diff --git a/messages/de.json b/messages/de.json
index cbc904085..b6ef44809 100644
--- a/messages/de.json
+++ b/messages/de.json
@@ -6133,6 +6133,7 @@
     },
     "testConnection": {
       "test": "Verbindung testen",
+      "saveFirst": "Speichere zuerst deine Änderungen. Der Test nutzt die gespeicherten Einstellungen.",
       "testing": "Teste…",
       "ok": "Verbunden (Latenz {latency} ms)",
       "errors": {
diff --git a/messages/en.json b/messages/en.json
index 2230b740e..ee80a5ff9 100644
--- a/messages/en.json
+++ b/messages/en.json
@@ -6133,6 +6133,7 @@
     },
     "testConnection": {
       "test": "Test connection",
+      "saveFirst": "Save your changes first. Test uses the saved settings.",
       "testing": "Testing…",
       "ok": "Connected (latency {latency} ms)",
       "errors": {
diff --git a/messages/es.json b/messages/es.json
index 4d28cc37f..42dd44b5e 100644
--- a/messages/es.json
+++ b/messages/es.json
@@ -6133,6 +6133,7 @@
     },
     "testConnection": {
       "test": "Probar conexión",
+      "saveFirst": "Guarda primero tus cambios. La prueba usa los ajustes guardados.",
       "testing": "Probando…",
       "ok": "Conectado (latencia {latency} ms)",
       "errors": {
diff --git a/messages/fr.json b/messages/fr.json
index 58ecbe43e..894ef16da 100644
--- a/messages/fr.json
+++ b/messages/fr.json
@@ -6133,6 +6133,7 @@
     },
     "testConnection": {
       "test": "Tester la connexion",
+      "saveFirst": "Enregistrez d’abord vos modifications. Le test utilise les réglages enregistrés.",
       "testing": "Test en cours…",
       "ok": "Connecté (latence {latency} ms)",
       "errors": {
diff --git a/messages/it.json b/messages/it.json
index 9003b0872..f713b1e6a 100644
--- a/messages/it.json
+++ b/messages/it.json
@@ -6133,6 +6133,7 @@
     },
     "testConnection": {
       "test": "Prova connessione",
+      "saveFirst": "Salva prima le modifiche. La prova usa le impostazioni salvate.",
       "testing": "Test in corso…",
       "ok": "Connesso (latenza {latency} ms)",
       "errors": {
diff --git a/messages/ko.json b/messages/ko.json
index 6bd7fcd53..d33b4b5b1 100644
--- a/messages/ko.json
+++ b/messages/ko.json
@@ -6133,6 +6133,7 @@
     },
     "testConnection": {
       "test": "연결 테스트",
+      "saveFirst": "먼저 변경 사항을 저장해 주세요. 테스트는 저장된 설정을 사용해요.",
       "testing": "테스트 중…",
       "ok": "연결됨 (지연 {latency}ms)",
       "errors": {
diff --git a/messages/pl.json b/messages/pl.json
index 06f0da168..e3b2ab22f 100644
--- a/messages/pl.json
+++ b/messages/pl.json
@@ -6133,6 +6133,7 @@
     },
     "testConnection": {
       "test": "Testuj połączenie",
+      "saveFirst": "Najpierw zapisz zmiany. Test używa zapisanych ustawień.",
       "testing": "Testowanie…",
       "ok": "Połączono (opóźnienie {latency} ms)",
       "errors": {
diff --git a/src/components/settings/__tests__/channel-form-dirty.test.ts b/src/components/settings/__tests__/channel-form-dirty.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63e57592c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/settings/__tests__/channel-form-dirty.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import {
+  isEmailFormDirty,
+  isNtfyFormDirty,
+  isTelegramFormDirty,
+  isWebhookFormDirty,
+} from "../channel-form-dirty";
+
+// The Test button sends through the saved config, so each card has to know
+// when its form holds something the server does not (#947: a Gotify format
+// picked after the last save was tested as the old generic body).
+describe("channel form dirty state", () => {
+  const webhookSaved = {
+    url: "https://gotify.example.com/message",
+    headerName: "X-Gotify-Key",
+    format: "gotify",
+  };
+  const webhookForm = {
+    url: "https://gotify.example.com/message",
+    headerName: "X-Gotify-Key",
+    headerValue: "",
+    format: "gotify" as const,
+  };
+
+  it("webhook: a form that matches the saved config is clean", () => {
+    expect(isWebhookFormDirty(webhookForm, webhookSaved)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("webhook: a changed format, URL, header name or a typed header value is a change", () => {
+    expect(
+      isWebhookFormDirty(webhookForm, { ...webhookSaved, format: undefined }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      isWebhookFormDirty(
+        { ...webhookForm, url: "https://gotify.example.com/message?token=x" },
+        webhookSaved,
+      ),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      isWebhookFormDirty({ ...webhookForm, headerName: "" }, webhookSaved),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      isWebhookFormDirty({ ...webhookForm, headerValue: "tok" }, webhookSaved),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("webhook: a config saved before the format choice reads as generic", () => {
+    expect(
+      isWebhookFormDirty(
+        { ...webhookForm, format: "generic" },
+        { ...webhookSaved, format: undefined },
+      ),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("ntfy: server, topic and a typed auth token count", () => {
+    const saved = { serverUrl: "https://ntfy.sh", topic: "t" };
+    const form = { serverUrl: "https://ntfy.sh", topic: "t", authToken: "" };
+    expect(isNtfyFormDirty(form, saved)).toBe(false);
+    expect(isNtfyFormDirty({ ...form, topic: "u" }, saved)).toBe(true);
+    expect(isNtfyFormDirty({ ...form, serverUrl: "https://x" }, saved)).toBe(
+      true,
+    );
+    expect(isNtfyFormDirty({ ...form, authToken: "a" }, saved)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("email: the recipient counts", () => {
+    expect(
+      isEmailFormDirty({ recipient: "a@x.io" }, { recipient: "a@x.io" }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      isEmailFormDirty({ recipient: "b@x.io" }, { recipient: "a@x.io" }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("telegram: a typed bot token or a changed chat id counts; whitespace alone does not", () => {
+    expect(
+      isTelegramFormDirty({ botToken: "", chatId: "1" }, { chatId: "1" }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      isTelegramFormDirty({ botToken: "  ", chatId: "" }, { chatId: null }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      isTelegramFormDirty(
+        { botToken: "123:abc", chatId: "1" },
+        { chatId: "1" },
+      ),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      isTelegramFormDirty({ botToken: "", chatId: "2" }, { chatId: "1" }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("nothing loaded yet is never a change", () => {
+    expect(isWebhookFormDirty(webhookForm, undefined)).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      isNtfyFormDirty({ serverUrl: "", topic: "", authToken: "x" }, undefined),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(isEmailFormDirty({ recipient: "x" }, undefined)).toBe(false);
+    expect(isTelegramFormDirty({ botToken: "x", chatId: "" }, undefined)).toBe(
+      false,
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/components/settings/__tests__/notification-channel-cards.test.tsx b/src/components/settings/__tests__/notification-channel-cards.test.tsx
index 81499de41..85861ac18 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/__tests__/notification-channel-cards.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/settings/__tests__/notification-channel-cards.test.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
     onError?: (error: Error, enabled: boolean, previous: unknown) => void;
   }>,
   apiFetchRaw: vi.fn(),
+  testButtonProps: [] as Array<{ endpoint: string; unsavedChanges?: boolean }>,
   queryClient: {
     cancelQueries: vi.fn(),
     getQueryData: vi.fn(),
@@ -70,7 +71,13 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/api/api-fetch", () => ({
 }));
 
 vi.mock("../test-connection-button", () => ({
-  TestConnectionButton: () => null,
+  TestConnectionButton: (props: {
+    endpoint: string;
+    unsavedChanges?: boolean;
+  }) => {
+    mocks.testButtonProps.push(props);
+    return null;
+  },
 }));
 
 import { I18nProvider } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
@@ -88,6 +95,7 @@ function render(card: ReactElement) {
 beforeEach(() => {
   vi.clearAllMocks();
   mocks.mutationOptions.length = 0;
+  mocks.testButtonProps.length = 0;
   mocks.queryClient.cancelQueries.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
   mocks.apiFetchRaw.mockResolvedValue(
     new Response(JSON.stringify({ data: { saved: true }, error: null }), {
@@ -97,6 +105,21 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 });
 
 describe("notification channel cards", () => {
+  it.each([
+    ["webhook", <WebhookCard key="webhook" isAuthenticated />],
+    ["ntfy", <NtfyCard key="ntfy" isAuthenticated />],
+    ["email", <EmailCard key="email" isAuthenticated />],
+    ["telegram", <TelegramCard key="telegram" isAuthenticated />],
+  ] as const)(
+    "%s hands its unsaved-change state to the test button, clean once seeded from the server",
+    (channel, card) => {
+      render(card);
+      const props = mocks.testButtonProps.at(-1);
+      expect(props?.endpoint).toBe(`/api/settings/${channel}/test`);
+      expect(props?.unsavedChanges).toBe(false);
+    },
+  );
+
   it.each([
     ["webhook", <WebhookCard key="webhook" isAuthenticated />, 1],
     ["ntfy", <NtfyCard key="ntfy" isAuthenticated />, 1],
diff --git a/src/components/settings/__tests__/test-connection-button-unsaved.test.tsx b/src/components/settings/__tests__/test-connection-button-unsaved.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..27d7d67a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/settings/__tests__/test-connection-button-unsaved.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+vi.mock("@/lib/api/api-fetch", () => ({ apiFetchRaw: vi.fn() }));
+
+import { I18nProvider } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
+import { TestConnectionButton } from "../test-connection-button";
+
+function render(unsavedChanges?: boolean) {
+  return renderToStaticMarkup(
+    <I18nProvider initialLocale="en">
+      <TestConnectionButton
+        endpoint="/api/settings/webhook/test"
+        unsavedChanges={unsavedChanges}
+      />
+    </I18nProvider>,
+  );
+}
+
+// The test route sends through the saved config. With an unsaved change on
+// the card, a test would report on something other than what is on screen.
+describe("TestConnectionButton with unsaved changes", () => {
+  it("locks the button and says to save first", () => {
+    const html = render(true);
+    expect(html).toMatch(/<button[^>]*disabled=""/);
+    expect(html).toContain('data-slot="test-connection-save-first"');
+    expect(html).toContain(
+      "Save your changes first. Test uses the saved settings.",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("stays usable and quiet when the form matches what is saved", () => {
+    const html = render(false);
+    expect(html).not.toMatch(/<button[^>]*disabled=""/);
+    expect(html).not.toContain("test-connection-save-first");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/components/settings/channel-form-dirty.ts b/src/components/settings/channel-form-dirty.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..24fd4d928
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/settings/channel-form-dirty.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/**
+ * Whether a notification channel card's form differs from what is saved.
+ *
+ * The Test button on these cards always sends through the saved channel
+ * config, never the form. While the form holds an unsaved change, a test
+ * would report on something other than what is on screen, and a "Saved"
+ * note left over from an earlier save would say the opposite of the truth.
+ * A secret field (header value, auth token, bot token) is write-only: the
+ * server never returns it, so any typed value counts as a change.
+ */
+
+export function isWebhookFormDirty(
+  form: {
+    url: string;
+    headerName: string;
+    headerValue: string;
+    format: "generic" | "gotify";
+  },
+  saved: { url: string; headerName: string; format?: string } | undefined,
+): boolean {
+  if (!saved) return false;
+  const savedFormat = saved.format === "gotify" ? "gotify" : "generic";
+  return (
+    form.url !== saved.url ||
+    form.headerName !== saved.headerName ||
+    form.headerValue !== "" ||
+    form.format !== savedFormat
+  );
+}
+
+export function isNtfyFormDirty(
+  form: { serverUrl: string; topic: string; authToken: string },
+  saved: { serverUrl: string; topic: string } | undefined,
+): boolean {
+  if (!saved) return false;
+  return (
+    form.serverUrl !== saved.serverUrl ||
+    form.topic !== saved.topic ||
+    form.authToken !== ""
+  );
+}
+
+export function isEmailFormDirty(
+  form: { recipient: string },
+  saved: { recipient: string } | undefined,
+): boolean {
+  if (!saved) return false;
+  return form.recipient !== saved.recipient;
+}
+
+export function isTelegramFormDirty(
+  form: { botToken: string; chatId: string },
+  saved: { chatId?: string | null } | undefined,
+): boolean {
+  if (!saved) return false;
+  return form.botToken.trim() !== "" || form.chatId !== (saved.chatId ?? "");
+}
diff --git a/src/components/settings/email-card.tsx b/src/components/settings/email-card.tsx
index 4df8ae511..5cd80fe91 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/email-card.tsx
+++ b/src/components/settings/email-card.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { Switch } from "@/components/ui/switch";
 import { SettingsCard } from "@/components/settings/settings-card";
 import { SettingsCardHeader } from "@/components/settings/_card-header";
 import { TestConnectionButton } from "@/components/settings/test-connection-button";
+import { isEmailFormDirty } from "@/components/settings/channel-form-dirty";
 import {
   optimisticallySetChannelEnabled,
   persistChannelEnabled,
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ export function EmailCard({ isAuthenticated }: { isAuthenticated: boolean }) {
     setSeededKey(settingsKey);
     setRecipient(settings!.recipient);
   }
+  const dirty = isEmailFormDirty({ recipient }, settings);
 
   const save = useMutation({
     mutationFn: async (enabled: boolean) => {
@@ -154,7 +156,7 @@ export function EmailCard({ isAuthenticated }: { isAuthenticated: boolean }) {
             />
           </div>
 
-          {saveMsg && (
+          {saveMsg && (saveMsgType === "error" || !dirty) && (
             <p
               role="alert"
               className={`text-sm ${saveMsgType === "success" ? "text-success" : "text-destructive"}`}
@@ -167,6 +169,7 @@ export function EmailCard({ isAuthenticated }: { isAuthenticated: boolean }) {
             <TestConnectionButton
               endpoint="/api/settings/email/test"
               disabled={!settings?.enabled}
+              unsavedChanges={dirty}
             />
             <Button
               type="submit"
diff --git a/src/components/settings/ntfy-card.tsx b/src/components/settings/ntfy-card.tsx
index 349cf3631..1c02767ab 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/ntfy-card.tsx
+++ b/src/components/settings/ntfy-card.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { PasswordInput } from "@/components/ui/password-input";
 import { SettingsCard } from "@/components/settings/settings-card";
 import { SettingsCardHeader } from "@/components/settings/_card-header";
 import { TestConnectionButton } from "@/components/settings/test-connection-button";
+import { isNtfyFormDirty } from "@/components/settings/channel-form-dirty";
 import {
   optimisticallySetChannelEnabled,
   persistChannelEnabled,
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ export function NtfyCard({ isAuthenticated }: { isAuthenticated: boolean }) {
     setServerUrl(settings!.serverUrl);
     setTopic(settings!.topic);
   }
+  const dirty = isNtfyFormDirty({ serverUrl, topic, authToken }, settings);
 
   const save = useMutation({
     mutationFn: async (enabled: boolean) => {
@@ -196,7 +198,7 @@ export function NtfyCard({ isAuthenticated }: { isAuthenticated: boolean }) {
             </div>
           </div>
 
-          {saveMsg && (
+          {saveMsg && (saveMsgType === "error" || !dirty) && (
             <p
               role="alert"
               className={`text-sm ${saveMsgType === "success" ? "text-success" : "text-destructive"}`}
@@ -209,6 +211,7 @@ export function NtfyCard({ isAuthenticated }: { isAuthenticated: boolean }) {
             <TestConnectionButton
               endpoint="/api/settings/ntfy/test"
               disabled={!settings?.enabled}
+              unsavedChanges={dirty}
             />
             <Button
               type="submit"
diff --git a/src/components/settings/telegram-card.tsx b/src/components/settings/telegram-card.tsx
index fc7d251d9..a0870d6ff 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/telegram-card.tsx
+++ b/src/components/settings/telegram-card.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { PasswordInput } from "@/components/ui/password-input";
 import { SettingsCard } from "@/components/settings/settings-card";
 import { SettingsCardHeader } from "@/components/settings/_card-header";
 import { TestConnectionButton } from "@/components/settings/test-connection-button";
+import { isTelegramFormDirty } from "@/components/settings/channel-form-dirty";
 import {
   optimisticallySetChannelEnabled,
   persistChannelEnabled,
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ export function TelegramCard({
     setSeededKey(settingsKey);
     if (settings!.chatId) setChatId(settings!.chatId);
   }
+  const dirty = isTelegramFormDirty({ botToken, chatId }, settings);
 
   const toggleEnabled = useMutation<
     void,
@@ -200,7 +202,7 @@ export function TelegramCard({
             </ol>
           </SettingsInfoTile>
 
-          {msg && (
+          {msg && (msgType === "error" || !dirty) && (
             <p
               role="alert"
               className={`text-sm ${
@@ -215,6 +217,7 @@ export function TelegramCard({
             <TestConnectionButton
               endpoint="/api/settings/telegram/test"
               disabled={!settings?.hasBotToken}
+              unsavedChanges={dirty}
             />
             <Button
               type="submit"
diff --git a/src/components/settings/test-connection-button.tsx b/src/components/settings/test-connection-button.tsx
index ed9f63b08..568e7cb9b 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/test-connection-button.tsx
+++ b/src/components/settings/test-connection-button.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ export interface TestConnectionButtonProps {
   disabled?: boolean;
   /** Label override for the button (defaults to settings.testConnection.test). */
   label?: string;
+  /**
+   * The card's form differs from what is saved. The test route sends through
+   * the saved config, so the button waits for a save and says so instead of
+   * testing something other than what is on screen.
+   */
+  unsavedChanges?: boolean;
 }
 
 interface TestResponse {
@@ -128,6 +134,7 @@ export function TestConnectionButton({
   endpoint,
   disabled = false,
   label,
+  unsavedChanges = false,
 }: TestConnectionButtonProps) {
   const { t } = useTranslations();
   const [testing, setTesting] = useState(false);
@@ -161,7 +168,7 @@ export function TestConnectionButton({
         size="sm"
         className="min-h-11"
         onClick={handleClick}
-        disabled={disabled || testing}
+        disabled={disabled || testing || unsavedChanges}
       >
         {testing ? (
           <Loader2 className="h-3.5 w-3.5 animate-spin motion-reduce:animate-none" />
@@ -173,7 +180,16 @@ export function TestConnectionButton({
           : (label ?? t("settings.testConnection.test"))}
       </Button>
 
-      {result?.kind === "ok" && (
+      {unsavedChanges && (
+        <p
+          data-slot="test-connection-save-first"
+          className="text-muted-foreground text-xs"
+        >
+          {t("settings.testConnection.saveFirst")}
+        </p>
+      )}
+
+      {!unsavedChanges && result?.kind === "ok" && (
         <p
           role="status"
           className="text-success flex items-center gap-1.5 text-xs"
@@ -183,7 +199,7 @@ export function TestConnectionButton({
         </p>
       )}
 
-      {result?.kind === "error" && (
+      {!unsavedChanges && result?.kind === "error" && (
         <TestConnectionFailure
           message={describeError(result.errorCode)}
           upstreamStatus={result.upstreamStatus}
diff --git a/src/components/settings/webhook-card.tsx b/src/components/settings/webhook-card.tsx
index 0fef0d4a6..609f64e49 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/webhook-card.tsx
+++ b/src/components/settings/webhook-card.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { NativeSelect } from "@/components/ui/native-select";
 import { SettingsCard } from "@/components/settings/settings-card";
 import { SettingsCardHeader } from "@/components/settings/_card-header";
 import { TestConnectionButton } from "@/components/settings/test-connection-button";
+import { isWebhookFormDirty } from "@/components/settings/channel-form-dirty";
 import {
   optimisticallySetChannelEnabled,
   persistChannelEnabled,
@@ -63,6 +64,10 @@ export function WebhookCard({ isAuthenticated }: { isAuthenticated: boolean }) {
     setHeaderName(settings!.headerName);
     setFormat(settings!.format === "gotify" ? "gotify" : "generic");
   }
+  const dirty = isWebhookFormDirty(
+    { url, headerName, headerValue, format },
+    settings,
+  );
 
   const save = useMutation({
     mutationFn: async (enabled: boolean) => {
@@ -238,7 +243,7 @@ export function WebhookCard({ isAuthenticated }: { isAuthenticated: boolean }) {
             </div>
           </div>
 
-          {saveMsg && (
+          {saveMsg && (saveMsgType === "error" || !dirty) && (
             <p
               role="alert"
               className={`text-sm ${saveMsgType === "success" ? "text-success" : "text-destructive"}`}
@@ -251,6 +256,7 @@ export function WebhookCard({ isAuthenticated }: { isAuthenticated: boolean }) {
             <TestConnectionButton
               endpoint="/api/settings/webhook/test"
               disabled={!settings?.enabled}
+              unsavedChanges={dirty}
             />
             <Button
               type="submit"