diff --git a/src/frontend/apiserver/models/jobs.go b/src/frontend/apiserver/models/jobs.go
index 772cf33e..f730491b 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apiserver/models/jobs.go
+++ b/src/frontend/apiserver/models/jobs.go
@@ -61,18 +61,19 @@ var JobSignalMapTable = map[string]int{
 }
 
 var JOBSTAT = map[string]int{
-	"PEND":    0x01,
-	"RUN":     0x02,
-	"EXIT":    0x04,
-	"DONE":    0x08,
-	"PSUSP":   0x10,
-	"USUSP":   0x20,
-	"SSUSP":   0x40,
-	"PDONE":   0x80,
-	"PERR":    0x100,
-	"WAIT":    0x200,
-	"RUNKWN":  0x8000,
-	"UNKNOWN": 0x10000, // C JOB_STAT_UNKWN: worker lost contact with controller
+	"PEND":      0x01,
+	"RUN":       0x02,
+	"EXIT":      0x04,
+	"DONE":      0x08,
+	"PSUSP":     0x10,
+	"USUSP":     0x20,
+	"SSUSP":     0x40,
+	"PDONE":     0x80,
+	"PERR":      0x100,
+	"WAIT":      0x200,
+	"TRANSIENT": 0x400, // C JOB_STAT_TRANSIENT: job state uncertain after failover
+	"RUNKWN":    0x8000,
+	"UNKNOWN":   0x10000, // C JOB_STAT_UNKWN: worker lost contact with controller
 }
 
 var LAUNCHTYPE = map[string]int{
@@ -81,7 +82,10 @@ var LAUNCHTYPE = map[string]int{
 }
 
 func JobStateStr(state int) string {
-	if (state & JOBSTAT["PEND"]) != 0 {
+	// Check TRANSIENT first — it takes priority after failover
+	if (state & JOBSTAT["TRANSIENT"]) != 0 {
+		return "TRANSIENT"
+	} else if (state & JOBSTAT["PEND"]) != 0 {
 		if (state & JOBSTAT["PSUSP"]) != 0 {
 			return "PSUSP"
 		}
diff --git a/src/frontend/apiserver/models/jobs_test.go b/src/frontend/apiserver/models/jobs_test.go
index d4a7b794..4806aa70 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apiserver/models/jobs_test.go
+++ b/src/frontend/apiserver/models/jobs_test.go
@@ -58,6 +58,16 @@ func TestJobStateStr(t *testing.T) {
 			state: 0,
 			want:  "ERR",
 		},
+		{
+			name:  "TRANSIENT (0x400 — job uncertain after failover)",
+			state: 0x400,
+			want:  "TRANSIENT",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "TRANSIENT with other bits set",
+			state: 0x400 | 0x01, // TRANSIENT + PEND
+			want:  "TRANSIENT",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -73,18 +83,19 @@ func TestJobStateStr(t *testing.T) {
 func TestJobStatMapValues(t *testing.T) {
 	// Verify bitmask values match C JOB_STAT_* defines in src/include/xce/types.h.
 	expected := map[string]int{
-		"PEND":    0x01,
-		"RUN":     0x02,
-		"EXIT":    0x04,
-		"DONE":    0x08,
-		"PSUSP":   0x10,
-		"USUSP":   0x20,
-		"SSUSP":   0x40,
-		"PDONE":   0x80,
-		"PERR":    0x100,
-		"WAIT":    0x200,
-		"RUNKWN":  0x8000,
-		"UNKNOWN": 0x10000,
+		"PEND":      0x01,
+		"RUN":       0x02,
+		"EXIT":      0x04,
+		"DONE":      0x08,
+		"PSUSP":     0x10,
+		"USUSP":     0x20,
+		"SSUSP":     0x40,
+		"PDONE":     0x80,
+		"PERR":      0x100,
+		"WAIT":      0x200,
+		"TRANSIENT": 0x400,
+		"RUNKWN":    0x8000,
+		"UNKNOWN":   0x10000,
 	}
 	for key, want := range expected {
 		got, ok := JOBSTAT[key]