diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index bd1763b..aa0c2fa 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 - [x] In the admin panel, if a pi-rat doesn't have a name yet, it should show something like 'not chosen yet' rather than the player name
 - [x] In the admin panel, the "Open" and "Copy" buttons should be the same size
 - [x] Store the player name in local storage and pre-populate it when joining a new game (but don't force it, let the player edit it if they'd prefer a different name)
-- [ ] If a player tries to rejoin a game that has ended or that they've been kicked from, they should get an error message and it should be removed from the list of re-joinable games
+- [x] If a player tries to rejoin a game that has ended or that they've been kicked from, they should get an error message and it should be removed from the list of re-joinable games
 - [ ] Games should have join codes in addition to join links. Join codes should be a sequence of 5 alphanumeric characters (upper case letters only, no ambiguous letters like 0/O/1/I). Add a panel to the home page for joining a game via code, and display the join code on the admin page
 
 ## Words Words Words
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/api.js b/frontend/src/lib/api.js
index 8324f6c..bbc0983 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/api.js
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/api.js
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ export async function apiRequest(endpoint, method = 'GET', data = null) {
             if (errBody.error) msg = errBody.error;
             else if (errBody.detail) msg = errBody.detail;
         } catch(e) {}
-        throw new Error(msg);
+        const error = new Error(msg);
+        error.status = res.status;
+        throw error;
     }
     return res.json();
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/changelog.js b/frontend/src/lib/changelog.js
index 3531cd5..27c3b98 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/changelog.js
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/changelog.js
@@ -6,10 +6,17 @@
 //   - Add a CHANGELOG entry only when a commit changes something players can
 //     see. Skip refactors, tests, and tooling. Keep wording player-facing.
 
-export const VERSION = 17;
+export const VERSION = 18;
 
 // Newest first. Each entry: { version, date: 'YYYY-MM-DD', changes: [string, ...] }.
 export const CHANGELOG = [
+    {
+        version: 18,
+        date: '2026-07-10',
+        changes: [
+            'Expired rejoin entries are now removed automatically when a game has ended or a player is no longer in the crew, with a clear explanation.',
+        ],
+    },
     {
         version: 17,
         date: '2026-07-10',
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.svelte b/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.svelte
index e4d0149..ed4412a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Dashboard.svelte
@@ -31,14 +31,35 @@
     let reconnectTimer = null;
     let reconnectDelay = 1000;
     let destroyed = false;
+    let staleSession = false;
+
+    function discardStaleSession(message) {
+        staleSession = true;
+        removeSession(gameId, playerId);
+        state = null;
+        error = message;
+        if (reconnectTimer) clearTimeout(reconnectTimer);
+        if (ws) ws.close();
+    }
 
     async function fetchState() {
+        if (staleSession) return;
         try {
             const data = await apiRequest(`/game/${gameId}/player/${playerId}/state`);
+            // Preserve the Game Over screen for players who were already present
+            // when play ended, but discard stale home-screen rejoin attempts.
+            if (!state && data.game.phase === 'ended') {
+                discardStaleSession('This game has ended and can no longer be rejoined.');
+                return;
+            }
             state = data;
             error = '';
         } catch (err) {
-            error = err.message;
+            if (!state && err.status === 404) {
+                discardStaleSession('This saved game can no longer be rejoined. You may have been removed from the crew.');
+            } else {
+                error = err.message;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -53,7 +74,7 @@
         };
         ws.onmessage = () => fetchState();
         ws.onclose = () => {
-            if (destroyed) return;
+            if (destroyed || staleSession) return;
             reconnectTimer = setTimeout(connectSocket, reconnectDelay);
             reconnectDelay = Math.min(reconnectDelay * 2, 10000);
         };
@@ -188,6 +209,11 @@
 {#if error}
     <div class="alert alert-danger" style="margin: 20px;">
         Error connecting to game: {error}
+        {#if staleSession}
+            <div class="mt-4">
+                <a href="#/" class="btn btn-secondary btn-small">Back to Home</a>
+            </div>
+        {/if}
     </div>
 {/if}