diff --git a/src/backend/hosts/host-session-status.ts b/src/backend/hosts/host-session-status.ts
index b9406c584..dd348419f 100644
--- a/src/backend/hosts/host-session-status.ts
+++ b/src/backend/hosts/host-session-status.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ export class HostSessionStatus {
   private counts = new Map<number, number>();
   private listeners = new Set<HostSessionStatusListener>();
 
+  hasActiveSession(hostId: number): boolean {
+    return (this.counts.get(hostId) ?? 0) > 0;
+  }
+
   register(hostId: number): () => void {
     const count = this.counts.get(hostId) ?? 0;
     this.counts.set(hostId, count + 1);
diff --git a/src/backend/hosts/status/host-status-service.ts b/src/backend/hosts/status/host-status-service.ts
index 03b9fadd1..ddea258a2 100644
--- a/src/backend/hosts/status/host-status-service.ts
+++ b/src/backend/hosts/status/host-status-service.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ export interface HostStatusDeps {
     target: StatusTarget,
     port: number,
   ) => Promise<boolean>;
+  hasActiveSession?: (hostId: number) => boolean;
   globalInterval: () => number;
   emit: (payload: HostStatusPayload) => void;
 }
@@ -126,6 +127,7 @@ const defaultDeps: HostStatusDeps = {
       );
     return [...new Set(entries.map((entry) => entry.hostId))];
   },
+  hasActiveSession: (hostId) => hostSessionStatus.hasActiveSession(hostId),
   ping: (host, port) => tcpPing(host, port, 5000),
   pingThroughJumpHosts: async (target, port) => {
     const { createJumpHostChain } = await import("../jump-host-chain.js");
@@ -429,11 +431,15 @@ export class HostStatusService {
     this.owners.set(target.id, target.userId);
     let reachable = false;
     try {
-      const port = await this.portFor(target);
-      reachable =
-        target.jumpHosts.length > 0
-          ? await this.deps.pingThroughJumpHosts(target, port)
-          : await this.deps.ping(target.ip, port);
+      if (this.deps.hasActiveSession?.(target.id)) {
+        reachable = true;
+      } else {
+        const port = await this.portFor(target);
+        reachable =
+          target.jumpHosts.length > 0
+            ? await this.deps.pingThroughJumpHosts(target, port)
+            : await this.deps.ping(target.ip, port);
+      }
     } catch {
       reachable = false;
     }
diff --git a/src/backend/hosts/status/tcp-ping.ts b/src/backend/hosts/status/tcp-ping.ts
index f060a798e..807663606 100644
--- a/src/backend/hosts/status/tcp-ping.ts
+++ b/src/backend/hosts/status/tcp-ping.ts
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ import net from "net";
 import type { Client } from "ssh2";
 
 /**
- * Opens a TCP connection and closes it again. An SSH server gets a polite
- * banner back so it does not log a failed handshake.
+ * Opens a TCP connection and closes it again. SSH probes exchange banners,
+ * but still close before authentication and may trigger aggressive Fail2Ban rules.
  */
 export function tcpPing(
   host: string,
diff --git a/src/backend/tests/hosts/host-session-status.test.ts b/src/backend/tests/hosts/host-session-status.test.ts
index d541d7a76..bcb21de6d 100644
--- a/src/backend/tests/hosts/host-session-status.test.ts
+++ b/src/backend/tests/hosts/host-session-status.test.ts
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ describe("HostSessionStatus", () => {
     expect(listener).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(listener).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(7, true);
 
+    expect(status.hasActiveSession(7)).toBe(true);
     closeFirst();
+    expect(status.hasActiveSession(7)).toBe(true);
     expect(listener).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
 
     closeSecond();
+    expect(status.hasActiveSession(7)).toBe(false);
     expect(listener).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(7, false);
     expect(listener).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
   });
diff --git a/src/backend/tests/hosts/status/host-status-service.test.ts b/src/backend/tests/hosts/status/host-status-service.test.ts
index a02cda9ef..c5aa28214 100644
--- a/src/backend/tests/hosts/status/host-status-service.test.ts
+++ b/src/backend/tests/hosts/status/host-status-service.test.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ function setup(
     loadSharedHostIds: async (userId) => shared[userId] ?? [],
     ping,
     pingThroughJumpHosts,
+    hasActiveSession: (id) => hostSessionStatus.hasActiveSession(id),
     globalInterval: () => 60,
     emit: (payload) => emitted.push(payload),
   });
@@ -74,6 +75,34 @@ afterEach(() => {
 });
 
 describe("HostStatusService", () => {
+  it.each([{ jumpHosts: [] }, { jumpHosts: [{ hostId: 9 }] }])(
+    "skips probes while a session is open, including jump hosts: %j",
+    async ({ jumpHosts }) => {
+      const { service, ping, pingThroughJumpHosts } = setup([
+        target(7, { jumpHosts }),
+      ]);
+      active = service;
+      const close = hostSessionStatus.register(7);
+      try {
+        await service.statusesFor("owner", null);
+        await flush();
+        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(60_000);
+        await flush();
+        expect(service.get(7)?.status).toBe("online");
+        expect(ping).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(pingThroughJumpHosts).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        close();
+        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(60_000);
+        await flush();
+        expect(
+          jumpHosts.length ? pingThroughJumpHosts : ping,
+        ).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+      } finally {
+        close();
+      }
+    },
+  );
+
   it("starts a user's own hosts and reports them online", async () => {
     const { service, emitted, ping } = setup([target(1), target(2)]);
     active = service;
diff --git a/src/ui/locales/en.json b/src/ui/locales/en.json
index 7749192ba..a19249f17 100644
--- a/src/ui/locales/en.json
+++ b/src/ui/locales/en.json
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@
     "sameHost": "This host (direct tunnel)",
     "statusChecksLabel": "Status Checks",
     "enableStatusChecks": "Enable Status Checks",
-    "enableStatusChecksDesc": "Periodically ping this host to verify availability",
+    "enableStatusChecksDesc": "Check host reachability. Active sessions skip extra probes. SSH probes without an active session may trigger aggressive Fail2Ban rules; disable status checks on those hosts.",
     "useGlobalInterval": "Use Global Interval",
     "useGlobalIntervalDesc": "Override with the server-wide status check interval",
     "checkIntervalS": "Check Interval (s)",