diff --git a/src/app/features/settings/notifications/SystemNotification.tsx b/src/app/features/settings/notifications/SystemNotification.tsx
index eb21a4f..f2aeeea 100644
--- a/src/app/features/settings/notifications/SystemNotification.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/settings/notifications/SystemNotification.tsx
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ type PushStatus = {
   distributor: string;
   endpoint: string;
   distributors: string[];
+  lastFailure: string;
 };
 
 /** Android-only section showing UnifiedPush registration status and controls. */
@@ -194,6 +195,7 @@ function AndroidPushNotifications() {
             distributor: s.distributor || '',
             endpoint: s.endpoint || '',
             distributors,
+            lastFailure: s.lastFailure || '',
           }
         : undefined
     );
@@ -211,7 +213,7 @@ function AndroidPushNotifications() {
       await refresh();
       if (!result.success) {
         setLastError(
-          'Could not register a push distributor. Install ntfy (with UnifiedPush enabled), then try Reset again.'
+          'Selected distributor but did not get a push endpoint. In ntfy: enable UnifiedPush, allow unrestricted battery, then try Reset again.'
         );
       }
     }, [refresh])
@@ -244,6 +246,13 @@ function AndroidPushNotifications() {
         </Text>
       );
     }
+    if (status.lastFailure) {
+      return (
+        <Text as="span" style={{ color: color.Critical.Main }} size="T200">
+          {`Registration failed (${status.lastFailure}). Tap Reset and pick ntfy again.`}
+        </Text>
+      );
+    }
     if (status.distributors.length === 0) {
       return (
         <Text as="span" style={{ color: color.Critical.Main }} size="T200">
diff --git a/src/app/utils/backgroundSync.ts b/src/app/utils/backgroundSync.ts
index 280f71e..afd18c8 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/backgroundSync.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/backgroundSync.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ type UnifiedPushStatus = {
   registered: boolean;
   distributor: string;
   distributors: string[] | string;
+  lastFailure?: string;
 };
 
 type UnifiedPushEndpointEvent = {
@@ -545,15 +546,20 @@ export const requestResetPushRegistration = async (): Promise<{ success: boolean
     if (!result?.success) return { success: false };
 
     // Endpoint arrives asynchronously from the distributor after register().
-    for (let i = 0; i < 20; i += 1) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < 40; i += 1) {
       await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 250));
       const status = await getBackgroundSyncStatus();
       if (status?.registered && status.endpoint) {
         return { success: true };
       }
+      if (status?.lastFailure) {
+        console.warn('[BackgroundSync] Registration failed while waiting:', status.lastFailure);
+        return { success: false };
+      }
     }
 
-    return { success: true };
+    console.warn('[BackgroundSync] Distributor selected but no endpoint received in time');
+    return { success: false };
   } catch (err) {
     console.error('[BackgroundSync] requestDistributorSetup failed:', err);
     return { success: false };