diff --git a/computes/templates/computes/list.html b/computes/templates/computes/list.html
index 3a5f1718..d5850d9c 100644
--- a/computes/templates/computes/list.html
+++ b/computes/templates/computes/list.html
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@
                             {{ compute.name }}
                         </td>
                         <td class="col-sm-2">
-                            {% if compute.status is True %}{% trans "Connected" %}{% else %}{% trans "Not Connected" %}{% endif %}
+                            {% if compute.status is True %}{% trans "Connected" %}{% else %}{% trans "Not Connected" %}
+                                <br><small class="text-danger">{{ compute.connection_error }}</small>
+                            {% endif %}
                         </td>
                         <td class="col-sm-5">
                             {{ compute.details|default:"" }}
diff --git a/computes/test_overview_status.py b/computes/test_overview_status.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..54074c20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/computes/test_overview_status.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+from unittest.mock import PropertyMock, patch
+
+from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
+from django.test import TestCase
+from django.urls import reverse
+
+from computes.models import Compute
+
+ERROR = "Connection Failed: Host key verification failed."
+
+
+class OverviewStatusTests(TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.client.force_login(
+            get_user_model().objects.create_superuser(username="ov-admin", password="pwd", email="ov@example.com")
+        )
+        # an ssh_config alias: not a name a TCP probe can reach
+        self.compute = Compute.objects.create(name="ov-alias", hostname="wvc-alias", login="root", password="", type=2)
+
+    @patch("vrtManager.connection.connection_manager.host_is_up", return_value=False)
+    @patch("computes.views.wvmHostDetails")
+    def test_overview_state_comes_from_the_connection(self, host_details, host_is_up):
+        conn = host_details.return_value
+        conn.get_node_info.return_value = ("host", "x86_64", 1024, 2, "cpu", "qemu+ssh://root@wvc-alias/system")
+        conn.get_memory_usage.return_value = {"total": 1024, "usage": 512, "percent": 50}
+        with patch.object(Compute, "status", new_callable=PropertyMock, return_value=True):
+            response = self.client.get(reverse("overview", args=[self.compute.id]))
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertEqual(response.context["status"], "true")
+
+    def test_compute_list_shows_why_a_host_is_not_connected(self):
+        with patch.object(Compute, "status", new_callable=PropertyMock, return_value=False), patch.object(
+            Compute, "connection_error", new_callable=PropertyMock, return_value=ERROR
+        ):
+            response = self.client.get(reverse("computes"))
+        self.assertContains(response, "Not Connected")
+        self.assertContains(response, ERROR)
diff --git a/computes/views.py b/computes/views.py
index 4195bf20..4bd6801f 100644
--- a/computes/views.py
+++ b/computes/views.py
@@ -7,10 +7,7 @@ from django.urls import reverse
 from django.utils import timezone
 from instances.models import Instance
 from libvirt import libvirtError
-from vrtManager.connection import (
-    connection_manager,
-    wvmConnect,
-)
+from vrtManager.connection import wvmConnect
 from vrtManager.hostdetails import wvmHostDetails
 
 from computes.forms import (
@@ -39,11 +36,9 @@ def computes(request):
 @superuser_only
 def overview(request, compute_id):
     compute = get_object_or_404(Compute, pk=compute_id)
-    status = (
-        "true"
-        if connection_manager.host_is_up(compute.type, compute.hostname) is True
-        else "false"
-    )
+    # the connection itself, not a TCP probe: ssh aliases and ProxyJump hosts
+    # are not reachable by name and port from here
+    status = "true" if compute.status else "false"
 
     conn = wvmHostDetails(
         compute.hostname,