diff --git a/.changeset/planning-session-loading-state.md b/.changeset/planning-session-loading-state.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..681d5923a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/planning-session-loading-state.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+"@runfusion/fusion": patch
+---
+
+summary: Planning mode now shows a neutral session loader while restoring a saved session instead of "Generating…".
+category: fix
+dev: New `session_loading` view state in PlanningModeModal; generating copy, Stop button, elapsed timer, and the missed-SSE watchdog are reserved for sessions the server reports as generating. Unrecognized persisted session shapes land in the retryable error view instead of spinning forever.
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/app/components/PlanningModeModal.tsx b/packages/dashboard/app/components/PlanningModeModal.tsx
index 6a1f153eaf..93b985f247 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/app/components/PlanningModeModal.tsx
+++ b/packages/dashboard/app/components/PlanningModeModal.tsx
@@ -166,7 +166,16 @@ type ViewState =
   | { type: "task_created"; taskId: string; task?: Task }
   | { type: "error"; session: PlanningSession; errorMessage: string }
   | { type: "breakdown"; sessionId: string; originalSubtasks: SubtaskItem[]; subtasks: SubtaskItem[]; dirty: boolean }
-  | { type: "loading" };
+  | { type: "loading" }
+  /*
+  FNXC:PlanningMode 2026-07-23-00:00:
+  Fetching a persisted session from the database is not generation. `session_loading` renders a
+  neutral "Loading session…" spinner during that fetch; the `loading` state (with its
+  "Generating…" copy, Stop button, elapsed timer, and 8s missed-SSE watchdog) is reserved for
+  turns the server is actually generating. Before this split, every reload/reopen flashed
+  "Generating initial plan…" while merely hydrating from the DB.
+  */
+  | { type: "session_loading" };
 
 type PlanningGenerationActivity = "initial_plan" | "plan_update" | "question";
 
@@ -1621,8 +1630,10 @@ export function PlanningModeModal({ isOpen, onClose, onTaskCreated, onTasksCreat
       setIsRefiningSummary(false);
       refineSummaryInFlightRef.current = false;
       setGenerationStartTime(null);
-      viewRef.current = { type: "loading" };
-      setView({ type: "loading" });
+      // FNXC:PlanningMode 2026-07-23-00:00: hydrate-from-DB shows the neutral session loader,
+      // not the generation pane — only a fetched status of "generating" enters `loading` below.
+      viewRef.current = { type: "session_loading" };
+      setView({ type: "session_loading" });
 
       try {
         const session = await fetchAiSession(sessionId);
@@ -1817,6 +1828,16 @@ export function PlanningModeModal({ isOpen, onClose, onTaskCreated, onTasksCreat
           // thinkingOutput — the stream replay reconstructs the loading view exactly once;
           // seeding here and then replaying doubled the visible output on every reload.
           connectToPlanningStream(sessionId);
+        } else {
+          // FNXC:PlanningMode 2026-07-23-00:00: a persisted row none of the branches above
+          // recognize (e.g. awaiting_input with neither question nor summary, or complete
+          // without a result) used to strand the modal on the generation spinner forever.
+          // Surface it as a retryable error instead of an indefinite loader.
+          setView({
+            type: "error",
+            session: { sessionId, currentQuestion: null, summary: persistedRunningSummary },
+            errorMessage: t("planning.sessionUnrecoverableState", "This session could not be restored. Retry to continue the interview."),
+          });
         }
       } catch (err) {
         if (planningSessionLoadEpochRef.current !== loadEpoch || currentSessionIdRef.current !== sessionId) return;
@@ -3082,7 +3103,7 @@ export function PlanningModeModal({ isOpen, onClose, onTaskCreated, onTasksCreat
             Header icon mirrors MissionManager's <Target size={20} className="mission-manager__header-icon" />: same size (20) and same var(--todo) tint + flex-shrink:0, applied via the scoped .planning-modal--embedded .modal-header--embedded .detail-title-row > svg rule (it overrides the shared icon-triage brown so the two headers read as siblings).
             */}
             <Lightbulb size={20} className="icon-triage" />
-            {selectedSessionId && (view.type === "question" || view.type === "loading" || view.type === "error") && activeSessionTitle && isRenamingSession ? (
+            {selectedSessionId && (view.type === "question" || view.type === "loading" || view.type === "session_loading" || view.type === "error") && activeSessionTitle && isRenamingSession ? (
               <input
                 className="input planning-session-title-input"
                 aria-label={t("planning.renameSession", "Rename session")}
@@ -3093,8 +3114,8 @@ export function PlanningModeModal({ isOpen, onClose, onTaskCreated, onTasksCreat
                 autoFocus
               />
             ) : (
-              <><h3>{selectedSessionId && (view.type === "question" || view.type === "loading" || view.type === "error") && activeSessionTitle ? activeSessionTitle : t("planning.title", "Planning Mode")}</h3>
-              {selectedSessionId && (view.type === "question" || view.type === "loading" || view.type === "error") && activeSessionTitle && <button type="button" className="btn-icon" aria-label={t("planning.renameSession", "Rename session")} onClick={() => { setSessionTitleDraft(activeSessionTitle); setIsRenamingSession(true); }}><Pencil /></button>}</>
+              <><h3>{selectedSessionId && (view.type === "question" || view.type === "loading" || view.type === "session_loading" || view.type === "error") && activeSessionTitle ? activeSessionTitle : t("planning.title", "Planning Mode")}</h3>
+              {selectedSessionId && (view.type === "question" || view.type === "loading" || view.type === "session_loading" || view.type === "error") && activeSessionTitle && <button type="button" className="btn-icon" aria-label={t("planning.renameSession", "Rename session")} onClick={() => { setSessionTitleDraft(activeSessionTitle); setIsRenamingSession(true); }}><Pencil /></button>}</>
             )}
           </div>
           {/*
@@ -3103,7 +3124,7 @@ export function PlanningModeModal({ isOpen, onClose, onTaskCreated, onTasksCreat
           title-row Back control on every viewport, avoiding a duplicate Sessions toggle and keeping
           compact list/detail state synchronized through one handler.
           */}
-          {selectedSessionId && (view.type === "question" || view.type === "loading" || view.type === "error" || view.type === "plan_review" || view.type === "create_retry") && (
+          {selectedSessionId && (view.type === "question" || view.type === "loading" || view.type === "session_loading" || view.type === "error" || view.type === "plan_review" || view.type === "create_retry") && (
             <div className="planning-header-controls">
               <button
                 ref={historyTriggerRef}
@@ -3409,6 +3430,13 @@ export function PlanningModeModal({ isOpen, onClose, onTaskCreated, onTasksCreat
             </div>
           )}
 
+          {view.type === "session_loading" && (
+            <div className="planning-loading" data-testid="planning-session-loading" role="status" aria-live="polite">
+              <Loader2 size={40} className="spin icon-todo" />
+              <p>{t("planning.loadingSession", "Loading session…")}</p>
+            </div>
+          )}
+
           {view.type === "loading" && !runningSummary && (
             <div className="planning-loading">
               <Loader2 size={40} className="spin icon-todo" />
diff --git a/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PlanningModeModal.planning-flow.test.tsx b/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PlanningModeModal.planning-flow.test.tsx
index 599f1b4794..3a7ce5cf28 100644
--- a/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PlanningModeModal.planning-flow.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/PlanningModeModal.planning-flow.test.tsx
@@ -720,6 +720,31 @@ describe("PlanningModeModal sequential flow", () => {
     await waitFor(() => expect(mockRespondToPlanning).toHaveBeenCalledWith("session-1", { refine: true, focus: "Add migration sequencing and ask about rollout risks." }, "project-1"));
     expect(await screen.findByText("Which migration risk should come first?")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+  /*
+  FNXC:PlanningMode 2026-07-23-00:00:
+  Hydrating a persisted session from the database is not generation. While the fetch is in
+  flight the modal must show the neutral session loader; the "Generating…" copy (and its Stop
+  affordance) is reserved for sessions the server reports as actually generating.
+  */
+  it("shows a session loader, not generating copy, while a persisted session hydrates", async () => {
+    let resolveFetch!: (session: Record<string, unknown>) => void;
+    mockFetchAiSession.mockReturnValue(new Promise((resolve) => { resolveFetch = resolve; }));
+    renderSession();
+
+    expect(await screen.findByTestId("planning-session-loading")).toHaveTextContent("Loading session…");
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/Generating/)).toBeNull();
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: "Stop" })).toBeNull();
+
+    resolveFetch({
+      ...base,
+      status: "awaiting_input",
+      currentQuestion: JSON.stringify({ id: "q-1", type: "text", question: "What should the plan prioritize?" }),
+      result: JSON.stringify(summaryWithRefinements),
+      inputPayload: "{}",
+    });
+    expect(await screen.findByText("What should the plan prioritize?")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByTestId("planning-session-loading")).toBeNull();
+  });
   it("restores the updating-plan progress state after refresh", async () => {
     mockFetchAiSession.mockResolvedValue({ ...base, status: "generating", currentQuestion: null, result: JSON.stringify(summaryWithRefinements), inputPayload: JSON.stringify({ generationPurpose: "plan_update" }) });
     renderSession();
@@ -819,6 +844,14 @@ describe("PlanningModeModal sequential flow", () => {
     renderSession();
 
     fireEvent.click(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: "Stop" }));
+    /*
+    FNXC:PlanningMode 2026-07-23-00:00:
+    Wait for the stop to settle into plan review before grabbing Refine. Clicking the workspace
+    pane's Refine while the stop transition remounts the plan pane dispatches on a detached node
+    and the refinement menu never opens.
+    */
+    await waitFor(() => expect(mockStopPlanningGeneration).toHaveBeenCalledWith("session-1", "project-1"));
+    await screen.findByTestId("planning-plan-review");
     fireEvent.click(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: "Refine" }));
     fireEvent.change(screen.getByLabelText("Refinement instructions"), { target: { value: "Focus the next questions on rollout." } });
     fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Apply refinement" }));