diff --git a/panel/src/components/PowerButton.test.tsx b/panel/src/components/PowerButton.test.tsx
index 44d9fda..82e7052 100644
--- a/panel/src/components/PowerButton.test.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/components/PowerButton.test.tsx
@@ -273,3 +273,48 @@ describe("PowerButton on a server given up or being deleted", () => {
     expect(screen.getByText(t("servers:retiring_badge_delete"))).toBeTruthy();
   });
 });
+
+describe("PowerButton on a page that needs the server down", () => {
+  const cases: {
+    phase: Phase;
+    desiredState?: "Running" | "Stopped";
+    failed?: boolean;
+    shows: string;
+    disabled: boolean;
+  }[] = [
+    { phase: "Running", desiredState: "Running", shows: "servers:stop", disabled: false },
+    // A failed start gets Stop alone: a retry would start what the page waits to see down.
+    { phase: "Failed", desiredState: "Running", failed: true, shows: "servers:stop", disabled: false },
+    // Woken while going down: Stop keeps it down.
+    { phase: "Stopping", desiredState: "Running", shows: "servers:stop", disabled: false },
+    // A phase nobody can place offers Stop, never a wake.
+    { phase: "Unknown", desiredState: "Stopped", shows: "servers:stop", disabled: false },
+    { phase: "Unknown", shows: "servers:stop", disabled: false },
+    { phase: "Failed", desiredState: "Stopped", shows: "servers:stop", disabled: false },
+    // Already on its way down: nothing to press.
+    { phase: "Stopping", desiredState: "Stopped", shows: "servers:stopping", disabled: true },
+    { phase: "Running", desiredState: "Stopped", shows: "servers:stopping", disabled: true },
+  ];
+
+  for (const c of cases) {
+    it(`${c.phase} asked ${c.desiredState ?? "(unknown)"}${c.failed ? " (failed)" : ""} offers ${c.shows}`, () => {
+      render(
+        <PowerButton name="lobby" phase={c.phase} desiredState={c.desiredState} failed={c.failed} stopOnly onChanged={vi.fn()} />,
+      );
+      const buttons = screen.getAllByRole("button");
+      expect(buttons).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(buttons[0].textContent).toBe(t(c.shows));
+      expect(buttons[0]).toHaveProperty("disabled", c.disabled);
+    });
+  }
+
+  it("still asks before disconnecting players", async () => {
+    stop.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    render(<PowerButton name="lobby" phase="Running" desiredState="Running" playersOnline={2} stopOnly onChanged={vi.fn()} />);
+
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
+
+    expect(stop).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(screen.getByText(t("servers:stop_confirm_players", { count: 2 }))).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/panel/src/components/PowerButton.tsx b/panel/src/components/PowerButton.tsx
index eb25ead..b0c0446 100644
--- a/panel/src/components/PowerButton.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/components/PowerButton.tsx
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ interface Props {
   /** A pending retirement: nothing starts the server until it is cancelled, so
    *  the control gives way to a badge saying why. */
   retiring?: RetireState;
+  /** Offer only ways down: a page that needs the server stopped (the file
+   *  editor) never offers a wake or a retry, and a server it cannot place gets
+   *  a Stop too. */
+  stopOnly?: boolean;
   /** Called after the wake or stop was accepted, so the parent refetches. */
   onChanged: () => void;
   size?: "sm" | "default";
@@ -54,6 +58,8 @@ function isUp(phase: Phase): boolean {
 // one asked to run with no pod yet offers Stop, which is the way out when it
 // never comes up.
 // A server given up or being deleted offers nothing to press, only why.
+// The file editor passes stopOnly: it needs the server down, so it offers Stop
+// alone, with the same question before disconnecting players.
 export function PowerButton({
   name,
   phase,
@@ -62,6 +68,7 @@ export function PowerButton({
   playersOnline,
   playerCountUnknown,
   retiring,
+  stopOnly = false,
   onChanged,
   size = "sm",
   className,
@@ -135,6 +142,8 @@ export function PowerButton({
     control = <RetiringBadge retiring={retiring} />;
   } else if (submitted !== null) {
     control = inProgress(submitted);
+  } else if (failed && stopOnly) {
+    control = stopButton("outline", () => void run("stop"));
   } else if (failed) {
     control = (
       <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-end gap-2">
@@ -147,10 +156,10 @@ export function PowerButton({
     );
   } else if (pending === "stop" || (phase === "Stopping" && pending === null)) {
     control = inProgress("stop");
-  } else if (pending === "start" && phase === "Stopping") {
+  } else if (!stopOnly && pending === "start" && phase === "Stopping") {
     // Woken while stopping: the operator brings it back up once it is down.
     control = inProgress("wake");
-  } else if (!on) {
+  } else if (!stopOnly && !on) {
     control = (
       <Button size={size} onClick={() => void run("wake")} disabled={busy !== null}>
         {busy === "wake" ? spinner : <Play />}
diff --git a/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/files.json b/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/files.json
index 9e1c496..4b80a36 100644
--- a/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/files.json
+++ b/panel/src/i18n/resources/en-US/files.json
@@ -10,9 +10,8 @@
   "empty_dir_title": "This folder is empty",
   "empty_dir_hint": "Nothing has been written here yet.",
   "list_truncated": "The listing was truncated at the server's safety limit.",
-  "stopped_required_title": "The server is running",
+  "stopped_required_title": "Stop the server first",
   "stopped_required_body": "Files can only be browsed or edited while the server is fully stopped — the world volume is single-attached to the running server. Stop it to continue.",
-  "stop_server": "Stop server",
   "not_yours_title": "Not your server",
   "not_yours_body": "Only the owner or an admin can edit this server's files.",
   "binary_hint": "Binary file — opened read-only; saving non-text bytes through an editor could corrupt it.",
diff --git a/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/files.json b/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/files.json
index d6488e2..6b46075 100644
--- a/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/files.json
+++ b/panel/src/i18n/resources/zh-CN/files.json
@@ -10,9 +10,8 @@
   "empty_dir_title": "此目录为空",
   "empty_dir_hint": "这里还没有写入任何内容。",
   "list_truncated": "列表已按服务器安全上限截断。",
-  "stopped_required_title": "服务器正在运行",
+  "stopped_required_title": "需要先停服",
   "stopped_required_body": "只有在服务器完全停止后才能浏览或编辑文件——世界卷被运行中的服务器独占挂载。请先停止服务器。",
-  "stop_server": "停止服务器",
   "not_yours_title": "这不是你的服务器",
   "not_yours_body": "只有服务器所有者或管理员才能编辑其文件。",
   "binary_hint": "二进制文件——以只读方式打开；通过编辑器保存非文本字节可能损坏该文件。",
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.test.tsx b/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.test.tsx
index f1ffa46..18791ac 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.test.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.test.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 // @vitest-environment jsdom
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
-import { act, render, screen, within } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { act, render, screen, waitFor, within } from "@testing-library/react";
 import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
 import { MemoryRouter, Route, Routes } from "react-router-dom";
 import i18next from "i18next";
 import { ServerFiles } from "./ServerFiles";
 import { STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS } from "@/lib/hooks";
 
-const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({ writeServerFile: vi.fn(), status: vi.fn() }));
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({ writeServerFile: vi.fn(), status: vi.fn(), stop: vi.fn() }));
 
 vi.mock("@/lib/api", async (importOriginal) => {
   const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("@/lib/api")>();
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/api", async (importOriginal) => {
     api: {
       ...actual.api,
       status: mocks.status,
+      stop: mocks.stop,
       listServerFiles: () =>
         Promise.resolve({
           path: "",
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/tier", () => ({ useTier: () => ({ isAdmin: true, loading: false }
 
 const t = (key: string) => i18next.t(key);
 
-async function openEditor() {
+function renderFiles() {
   render(
     <MemoryRouter initialEntries={["/servers/lobby/files"]}>
       <Routes>
@@ -39,6 +40,10 @@ async function openEditor() {
       </Routes>
     </MemoryRouter>,
   );
+}
+
+async function openEditor() {
+  renderFiles();
   await userEvent.click(await screen.findByText("server.properties"));
   const dialog = await screen.findByRole("dialog");
   return { dialog, editor: within(dialog).getByRole("textbox") as HTMLTextAreaElement };
@@ -48,6 +53,7 @@ const stopped = { name: "lobby", subdomain: "lobby", phase: "Stopped", desiredSt
 
 beforeEach(() => {
   mocks.writeServerFile.mockReset();
+  mocks.stop.mockReset();
   mocks.status.mockReset();
   mocks.status.mockResolvedValue(stopped);
 });
@@ -106,13 +112,7 @@ describe("ServerFiles on a running server", () => {
   it("lists the files once the server has stopped, without a reload", async () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers({ shouldAdvanceTime: true });
     mocks.status.mockResolvedValue({ ...stopped, phase: "Running", desiredState: "Running", ready: true });
-    render(
-      <MemoryRouter initialEntries={["/servers/lobby/files"]}>
-        <Routes>
-          <Route path="/servers/:name/files" element={<ServerFiles />} />
-        </Routes>
-      </MemoryRouter>,
-    );
+    renderFiles();
     expect(await screen.findByText(t("files:stopped_required_title"))).toBeTruthy();
     expect(screen.queryByText("server.properties")).toBeNull();
 
@@ -126,4 +126,57 @@ describe("ServerFiles on a running server", () => {
     await act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(STATUS_POLL_FAST_MS * 3));
     expect(mocks.status.mock.calls.length).toBe(reads);
   });
+
+  it("asks before stopping a server with players on it", async () => {
+    mocks.stop.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    mocks.status.mockResolvedValue({ ...stopped, phase: "Running", desiredState: "Running", ready: true, playersOnline: 2 });
+    renderFiles();
+
+    await userEvent.click(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
+    expect(mocks.stop).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(screen.getByText(i18next.t("servers:stop_confirm_players", { count: 2 }))).toBeTruthy();
+
+    const reads = mocks.status.mock.calls.length;
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
+    expect(mocks.stop).toHaveBeenCalledWith("lobby");
+    // The page rereads at once to follow the stop.
+    await waitFor(() => expect(mocks.status.mock.calls.length).toBeGreaterThan(reads));
+  });
+
+  it("asks when the player count cannot be read", async () => {
+    mocks.status.mockResolvedValue({
+      ...stopped,
+      phase: "Running",
+      desiredState: "Running",
+      ready: true,
+      playersOnline: 0,
+      playerCountUnknown: true,
+    });
+    renderFiles();
+
+    await userEvent.click(await screen.findByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
+
+    expect(mocks.stop).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(screen.getByText(t("servers:stop_confirm_unknown"))).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  it("offers a failed start a stop, sent without asking, and nothing that would start it", async () => {
+    mocks.stop.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    // Nobody is on a server that never came up, so even an unreadable count does not ask.
+    mocks.status.mockResolvedValue({
+      ...stopped,
+      phase: "Failed",
+      desiredState: "Running",
+      ready: false,
+      playersOnline: 0,
+      playerCountUnknown: true,
+    });
+    renderFiles();
+
+    await screen.findByText(t("files:stopped_required_title"));
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("button", { name: t("servers:retry_start") })).toBeNull();
+    await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: t("servers:stop") }));
+
+    expect(mocks.stop).toHaveBeenCalledWith("lobby");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.tsx b/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.tsx
index c0cca36..8fe919c 100644
--- a/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.tsx
+++ b/panel/src/pages/ServerFiles.tsx
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ import {
   DialogHeader,
   DialogTitle,
 } from "@/components/ui/dialog";
-import { PhaseBadge, shownPhase } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
+import { PhaseBadge, shownPhase, startFailure } from "@/components/PhaseBadge";
+import { PowerButton } from "@/components/PowerButton";
 import { Loading, ErrorState, NotYours, EmptyState } from "@/components/States";
 import { PageHeader } from "@/components/PageHeader";
 import { api, humanizeError } from "@/lib/api";
@@ -156,7 +157,6 @@ export function ServerFiles() {
   const [opening, setOpening] = useState<string | null>(null);
   const [saving, setSaving] = useState(false);
   const [reloading, setReloading] = useState(false);
-  const [stopping, setStopping] = useState(false);
   // Closing an editor with unsaved text (Esc, the overlay, ✕, Cancel) asks
   // first; leaving the page asks through the browser.
   const [confirmDiscard, setConfirmDiscard] = useState(false);
@@ -247,20 +247,6 @@ export function ServerFiles() {
     }
   }
 
-  async function handleStop() {
-    if (stopping) return;
-    setStopping(true);
-    setMsg(null);
-    try {
-      await api.stop(name);
-      statusQ.reload();
-    } catch (e) {
-      setMsg({ kind: "error", text: humanizeError(e) });
-    } finally {
-      setStopping(false);
-    }
-  }
-
   const back = <BackLink to={`/servers/${name}`} label={t("back_to_console")} />;
   if (statusQ.loading && !statusQ.data) {
     return (
@@ -326,14 +312,18 @@ export function ServerFiles() {
                     {t("stopped_required_body")}
                   </p>
                 </div>
-                <Button size="sm" onClick={handleStop} disabled={stopping}>
-                  {stopping ? (
-                    <Loader2 className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin" />
-                  ) : (
-                    <Square className="h-4 w-4" />
-                  )}
-                  {t("stop_server")}
-                </Button>
+                <PowerButton
+                  name={name}
+                  phase={statusQ.data.phase}
+                  desiredState={statusQ.data.desiredState}
+                  failed={startFailure(statusQ.data) !== null}
+                  playersOnline={statusQ.data.playersOnline}
+                  playerCountUnknown={statusQ.data.playerCountUnknown}
+                  retiring={statusQ.data.retiring}
+                  stopOnly
+                  onChanged={statusQ.reload}
+                  className="items-center"
+                />
               </CardContent>
             </Card>
           ) : listLoading && entries === null ? (