diff --git a/lib/experimental/connectors/default-connectors.php b/lib/experimental/connectors/default-connectors.php
index 0480bb766c323c..fe3c805fc32b37 100644
--- a/lib/experimental/connectors/default-connectors.php
+++ b/lib/experimental/connectors/default-connectors.php
@@ -427,8 +427,6 @@ function _gutenberg_get_connector_script_module_data( array $data ): array {
 		return $data;
 	}
 
-	$registry = \WordPress\AiClient\AiClient::defaultRegistry();
-
 	// Build a slug-to-file map for plugin installation status.
 	if ( ! function_exists( 'get_plugins' ) ) {
 		require_once ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/plugin.php';
@@ -448,11 +446,6 @@ function _gutenberg_get_connector_script_module_data( array $data ): array {
 			$auth_out['settingName']    = $auth['setting_name'] ?? '';
 			$auth_out['credentialsUrl'] = $auth['credentials_url'] ?? null;
 			$auth_out['keySource']      = _gutenberg_get_api_key_source( $connector_id, $auth['setting_name'] ?? '' );
-			try {
-				$auth_out['isConnected'] = $registry->hasProvider( $connector_id ) && $registry->isProviderConfigured( $connector_id );
-			} catch ( Exception $e ) {
-				$auth_out['isConnected'] = false;
-			}
 		}
 
 		$connector_out = array(
@@ -485,3 +478,59 @@ function _gutenberg_get_connector_script_module_data( array $data ): array {
 }
 remove_filter( 'script_module_data_options-connectors-wp-admin', '_wp_connectors_get_connector_script_module_data' );
 add_filter( 'script_module_data_options-connectors-wp-admin', '_gutenberg_get_connector_script_module_data' );
+
+/**
+ * Streams connector connection-status checks to the browser after the page
+ * has been flushed, so the initial render is not blocked by slow HTTP
+ * validation requests.
+ *
+ * Each resolved status is delivered as an inline <script> that writes to
+ * window.__connectorStatuses and dispatches a CustomEvent so the React UI
+ * can update progressively.
+ *
+ * @access private
+ */
+function _gutenberg_stream_connector_statuses(): void {
+	if ( ! class_exists( '\WordPress\AiClient\AiClient' ) ) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	// Flush all output buffers so the browser receives the full page
+	// (including React bootstrap scripts) immediately.
+	while ( ob_get_level() ) {
+		ob_end_flush();
+	}
+	flush();
+
+	$registry = \WordPress\AiClient\AiClient::defaultRegistry();
+
+	foreach ( wp_get_connectors() as $connector_id => $connector_data ) {
+		$auth = $connector_data['authentication'];
+		if ( 'api_key' !== $auth['method'] ) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		try {
+			sleep( 3 ); // Simulate slow validation for demo purposes.
+			$is_connected = $registry->hasProvider( $connector_id )
+				&& $registry->isProviderConfigured( $connector_id );
+		} catch ( Exception $e ) {
+			$is_connected = false;
+		}
+
+		printf(
+			'<script>'
+			. '(window.__connectorStatuses=window.__connectorStatuses||{})[%s]=%s;'
+			. 'document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent("connector-status",{detail:{id:%s,connected:%s}}));'
+			. '</script>',
+			wp_json_encode( $connector_id ),
+			$is_connected ? 'true' : 'false',
+			wp_json_encode( $connector_id ),
+			$is_connected ? 'true' : 'false'
+		);
+
+		// Flush each result so the browser processes it immediately.
+		flush();
+	}
+}
+add_action( 'admin_footer-settings_page_options-connectors-wp-admin', '_gutenberg_stream_connector_statuses' );
diff --git a/routes/connectors-home/ai-plugin-callout.tsx b/routes/connectors-home/ai-plugin-callout.tsx
index e008cd5ec4ed1f..62e0c8326e60d2 100644
--- a/routes/connectors-home/ai-plugin-callout.tsx
+++ b/routes/connectors-home/ai-plugin-callout.tsx
@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@ export function AiPluginCallout() {
 	const [ isBusy, setIsBusy ] = useState( false );
 	const [ justActivated, setJustActivated ] = useState( false );
 
-	// Server-side initial state — true if any provider was already connected at page load.
+	// Server-side initial state — true if any provider has a configured key at page load.
 	const initialHasConnectedProvider = useRef(
 		connectorDataValues.some(
 			( c ) =>
 				c.type === 'ai_provider' &&
 				c.authentication.method === 'api_key' &&
-				c.authentication.isConnected
+				c.authentication.keySource !== 'none'
 		)
 	).current;
 
diff --git a/routes/connectors-home/default-connectors.tsx b/routes/connectors-home/default-connectors.tsx
index d12be5228ca6f7..8668576706f7fd 100644
--- a/routes/connectors-home/default-connectors.tsx
+++ b/routes/connectors-home/default-connectors.tsx
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ type ConnectorAuthentication =
 			settingName: string;
 			credentialsUrl: string | null;
 			keySource?: ApiKeySource;
-			isConnected?: boolean;
 	  }
 	| { method: 'none' };
 
@@ -102,6 +101,7 @@ const ConnectedBadge = () => (
 const UnavailableActionBadge = () => <Badge>{ __( 'Not available' ) }</Badge>;
 
 interface ApiKeyConnectorConfig {
+	connectorId: string;
 	pluginSlug?: string;
 	settingName: string;
 	helpUrl?: string;
@@ -109,12 +109,12 @@ interface ApiKeyConnectorConfig {
 	isInstalled?: boolean;
 	isActivated?: boolean;
 	keySource?: ApiKeySource;
-	initialIsConnected?: boolean;
 }
 
 function ApiKeyConnector( {
 	label,
 	description,
+	connectorId,
 	pluginSlug,
 	settingName,
 	helpUrl,
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ function ApiKeyConnector( {
 	isInstalled,
 	isActivated,
 	keySource: initialKeySource,
-	initialIsConnected,
 }: ConnectorRenderProps & ApiKeyConnectorConfig ) {
 	let helpLabel: string | undefined;
 	try {
@@ -141,6 +140,7 @@ function ApiKeyConnector( {
 		setIsExpanded,
 		isBusy,
 		isConnected,
+		isCheckingConnection,
 		currentApiKey,
 		keySource,
 		handleButtonClick,
@@ -148,12 +148,12 @@ function ApiKeyConnector( {
 		saveApiKey,
 		removeApiKey,
 	} = useConnectorPlugin( {
+		connectorId,
 		pluginSlug,
 		settingName,
 		isInstalled,
 		isActivated,
 		keySource: initialKeySource,
-		initialIsConnected,
 	} );
 	const isExternallyConfigured =
 		keySource === 'env' || keySource === 'constant';
@@ -187,7 +187,11 @@ function ApiKeyConnector( {
 									: 'compact'
 							}
 							onClick={ handleButtonClick }
-							disabled={ pluginStatus === 'checking' || isBusy }
+							disabled={
+								pluginStatus === 'checking' ||
+								isCheckingConnection ||
+								isBusy
+							}
 							isBusy={ isBusy }
 							aria-expanded={ isExpanded }
 						>
@@ -247,6 +251,7 @@ export function registerDefaultConnectors() {
 			render: ( props ) => (
 				<ApiKeyConnector
 					{ ...props }
+					connectorId={ connectorId }
 					pluginSlug={ data.plugin?.slug }
 					settingName={ authentication.settingName }
 					helpUrl={ authentication.credentialsUrl ?? undefined }
@@ -258,7 +263,6 @@ export function registerDefaultConnectors() {
 					isInstalled={ data.plugin?.isInstalled }
 					isActivated={ data.plugin?.isActivated }
 					keySource={ authentication.keySource }
-					initialIsConnected={ authentication.isConnected }
 				/>
 			),
 		} );
diff --git a/routes/connectors-home/use-connector-plugin.ts b/routes/connectors-home/use-connector-plugin.ts
index 9287f4abc5234c..34d2d4f51ad708 100644
--- a/routes/connectors-home/use-connector-plugin.ts
+++ b/routes/connectors-home/use-connector-plugin.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  */
 import { store as coreStore } from '@wordpress/core-data';
 import { useSelect, useDispatch } from '@wordpress/data';
-import { useState } from '@wordpress/element';
+import { useState, useEffect } from '@wordpress/element';
 import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 
 import type { __experimentalApiKeySource as ApiKeySource } from '@wordpress/connectors';
@@ -11,12 +11,12 @@ import type { __experimentalApiKeySource as ApiKeySource } from '@wordpress/conn
 export type PluginStatus = 'checking' | 'not-installed' | 'inactive' | 'active';
 
 interface UseConnectorPluginOptions {
+	connectorId: string;
 	pluginSlug?: string;
 	settingName: string;
 	isInstalled?: boolean;
 	isActivated?: boolean;
 	keySource?: ApiKeySource;
-	initialIsConnected?: boolean;
 }
 
 interface UseConnectorPluginReturn {
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ interface UseConnectorPluginReturn {
 	setIsExpanded: ( expanded: boolean ) => void;
 	isBusy: boolean;
 	isConnected: boolean;
+	isCheckingConnection: boolean;
 	currentApiKey: string;
 	keySource: ApiKeySource;
 	handleButtonClick: () => void;
@@ -36,17 +37,53 @@ interface UseConnectorPluginReturn {
 }
 
 export function useConnectorPlugin( {
+	connectorId,
 	pluginSlug,
 	settingName,
 	isInstalled,
 	isActivated,
 	keySource = 'none',
-	initialIsConnected = false,
 }: UseConnectorPluginOptions ): UseConnectorPluginReturn {
 	const [ isExpanded, setIsExpanded ] = useState( false );
 	const [ isBusy, setIsBusy ] = useState( false );
-	const [ connectedState, setConnectedState ] =
-		useState( initialIsConnected );
+	const [ connectedState, setConnectedState ] = useState< boolean | null >(
+		() => {
+			// Check if streaming already delivered the result before React mounted.
+			const streamed = (
+				window as unknown as {
+					__connectorStatuses?: Record< string, boolean >;
+				}
+			 ).__connectorStatuses?.[ connectorId ];
+			return streamed !== undefined ? streamed : null;
+		}
+	);
+
+	// Listen for streamed connector-status events from the server.
+	useEffect( () => {
+		if ( connectedState !== null ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		const handler = ( e: Event ) => {
+			const detail = ( e as CustomEvent ).detail;
+			if ( detail.id === connectorId ) {
+				setConnectedState( detail.connected );
+			}
+		};
+		document.addEventListener( 'connector-status', handler );
+
+		// Check again in case the event fired between initial state and effect registration.
+		const streamed = (
+			window as unknown as {
+				__connectorStatuses?: Record< string, boolean >;
+			}
+		 ).__connectorStatuses?.[ connectorId ];
+		if ( streamed !== undefined ) {
+			setConnectedState( streamed );
+		}
+
+		return () =>
+			document.removeEventListener( 'connector-status', handler );
+	}, [ connectorId, connectedState ] );
 	// Local override for immediate UI feedback after install/activate.
 	const [ pluginStatusOverride, setPluginStatusOverride ] =
 		useState< PluginStatus | null >( null );
@@ -144,8 +181,11 @@ export function useConnectorPlugin( {
 	// Use canManagePlugins (from plugin entity resolution) for activation capability.
 	const canActivatePlugins = canManagePlugins;
 
+	const isCheckingConnection =
+		pluginStatus === 'active' && connectedState === null;
+
 	const isConnected =
-		( pluginStatus === 'active' && connectedState ) ||
+		( pluginStatus === 'active' && connectedState === true ) ||
 		// After install/activate, if settings re-fetch reveals an existing key,
 		// update connected state (mirrors what the server would report on page load).
 		( pluginStatusOverride === 'active' && !! currentApiKey );
@@ -226,6 +266,9 @@ export function useConnectorPlugin( {
 		if ( isConnected ) {
 			return __( 'Edit' );
 		}
+		if ( isCheckingConnection ) {
+			return __( 'Checking…' );
+		}
 		switch ( pluginStatus ) {
 			case 'checking':
 				return __( 'Checking…' );
@@ -298,6 +341,7 @@ export function useConnectorPlugin( {
 		setIsExpanded,
 		isBusy,
 		isConnected,
+		isCheckingConnection,
 		currentApiKey,
 		keySource,
 		handleButtonClick,