diff --git a/data/org.gnome.evolution.shell.gschema.xml.in b/data/org.gnome.evolution.shell.gschema.xml.in
index e5c0979..9164983 100644
--- a/data/org.gnome.evolution.shell.gschema.xml.in
+++ b/data/org.gnome.evolution.shell.gschema.xml.in
@@ -18,7 +18,12 @@
     <key name="start-offline" type="b">
       <default>false</default>
       <_summary>Start in offline mode</_summary>
-      <_description> Whether Evolution will start up in offline mode instead of online mode.</_description>
+      <_description>Whether Evolution will start up in offline mode instead of online mode.</_description>
+    </key>
+    <key name="currently-offline" type="b">
+      <default>false</default>
+      <_summary>Current state of offline mode</_summary>
+      <_description>Set to true when evolution is currently in offline mode, false otherwise. This is responding to both user choice of working online/offline and network outages noticed by any network monitoring system.</_description>
     </key>
     <key name="folder-paths" type="as">
       <default>[]</default>
diff --git a/modules/offline-alert/evolution-offline-alert.c b/modules/offline-alert/evolution-offline-alert.c
index 5fcb797..4c3678f 100644
--- a/modules/offline-alert/evolution-offline-alert.c
+++ b/modules/offline-alert/evolution-offline-alert.c
@@ -81,7 +81,13 @@ offline_alert_network_available_cb (EShell *shell,
                                     GParamSpec *pspec,
                                     EOfflineAlert *extension)
 {
-	if (e_shell_get_network_available (shell))
+	if (e_shell_get_network_available (shell)) {
+		if (extension->alert != NULL)
+			e_alert_response (extension->alert, GTK_RESPONSE_OK);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (!e_shell_get_online (shell))
 		return;
 
 	g_return_if_fail (extension->alert == NULL);
@@ -124,11 +130,6 @@ offline_alert_window_added_cb (GtkApplication *application,
 	if (e_shell_get_online (shell))
 		return;
 
-	if (!e_shell_get_network_available (shell)) {
-		g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (shell), "network-available");
-		return;
-	}
-
 	g_return_if_fail (extension->alert == NULL);
 
 	/* This alert only shows at startup, not when the user
@@ -137,7 +138,7 @@ offline_alert_window_added_cb (GtkApplication *application,
 
 	action = E_SHELL_WINDOW_ACTION_WORK_ONLINE (window);
 
-	extension->alert = e_alert_new ("offline-alert:offline", NULL);
+	extension->alert = e_alert_new (e_shell_get_network_available (shell) ? "offline-alert:offline" : "offline-alert:no-network", NULL);
 	e_alert_add_action (extension->alert, action, GTK_RESPONSE_NONE);
 
 	g_object_add_weak_pointer (
diff --git a/shell/e-shell.c b/shell/e-shell.c
index bc25284..7f0625a 100644
--- a/shell/e-shell.c
+++ b/shell/e-shell.c
@@ -1209,6 +1209,15 @@ e_shell_init (EShell *shell)
 		"org.gnome.evolution.shell",
 		"start-offline");
 
+	e_shell_settings_install_property_for_key (
+		"currently-offline",
+		"org.gnome.evolution.shell",
+		"currently-offline");
+
+	g_object_bind_property (shell, "online",
+		e_shell_get_shell_settings (shell), "currently-offline",
+		G_BINDING_BIDIRECTIONAL | G_BINDING_SYNC_CREATE | G_BINDING_INVERT_BOOLEAN);
+
 	/*** Session Management ***/
 
 	sm_client = egg_sm_client_get ();
