diff --git a/.github/workflows/community-status.yml b/.github/workflows/community-status.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d07f2758
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/community-status.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+name: Community server status
+
+# Checks the community server every ten minutes and keeps the result in
+# status.json on the site-status branch, which the homepage's status line
+# reads (docs/index.html). The branch holds that one file in a single
+# commit, replaced each run, so main's history stays clean and nothing that
+# builds or publishes runs on it. scripts/community-status.js does the check.
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '*/10 * * * *'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
+concurrency:
+  group: community-status
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+jobs:
+  check:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    steps:
+      - name: Get the checker
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          sparse-checkout: scripts/community-status.js
+          sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false
+
+      - name: Get the last result
+        run: |
+          if git fetch --depth=1 origin site-status 2>/dev/null; then
+            git show FETCH_HEAD:status.json > previous.json 2>/dev/null || true
+          fi
+
+      - name: Check the community server
+        run: node scripts/community-status.js status.json "$( [ -s previous.json ] && echo previous.json )"
+
+      - name: Publish the result
+        run: |
+          mkdir publish
+          cp status.json publish/status.json
+          cd publish
+          git init -q -b site-status
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git add status.json
+          git commit -q -m "Community server status"
+          git push -q --force "https://x-access-token:${{ github.token }}@github.com/${{ github.repository }}.git" site-status
diff --git a/docs/index.html b/docs/index.html
index 59c56ed6..31fdc5b8 100644
--- a/docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/index.html
@@ -149,6 +149,17 @@
   .btn-secondary:hover { border-color: var(--ink); text-decoration: none; }
   .btn .ver { font-family: var(--mono); font-weight: 500; font-size: 14px; opacity: 0.85; }
   .actions .plain { font-size: 15px; }
+  /* The community server's status, under the join button. */
+  .server-status { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 9px 1fr; column-gap: 10px; row-gap: 2px; margin: 16px 0 0; font-size: 14px; color: var(--muted); }
+  .server-status .dot { align-self: start; margin-top: 6px; width: 9px; height: 9px; border-radius: 50%; background: var(--rule-strong); }
+  .server-status .status-when { grid-column: 2; }
+  .server-status .status-when:empty { display: none; }
+  .server-status[data-state="ok"] .dot { background: #2E9E5B; box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(46, 158, 91, 0.18); }
+  .server-status[data-state="warn"] .dot { background: #D19A1C; box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(209, 154, 28, 0.2); }
+  .server-status[data-state="down"] .dot { background: #D2463C; box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(210, 70, 60, 0.2); }
+  .server-status[data-state="down"] .status-text,
+  .server-status[data-state="warn"] .status-text { color: var(--ink); }
+  .server-status .status-when { font-size: 13px; }
 
   .term { background: var(--term-bg); color: var(--term-ink); border-radius: 6px; padding: 18px 20px; font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 1.5; overflow-x: auto; border: 1px solid var(--rule-strong); }
   .term pre { margin: 0; white-space: pre-wrap; }
@@ -298,6 +309,7 @@
             <a class="btn btn-secondary" id="try-server" href="https://haven.moviethingy.xyz/?invite=da0b9be7">Join the community server</a>
             <a class="plain" href="https://github.com/ancsemi/Haven">Source on GitHub</a>
           </div>
+          <p class="server-status" id="server-status" data-state="unknown" role="status" aria-live="polite"><span class="dot" aria-hidden="true"></span><span class="status-text">Checking the community server…</span><span class="status-when"></span></p>
         </div>
         <div>
           <div class="term" role="img" aria-label="Haven's start-up message in a terminal: HAVEN is running, with the local and network addresses">
@@ -618,6 +630,64 @@
 })();
 </script>
 
+<script>
+// The community server's status line. A job checks the server every ten
+// minutes (scripts/community-status.js) and keeps the result on the repo's
+// site-status branch; this reads it when the page opens and every two
+// minutes after. A result older than 40 minutes means the checks stopped,
+// so it says so rather than showing an old answer.
+(() => {
+  const line = document.getElementById('server-status');
+  if (!line) return;
+  const text = line.querySelector('.status-text');
+  const when = line.querySelector('.status-when');
+  const SOURCE = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ancsemi/Haven/site-status/status.json';
+  const STALE_MS = 40 * 60 * 1000;
+  const ago = (iso) => {
+    const min = Math.max(0, Math.round((Date.now() - Date.parse(iso)) / 60000));
+    if (min < 1) return 'just now';
+    if (min < 60) return min === 1 ? '1 minute ago' : `${min} minutes ago`;
+    const h = Math.round(min / 60);
+    return h === 1 ? '1 hour ago' : `${h} hours ago`;
+  };
+  const at = (isoTime) => new Date(isoTime).toLocaleString([], { month: 'short', day: 'numeric', hour: 'numeric', minute: '2-digit' });
+  // Certificate dates in the visitor's own time; anything else as the
+  // checker wrote it.
+  const say = (s) => {
+    if (s.code === 'cert-expired' && s.certificateExpires) {
+      return `The community server's security certificate expired ${at(s.certificateExpires)}, so browsers won't connect until it's renewed.`;
+    }
+    if (s.code === 'cert-expiring' && s.certificateExpires) {
+      return `The community server is online. Its security certificate runs out ${at(s.certificateExpires)}.`;
+    }
+    return s.message || 'The community server is online.';
+  };
+  const show = (state, message, detail) => {
+    line.dataset.state = state;
+    text.textContent = message;
+    when.textContent = detail || '';
+  };
+  const check = async () => {
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(`${SOURCE}?t=${Date.now()}`, { cache: 'no-store' });
+      if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`status ${res.status}`);
+      const s = await res.json();
+      if (!s || !s.checkedAt || Date.now() - Date.parse(s.checkedAt) > STALE_MS) {
+        show('unknown', "The community server's status hasn't been checked lately.");
+        return;
+      }
+      const state = ['ok', 'warn', 'down'].includes(s.state) ? s.state : 'unknown';
+      const since = state === 'down' && s.code !== 'cert-expired' && s.since ? `Since ${at(s.since)}. ` : '';
+      show(state, say(s), `${since}Checked ${ago(s.checkedAt)}.`);
+    } catch (err) {
+      show('unknown', "Couldn't load the community server's status.");
+    }
+  };
+  check();
+  setInterval(check, 2 * 60 * 1000);
+})();
+</script>
+
 <script>
 // "Try it now" in the bar: back to the top, then light up the community server button.
 (() => {
diff --git a/scripts/community-status.js b/scripts/community-status.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..691fa0f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/community-status.js
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+'use strict';
+
+// Checks the community server and writes what the homepage's status line
+// shows (docs/index.html, "Community server" under the join button).
+//
+// Run every ten minutes by .github/workflows/community-status.yml, which
+// keeps the result on the site-status branch. A visitor's browser cannot
+// read a certificate, so it could only tell "reachable" from "not"; this
+// says why: the certificate expired, it is not valid, the server does not
+// answer, or it cannot be reached at all.
+//
+//   node scripts/community-status.js [out.json] [previous.json]
+//
+// HOST overrides the server (default haven.moviethingy.xyz).
+
+const fs = require('fs');
+const https = require('https');
+const tls = require('tls');
+
+const HOST = process.env.HOST || 'haven.moviethingy.xyz';
+const OUT = process.argv[2] || 'status.json';
+const PREV = process.argv[3] || null;
+const TIMEOUT_MS = 15000;
+// A certificate this close to its end gets a warning while still working.
+const SOON_MS = 3 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
+
+// The certificate as the server presents it, valid or not.
+function readCertificate() {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    const sock = tls.connect({ host: HOST, port: 443, servername: HOST, rejectUnauthorized: false, timeout: TIMEOUT_MS }, () => {
+      const cert = sock.getPeerCertificate();
+      resolve({
+        reached: true,
+        authorized: sock.authorized,
+        error: sock.authorizationError ? String(sock.authorizationError) : null,
+        validTo: cert && cert.valid_to ? new Date(cert.valid_to).toISOString() : null,
+        issuer: cert && cert.issuer ? (cert.issuer.O || cert.issuer.CN || null) : null,
+      });
+      sock.end();
+    });
+    sock.on('timeout', () => { sock.destroy(); resolve({ reached: false, error: 'timeout' }); });
+    sock.on('error', (err) => resolve({ reached: false, error: err.code || err.message }));
+  });
+}
+
+// Haven's own health check, read even through a bad certificate, so an
+// expired one can still say whether the server behind it is running.
+function readHealth() {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    const req = https.get({ host: HOST, path: '/api/health', servername: HOST, rejectUnauthorized: false, timeout: TIMEOUT_MS }, (res) => {
+      let body = '';
+      res.setEncoding('utf8');
+      res.on('data', (c) => { if (body.length < 4096) body += c; });
+      res.on('end', () => {
+        let json = null;
+        try { json = JSON.parse(body); } catch { /* not JSON: judged by the status code alone */ }
+        resolve({ status: res.statusCode, online: !!(json && json.status === 'online'), name: json && typeof json.name === 'string' ? json.name.slice(0, 80) : null });
+      });
+    });
+    req.on('timeout', () => { req.destroy(); resolve({ status: 0, online: false }); });
+    req.on('error', () => resolve({ status: 0, online: false }));
+  });
+}
+
+const day = (iso) => new Date(iso).toUTCString().replace(/:\d\d GMT$/, ' UTC');
+
+function judge(cert, health, now) {
+  if (!cert.reached) {
+    return { state: 'down', code: 'unreachable', message: "The community server can't be reached right now." };
+  }
+  if (!cert.authorized) {
+    if (cert.error === 'CERT_HAS_EXPIRED') {
+      return { state: 'down', code: 'cert-expired', message: `The community server's security certificate expired ${day(cert.validTo)}, so browsers won't connect until it's renewed.` };
+    }
+    return { state: 'down', code: 'cert-invalid', message: `The community server's security certificate isn't valid (${cert.error}), so browsers won't connect.` };
+  }
+  if (!health.online) {
+    return { state: 'down', code: 'not-answering', message: "The community server isn't answering right now." };
+  }
+  if (cert.validTo && new Date(cert.validTo).getTime() - now < SOON_MS) {
+    return { state: 'warn', code: 'cert-expiring', message: `The community server is online. Its security certificate runs out ${day(cert.validTo)}.` };
+  }
+  return { state: 'ok', code: 'online', message: 'The community server is online.' };
+}
+
+async function main() {
+  const now = Date.now();
+  const cert = await readCertificate();
+  const health = cert.reached ? await readHealth() : { status: 0, online: false };
+  const verdict = judge(cert, health, now);
+
+  // "Since" carries over while the verdict stays the same. An expired
+  // certificate has been down since the moment it ran out.
+  let since = verdict.code === 'cert-expired' && cert.validTo ? cert.validTo : new Date(now).toISOString();
+  if (PREV && verdict.code !== 'cert-expired') {
+    try {
+      const prev = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(PREV, 'utf8'));
+      if (prev && prev.code === verdict.code && typeof prev.since === 'string') since = prev.since;
+    } catch { /* no earlier result yet: this one starts the clock */ }
+  }
+
+  const out = {
+    host: HOST,
+    ...verdict,
+    since,
+    checkedAt: new Date(now).toISOString(),
+    certificateExpires: cert.validTo || null,
+    certificateIssuer: cert.issuer || null,
+  };
+  fs.writeFileSync(OUT, JSON.stringify(out, null, 2) + '\n');
+  console.log(`${out.state}: ${out.message}`);
+}
+
+main().catch((err) => {
+  console.error('[community-status]', err);
+  process.exit(1);
+});
diff --git a/website/index.html b/website/index.html
index 59c56ed6..31fdc5b8 100644
--- a/website/index.html
+++ b/website/index.html
@@ -149,6 +149,17 @@
   .btn-secondary:hover { border-color: var(--ink); text-decoration: none; }
   .btn .ver { font-family: var(--mono); font-weight: 500; font-size: 14px; opacity: 0.85; }
   .actions .plain { font-size: 15px; }
+  /* The community server's status, under the join button. */
+  .server-status { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 9px 1fr; column-gap: 10px; row-gap: 2px; margin: 16px 0 0; font-size: 14px; color: var(--muted); }
+  .server-status .dot { align-self: start; margin-top: 6px; width: 9px; height: 9px; border-radius: 50%; background: var(--rule-strong); }
+  .server-status .status-when { grid-column: 2; }
+  .server-status .status-when:empty { display: none; }
+  .server-status[data-state="ok"] .dot { background: #2E9E5B; box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(46, 158, 91, 0.18); }
+  .server-status[data-state="warn"] .dot { background: #D19A1C; box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(209, 154, 28, 0.2); }
+  .server-status[data-state="down"] .dot { background: #D2463C; box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(210, 70, 60, 0.2); }
+  .server-status[data-state="down"] .status-text,
+  .server-status[data-state="warn"] .status-text { color: var(--ink); }
+  .server-status .status-when { font-size: 13px; }
 
   .term { background: var(--term-bg); color: var(--term-ink); border-radius: 6px; padding: 18px 20px; font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 1.5; overflow-x: auto; border: 1px solid var(--rule-strong); }
   .term pre { margin: 0; white-space: pre-wrap; }
@@ -298,6 +309,7 @@
             <a class="btn btn-secondary" id="try-server" href="https://haven.moviethingy.xyz/?invite=da0b9be7">Join the community server</a>
             <a class="plain" href="https://github.com/ancsemi/Haven">Source on GitHub</a>
           </div>
+          <p class="server-status" id="server-status" data-state="unknown" role="status" aria-live="polite"><span class="dot" aria-hidden="true"></span><span class="status-text">Checking the community server…</span><span class="status-when"></span></p>
         </div>
         <div>
           <div class="term" role="img" aria-label="Haven's start-up message in a terminal: HAVEN is running, with the local and network addresses">
@@ -618,6 +630,64 @@
 })();
 </script>
 
+<script>
+// The community server's status line. A job checks the server every ten
+// minutes (scripts/community-status.js) and keeps the result on the repo's
+// site-status branch; this reads it when the page opens and every two
+// minutes after. A result older than 40 minutes means the checks stopped,
+// so it says so rather than showing an old answer.
+(() => {
+  const line = document.getElementById('server-status');
+  if (!line) return;
+  const text = line.querySelector('.status-text');
+  const when = line.querySelector('.status-when');
+  const SOURCE = 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ancsemi/Haven/site-status/status.json';
+  const STALE_MS = 40 * 60 * 1000;
+  const ago = (iso) => {
+    const min = Math.max(0, Math.round((Date.now() - Date.parse(iso)) / 60000));
+    if (min < 1) return 'just now';
+    if (min < 60) return min === 1 ? '1 minute ago' : `${min} minutes ago`;
+    const h = Math.round(min / 60);
+    return h === 1 ? '1 hour ago' : `${h} hours ago`;
+  };
+  const at = (isoTime) => new Date(isoTime).toLocaleString([], { month: 'short', day: 'numeric', hour: 'numeric', minute: '2-digit' });
+  // Certificate dates in the visitor's own time; anything else as the
+  // checker wrote it.
+  const say = (s) => {
+    if (s.code === 'cert-expired' && s.certificateExpires) {
+      return `The community server's security certificate expired ${at(s.certificateExpires)}, so browsers won't connect until it's renewed.`;
+    }
+    if (s.code === 'cert-expiring' && s.certificateExpires) {
+      return `The community server is online. Its security certificate runs out ${at(s.certificateExpires)}.`;
+    }
+    return s.message || 'The community server is online.';
+  };
+  const show = (state, message, detail) => {
+    line.dataset.state = state;
+    text.textContent = message;
+    when.textContent = detail || '';
+  };
+  const check = async () => {
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(`${SOURCE}?t=${Date.now()}`, { cache: 'no-store' });
+      if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`status ${res.status}`);
+      const s = await res.json();
+      if (!s || !s.checkedAt || Date.now() - Date.parse(s.checkedAt) > STALE_MS) {
+        show('unknown', "The community server's status hasn't been checked lately.");
+        return;
+      }
+      const state = ['ok', 'warn', 'down'].includes(s.state) ? s.state : 'unknown';
+      const since = state === 'down' && s.code !== 'cert-expired' && s.since ? `Since ${at(s.since)}. ` : '';
+      show(state, say(s), `${since}Checked ${ago(s.checkedAt)}.`);
+    } catch (err) {
+      show('unknown', "Couldn't load the community server's status.");
+    }
+  };
+  check();
+  setInterval(check, 2 * 60 * 1000);
+})();
+</script>
+
 <script>
 // "Try it now" in the bar: back to the top, then light up the community server button.
 (() => {