diff --git a/client/interface/Interface.tsx b/client/interface/Interface.tsx
index 663c757..e1a53d6 100644
--- a/client/interface/Interface.tsx
+++ b/client/interface/Interface.tsx
@@ -1972,10 +1972,12 @@ export const GamepadInterface = () => {
                 active={activeControls.a}
                 onMouseDown={() => handleControlPress("Enter")}
                 onMouseUp={() => handleControlRelease("Enter")}
-                disabled={
-                  isOffline ||
-                  isGeneratingAt(getCurrentPath()[currentDepth]?.id)
-                }
+                // Offline status is advisory: navigator.onLine is not reliable
+                // enough to disable every A-button action (including local New
+                // Story), and generation will surface a real fetch failure.
+                disabled={isGeneratingAt(
+                  getCurrentPath()[currentDepth]?.id,
+                )}
               />
             </div>
           </div>
diff --git a/client/interface/hooks/useStoryTree.ts b/client/interface/hooks/useStoryTree.ts
index 6c4b34b..770030d 100644
--- a/client/interface/hooks/useStoryTree.ts
+++ b/client/interface/hooks/useStoryTree.ts
@@ -445,7 +445,6 @@ export function useStoryTree(params: StoryParams) {
           }
           return false;
         case "Enter": {
-          if (error) return false;
           const loom = loomsById[currentLoomId];
           if (!loom) return false;
 
@@ -532,7 +531,6 @@ export function useStoryTree(params: StoryParams) {
       return true;
     },
     [
-      error,
       getCurrentPath,
       getOptionsAtDepth,
       currentDepth,
diff --git a/client/interface/hooks/useTextGeneration.ts b/client/interface/hooks/useTextGeneration.ts
index 59333a1..1422a3f 100644
--- a/client/interface/hooks/useTextGeneration.ts
+++ b/client/interface/hooks/useTextGeneration.ts
@@ -56,15 +56,11 @@ export function useTextGeneration() {
     ) => {
       setError(null);
 
-      // Check if we're offline
-      if (!navigator.onLine) {
-        const offlineMessage =
-          "No internet connection - generation requires online access";
-        setError({ message: offlineMessage });
-        throw new Error(offlineMessage);
-      }
-
       try {
+        // Do not gate the request on navigator.onLine. Browsers and installed
+        // PWAs can report a stale offline value even when this origin is
+        // reachable. The fetch itself is the authoritative connectivity check,
+        // and its failure is translated into the visible network error below.
         const response = await fetch("/api/generate", {
           method: "POST",
           headers: {
diff --git a/tests/e2e/offline-controls.e2e.ts b/tests/e2e/offline-controls.e2e.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e361d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e/offline-controls.e2e.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { expect, test, type Page } from "@playwright/test";
+
+async function waitForStory(page: Page) {
+  await expect(page.locator(".gamepad-main")).toHaveAttribute(
+    "data-story-ready",
+    "true",
+  );
+}
+
+test("offline advice never disables local choices or a later generation retry", async ({
+  page,
+  context,
+}) => {
+  await page.goto("/");
+  await waitForStory(page);
+  await context.setOffline(true);
+
+  // Rise from the root to the floor and create a local loom using the physical
+  // controls. This used to be impossible because offline status disabled A
+  // globally, even though creating a story needs no network.
+  await page.keyboard.press("ArrowUp");
+  await expect(page.locator(".mode-bar-title")).toHaveText("LOOMS");
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Select button" }).click();
+  await expect(page.locator(".action-sheet-title")).toHaveText("FLOOR");
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "A button" }).click();
+  await expect(page.locator(".mode-bar-title")).toHaveText("LOOM");
+
+  // A real failed request is visible, but it must not latch generation off.
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "A button" }).click();
+  await expect(page.locator(".navigation-bar")).toContainText("Network error");
+
+  await context.setOffline(false);
+  await page.route("**/api/generate", async (route) => {
+    await route.fulfill({
+      status: 200,
+      contentType: "text/event-stream",
+      body: 'data: {"content":" The connection returned."}\n\ndata: [DONE]\n\n',
+    });
+  });
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "A button" }).click();
+  await expect(page.locator(".navigation-bar")).not.toContainText(
+    "Network error",
+  );
+  await expect(page.locator(".story-text")).toContainText(
+    "The connection returned.",
+  );
+});