diff --git a/extension/src/shared/glyphs.ts b/extension/src/shared/glyphs.ts
index 1a4c6b9..4766e4c 100644
--- a/extension/src/shared/glyphs.ts
+++ b/extension/src/shared/glyphs.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ export const GLYPH_LOCK          = '⏻';   // sidebar lock nav
 export const GLYPH_NEXT          = '▸';   // forward / next button (matches ▾/▸ disclosure family)
 export const GLYPH_COPY          = '⎘';   // copy to clipboard
 export const GLYPH_SYNC          = '⇅';   // sync / upload
+export const GLYPH_SYNCED        = '✓';   // vault status: in sync (no pending/ahead/behind)
+export const GLYPH_AHEAD         = '↑';   // vault status: local commits ahead of remote
+export const GLYPH_BEHIND        = '↓';   // vault status: remote commits not yet pulled
+export const GLYPH_PENDING       = '◌';   // vault status: items changed but not yet synced
 export const GLYPH_PREVIEW       = '⊕';   // preview / expand
 
 export const GLYPH_VAULT_TAB      = '⧉';   // U+29C9 pop-out to fullscreen vault tab
diff --git a/extension/src/vault/__tests__/status-indicator.test.ts b/extension/src/vault/__tests__/status-indicator.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d31c581
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extension/src/vault/__tests__/status-indicator.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { renderStatusIndicator } from '../vault-status';
+
+describe('vault status indicator', () => {
+  it('renders "in sync" when ahead/behind/pending all zero', () => {
+    const el = document.createElement('div');
+    renderStatusIndicator(el, { ahead: 0, behind: 0, lastSyncAt: 1700000000, pendingItems: 0 });
+    expect(el.textContent).toMatch(/in sync/i);
+  });
+
+  it('renders "N ahead" when ahead is non-zero', () => {
+    const el = document.createElement('div');
+    renderStatusIndicator(el, { ahead: 3, behind: 0, lastSyncAt: 1700000000, pendingItems: 0 });
+    expect(el.textContent).toMatch(/3 ahead/i);
+  });
+
+  it('renders "N behind" when behind is non-zero', () => {
+    const el = document.createElement('div');
+    renderStatusIndicator(el, { ahead: 0, behind: 2, lastSyncAt: 1700000000, pendingItems: 0 });
+    expect(el.textContent).toMatch(/2 behind/i);
+  });
+
+  it('renders "N pending" when pendingItems is non-zero', () => {
+    const el = document.createElement('div');
+    renderStatusIndicator(el, { ahead: 0, behind: 0, lastSyncAt: 1700000000, pendingItems: 5 });
+    expect(el.textContent).toMatch(/5 pending/i);
+  });
+
+  it('renders "never synced" when lastSyncAt is null', () => {
+    const el = document.createElement('div');
+    renderStatusIndicator(el, { ahead: 0, behind: 0, lastSyncAt: null, pendingItems: 0 });
+    expect(el.textContent).toMatch(/never synced/i);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/extension/src/vault/vault-status.ts b/extension/src/vault/vault-status.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b55132f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extension/src/vault/vault-status.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import {
+  GLYPH_SYNCED,
+  GLYPH_AHEAD,
+  GLYPH_BEHIND,
+  GLYPH_PENDING,
+} from '../shared/glyphs';
+import { relativeTime } from '../shared/relative-time';
+
+// Local shape for the sidebar-footer indicator. Mirrors the get_vault_status
+// response data (ahead/behind/lastSyncAt/pendingItems). lastSyncAt is a unix
+// timestamp in SECONDS, or null when the vault has never synced.
+export interface VaultStatus {
+  ahead: number;
+  behind: number;
+  lastSyncAt: number | null;
+  pendingItems: number;
+}
+
+export function renderStatusIndicator(el: HTMLElement, status: VaultStatus): void {
+  const ts = status.lastSyncAt !== null
+    ? `last sync ${relativeTime(status.lastSyncAt)}`
+    : 'never synced';
+
+  const parts: string[] = [];
+  if (status.pendingItems > 0) parts.push(`${GLYPH_PENDING} ${status.pendingItems} pending`);
+  if (status.ahead > 0)        parts.push(`${GLYPH_AHEAD} ${status.ahead} ahead`);
+  if (status.behind > 0)       parts.push(`${GLYPH_BEHIND} ${status.behind} behind`);
+  if (parts.length === 0)      parts.push(`${GLYPH_SYNCED} in sync`);
+
+  el.innerHTML = `
+    <div class="vault-status">
+      <div class="vault-status__state">${parts.join(' · ')}</div>
+      <div class="vault-status__ts">${ts}</div>
+    </div>
+  `;
+}