diff --git a/cmd/fmrtx/main.go b/cmd/fmrtx/main.go
index 7c2a37b..d839d65 100644
--- a/cmd/fmrtx/main.go
+++ b/cmd/fmrtx/main.go
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ func (b *txBridge) TXStats() map[string]any {
 		"maxWriteMs":       s.MaxWriteMs,
 		"queue":            s.Queue,
 		"runtimeIndicator": s.RuntimeIndicator,
+		"runtimeAlert":     s.RuntimeAlert,
 	}
 }
 func (b *txBridge) UpdateConfig(lp ctrlpkg.LivePatch) error {
diff --git a/internal/app/engine.go b/internal/app/engine.go
index 4395b46..008616d 100644
--- a/internal/app/engine.go
+++ b/internal/app/engine.go
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ type EngineStats struct {
 	MaxWriteMs       float64           `json:"maxWriteMs,omitempty"`
 	Queue            output.QueueStats `json:"queue"`
 	RuntimeIndicator RuntimeIndicator  `json:"runtimeIndicator"`
+	RuntimeAlert     string            `json:"runtimeAlert,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type RuntimeIndicator string
@@ -350,6 +351,7 @@ func (e *Engine) Stats() EngineStats {
 
 	queue := e.frameQueue.Stats()
 	lateBuffers := e.lateBuffers.Load()
+	ri := runtimeIndicator(queue.Health, lateBuffers)
 	return EngineStats{
 		State:            state.String(),
 		ChunksProduced:   e.chunksProduced.Load(),
@@ -363,7 +365,8 @@ func (e *Engine) Stats() EngineStats {
 		MaxUpsampleMs:    durationMs(e.maxUpsampleNs.Load()),
 		MaxWriteMs:       durationMs(e.maxWriteNs.Load()),
 		Queue:            queue,
-		RuntimeIndicator: runtimeIndicator(queue.Health, lateBuffers),
+		RuntimeIndicator: ri,
+		RuntimeAlert:     runtimeAlert(queue.Health, lateBuffers),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -378,6 +381,19 @@ func runtimeIndicator(queueHealth output.QueueHealth, lateBuffers uint64) Runtim
 	}
 }
 
+func runtimeAlert(queueHealth output.QueueHealth, lateBuffers uint64) string {
+	switch {
+	case queueHealth == output.QueueHealthCritical:
+		return "queue health critical"
+	case lateBuffers > 0:
+		return "late buffers"
+	case queueHealth == output.QueueHealthLow:
+		return "queue health low"
+	default:
+		return ""
+	}
+}
+
 func (e *Engine) run(ctx context.Context) {
 	e.wg.Add(1)
 	go e.writerLoop(ctx)
diff --git a/internal/app/runtime_indicator_test.go b/internal/app/runtime_indicator_test.go
index b90aca2..44a825e 100644
--- a/internal/app/runtime_indicator_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/runtime_indicator_test.go
@@ -55,3 +55,53 @@ func TestRuntimeIndicator(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestRuntimeAlert(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		name        string
+		queueHealth output.QueueHealth
+		lateBuffers uint64
+		want        string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "normal",
+			queueHealth: output.QueueHealthNormal,
+			lateBuffers: 0,
+			want:        "",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "lateBuffers",
+			queueHealth: output.QueueHealthNormal,
+			lateBuffers: 1,
+			want:        "late buffers",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "queueLow",
+			queueHealth: output.QueueHealthLow,
+			lateBuffers: 0,
+			want:        "queue health low",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "queueCritical",
+			queueHealth: output.QueueHealthCritical,
+			lateBuffers: 0,
+			want:        "queue health critical",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "criticalLateBuffers",
+			queueHealth: output.QueueHealthCritical,
+			lateBuffers: 5,
+			want:        "queue health critical",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		tc := tc
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			if got := runtimeAlert(tc.queueHealth, tc.lateBuffers); got != tc.want {
+				t.Fatalf("runtime alert mismatch: queue=%s late=%d want=%q got=%q",
+					tc.queueHealth, tc.lateBuffers, tc.want, got)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/control/control.go b/internal/control/control.go
index 9e750ff..278ec6a 100644
--- a/internal/control/control.go
+++ b/internal/control/control.go
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ func (s *Server) handleStatus(w http.ResponseWriter, _ *http.Request) {
 			if ri, ok := stats["runtimeIndicator"]; ok {
 				status["runtimeIndicator"] = ri
 			}
+			if alert, ok := stats["runtimeAlert"]; ok {
+				status["runtimeAlert"] = alert
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/control/control_test.go b/internal/control/control_test.go
index 2f92406..1a70684 100644
--- a/internal/control/control_test.go
+++ b/internal/control/control_test.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func TestStatus(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestStatusReportsRuntimeIndicator(t *testing.T) {
 	srv := NewServer(cfgpkg.Default())
-	srv.SetTXController(&fakeTXController{stats: map[string]any{"runtimeIndicator": "degraded"}})
+	srv.SetTXController(&fakeTXController{stats: map[string]any{"runtimeIndicator": "degraded", "runtimeAlert": "late buffers"}})
 	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
 	srv.Handler().ServeHTTP(rec, httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/status", nil))
 	if rec.Code != 200 {
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ func TestStatusReportsRuntimeIndicator(t *testing.T) {
 	if body["runtimeIndicator"] != "degraded" {
 		t.Fatalf("expected runtimeIndicator degraded, got %v", body["runtimeIndicator"])
 	}
+	if body["runtimeAlert"] != "late buffers" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected runtimeAlert late buffers, got %v", body["runtimeAlert"])
+	}
 }
 
 func TestDryRunEndpoint(t *testing.T) {