diff --git a/packages/ui/src/features/pi-sessions/PiSessionView.tsx b/packages/ui/src/features/pi-sessions/PiSessionView.tsx
index 0e2ac2c9a5..934adccfc1 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/features/pi-sessions/PiSessionView.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/features/pi-sessions/PiSessionView.tsx
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@ import type { AgentConversationEvent } from "@posthog/shared";
 import { useUsageLimitStore } from "@posthog/ui/features/billing/usageLimitStore";
 import { PromptInput } from "@posthog/ui/features/message-editor/components/PromptInput";
 import { useDraftStore } from "@posthog/ui/features/message-editor/draftStore";
-import { CloudInitializingView } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/CloudInitializingView";
 import {
   CloudConnectionBanner,
   CloudStreamDisconnectedBanner,
 } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/CloudSessionLifecycle";
 import { ChatThread } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/chat-thread/ChatThread";
 import type { PromptRecallHandler } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/chat-thread/composerPromptRecall";
+import { SessionInitializingView } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/SessionInitializingView";
 import { CHAT_CONTENT_MAX_WIDTH } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/constants";
 import { useMessagingModeStore } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/messagingModeStore";
 import { useWorkspace } from "@posthog/ui/features/workspace/useWorkspace";
@@ -53,9 +53,14 @@ const log = logger.scope("pi-session-view");
 interface PiSessionViewProps {
   taskId: string;
   taskRunId?: string;
+  isCloud: boolean;
 }
 
-export function PiSessionView({ taskId, taskRunId }: PiSessionViewProps) {
+export function PiSessionView({
+  taskId,
+  taskRunId,
+  isCloud,
+}: PiSessionViewProps) {
   const piSessionController = useService<PiSessionController>(
     PI_SESSION_CONTROLLER,
   );
@@ -304,11 +309,13 @@ export function PiSessionView({ taskId, taskRunId }: PiSessionViewProps) {
   );
   const sessionAvailable =
     session.connectionState === "connected" || hasTranscript;
+  const executionTarget = isCloud ? "cloud" : "local";
   if (isConnecting && !hasTranscript) {
     return (
       <Box className="relative h-full">
-        <CloudInitializingView
-          cloudStatus={session.cloudStatus ?? null}
+        <SessionInitializingView
+          executionTarget={executionTarget}
+          cloudStatus={session.cloudStatus}
           heading={latestProgress?.label}
           subtitle={latestProgress?.detail}
         />
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/SessionInitializingView.test.tsx b/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/SessionInitializingView.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..211a7b5425
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/SessionInitializingView.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import { Theme } from "@radix-ui/themes";
+import { act, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { SessionInitializingView } from "./SessionInitializingView";
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.useRealTimers();
+});
+
+describe("SessionInitializingView", () => {
+  it.each([
+    {
+      executionTarget: "local" as const,
+      heading: "Starting Pi…",
+      subtitle: "Connecting to Pi on this device.",
+    },
+    {
+      executionTarget: "cloud" as const,
+      heading: "Getting things ready…",
+      subtitle: "Connecting to your cloud runner.",
+    },
+    {
+      executionTarget: "cloud" as const,
+      cloudStatus: "in_progress" as const,
+      heading: "Starting the sandbox…",
+      subtitle: "Connecting to your cloud runner.",
+    },
+  ])(
+    "shows $executionTarget connection copy",
+    ({ executionTarget, cloudStatus, heading, subtitle }) => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers();
+
+      render(
+        <Theme>
+          <SessionInitializingView
+            executionTarget={executionTarget}
+            cloudStatus={cloudStatus}
+          />
+        </Theme>,
+      );
+
+      act(() => {
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(2000);
+      });
+
+      expect(screen.getByText(heading)).toBeInTheDocument();
+      expect(screen.getByText(subtitle)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    },
+  );
+});
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/CloudInitializingView.tsx b/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/SessionInitializingView.tsx
similarity index 78%
rename from packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/CloudInitializingView.tsx
rename to packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/SessionInitializingView.tsx
index 8e77036a09..7ee16c3277 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/CloudInitializingView.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/SessionInitializingView.tsx
@@ -4,18 +4,26 @@ import { Flex, Text } from "@radix-ui/themes";
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import zenHedgehog from "../../../assets/images/zen.png";
 
-interface CloudInitializingViewProps {
-  cloudStatus: TaskRunStatus | null;
+interface SessionInitializingViewProps {
+  executionTarget: "cloud" | "local";
+  cloudStatus?: TaskRunStatus | null;
   heading?: string;
   subtitle?: string;
 }
 
 const REVEAL_DELAY_MS = 2000;
 
-function copyFor(cloudStatus: TaskRunStatus | null): {
-  heading: string;
-  subtitle: string;
-} {
+function copyFor(
+  executionTarget: "cloud" | "local",
+  cloudStatus: TaskRunStatus | null | undefined,
+): { heading: string; subtitle: string } {
+  if (executionTarget === "local") {
+    return {
+      heading: "Starting Pi…",
+      subtitle: "Connecting to Pi on this device.",
+    };
+  }
+
   switch (cloudStatus) {
     case "queued":
       return {
@@ -35,12 +43,13 @@ function copyFor(cloudStatus: TaskRunStatus | null): {
   }
 }
 
-export function CloudInitializingView({
+export function SessionInitializingView({
+  executionTarget,
   cloudStatus,
   heading,
   subtitle,
-}: CloudInitializingViewProps) {
-  const copy = copyFor(cloudStatus);
+}: SessionInitializingViewProps) {
+  const copy = copyFor(executionTarget, cloudStatus);
   const visibleHeading = heading ?? copy.heading;
   const visibleSubtitle = subtitle ?? copy.subtitle;
 
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/SessionView.tsx b/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/SessionView.tsx
index 07d97dd6d0..6b2172d55e 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/SessionView.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/features/sessions/components/SessionView.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import { useDraftStore } from "@posthog/ui/features/message-editor/draftStore";
 import { useAutoFocusOnTyping } from "@posthog/ui/features/message-editor/useAutoFocusOnTyping";
 import { resolveAndAttachDroppedFiles } from "@posthog/ui/features/message-editor/utils/persistFile";
 import { PermissionSelector } from "@posthog/ui/features/permissions/PermissionSelector";
-import { CloudInitializingView } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/CloudInitializingView";
 import {
   CloudStreamDisconnectedBanner,
   ConnectingToAgent,
@@ -39,6 +38,7 @@ import { PlanStatusBar } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/PlanStat
 import { QueuedMessagesDock } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/QueuedMessagesDock";
 import { ReasoningLevelSelector } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/ReasoningLevelSelector";
 import { RawLogsView } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/raw-logs/RawLogsView";
+import { SessionInitializingView } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/SessionInitializingView";
 import { SessionResourcesBar } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/SessionResourcesBar";
 import { SteerQueueToggle } from "@posthog/ui/features/sessions/components/SteerQueueToggle";
 import {
@@ -620,7 +620,10 @@ export function SessionView({
               </>
             ) : isInitializing ? (
               isCloud ? (
-                <CloudInitializingView cloudStatus={cloudStatus} />
+                <SessionInitializingView
+                  executionTarget="cloud"
+                  cloudStatus={cloudStatus}
+                />
               ) : pendingTaskPrompt?.promptText ? (
                 <PendingChatView
                   promptText={pendingTaskPrompt.promptText}
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/features/task-detail/components/TaskDetail.tsx b/packages/ui/src/features/task-detail/components/TaskDetail.tsx
index 661a39f6d4..3e0a21e349 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/features/task-detail/components/TaskDetail.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/features/task-detail/components/TaskDetail.tsx
@@ -244,7 +244,11 @@ export function TaskDetail({
       <Flex height="100%">
         <Box className={`min-w-0 flex-1 ${isExpanded ? "hidden" : ""}`}>
           {runtime === "pi" && (
-            <PiSessionView taskId={taskId} taskRunId={selectedTaskRunId} />
+            <PiSessionView
+              taskId={taskId}
+              taskRunId={selectedTaskRunId}
+              isCloud={isCloud}
+            />
           )}
           {runtime === "acp" && <PanelLayout taskId={taskId} task={task} />}
         </Box>