diff --git a/frontend/app/block/block.less b/frontend/app/block/block.less
index 1ec75772..ff02ddc5 100644
--- a/frontend/app/block/block.less
+++ b/frontend/app/block/block.less
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@
                     font-weight: 400;
                     color: var(--main-text-color);
                     border-radius: 2px;
-                    padding-right: 6px;
+                    padding-right: 2px;
 
                     &:hover {
                         background-color: var(--highlight-bg-color);
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@
                     .connection-name {
                         flex: 1 100 auto;
                         overflow: hidden;
+                        padding-right: 4px;
                     }
                 }
 
diff --git a/frontend/app/block/block.tsx b/frontend/app/block/block.tsx
index 07f06ce7..846cd0e6 100644
--- a/frontend/app/block/block.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/block/block.tsx
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ const BlockFull = React.memo(({ nodeModel, viewModel }: FullBlockProps) => {
     counterInc("render-BlockFull");
     const focusElemRef = React.useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
     const blockRef = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+    const contentRef = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
     const [blockClicked, setBlockClicked] = React.useState(false);
     const [blockData] = WOS.useWaveObjectValue<Block>(WOS.makeORef("block", nodeModel.blockId));
     const [focusedChild, setFocusedChild] = React.useState(null);
@@ -202,6 +203,7 @@ const BlockFull = React.memo(({ nodeModel, viewModel }: FullBlockProps) => {
                     width: addlProps?.transform?.width,
                     height: addlProps?.transform?.height,
                 }}
+                ref={contentRef}
             >
                 <ErrorBoundary>
                     <React.Suspense fallback={<CenteredDiv>Loading...</CenteredDiv>}>{viewElem}</React.Suspense>
diff --git a/frontend/app/block/blockframe.tsx b/frontend/app/block/blockframe.tsx
index 3a0bd4de..c1215037 100644
--- a/frontend/app/block/blockframe.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/block/blockframe.tsx
@@ -10,11 +10,14 @@ import {
     Input,
 } from "@/app/block/blockutil";
 import { Button } from "@/app/element/button";
+import { TypeAheadModal } from "@/app/modals/typeaheadmodal";
 import { ContextMenuModel } from "@/app/store/contextmenu";
 import { atoms, globalStore, WOS } from "@/app/store/global";
 import * as services from "@/app/store/services";
+import { WshServer } from "@/app/store/wshserver";
 import { MagnifyIcon } from "@/element/magnify";
 import { NodeModel } from "@/layout/index";
+import * as keyutil from "@/util/keyutil";
 import { checkKeyPressed, keydownWrapper } from "@/util/keyutil";
 import * as util from "@/util/util";
 import clsx from "clsx";
@@ -129,6 +132,7 @@ const BlockFrame_Header = ({ nodeModel, viewModel, preview }: BlockFrameProps) =
     const preIconButton = util.useAtomValueSafe(viewModel.preIconButton);
     const headerTextUnion = util.useAtomValueSafe(viewModel.viewText);
     const magnified = jotai.useAtomValue(nodeModel.isMagnified);
+    const manageConnection = jotai.useAtomValue(viewModel.manageConnection);
     const dragHandleRef = preview ? null : nodeModel.dragHandleRef;
 
     const onContextMenu = React.useCallback(
@@ -163,6 +167,16 @@ const BlockFrame_Header = ({ nodeModel, viewModel, preview }: BlockFrameProps) =
     } else if (Array.isArray(headerTextUnion)) {
         headerTextElems.push(...renderHeaderElements(headerTextUnion, preview));
     }
+    if (manageConnection) {
+        const connButtonElem = (
+            <ConnectionButton
+                key={nodeModel.blockId}
+                blockId={nodeModel.blockId}
+                connection={blockData?.meta?.connection}
+            />
+        );
+        headerTextElems.unshift(connButtonElem);
+    }
 
     return (
         <div className="block-frame-default-header" ref={dragHandleRef} onContextMenu={onContextMenu}>
@@ -174,6 +188,7 @@ const BlockFrame_Header = ({ nodeModel, viewModel, preview }: BlockFrameProps) =
                     <div className="block-frame-blockid">[{nodeModel.blockId.substring(0, 8)}]</div>
                 )}
             </div>
+
             <div className="block-frame-textelems-wrapper">{headerTextElems}</div>
             <div className="block-frame-end-icons">{endIconsElem}</div>
         </div>
@@ -193,8 +208,6 @@ const HeaderTextElem = React.memo(({ elem, preview }: { elem: HeaderElem; previe
                 {elem.text}
             </Button>
         );
-    } else if (elem.elemtype == "connectionbutton") {
-        return <ConnectionButton decl={elem} />;
     } else if (elem.elemtype == "div") {
         return (
             <div
@@ -294,6 +307,13 @@ const BlockFrame_Default_Component = (props: BlockFrameProps) => {
             onKeyDown={keydownWrapper(handleKeyDown)}
         >
             <BlockMask nodeModel={nodeModel} />
+            {preview ? null : (
+                <ChangeConnectionBlockModal
+                    blockId={nodeModel.blockId}
+                    viewModel={viewModel}
+                    blockRef={blockModel?.blockRef}
+                />
+            )}
             <div className="block-frame-default-inner" style={innerStyle}>
                 <BlockFrame_Header {...props} />
                 {preview ? previewElem : children}
@@ -302,6 +322,70 @@ const BlockFrame_Default_Component = (props: BlockFrameProps) => {
     );
 };
 
+const ChangeConnectionBlockModal = React.memo(
+    ({
+        blockId,
+        viewModel,
+        blockRef,
+    }: {
+        blockId: string;
+        viewModel: ViewModel;
+        blockRef: React.RefObject<HTMLDivElement>;
+    }) => {
+        const typeAhead = jotai.useAtomValue(atoms.typeAheadModalAtom);
+        const [connSelected, setConnSelected] = React.useState("");
+        const changeConnection = React.useCallback(
+            async (connName: string) => {
+                await WshServer.SetMetaCommand({
+                    oref: WOS.makeORef("block", blockId),
+                    meta: { connection: connName },
+                });
+                await WshServer.ControllerRestartCommand({ blockid: blockId });
+            },
+            [blockId]
+        );
+        const handleTypeAheadKeyDown = React.useCallback(
+            (waveEvent: WaveKeyboardEvent): boolean => {
+                if (keyutil.checkKeyPressed(waveEvent, "Enter")) {
+                    changeConnection(connSelected);
+                    globalStore.set(atoms.typeAheadModalAtom, {
+                        ...(typeAhead as TypeAheadModalType),
+                        [blockId]: false,
+                    });
+                    setConnSelected("");
+                    return true;
+                }
+                if (keyutil.checkKeyPressed(waveEvent, "Escape")) {
+                    globalStore.set(atoms.typeAheadModalAtom, {
+                        ...(typeAhead as TypeAheadModalType),
+                        [blockId]: false,
+                    });
+                    setConnSelected("");
+                    viewModel.giveFocus();
+                    return true;
+                }
+            },
+            [typeAhead, viewModel, blockId, connSelected]
+        );
+        if (!typeAhead[blockId]) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return (
+            <TypeAheadModal
+                anchor={blockRef}
+                suggestions={[]}
+                onSelect={(selected: string) => {
+                    changeConnection(selected);
+                }}
+                onKeyDown={(e) => keyutil.keydownWrapper(handleTypeAheadKeyDown)(e)}
+                onChange={(current: string) => setConnSelected(current)}
+                value={connSelected}
+                label="Switch Connection"
+            />
+        );
+    }
+);
+
 const BlockFrame_Default = React.memo(BlockFrame_Default_Component) as typeof BlockFrame_Default_Component;
 
 const BlockFrame = React.memo((props: BlockFrameProps) => {
diff --git a/frontend/app/block/blockutil.tsx b/frontend/app/block/blockutil.tsx
index 3c1bdb48..555f8640 100644
--- a/frontend/app/block/blockutil.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/block/blockutil.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 import { useLongClick } from "@/app/hook/useLongClick";
+import { atoms, getConnStatusAtom } from "@/app/store/global";
 import * as util from "@/util/util";
 import clsx from "clsx";
+import * as jotai from "jotai";
 import * as React from "react";
 
 export const colorRegex = /^((#[0-9a-f]{6,8})|([a-z]+))$/;
@@ -168,30 +170,60 @@ export const IconButton = React.memo(({ decl, className }: { decl: HeaderIconBut
     );
 });
 
-export const ConnectionButton = React.memo(({ decl }: { decl: ConnectionButton }) => {
+export const ConnectionButton = React.memo(({ blockId, connection }: { blockId: string; connection: string }) => {
+    const [typeAhead, setTypeAhead] = jotai.useAtom(atoms.typeAheadModalAtom);
     const buttonRef = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+    const isLocal = connection == "" || connection == "local";
+    const connStatusAtom = getConnStatusAtom(connection);
+    const connStatus = jotai.useAtomValue(connStatusAtom);
+    const showDisconnectedSlash = !isLocal && !connStatus?.connected;
+    let connIconElem: React.ReactNode = null;
+    let color = "#53b4ea";
+    const clickHandler = function () {
+        setTypeAhead({
+            ...typeAhead,
+            [blockId]: true,
+        });
+    };
+    let titleText = null;
+    if (isLocal) {
+        color = "var(--grey-text-color)";
+        titleText = "Connected to Local Machine";
+        connIconElem = (
+            <i
+                className={clsx(util.makeIconClass("laptop", false), "fa-stack-1x")}
+                style={{ color: color, marginRight: 2 }}
+            />
+        );
+    } else {
+        titleText = "Connected to " + connection;
+        if (!connStatus?.connected) {
+            color = "var(--grey-text-color)";
+            titleText = "Disconnected from " + connection;
+        }
+        connIconElem = (
+            <i
+                className={clsx(util.makeIconClass("arrow-right-arrow-left", false), "fa-stack-1x")}
+                style={{ color: color, marginRight: 2 }}
+            />
+        );
+    }
+
     return (
-        <div ref={buttonRef} className={clsx("connection-button")} onClick={decl.onClick}>
+        <div ref={buttonRef} className={clsx("connection-button")} onClick={clickHandler} title={titleText}>
             <span className="fa-stack connection-icon-box">
-                {typeof decl.icon === "string" ? (
-                    <i
-                        className={clsx(util.makeIconClass(decl.icon, true), "fa-stack-1x")}
-                        style={{ color: decl.iconColor, marginRight: "2px" }}
-                    />
-                ) : (
-                    decl.icon
-                )}
+                {connIconElem}
                 <i
                     className="fa-slash fa-solid fa-stack-1x"
                     style={{
-                        color: decl.iconColor,
+                        color: color,
                         marginRight: "2px",
                         textShadow: "0 1px black, 0 1.5px black",
-                        opacity: decl.connected ? 0 : 1,
+                        opacity: showDisconnectedSlash ? 1 : 0,
                     }}
                 />
             </span>
-            <div className="connection-name">{decl.text}</div>
+            {isLocal ? null : <div className="connection-name">{connection}</div>}
         </div>
     );
 });
diff --git a/frontend/app/view/term/term.tsx b/frontend/app/view/term/term.tsx
index 8a4674eb..b0036d66 100644
--- a/frontend/app/view/term/term.tsx
+++ b/frontend/app/view/term/term.tsx
@@ -1,18 +1,9 @@
 // Copyright 2024, Command Line Inc.
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-import { TypeAheadModal } from "@/app/modals/typeaheadmodal";
 import { WshServer } from "@/app/store/wshserver";
 import { VDomView } from "@/app/view/term/vdom";
-import {
-    WOS,
-    atoms,
-    getConnStatusAtom,
-    getEventORefSubject,
-    globalStore,
-    useBlockAtom,
-    useSettingsAtom,
-} from "@/store/global";
+import { WOS, atoms, getEventORefSubject, globalStore, useBlockAtom, useSettingsAtom } from "@/store/global";
 import * as services from "@/store/services";
 import * as keyutil from "@/util/keyutil";
 import * as util from "@/util/util";
@@ -110,27 +101,18 @@ class TermViewModel {
     termRef: React.RefObject<TermWrap>;
     blockAtom: jotai.Atom<Block>;
     termMode: jotai.Atom<string>;
-    connectedAtom: jotai.Atom<boolean>;
-    typeahead: boolean;
     htmlElemFocusRef: React.RefObject<HTMLInputElement>;
     blockId: string;
     viewIcon: jotai.Atom<string>;
     viewText: jotai.Atom<HeaderElem[]>;
     viewName: jotai.Atom<string>;
     blockBg: jotai.Atom<MetaType>;
+    manageConnection: jotai.Atom<boolean>;
 
     constructor(blockId: string) {
         this.viewType = "term";
         this.blockId = blockId;
         this.blockAtom = WOS.getWaveObjectAtom<Block>(`block:${blockId}`);
-        this.connectedAtom = jotai.atom((get) => {
-            const connectionName = get(this.blockAtom).meta?.connection || "";
-            if (connectionName == "") {
-                return true;
-            }
-            const status = get(getConnStatusAtom(connectionName));
-            return status.connected;
-        });
         this.termMode = jotai.atom((get) => {
             const blockData = get(this.blockAtom);
             return blockData?.meta?.["term:mode"] ?? "term";
@@ -145,32 +127,11 @@ class TermViewModel {
             }
             return "Terminal";
         });
+        this.manageConnection = jotai.atom(true);
         this.viewText = jotai.atom((get) => {
             const blockData = get(this.blockAtom);
             const titleText: HeaderText = { elemtype: "text", text: blockData?.meta?.title ?? "" };
-            const typeAhead = get(atoms.typeAheadModalAtom);
-            const connectionName = blockData?.meta?.connection || "";
-            const isConnected = get(this.connectedAtom);
-            let iconColor: string;
-            if (connectionName != "") {
-                iconColor = "#53b4ea";
-            } else {
-                iconColor = "var(--grey-text-color)";
-            }
-            const connButton: ConnectionButton = {
-                elemtype: "connectionbutton",
-                icon: "arrow-right-arrow-left",
-                iconColor: iconColor,
-                text: connectionName,
-                connected: isConnected,
-                onClick: () => {
-                    globalStore.set(atoms.typeAheadModalAtom, {
-                        ...(typeAhead as TypeAheadModalType),
-                        [blockId]: true,
-                    });
-                },
-            };
-            return [connButton, titleText] as HeaderElem[];
+            return [titleText] as HeaderElem[];
         });
         this.blockBg = jotai.atom((get) => {
             const blockData = get(this.blockAtom);
@@ -231,9 +192,7 @@ interface TerminalViewProps {
 }
 
 const TerminalView = ({ blockId, model }: TerminalViewProps) => {
-    const typeAhead = jotai.useAtomValue(atoms.typeAheadModalAtom);
     const viewRef = React.createRef<HTMLDivElement>();
-    const [connSelected, setConnSelected] = React.useState("");
     const connectElemRef = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
     const termRef = React.useRef<TermWrap>(null);
     model.termRef = termRef;
@@ -398,45 +357,8 @@ const TerminalView = ({ blockId, model }: TerminalViewProps) => {
         [blockId]
     );
 
-    const handleTypeAheadKeyDown = React.useCallback(
-        (waveEvent: WaveKeyboardEvent): boolean => {
-            if (keyutil.checkKeyPressed(waveEvent, "Enter")) {
-                changeConnection(connSelected);
-                globalStore.set(atoms.typeAheadModalAtom, {
-                    ...(typeAhead as TypeAheadModalType),
-                    [blockId]: false,
-                });
-                setConnSelected("");
-                return true;
-            }
-            if (keyutil.checkKeyPressed(waveEvent, "Escape")) {
-                globalStore.set(atoms.typeAheadModalAtom, {
-                    ...(typeAhead as TypeAheadModalType),
-                    [blockId]: false,
-                });
-                setConnSelected("");
-                model.giveFocus();
-                return true;
-            }
-        },
-        [typeAhead, model, blockId, connSelected]
-    );
-
     return (
         <div className={clsx("view-term", "term-mode-" + termMode)} onKeyDown={handleKeyDown} ref={viewRef}>
-            {typeAhead[blockId] && (
-                <TypeAheadModal
-                    anchor={viewRef}
-                    suggestions={[]}
-                    onSelect={(selected: string) => {
-                        changeConnection(selected);
-                    }}
-                    onKeyDown={(e) => keyutil.keydownWrapper(handleTypeAheadKeyDown)(e)}
-                    onChange={(current: string) => setConnSelected(current)}
-                    value={connSelected}
-                    label="Switch Connection"
-                />
-            )}
             <TermThemeUpdater blockId={blockId} termRef={termRef} />
             <TermStickers config={stickerConfig} />
             <div key="conntectElem" className="term-connectelem" ref={connectElemRef}></div>
diff --git a/frontend/types/custom.d.ts b/frontend/types/custom.d.ts
index 1f2ac7a8..f69edb64 100644
--- a/frontend/types/custom.d.ts
+++ b/frontend/types/custom.d.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ declare global {
         controlShiftDelayAtom: jotai.PrimitiveAtom<boolean>;
         reducedMotionPreferenceAtom: jotai.Atom<boolean>;
         updaterStatusAtom: jotai.PrimitiveAtom<UpdaterStatus>;
-        typeAheadModalAtom: jotai.Primitive<TypeAheadModalType>;
+        typeAheadModalAtom: jotai.PrimitiveAtom<TypeAheadModalType>;
     };
 
     type WritableWaveObjectAtom<T extends WaveObj> = jotai.WritableAtom<T, [value: T], void>;
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ declare global {
         preIconButton?: jotai.Atom<HeaderIconButton>;
         endIconButtons?: jotai.Atom<HeaderIconButton[]>;
         blockBg?: jotai.Atom<MetaType>;
+        manageConnection?: jotai.Atom<boolean>;
 
         onBack?: () => void;
         onForward?: () => void;
diff --git a/pkg/remote/conncontroller/conncontroller.go b/pkg/remote/conncontroller/conncontroller.go
index 870dd403..d29957c8 100644
--- a/pkg/remote/conncontroller/conncontroller.go
+++ b/pkg/remote/conncontroller/conncontroller.go
@@ -69,8 +69,8 @@ func (conn *SSHConn) DeriveConnStatus() wshrpc.ConnStatus {
 	defer conn.Lock.Unlock()
 	return wshrpc.ConnStatus{
 		Status:     conn.Status,
+		Connected:  conn.Status == Status_Connected,
 		Connection: conn.Opts.String(),
-		Connected:  conn.Client != nil,
 		Error:      conn.Error,
 	}
 }