diff --git a/fia-templates/modules/session.mjs b/fia-templates/modules/session.mjs
index aba2e33..e57654b 100644
--- a/fia-templates/modules/session.mjs
+++ b/fia-templates/modules/session.mjs
@@ -124,6 +124,12 @@ export function ensure(cfg, fdaId = null, { resume = false } = {}) {
   // the interrupted run's engine-failure markers count as unavailability too
   // (that engine already proved it cannot finish), so the resumed run keeps
   // moving on the fallbacks instead of dying on the same outage again.
+  // A typo in defaults.relay must not silently become 'auto': say so once.
+  const relayRaw = cfg.defaults?.relay;
+  if (relayRaw !== undefined && relayRaw !== relayModeOf(cfg)) {
+    console.log(`  ⚠ unknown relay mode "${relayRaw}" in imp/fia.config.yaml — using "auto" (valid: auto | resume | off)`);
+  }
+
   // relay 'off' means the student owns every engine switch — the resumed run
   // must not walk the chain on its own either.
   const runtimeFailures = {};
diff --git a/fia-templates/scripts/fia-tui.mjs b/fia-templates/scripts/fia-tui.mjs
index 8545a63..ef4edfb 100644
--- a/fia-templates/scripts/fia-tui.mjs
+++ b/fia-templates/scripts/fia-tui.mjs
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ function RunDetail({ detail, now, height, width }) {
   // Engine switches (run-start fallback or mid-run relay) — the student must
   // see WHICH engine actually did the work without opening the trace db.
   const relays = (detail.engineEvents || [])
-    .filter((e) => e.type === 'engine_fallback' || e.type === 'engine_relay')
+    .filter((e) => (e.type === 'engine_fallback' || e.type === 'engine_relay') && e.payload?.from && e.payload?.to)
     .slice(-3);
   const phaseRoom = Math.max(3, height - 8 - relays.length);
   const hiddenPhases = Math.max(0, phaseRows.length - phaseRoom);
@@ -497,7 +497,10 @@ function RunDetail({ detail, now, height, width }) {
         trunc(
           `⚠ ${e.name}: ${e.payload?.from?.coding_agent} (${e.payload?.from?.model}) → ` +
             `${e.payload?.to?.coding_agent} (${e.payload?.to?.model})` +
-            `${e.payload?.kind ? ` — ${e.payload.kind}` : ''}${e.type === 'engine_relay' ? ' (mid-run)' : ''}`,
+            // Run-start fallbacks carry `reason` (no kind unless runtime-armed);
+            // mid-run relays carry `kind` — show whichever explains the switch.
+            `${e.payload?.kind || e.payload?.reason ? ` — ${e.payload.kind || e.payload.reason}` : ''}` +
+            `${e.type === 'engine_relay' ? ' (mid-run)' : ''}`,
           width - 6,
         ),
       ),
diff --git a/pi-templates/.pi/skills/fia/SKILL.md b/pi-templates/.pi/skills/fia/SKILL.md
index d825307..d21685f 100644
--- a/pi-templates/.pi/skills/fia/SKILL.md
+++ b/pi-templates/.pi/skills/fia/SKILL.md
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ Short commands (prompt templates in `.pi/prompts/`) are the student entry points
 | `/absorb [focus]` | existing project → as-built PRD + map + conventions + stack manifest + component registry | — |
 | `/kit` | existing code → design-system audit: as-built registry + `/ui-components`, gap report vs the core kit, approved design-only tasks (`Kind: kit`) | components |
 | `/status` | progress + latest runs | observability |
+| `imp handoff` (terminal, outside Pi) | Codex outage — continue the newest Pi conversation in the `claude` CLI (`--list` picks a session) | update_roster |
 
 For anything else, route by request:
 
diff --git a/pi-templates/.pi/skills/fia/cookbooks/update_roster.md b/pi-templates/.pi/skills/fia/cookbooks/update_roster.md
index aa01cf6..2bf3e81 100644
--- a/pi-templates/.pi/skills/fia/cookbooks/update_roster.md
+++ b/pi-templates/.pi/skills/fia/cookbooks/update_roster.md
@@ -53,6 +53,11 @@ on `--resume`), `off` (never auto-switch; deaths are still recorded). Every
 switch is printed and traced — never silent. Edit the chain visually in
 `/agents` or by hand in `imp/fia.config.yaml`.
 
+The interactive twin: when the Codex provider is down (so Pi itself cannot
+answer), `imp handoff` in a terminal — outside Pi — continues the newest Pi
+conversation in the `claude` CLI with the same continuation handover
+(`--list` picks a session, `--print` shows the prompt without launching).
+
 ## Add or change an agent (FDAs)
 
 1. Edit `imp/fia.config.yaml` — the file is protected for agents; the ENGINEER edits it (or uses `/agents`):
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index d794c83..6fffef5 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ export const FIA = {
     'imp/data/fia.db-wal',
     'imp/data/fia.db-shm',
     'imp/data/backups/',
+    'imp/data/handoff/',
     'imp/.runtime-backup-*/',
   ],
   // Runtime update contract (`--update-runtime`). The stamp records a manifest
diff --git a/src/steps/fia.js b/src/steps/fia.js
index a264565..88618d1 100644
--- a/src/steps/fia.js
+++ b/src/steps/fia.js
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ export async function setupFia(ctx) {
       'Visual timeline: npm run fda:viewer  ·  What /map created: npm run plan',
       'Terminal dashboard (tasks, specs, runs — live): npm run tui',
       'Checks: npm run env:check (dev keys the stack needs)  ·  npm run launch:check (before going live)',
+      'Codex down? `imp handoff` continues your newest Pi conversation in the `claude` CLI.',
       '',
       ...(ctx.impGlobal
         ? [
diff --git a/src/steps/finish.js b/src/steps/finish.js
index dc132aa..1ad85f9 100644
--- a/src/steps/finish.js
+++ b/src/steps/finish.js
@@ -140,6 +140,9 @@ export async function finish(ctx) {
           ? `FIA: installed — last step: run \`${agentCmd(ctx)}\` and type /login openai-codex (only that login)`
           : `FIA: installed — run \`${agentCmd(ctx)}\` and use /fia, /map, /task, /goal (plan: npm run plan · agents: npm run agents · viewer: npm run fda:viewer · terminal dashboard: npm run tui)`
         : null,
+      ctx.fiaInstalled
+        ? 'Codex outage? `imp handoff` continues your newest Pi conversation in the `claude` CLI.'
+        : null,
     ]
       .filter(Boolean)
       .join('\n'),