diff --git a/internal/ui/app/app.go b/internal/ui/app/app.go
index 435ff91..01afc31 100644
--- a/internal/ui/app/app.go
+++ b/internal/ui/app/app.go
@@ -721,7 +721,8 @@ func (m Model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 	}
 	m.waiting = 0
 	m.askHandlerSetup()
-	m.keys.Login.SetEnabled(m.auth != nil && len(m.auth.Login) > 0)
+	m.keys.Login.SetEnabled(m.loginFor() != nil)
+	m.detail.SetMessage(m.selectedProblem())
 	if m.anyLoading() && !m.spinning {
 		m.spinning = true
 		cmds = append(cmds, m.spin.Tick)
@@ -881,8 +882,8 @@ func (m *Model) handleKey(msg tea.KeyPressMsg) (cmd tea.Cmd, quit bool) {
 	case key.Matches(msg, k.Edit):
 		return m.edit(), false
 	case key.Matches(msg, k.Login):
-		if m.auth != nil && len(m.auth.Login) > 0 {
-			c := exec.Command(m.auth.Login[0], m.auth.Login[1:]...)
+		if auth := m.loginFor(); auth != nil {
+			c := exec.Command(auth.Login[0], auth.Login[1:]...)
 			return tea.ExecProcess(c, func(err error) tea.Msg { return loginDoneMsg{err: err} }), false
 		}
 	case key.Matches(msg, k.Refresh):
@@ -1261,7 +1262,14 @@ func (m *Model) handleSources(msg sourcesMsg) tea.Cmd {
 			errs = append(errs, fmt.Sprintf("%s: %v", p.Label(), r.err))
 		}
 	}
-	m.status = strings.Join(errs, " · ")
+	// Said once, when they change; after that the Details pane says it
+	// for the selected account.
+	if status := strings.Join(errs, " · "); status != m.status {
+		m.status = status
+		if status != "" {
+			m.flash = flash{text: m.problemText(msg.provider, status), isErr: true}
+		}
+	}
 	m.rebuildSources()
 	m.sources.Loading = m.sourcesPending > 0
 	return m.autoLoad(msg)
@@ -1532,14 +1540,27 @@ func (m *Model) openSelected() tea.Cmd {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// noteErr remembers authentication failures so the UI can offer sign-in.
+// noteErr remembers authentication failures so the UI can offer sign-in,
+// saying so once for each account.
 func (m *Model) noteErr(err error) {
 	var auth *provider.AuthError
 	if errors.As(err, &auth) {
+		if m.auth == nil || m.auth.Who() != auth.Who() {
+			m.flash = flash{text: m.authText(auth), isErr: true}
+		}
 		m.auth = auth
 	}
 }
 
+// authText says which account needs signing in, and how.
+func (m Model) authText(auth *provider.AuthError) string {
+	if len(auth.Login) == 0 {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s: sign-in required: %v", auth.Who(), auth.Err)
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s: sign-in required (not signed in or session expired)%s",
+		auth.Who(), withKey(m.keys.Login, " · press %s to run "+strings.Join(auth.Login, " ")))
+}
+
 func (m Model) anyLoading() bool {
 	return m.sources.Loading || m.containers.Loading || m.secrets.Loading ||
 		m.detail.State() == panes.ValueLoading
@@ -1560,16 +1581,6 @@ func (m Model) footerView() string {
 		help = m.helpBar(contextHelp{k: m.keys, focus: m.focus, commands: len(m.commandsHere()) > 0}.ShortHelp(), 2)
 	}
 	var lines []string
-	failed := func(text string) { lines = append(lines, m.flashLine(flash{text: text, isErr: true})) }
-	switch {
-	case m.auth != nil && len(m.auth.Login) > 0:
-		failed(fmt.Sprintf("%s: sign-in required (not signed in or session expired)%s",
-			m.auth.Who(), withKey(m.keys.Login, " · press %s to run "+strings.Join(m.auth.Login, " "))))
-	case m.auth != nil:
-		failed(fmt.Sprintf("%s: sign-in required: %v", m.auth.Who(), m.auth.Err))
-	case m.status != "":
-		failed(m.status)
-	}
 	if !m.clipDeadline.IsZero() {
 		left := max(0, int(math.Ceil(m.clipDeadline.Sub(m.now()).Seconds())))
 		lines = append(lines, m.flashLine(done(fmt.Sprintf("copied %s · clipboard clears in %ds", m.clipLabel, left))))
@@ -1624,3 +1635,42 @@ func (m Model) View() tea.View {
 	v.WindowTitle = "lazysecrets"
 	return v
 }
+
+// selectedProblem is why the selected Sources row's account has nothing
+// to show, if it failed: for the Details pane.
+func (m Model) selectedProblem() string {
+	r, ok := m.sources.Selected()
+	if !ok || (r.kind != rowGroup && r.kind != rowSource) {
+		return ""
+	}
+	res, done := m.sourceResults[r.provider]
+	if !done || res.err == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return m.problemText(r.provider, res.err.Error())
+}
+
+// problemText says what went wrong for a provider: for a sign-in, which
+// account and how to sign in again; else err as given.
+func (m Model) problemText(providerID, err string) string {
+	var auth *provider.AuthError
+	if r, ok := m.sourceResults[providerID]; ok && errors.As(r.err, &auth) {
+		return m.authText(auth)
+	}
+	return err
+}
+
+// loginFor is the sign-in L runs: the selected account's, if it needs
+// one, else the last one asked for.
+func (m Model) loginFor() *provider.AuthError {
+	if r, ok := m.sources.Selected(); ok {
+		var auth *provider.AuthError
+		if res := m.sourceResults[r.provider]; errors.As(res.err, &auth) && len(auth.Login) > 0 {
+			return auth
+		}
+	}
+	if m.auth != nil && len(m.auth.Login) > 0 {
+		return m.auth
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/ui/app/app_test.go b/internal/ui/app/app_test.go
index b4d501a..a122c1a 100644
--- a/internal/ui/app/app_test.go
+++ b/internal/ui/app/app_test.go
@@ -1022,3 +1022,50 @@ func TestMultiLineErrorsShownWhole(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("footer:\n%s", d.screen())
 	}
 }
+
+// signedOut is a second Azure account whose sign-in has expired.
+type signedOut struct{ provider.Provider }
+
+func (signedOut) ID() string    { return "Azure:admin@contoso.com/t1" }
+func (signedOut) Label() string { return "Azure · admin" }
+func (signedOut) Sources(context.Context) ([]provider.Source, error) {
+	return nil, &provider.AuthError{Kind: provider.KindAzure, Account: "Azure · admin",
+		Login: []string{"az", "login", "--tenant", "t1"}, Err: errors.New("AADSTS70043")}
+}
+
+func TestSignInMessageOnceThenInDetails(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	d := newDriverOpts(t, Options{CollapseGroups: false}, fake.Azure(0), signedOut{fake.Azure(0)})
+	hint := "Azure · admin: sign-in required"
+	if !strings.Contains(lastLines(d.screen(), 2), hint) {
+		t.Fatalf("not said at start:\n%s", d.screen())
+	}
+	d.keys("j")
+	if strings.Contains(lastLines(d.screen(), 2), hint) {
+		t.Errorf("still in the footer after moving:\n%s", d.screen())
+	}
+
+	// On the account's group, Details says it, and L signs in to it.
+	d.keys("G")
+	if r, _ := d.m.sources.Selected(); r.provider != "Azure:admin@contoso.com/t1" {
+		t.Fatalf("selected %+v", r)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(d.screen(), hint) || !strings.Contains(d.screen(), "press L to run az login --tenant t1") {
+		t.Errorf("not in Details:\n%s", d.screen())
+	}
+	if a := d.m.loginFor(); a == nil || a.Account != "Azure · admin" {
+		t.Errorf("L signs in to %+v", a)
+	}
+
+	// Elsewhere Details is as usual.
+	d.keys("g")
+	if strings.Contains(d.screen(), hint) {
+		t.Errorf("shown for another account:\n%s", d.screen())
+	}
+}
+
+// lastLines is the bottom n lines of a screen.
+func lastLines(scr string, n int) string {
+	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimRight(scr, "\n"), "\n")
+	return strings.Join(lines[max(0, len(lines)-n):], "\n")
+}
diff --git a/internal/ui/panes/detail.go b/internal/ui/panes/detail.go
index 88ca4a4..f1f2e15 100644
--- a/internal/ui/panes/detail.go
+++ b/internal/ui/panes/detail.go
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ type Detail struct {
 
 	versions []provider.Object // newest first; nil while unknown
 	note     string            // the user's note on what's shown
+	message  string            // shown instead of the hint when nothing is selected: an error
 
 	offset int
 	w, h   int
@@ -71,6 +72,10 @@ func (d *Detail) Clear() {
 	*d = Detail{Now: d.Now, Icons: d.Icons, RevealKey: d.RevealKey, VersionsKey: d.VersionsKey, w: d.w, h: d.h} // drops the note too
 }
 
+// SetMessage sets what's shown instead of the hint when nothing is
+// selected, such as why an account has nothing to show; "" for the hint.
+func (d *Detail) SetMessage(s string) { d.message = s }
+
 // SetDescribing marks extra metadata as being fetched.
 func (d *Detail) SetDescribing() { d.describing, d.describeErr = true, nil }
 
@@ -186,6 +191,12 @@ func (d Detail) lines(st styles.Styles) []string {
 	muted := st.Muted.Render
 
 	if d.container == nil {
+		if d.message != "" {
+			for _, l := range strings.Split(ansi.Hardwrap(d.message, max(1, inner-2), true), "\n") {
+				out = append(out, " "+st.Error.Render(l))
+			}
+			return out
+		}
 		return []string{muted(" Select a vault or scope to browse its secrets.")}
 	}
 	c := *d.container