diff --git a/src/lib/httpd.ts b/src/lib/httpd.ts
index 9bedeb07d..ce2a71cc2 100644
--- a/src/lib/httpd.ts
+++ b/src/lib/httpd.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,11 @@ async function checkState() {
     .runExclusive(async () => {
       try {
         const { state: node } = await api.getNode();
+
+        if (httpdState && httpdState.state !== "stopped") {
+          httpdState.node = node;
+        }
+
         if (httpdState && httpdState.state === "authenticated") {
           const sess = await api.session.getById(httpdState.session.id);
           const unixTimeInSeconds = Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
@@ -130,7 +135,7 @@ async function checkState() {
           ) {
             update({ state: "running", node });
           } else {
-            update({ ...httpdState, node });
+            update(httpdState);
           }
         } else {
           update({ state: "running", node });
diff --git a/src/views/home/Index.svelte b/src/views/home/Index.svelte
index ba9356d00..c079078af 100644
--- a/src/views/home/Index.svelte
+++ b/src/views/home/Index.svelte
@@ -1,16 +1,13 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import type { ProjectBaseUrlActivity } from "./router";
 
-  import { api } from "@app/lib/httpd";
-  import { twemoji } from "@app/lib/utils";
+  import { isLocal, twemoji } from "@app/lib/utils";
 
   import AppLayout from "@app/App/AppLayout.svelte";
   import Link from "@app/components/Link.svelte";
   import ProjectCard from "@app/components/ProjectCard.svelte";
 
   export let projects: ProjectBaseUrlActivity[];
-
-  $: localProjects = projects[0]?.baseUrl === api.baseUrl;
 </script>
 
 <style>
@@ -69,7 +66,7 @@
 
     {#if projects.length > 0}
       <div class="heading">
-        {#if localProjects}
+        {#if isLocal(projects[0].baseUrl.hostname)}
           <!-- prettier-ignore -->
           <span>Explore projects on your <span class="txt-bold">local node</span>.</span>
         {:else}
diff --git a/src/views/projects/Layout.svelte b/src/views/projects/Layout.svelte
index b4944cfc2..ae32364c2 100644
--- a/src/views/projects/Layout.svelte
+++ b/src/views/projects/Layout.svelte
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   import IconSmall from "@app/components/IconSmall.svelte";
   import Link from "@app/components/Link.svelte";
   import MobileFooter from "@app/App/MobileFooter.svelte";
-  import Sidebar from "./Sidebar.svelte";
+  import Sidebar from "@app/views/projects/Sidebar.svelte";
 
   export let activeTab: ActiveTab | undefined = undefined;
   export let baseUrl: BaseUrl;
diff --git a/src/views/projects/Sidebar.svelte b/src/views/projects/Sidebar.svelte
index becd352e3..7f8b69c1a 100644
--- a/src/views/projects/Sidebar.svelte
+++ b/src/views/projects/Sidebar.svelte
@@ -2,11 +2,17 @@
   import type { ActiveTab } from "./Header.svelte";
   import type { BaseUrl, Project } from "@httpd-client";
 
+  import { ResponseError } from "@httpd-client/lib/fetcher";
+
+  import { api, httpdStore } from "@app/lib/httpd";
+  import { isLocal } from "@app/lib/utils";
   import { onMount } from "svelte";
 
   import Button from "@app/components/Button.svelte";
+  import ContextHelp from "@app/views/projects/Sidebar/ContextHelp.svelte";
   import IconSmall from "@app/components/IconSmall.svelte";
   import Link from "@app/components/Link.svelte";
+  import Loading from "@app/components/Loading.svelte";
   import Popover from "@app/components/Popover.svelte";
 
   import Help from "@app/App/Help.svelte";
@@ -27,6 +33,20 @@
     );
   }
 
+  // To avoid concurrent request.
+  let queryingLocalProject: boolean = true;
+  let localProject: "notFound" | "found" | undefined = undefined;
+  $: hideContextHelp =
+    isLocal(baseUrl.hostname) && $httpdStore.state === "authenticated";
+  $: loadingContextHelp =
+    $httpdStore.state !== "stopped" && localProject === undefined;
+
+  httpdStore.subscribe(async () => {
+    if ($httpdStore.state !== "stopped" && !queryingLocalProject) {
+      await detectLocalProject();
+    }
+  });
+
   function loadSidebarState(): boolean {
     const storedSidebarState = window.localStorage.getItem(SIDEBAR_STATE_KEY);
 
@@ -42,8 +62,22 @@
     storeSidebarState(expanded);
   }
 
-  onMount(() => {
+  async function detectLocalProject(): Promise<void> {
+    queryingLocalProject = true;
+    localProject = await api.project
+      .getById(project.id)
+      .then<"found">(() => "found")
+      .catch((error: unknown) =>
+        error instanceof ResponseError && error.status === 404
+          ? "notFound"
+          : undefined,
+      );
+    queryingLocalProject = false;
+  }
+
+  onMount(async () => {
     expanded = loadSidebarState();
+    await detectLocalProject();
   });
 </script>
 
@@ -55,6 +89,9 @@
     flex-direction: column;
     justify-content: space-between;
   }
+  .expanded {
+    width: 22.5rem;
+  }
   .project-navigation {
     display: flex;
     flex-direction: column;
@@ -85,9 +122,16 @@
     justify-content: space-between;
     width: 100%;
   }
+  .help-box {
+    padding: 1rem;
+    background-color: var(--color-background-float);
+    border: 1px solid var(--color-border-hint);
+    font-size: var(--font-size-small);
+    border-radius: var(--border-radius-small);
+  }
 </style>
 
-<div class="sidebar">
+<div class="sidebar" class:expanded>
   {#if expanded}
     <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 1rem;">
       <div class="project-navigation">
@@ -164,39 +208,62 @@
         </Link>
       </div>
     </div>
+    <div style="display: flex; flex-direction:column; gap: 1rem;">
+      {#if !hideContextHelp}
+        {#if loadingContextHelp}
+          <div
+            style="display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; height: 2rem;">
+            <Loading small />
+          </div>
+        {:else}
+          <div class="help-box">
+            <ContextHelp
+              {localProject}
+              {baseUrl}
+              projectId={project.id}
+              hideLocalButton={isLocal(baseUrl.hostname)}
+              disableLocalButton={$httpdStore.state !== "authenticated" ||
+                localProject !== "found"} />
+          </div>
+        {/if}
+      {/if}
 
-    <div class="sidebar-footer" style:flex-direction="row">
-      <Button title={"Collapse"} on:click={toggleSidebar} variant="background">
-        <IconSmall name="chevron-left" />
-      </Button>
-      <div style:width="1.5rem" />
-
-      <Popover popoverPositionBottom="2.5rem" popoverPositionLeft="0">
+      <div class="sidebar-footer" style:flex-direction="row">
         <Button
-          variant="background"
-          title="Settings"
-          slot="toggle"
-          let:toggle
-          on:click={toggle}>
-          <IconSmall name="settings" />
-          Settings
+          title={"Collapse"}
+          on:click={toggleSidebar}
+          variant="background">
+          <IconSmall name="chevron-left" />
         </Button>
+        <div style:width="1.5rem" />
 
-        <Settings slot="popover" />
-      </Popover>
-      <Popover popoverPositionBottom="2.5rem" popoverPositionLeft="0">
-        <Button
-          variant="background"
-          title="Help"
-          slot="toggle"
-          let:toggle
-          on:click={toggle}>
-          <IconSmall name="help" />
-          Help
-        </Button>
+        <Popover popoverPositionBottom="2.5rem" popoverPositionLeft="0">
+          <Button
+            variant="background"
+            title="Settings"
+            slot="toggle"
+            let:toggle
+            on:click={toggle}>
+            <IconSmall name="settings" />
+            Settings
+          </Button>
 
-        <Help slot="popover" />
-      </Popover>
+          <Settings slot="popover" />
+        </Popover>
+        <Popover popoverPositionBottom="2.5rem" popoverPositionLeft="0">
+          <Button
+            variant="background"
+            title="Help"
+            slot="toggle"
+            let:toggle
+            on:click={toggle}>
+            <IconSmall name="help" />
+            Help
+          </Button>
+
+          <Help slot="popover" />
+        </Popover>
+      </div>
     </div>
   {:else}
     <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 1rem;">
@@ -287,6 +354,37 @@
 
         <Help slot="popover" />
       </Popover>
+
+      {#if !hideContextHelp}
+        {#if loadingContextHelp}
+          <div
+            style="display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; height: 2rem;">
+            <Loading small condensed />
+          </div>
+        {:else}
+          <Popover popoverPositionBottom="0" popoverPositionLeft="3rem">
+            <Button
+              stylePadding="0 0.75rem"
+              variant="background"
+              title="Help"
+              slot="toggle"
+              let:toggle
+              on:click={toggle}>
+              <IconSmall name="globe" />
+            </Button>
+
+            <ContextHelp
+              {localProject}
+              {baseUrl}
+              popover
+              projectId={project.id}
+              hideLocalButton={isLocal(baseUrl.hostname)}
+              disableLocalButton={$httpdStore.state !== "authenticated" ||
+                localProject !== "found"}
+              slot="popover" />
+          </Popover>
+        {/if}
+      {/if}
     </div>
   {/if}
 </div>
diff --git a/src/views/projects/Sidebar/ContextHelp.svelte b/src/views/projects/Sidebar/ContextHelp.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d70325b70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/views/projects/Sidebar/ContextHelp.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+  import type { BaseUrl } from "@httpd-client";
+
+  import { api, httpdStore } from "@app/lib/httpd";
+  import { isLocal } from "@app/lib/utils";
+
+  import Button from "@app/components/Button.svelte";
+  import ExternalLink from "@app/components/ExternalLink.svelte";
+  import IconSmall from "@app/components/IconSmall.svelte";
+  import Link from "@app/components/Link.svelte";
+
+  export let baseUrl: BaseUrl;
+  export let disableLocalButton: boolean;
+  export let hideLocalButton: boolean;
+  export let localProject: "notFound" | "found" | undefined;
+  export let projectId: string;
+  export let popover: boolean = false;
+</script>
+
+<style>
+  .help {
+    font-size: var(--font-size-small);
+  }
+  .popover {
+    width: 18.5rem;
+  }
+  .title {
+    padding-bottom: 0.75rem;
+  }
+</style>
+
+<div class="help" class:popover>
+  {#if $httpdStore.state === "stopped"}
+    <div class="title txt-bold">Device not connected</div>
+    <div>Click the Connect button in the top right corner to get started.</div>
+  {:else if localProject === "notFound"}
+    <div class="title txt-bold">Project not available locally</div>
+    <div>
+      This project hasn't been found on your local node. Click the Clone button
+      in the top right corner to get a local copy.
+    </div>
+  {:else if $httpdStore.state === "running" && localProject === "found"}
+    <div class="title txt-bold">Not authenticated</div>
+    <div>To make changes you need to authenticate yourself.</div>
+    <div>
+      Click the Authenticate button in the top right corner to get
+      authenticated.
+    </div>
+  {:else if !isLocal(baseUrl.hostname) && localProject === "found"}
+    <div class="title txt-bold">Read Only</div>
+    <div>This is a read only preview hosted on</div>
+    <ExternalLink href={baseUrl.hostname} />
+  {/if}
+
+  {#if !hideLocalButton}
+    <div style:padding-top="1rem">
+      <Link
+        disabled={disableLocalButton}
+        route={{
+          resource: "project.source",
+          node: api.baseUrl,
+          project: projectId,
+        }}>
+        <Button size="large" styleWidth="100%" disabled={disableLocalButton}>
+          <IconSmall name="device" />Make changes on your local node
+        </Button>
+      </Link>
+    </div>
+  {/if}
+</div>