diff --git a/frontend/src/components/NavBar.jsx b/frontend/src/components/NavBar.jsx
index 5ecb1b8..462f561 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/NavBar.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/NavBar.jsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useRef } from 'react';
 import { Link, useLocation } from 'react-router-dom';
 import DarkModeToggle from './DarkModeToggle';
 import Tooltip from './Tooltip';
+import WalletConnectionProgress from './WalletConnectionProgress';
 import { useAuth } from '../hooks/useFreighter';
 
 const NAV_LINKS = [
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ function truncate(addr) {
 }
 
 function WalletIndicator() {
-  const { publicKey, connect, disconnect } = useAuth();
+  const { publicKey, connect, disconnect, loading, connectionStep, error } = useAuth();
   const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
   const [copied, setCopied] = useState(false);
   const ref = useRef(null);
@@ -34,22 +35,29 @@ function WalletIndicator() {
 
   if (!publicKey) {
     return (
-      <button
-        onClick={connect}
-        style={{
-          padding: '0.6rem 1rem',
-          background: 'var(--btn-primary)',
-          color: '#fff',
-          border: 'none',
-          borderRadius: 6,
-          fontSize: '0.85rem',
-          cursor: 'pointer',
-          minHeight: '44px',
-          minWidth: '44px',
-        }}
-      >
-        Connect Wallet
-      </button>
+      <div style={{ display: 'flex', flexDirection: 'column', gap: '0.4rem', alignItems: 'flex-end' }}>
+        <button
+          onClick={connect}
+          disabled={loading}
+          aria-busy={loading}
+          style={{
+            padding: '0.6rem 1rem',
+            background: 'var(--btn-primary)',
+            color: '#fff',
+            border: 'none',
+            borderRadius: 6,
+            fontSize: '0.85rem',
+            cursor: loading ? 'not-allowed' : 'pointer',
+            opacity: loading ? 0.7 : 1,
+            minHeight: '44px',
+            minWidth: '44px',
+          }}
+        >
+          {loading ? 'Connecting…' : 'Connect Wallet'}
+        </button>
+        {loading && <WalletConnectionProgress step={connectionStep} />}
+        {!loading && error && <WalletConnectionProgress error={error} />}
+      </div>
     );
   }
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/WalletConnectionProgress.jsx b/frontend/src/components/WalletConnectionProgress.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..136bcaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/WalletConnectionProgress.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import { CONNECTION_STEPS } from '../hooks/useFreighter';
+
+const STEP_ORDER = [
+  CONNECTION_STEPS.CHECKING,
+  CONNECTION_STEPS.REQUESTING_KEY,
+  CONNECTION_STEPS.REQUESTING_CHALLENGE,
+  CONNECTION_STEPS.SIGNING,
+  CONNECTION_STEPS.VERIFYING,
+];
+
+const spinnerStyle = {
+  width: 16,
+  height: 16,
+  border: '2px solid #334155',
+  borderTopColor: '#38bdf8',
+  borderRadius: '50%',
+  display: 'inline-block',
+  animation: 'spin 0.7s linear infinite',
+  flexShrink: 0,
+};
+
+/**
+ * Shown while wallet connection is in progress.
+ * Renders a spinner + current step message.
+ */
+export default function WalletConnectionProgress({ step, error }) {
+  if (!step && !error) return null;
+
+  return (
+    <div
+      role="status"
+      aria-live="polite"
+      aria-label={error ? `Connection error: ${error}` : `Connecting wallet: ${step}`}
+      style={{
+        display: 'flex',
+        alignItems: 'center',
+        gap: '0.5rem',
+        padding: '0.5rem 0.75rem',
+        background: error ? '#1c0a0a' : '#0f172a',
+        border: `1px solid ${error ? '#f87171' : '#334155'}`,
+        borderRadius: 6,
+        fontSize: '0.8rem',
+        color: error ? '#f87171' : '#94a3b8',
+        minWidth: 0,
+        maxWidth: 260,
+      }}
+    >
+      {error ? (
+        <span aria-hidden="true" style={{ flexShrink: 0 }}>⚠️</span>
+      ) : (
+        <>
+          <span style={spinnerStyle} aria-hidden="true" />
+          <style>{`@keyframes spin { to { transform: rotate(360deg); } }`}</style>
+        </>
+      )}
+      <span style={{ overflow: 'hidden', textOverflow: 'ellipsis', whiteSpace: 'nowrap' }}>
+        {error || step}
+      </span>
+      {!error && (
+        <span style={{ color: '#475569', flexShrink: 0, fontSize: '0.7rem' }}>
+          {STEP_ORDER.indexOf(step) + 1}/{STEP_ORDER.length}
+        </span>
+      )}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useFreighter.jsx b/frontend/src/hooks/useFreighter.jsx
index dc65857..19bf8b9 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useFreighter.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useFreighter.jsx
@@ -10,24 +10,37 @@ const AuthContext = createContext(null);
 // Only persist publicKey and role — token is kept in memory only
 const STORAGE_KEY = 'vaccichain_wallet';
 
+export const CONNECTION_STEPS = {
+  IDLE: null,
+  CHECKING: 'Checking Freighter wallet…',
+  REQUESTING_KEY: 'Requesting public key…',
+  REQUESTING_CHALLENGE: 'Requesting SEP-10 challenge…',
+  SIGNING: 'Waiting for wallet signature…',
+  VERIFYING: 'Verifying signature…',
+};
+
 export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
   const toast = useToast();
   const [publicKey, setPublicKey] = useState(null);
   const [role, setRole] = useState(null);
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
+  const [connectionStep, setConnectionStep] = useState(CONNECTION_STEPS.IDLE);
   const [error, setError] = useState(null);
   const [freighterInstalled, setFreighterInstalled] = useState(() => typeof window !== 'undefined' && !!window.freighter);
   // Token lives only in memory — never written to localStorage
   const tokenRef = useRef(null);
 
-  const runSep10 = useCallback(async (pk) => {
+  const runSep10 = useCallback(async (pk, onStep) => {
+    onStep?.(CONNECTION_STEPS.REQUESTING_CHALLENGE);
     const challengeRes = await fetch('/v1/auth/sep10', {
       method: 'POST',
       headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
       body: JSON.stringify({ public_key: pk }),
     });
     const { transaction, nonce } = await challengeRes.json();
+    onStep?.(CONNECTION_STEPS.SIGNING);
     const signedXDR = await signTransaction(transaction, { network: 'TESTNET' });
+    onStep?.(CONNECTION_STEPS.VERIFYING);
     const verifyRes = await fetch('/v1/auth/verify', {
       method: 'POST',
       headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
@@ -39,16 +52,19 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
   }, []);
 
   const connect = useCallback(async () => {
+    if (loading) return; // prevent duplicate attempts
     setLoading(true);
     setError(null);
+    setConnectionStep(CONNECTION_STEPS.CHECKING);
     try {
       const connected = await isConnected();
       if (!connected) {
         setFreighterInstalled(false);
         throw new Error('Freighter wallet not found. Please install it.');
       }
+      setConnectionStep(CONNECTION_STEPS.REQUESTING_KEY);
       const pk = await getPublicKey();
-      const data = await runSep10(pk);
+      const data = await runSep10(pk, setConnectionStep);
       setPublicKey(pk);
       tokenRef.current = data.token;
       setRole(data.role);
@@ -63,8 +79,9 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
       throw e;
     } finally {
       setLoading(false);
+      setConnectionStep(CONNECTION_STEPS.IDLE);
     }
-  }, [runSep10, toast]);
+  }, [loading, runSep10, toast]);
 
   const disconnect = useCallback(() => {
     setPublicKey(null);
@@ -130,6 +147,7 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }) {
       apiFetch,
       isConnected: isConnectedState,
       loading,
+      connectionStep,
       error,
     }}>
       {children}