diff --git a/internal/cli/app_internal_test.go b/internal/cli/app_internal_test.go
index 6c5853b..11ddd9a 100644
--- a/internal/cli/app_internal_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/app_internal_test.go
@@ -362,7 +362,8 @@ func TestLinesKeepOrder(t *testing.T) {
 // TestStartUp runs the client's start-up path on a simulation
 // screen. It fails unless the event loop starts and the status
 // window gets two lines: first the one that holds "Welcome to
-// neoirc-cli", then the /connect hint.
+// neoirc-cli", then the /connect hint. The status bar must show
+// [disconnected].
 func TestStartUp(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
@@ -429,6 +430,77 @@ func TestStartUp(t *testing.T) {
 	if !strings.Contains(lines[1], "/connect <server-url>") {
 		t.Errorf("second status line is %q, want the /connect hint", lines[1])
 	}
+
+	// run sets the status bar before it adds the welcome lines.
+	status := statusBarText(ui)
+	if !strings.Contains(status, "[disconnected]") {
+		t.Errorf("status bar is %q, want it to show [disconnected]", status)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestStatusBar checks that the status bar shows [connected], and
+// shows a nick, target or window name with square brackets as it
+// is.
+func TestStatusBar(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		nick   string
+		target string
+		unread string
+		want   string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:   "plain names",
+			nick:   testNick,
+			target: testChannel,
+			unread: testOtherNick,
+			want:   " [connected] erin [1:#chan] #chan [Act: 2:bob(1)]",
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "nicks with brackets",
+			nick:   "erin[away]",
+			target: "bob[m]",
+			unread: "dave[afk]",
+			want:   " [connected] erin[away] [1:bob[m]] bob[m] [Act: 2:dave[afk](1)]",
+		},
+		{
+			name:   "nicks with brackets and symbols",
+			nick:   "bob[|[]",
+			target: "x[^[]",
+			unread: testOtherNick,
+			want:   " [connected] bob[|[] [1:x[^[]] x[^[] [Act: 2:bob(1)]",
+		},
+		{
+			// /query takes any text as the target.
+			name:   "query target with brackets",
+			nick:   testNick,
+			target: "[:::y|z]",
+			unread: testOtherNick,
+			want:   " [connected] erin [1:[:::y|z]] [:::y|z] [Act: 2:bob(1)]",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			ui := NewUI()
+			runUI(t, ui)
+
+			// Window 1, the one shown, is the target's. Window 2
+			// gets one unread line.
+			ui.SwitchToBuffer(test.target)
+			ui.AddLine(test.unread, testText)
+			ui.SetStatus(test.nick, test.target, "connected")
+
+			got := statusBarText(ui)
+			if got != test.want {
+				t.Fatalf("status bar is %q, want %q", got, test.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
 }
 
 // TestOwnEventFromOtherClient checks that a message, notice,
@@ -513,6 +585,19 @@ func bufferState(ui *UI, name string) (int, int) {
 	return lines, unread
 }
 
+// statusBarText returns the text the status bar shows.
+// GetText(true) leaves out whatever tview reads as a tag, as
+// drawing does.
+func statusBarText(ui *UI) string {
+	var text string
+
+	ui.app.QueueUpdate(func() {
+		text = ui.statusBar.GetText(true)
+	})
+
+	return text
+}
+
 // handledLines makes app.ui pass each typed line to
 // app.handleInput, as Run does, and returns a channel that
 // receives each line once it has been handled.
diff --git a/internal/cli/ui.go b/internal/cli/ui.go
index 563df0d..f702a8d 100644
--- a/internal/cli/ui.go
+++ b/internal/cli/ui.go
@@ -226,8 +226,10 @@ func (ui *UI) initMessages() {
 }
 
 func (ui *UI) initStatusBar() {
-	ui.statusBar = tview.NewTextView().
-		SetDynamicColors(true)
+	// Colour tags stay off. With them on, tview reads text in
+	// square brackets, such as "[connected]" or part of a nick,
+	// as a tag and drops it.
+	ui.statusBar = tview.NewTextView()
 	ui.statusBar.SetBackgroundColor(tcell.ColorNavy)
 	ui.statusBar.SetTextColor(tcell.ColorWhite)
 }