diff --git a/stream-android-core/src/main/java/io/getstream/android/core/internal/recovery/StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImpl.kt b/stream-android-core/src/main/java/io/getstream/android/core/internal/recovery/StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImpl.kt
index d6812d25..99c09c8d 100644
--- a/stream-android-core/src/main/java/io/getstream/android/core/internal/recovery/StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImpl.kt
+++ b/stream-android-core/src/main/java/io/getstream/android/core/internal/recovery/StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImpl.kt
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ internal class StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImpl(
             val previousLifecycle = lastLifecycleState
             val previousNetwork = lastNetworkState
             val networkAvailable = networkState is StreamNetworkState.Available
+            // Only a reported loss counts as offline. `Unknown` means no callback has fired yet,
+            // which is not the same as "no network" and must not tear a connection down — the same
+            // way an `Unknown` lifecycle state is not treated as backgrounded below.
+            val networkLost =
+                networkState is StreamNetworkState.Disconnected ||
+                    networkState is StreamNetworkState.Unavailable
             val networkBecameAvailable =
                 networkAvailable && previousNetwork !is StreamNetworkState.Available
             val lifecycleForeground = lifecycleState == StreamLifecycleState.Foreground
@@ -67,7 +73,7 @@ internal class StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImpl(
 
             val shouldDisconnect =
                 (isConnected || isConnecting) &&
-                    (!networkAvailable || lifecycleState == StreamLifecycleState.Background)
+                    (networkLost || lifecycleState == StreamLifecycleState.Background)
 
             val shouldConnect =
                 hasConnectedBefore &&
diff --git a/stream-android-core/src/test/java/io/getstream/android/core/internal/recovery/StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImplTest.kt b/stream-android-core/src/test/java/io/getstream/android/core/internal/recovery/StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImplTest.kt
index 3fffb6ae..b47f7673 100644
--- a/stream-android-core/src/test/java/io/getstream/android/core/internal/recovery/StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImplTest.kt
+++ b/stream-android-core/src/test/java/io/getstream/android/core/internal/recovery/StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImplTest.kt
@@ -211,6 +211,41 @@ class StreamConnectionRecoveryEvaluatorImplTest {
         assertNull(recovery)
     }
 
+    // `Unknown` is the state before any connectivity callback has fired, which happens when the
+    // platform reports no viable network at registration time. Tearing the in-flight connect down
+    // there turns a socket failure into a cancellation of the caller's connect().
+    @Test
+    fun `does not disconnect while connecting before the first network callback`() = runTest {
+        val evaluator = evaluator()
+
+        val recovery =
+            evaluator
+                .evaluate(
+                    connectionState = StreamConnectionState.Connecting.Opening(TEST_USER_ID),
+                    lifecycleState = StreamLifecycleState.Foreground,
+                    networkState = StreamNetworkState.Unknown,
+                )
+                .getOrThrow()
+
+        assertNull(recovery)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `disconnects when the network is reported unavailable`() = runTest {
+        val evaluator = evaluator()
+
+        val recovery =
+            evaluator
+                .evaluate(
+                    connectionState = connectedState(),
+                    lifecycleState = StreamLifecycleState.Foreground,
+                    networkState = StreamNetworkState.Unavailable,
+                )
+                .getOrThrow()
+
+        assertIs<Recovery.Disconnect<*>>(recovery)
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun `stays idle when returning foreground while already reconnecting`() = runTest {
         val evaluator = evaluator()