp() {
     </box>
   )
 }
-
-function DialogMcpError(props: { server: McpServer; onBack: () => void }) {
-  const dialog = useDialog()
-  const clipboard = useClipboard()
-  const toast = useToast()
-  const theme = useTheme("elevated")
-  const overlayTheme = useTheme("overlay")
-  const dimensions = useTerminalDimensions()
-  const config = useConfig().data
-  const [copied, setCopied] = createSignal(false)
-  const error = () => statusError(props.server.status) ?? "Unknown MCP connection error"
-  const height = createMemo(() => Math.max(3, Math.floor(dimensions().height / 2) - 5))
-  let scroll: ScrollBoxRenderable | undefined
-
-  onMount(() => dialog.setSize("large"))
-
-  const copy = () => {
-    void clipboard
-      .write(error())
-      .then(() => setCopied(true))
-      .catch(toast.error)
-  }
-
-  Keymap.createLayer(() => ({
-    mode: "modal",
-    commands: [{ bind: "escape", title: "Back to MCP servers", group: "Dialog", run: props.onBack }],
-  }))
-
-  useKeyboard((event) => {
-    if (event.name === "c") return copy()
-    if (event.name === "up") return scroll?.scrollBy(-1)
-    if (event.name === "down") return scroll?.scrollBy(1)
-    if (event.name === "pageup") return scroll?.scrollBy(-height())
-    if (event.name === "pagedown") return scroll?.scrollBy(height())
-    if (event.name === "home") return scroll?.scrollTo(0)
-    if (event.name === "end" && scroll) return scroll.scrollTo(scroll.scrollHeight)
-  })
-
-  return (
-    <box paddingLeft={4} paddingRight={4} paddingBottom={1} gap={1}>
-      <box flexDirection="row" justifyContent="space-between">
-        <text attributes={TextAttributes.BOLD} fg={theme.text.default}>
-          MCP server: {props.server.name}
-        </text>
-        <text fg={theme.text.subdued} onMouseUp={props.onBack}>
-          esc back
-        </text>
-      </box>
-      <text fg={theme.text.feedback.error.default}>✗ Failed</text>
-      <box
-        backgroundColor={overlayTheme.background.default}
-        paddingLeft={2}
-        paddingRight={2}
-        paddingTop={1}
-        paddingBottom={1}
-      >
-        <scrollbox
-          ref={(element: ScrollBoxRenderable) => (scroll = element)}
-          height={height()}
-          scrollbarOptions={{ visible: false }}
-          scrollAcceleration={getScrollAcceleration(config)}
-        >
-          <text fg={overlayTheme.text.default} wrapMode="word">
-            {error()}
-          </text>
-        </scrollbox>
-      </box>
-      <box flexDirection="row" justifyContent="space-between">
-        <text fg={theme.text.subdued}>↑↓ scroll</text>
-        <text fg={theme.text.subdued} onMouseUp={copy}>
-          {copied() ? "✓ copied" : "c copy details"}
-        </text>
-      </box>
-    </box>
-  )
-}
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/home/footer.tsx b/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/home/footer.tsx
index 0c540692ee..ad09b01e8b 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/home/footer.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/home/footer.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,21 @@
 import { Plugin } from "@opencode-ai/plugin/tui"
 import { createMemo, Match, Show, Switch } from "solid-js"
 import { useTerminalDimensions } from "@opentui/solid"
+import { usePlugin } from "../../plugin/context"
+
+export function homeFooterVisibility(width: number) {
+  return {
+    mcpCommand: width >= 64,
+    pluginCommand: width >= 80,
+    version: width >= 64,
+  }
+}
 
 function Mcp(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
+  const dimensions = useTerminalDimensions()
+  const visibility = createMemo(() => homeFooterVisibility(dimensions().width))
   const list = createMemo(() => props.context.data.location.mcp.server.list(props.context.location) ?? [])
-  const failed = createMemo(() => list().some((item) => item.status.status === "failed"))
+  const failed = createMemo(() => list().filter((item) => item.status.status === "failed").length)
   const count = createMemo(() => list().filter((item) => item.status.status === "connected").length)
 
   return (
@@ -14,6 +25,7 @@ function Mcp(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
           <Switch>
             <Match when={failed()}>
               <span style={{ fg: props.context.theme.text.feedback.error.default }}>⊙ </span>
+              {failed()} MCP failed
             </Match>
             <Match when={true}>
               <span
@@ -24,11 +36,34 @@ function Mcp(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
               >
                 ⊙{" "}
               </span>
+              {count()} MCP
             </Match>
           </Switch>
-          {count()} MCP
         </text>
-        <text fg={props.context.theme.text.subdued}>/status</text>
+        <Show when={visibility().mcpCommand}>
+          <text fg={props.context.theme.text.subdued}>/mcps</text>
+        </Show>
+      </box>
+    </Show>
+  )
+}
+
+function Plugins(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
+  const dimensions = useTerminalDimensions()
+  const visibility = createMemo(() => homeFooterVisibility(dimensions().width))
+  const plugins = usePlugin()
+  const failed = createMemo(() => plugins.list().filter((item) => item.status === "failed").length)
+
+  return (
+    <Show when={failed()}>
+      <box gap={1} flexDirection="row" flexShrink={0}>
+        <text fg={props.context.theme.text.default}>
+          <span style={{ fg: props.context.theme.text.feedback.error.default }}>⊙ </span>
+          {failed()} plugin{failed() === 1 ? "" : "s"} failed
+        </text>
+        <Show when={visibility().pluginCommand}>
+          <text fg={props.context.theme.text.subdued}>/plugins</text>
+        </Show>
       </box>
     </Show>
   )
@@ -36,6 +71,7 @@ function Mcp(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
 
 function View(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
   const dimensions = useTerminalDimensions()
+  const visibility = createMemo(() => homeFooterVisibility(dimensions().width))
 
   return (
     <Show when={dimensions().height >= 12 && dimensions().width >= 44}>
@@ -50,10 +86,13 @@ function View(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
         gap={2}
       >
         <Mcp context={props.context} />
+        <Plugins context={props.context} />
         <box flexGrow={1} />
-        <box flexShrink={0}>
-          <text fg={props.context.theme.text.subdued}>{props.context.app.version}</text>
-        </box>
+        <Show when={visibility().version}>
+          <box flexShrink={0}>
+            <text fg={props.context.theme.text.subdued}>{props.context.app.version}</text>
+          </box>
+        </Show>
       </box>
     </Show>
   )
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/system/plugins.tsx b/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/system/plugins.tsx
index 676ee3e475..a539f8a0e7 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/system/plugins.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/feature-plugins/system/plugins.tsx
@@ -1,22 +1,26 @@
 import { Plugin } from "@opencode-ai/plugin/tui"
-import { createMemo, createSignal } from "solid-js"
+import { createEffect, createMemo, createSignal, Show } from "solid-js"
 import { usePlugin } from "../../plugin/context"
 import { DialogSelect, type DialogSelectOption } from "../../ui/dialog-select"
+import { useDialog } from "../../ui/dialog"
+import { DialogErrorDetails } from "../../component/dialog-error-details"
 
 const id = "opencode.plugins"
 
 function View(props: { context: Plugin.Context; plugins: ReturnType<typeof usePlugin> }) {
   const [locked, setLocked] = createSignal(false)
-  const options = createMemo(() =>
-    props.plugins
+  const [focused, setFocused] = createSignal<string>()
+  const [detail, setDetail] = createSignal<{ title: string; error: string }>()
+  const dialog = useDialog()
+  const options = createMemo(() => {
+    const builtins = props.plugins
       .registered()
-      .filter((plugin) => plugin.id !== id)
-      .sort((a, b) => a.id.localeCompare(b.id))
+      .filter((plugin) => plugin.id !== id && plugin.source === "builtin")
       .map(
         (plugin): DialogSelectOption<string> => ({
           title: plugin.id,
           value: plugin.id,
-          category: plugin.source === "builtin" ? "Built-in" : "External",
+          category: "Built-in",
           footer: (
             <span
               style={{
@@ -29,8 +33,46 @@ function View(props: { context: Plugin.Context; plugins: ReturnType<typeof usePl
             </span>
           ),
         }),
-      ),
-  )
+      )
+    const external = props.plugins
+      .list()
+      .filter((plugin) => plugin.status !== "unsupported")
+      .map(
+        (plugin): DialogSelectOption<string> => ({
+          title: plugin.id ?? plugin.target,
+          value: plugin.id ?? plugin.target,
+          category: "External",
+          searchText: plugin.target,
+          footer: (
+            <span
+              style={{
+                fg:
+                  plugin.status === "active"
+                    ? props.context.theme.text.feedback.success.default
+                    : plugin.status === "failed"
+                      ? props.context.theme.text.feedback.error.default
+                      : props.context.theme.text.subdued,
+              }}
+            >
+              {plugin.status}
+            </span>
+          ),
+        }),
+      )
+    return [...builtins, ...external].sort((a, b) => a.title.localeCompare(b.title))
+  })
+
+  const failure = (value: string | undefined) =>
+    props.plugins.list().find((plugin) => {
+      if (plugin.status !== "failed") return false
+      return (plugin.id ?? plugin.target) === value
+    })
+
+  createEffect(() => {
+    if (focused()) return
+    const first = options()[0]
+    if (first) setFocused(first.value)
+  })
 
   const toggle = (plugin: DialogSelectOption<string>) => {
     if (locked()) return
@@ -51,15 +93,56 @@ function View(props: { context: Plugin.Context; plugins: ReturnType<typeof usePl
       .finally(() => setLocked(false))
   }
 
+  const select = (plugin: DialogSelectOption<string>) => {
+    const failed = failure(plugin.value)
+    if (!failed || failed.status !== "failed") return toggle(plugin)
+    setDetail({ title: failed.target, error: failed.error })
+  }
+
   return (
-    <DialogSelect
-      title="Plugins"
-      options={options()}
-      locked={locked()}
-      preserveSelection={true}
-      actions={[{ title: "toggle", command: "plugins.toggle", onTrigger: toggle }]}
-      onSelect={toggle}
-    />
+    <box>
+      <Show
+        when={detail()}
+        fallback={
+          <DialogSelect
+            title="Plugins"
+            options={options()}
+            current={focused()}
+            locked={locked()}
+            preserveSelection={true}
+            onMove={(option) => setFocused(option.value)}
+            actions={[
+              {
+                title: "toggle",
+                command: "plugins.toggle",
+                disabled: (option) => {
+                  const failed = failure(option?.value)
+                  return Boolean(failed && !("id" in failed && failed.id))
+                },
+                onTrigger: toggle,
+              },
+            ]}
+            onSelect={select}
+            footer={
+              <Show when={failure(focused())}>
+                <text fg={props.context.theme.text.subdued}>enter to view error</text>
+              </Show>
+            }
+          />
+        }
+      >
+        {(item) => (
+          <DialogErrorDetails
+            title={`Plugin: ${item().title}`}
+            error={item().error}
+            onBack={() => {
+              setDetail()
+              dialog.setSize("medium")
+            }}
+          />
+        )}
+      </Show>
+    </box>
   )
 }
 
@@ -72,6 +155,7 @@ function Commands(props: { context: Plugin.Context }) {
         id: "plugins.list",
         title: "Plugins",
         group: "System",
+        slash: { name: "plugins" },
         palette: true,
         run() {
           props.context.ui.dialog.show(() => <View context={props.context} plugins={plugins} />)
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/plugin/context.tsx b/packages/tui/src/plugin/context.tsx
index a8053f4a25..ee96a4e8ba 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/plugin/context.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/plugin/context.tsx
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export interface PackageResolver {
 type State =
   | { readonly target: string; readonly id: string; readonly status: "active" | "inactive" }
   | { readonly target: string; readonly status: "unsupported" }
-  | { readonly target: string; readonly status: "failed"; readonly error: string }
+  | { readonly target: string; readonly id?: string; readonly status: "failed"; readonly error: string }
 
 type RegisteredPlugin = {
   readonly id: string
@@ -271,6 +271,7 @@ export function PluginProvider(props: ParentProps<{ packages: PackageResolver; d
         if (!local && !previous) npmFailures.set(target, resolved.error)
         failures.push({
           target,
+          id: previous?.plugin.id,
           status: "failed",
           error: previous?.active ? `${resolved.error} (previous version still active)` : resolved.error,
         })
@@ -376,7 +377,7 @@ export function PluginProvider(props: ParentProps<{ packages: PackageResolver; d
         // A failed reload keeps this item running; the failure entry covers it.
         if (failedTargets.has(item.target)) return []
         const error = errors.get(item.plugin.id)
-        if (error) return [{ target: item.target, status: "failed", error }]
+        if (error) return [{ target: item.target, id: item.plugin.id, status: "failed", error }]
         const status = store.registrations[item.plugin.id]?.active ? "active" : "inactive"
         return [{ target: item.target, id: item.plugin.id, status }]
       }),
@@ -390,7 +391,11 @@ export function PluginProvider(props: ParentProps<{ packages: PackageResolver; d
           (prev) => prev.status === "failed" && prev.target === state.target && prev.error === state.error,
         )
       )
-        host.toast.show({ variant: "error", title: "Plugin", message: `${state.target}: ${state.error}` })
+        host.toast.show({
+          variant: "error",
+          title: `Plugin failed: ${state.target}`,
+          message: "Run /plugins to view details.",
+        })
     setStore("states", reconcileStore(states))
   }
   const slotItems = new WeakMap<SlotRender, Claim<SlotRender>>()
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/feature-plugins/home-footer.test.ts b/packages/tui/test/feature-plugins/home-footer.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d2c6544d40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tui/test/feature-plugins/home-footer.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { homeFooterVisibility } from "../../src/feature-plugins/home/footer"
+
+describe("home footer visibility", () => {
+  test("keeps failure labels readable at the minimum supported width", () => {
+    expect(homeFooterVisibility(44)).toEqual({ mcpCommand: false, pluginCommand: false, version: false })
+  })
+
+  test("adds secondary hints as space becomes available", () => {
+    expect(homeFooterVisibility(64)).toEqual({ mcpCommand: true, pluginCommand: false, version: true })
+    expect(homeFooterVisibility(80)).toEqual({ mcpCommand: true, pluginCommand: true, version: true })
+  })
+})