diff --git a/src/app.config.ts b/src/app.config.ts
index fdc0e52..a86fe96 100644
--- a/src/app.config.ts
+++ b/src/app.config.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export const appConfig: AppConfig = {
           baseUrl: import.meta.env.VITE_LNBITS_BASE_URL || 'http://localhost:5000'
         },
         websocket: {
-          enabled: true,
+          enabled: import.meta.env.VITE_WEBSOCKET_ENABLED !== 'false', // Can be disabled via env var
           reconnectDelay: 1000, // 1 second
           maxReconnectAttempts: 5
         }
diff --git a/src/modules/wallet/services/WalletWebSocketService.ts b/src/modules/wallet/services/WalletWebSocketService.ts
index 9fab90e..295ad21 100644
--- a/src/modules/wallet/services/WalletWebSocketService.ts
+++ b/src/modules/wallet/services/WalletWebSocketService.ts
@@ -308,8 +308,15 @@ export class WalletWebSocketService extends BaseService {
   private scheduleReconnect(): void {
     // Don't reconnect if we've exceeded max attempts
     if (this.reconnectAttempts >= this.config.maxReconnectAttempts) {
-      console.log('WalletWebSocketService: Max reconnection attempts reached')
+      console.log('WalletWebSocketService: Max reconnection attempts reached - disabling WebSocket')
       this.connectionStatus.value = 'failed'
+
+      // Show user notification about WebSocket issues
+      if (this.toast) {
+        this.toast.info('Real-time balance updates temporarily unavailable', {
+          description: 'WebSocket connection failed. Balance will update on page refresh.'
+        })
+      }
       return
     }
 
@@ -322,7 +329,7 @@ export class WalletWebSocketService extends BaseService {
     const delay = this.config.reconnectDelay * Math.pow(2, this.reconnectAttempts)
     this.reconnectAttempts++
 
-    console.log(`WalletWebSocketService: Reconnecting in ${delay}ms (attempt ${this.reconnectAttempts})`)
+    console.log(`WalletWebSocketService: Reconnecting in ${delay}ms (attempt ${this.reconnectAttempts}/${this.config.maxReconnectAttempts})`)
     this.connectionStatus.value = 'reconnecting'
 
     this.reconnectTimer = setTimeout(() => {