diff --git a/muxplex/frontend/app.js b/muxplex/frontend/app.js
index d5613cd..6d2dd03 100644
--- a/muxplex/frontend/app.js
+++ b/muxplex/frontend/app.js
@@ -839,10 +839,14 @@ function renderGrid(sessions) {
     on(tile, 'click', (e) => {
       // Don't navigate when clicking the delete button inside the tile
       if (e.target.closest && e.target.closest('.tile-delete')) return;
+      // Don't open error/status tiles (unreachable, auth_failed)
+      if (tile.classList.contains('source-tile--error') || !tile.dataset.session) return;
       openSession(tile.dataset.session, { remoteId: tile.dataset.remoteId || '' });
     });
     on(tile, 'keydown', (e) => {
       if (e.key === 'Enter' || e.key === ' ') {
+        // Don't open error/status tiles (unreachable, auth_failed)
+        if (tile.classList.contains('source-tile--error') || !tile.dataset.session) return;
         openSession(tile.dataset.session, { remoteId: tile.dataset.remoteId || '' });
       }
     });
@@ -1154,6 +1158,7 @@ function updatePageTitle() {
  * @returns {Promise<void>}
  */
 async function openSession(name, opts = {}) {
+  if (!name || !name.trim()) return;
   hidePreview();
   _viewingSession = name;
   _viewingRemoteId = opts.remoteId != null ? opts.remoteId : '';
diff --git a/muxplex/frontend/tests/test_app.mjs b/muxplex/frontend/tests/test_app.mjs
index ead44ba..147549e 100644
--- a/muxplex/frontend/tests/test_app.mjs
+++ b/muxplex/frontend/tests/test_app.mjs
@@ -1240,6 +1240,52 @@ test('openSession for local session still POSTs to local /api/sessions/{name}/co
   globalThis.setTimeout = origSetTimeout;
 });
 
+test('openSession bails early when name is empty string', async () => {
+  const fetchCalls = [];
+  const origFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+  const origGetById = globalThis.document.getElementById;
+  const origQS = globalThis.document.querySelector;
+  const origSetTimeout = globalThis.setTimeout;
+  globalThis.fetch = async (url, opts) => { fetchCalls.push({ url, opts }); return { ok: true }; };
+  globalThis.document.getElementById = () => ({ textContent: '', style: {}, classList: { remove: () => {}, add: () => {} } });
+  globalThis.document.querySelector = () => null;
+  globalThis.setTimeout = () => {};
+  globalThis.window._openTerminal = () => {};
+
+  await app.openSession('', {});
+
+  // Should NOT make any fetch calls to /connect
+  const connectCall = fetchCalls.find((c) => c.url && c.url.includes('/connect'));
+  assert.ok(!connectCall, 'should NOT call connect when name is empty string');
+  globalThis.fetch = origFetch;
+  globalThis.document.getElementById = origGetById;
+  globalThis.document.querySelector = origQS;
+  globalThis.setTimeout = origSetTimeout;
+});
+
+test('openSession bails early when name is whitespace only', async () => {
+  const fetchCalls = [];
+  const origFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+  const origGetById = globalThis.document.getElementById;
+  const origQS = globalThis.document.querySelector;
+  const origSetTimeout = globalThis.setTimeout;
+  globalThis.fetch = async (url, opts) => { fetchCalls.push({ url, opts }); return { ok: true }; };
+  globalThis.document.getElementById = () => ({ textContent: '', style: {}, classList: { remove: () => {}, add: () => {} } });
+  globalThis.document.querySelector = () => null;
+  globalThis.setTimeout = () => {};
+  globalThis.window._openTerminal = () => {};
+
+  await app.openSession('  \t\n  ', {});
+
+  // Should NOT make any fetch calls to /connect
+  const connectCall = fetchCalls.find((c) => c.url && c.url.includes('/connect'));
+  assert.ok(!connectCall, 'should NOT call connect when name is whitespace only');
+  globalThis.fetch = origFetch;
+  globalThis.document.getElementById = origGetById;
+  globalThis.document.querySelector = origQS;
+  globalThis.setTimeout = origSetTimeout;
+});
+
 // --- closeSession ---
 
 test('closeSession is exported', () => {