diff --git a/assets/game1.js b/assets/game1.js
index 3f2e0f3..b4c7952 100644
--- a/assets/game1.js
+++ b/assets/game1.js
@@ -177,6 +177,42 @@ function applyLock(lockData, apiEchoUrl, messageContainer) {
   }, 1000);
 }
 
+let filesRemovalTimer = null;
+let scheduledFilesRemovalDeadline = null;
+
+async function pingFilesRemovalDeadline(apiEchoUrl) {
+  if (!apiEchoUrl) return;
+  try {
+    // A no-op message is enough to make the server evaluate the deadline server-side;
+    // the actual restore notice (if any) arrives for everyone via the Mercure broadcast.
+    await fetchJson(apiEchoUrl, {
+      method: 'POST',
+      body: { message: '', ts: new Date().toISOString() },
+    });
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error('[Game1] Failed to ping files-removal deadline:', e);
+  }
+}
+
+function scheduleFilesRemovalCheck(deadline, apiEchoUrl) {
+  if (!deadline || scheduledFilesRemovalDeadline === deadline) {
+    return; // nothing to (re)schedule
+  }
+  scheduledFilesRemovalDeadline = deadline;
+
+  if (filesRemovalTimer) {
+    clearTimeout(filesRemovalTimer);
+    filesRemovalTimer = null;
+  }
+
+  const delay = Math.max(0, deadline * 1000 - Date.now());
+  filesRemovalTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+    filesRemovalTimer = null;
+    scheduledFilesRemovalDeadline = null;
+    pingFilesRemovalDeadline(apiEchoUrl);
+  }, delay);
+}
+
 async function fetchJson(url, options = {}) {
   const opts = { ...options };
   const headers = new Headers(opts.headers || {});
@@ -236,6 +272,12 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', async () => {
   const lockLockedAt = cfgEl.dataset.lockLockedAt;
   const lockRevealAt = cfgEl.dataset.lockRevealAt;
   const lockUnlockAt = cfgEl.dataset.lockUnlockAt;
+  const filesRemovalDeadline = cfgEl.dataset.filesRemovalDeadline;
+
+  // Resume the auto-restore timer after a page refresh, if a window is already running
+  if (filesRemovalDeadline) {
+    scheduleFilesRemovalCheck(parseInt(filesRemovalDeadline, 10), apiEchoUrl);
+  }
 
   if (mercurePublicUrl && topic) {
     subscribeToMercure(mercurePublicUrl, topic, screen);
@@ -391,6 +433,10 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', async () => {
                     } else if (response.result.locked === false) {
                       clearLock();
                     }
+
+                    if (response.result.filesRemovalDeadline) {
+                      scheduleFilesRemovalCheck(response.result.filesRemovalDeadline, apiEchoUrl);
+                    }
                   }
                 } catch (err) {
                   console.error('[API][game1] Failed to send message:', err);
diff --git a/src/Game/Controller/GameController.php b/src/Game/Controller/GameController.php
index cc07c06..c104677 100644
--- a/src/Game/Controller/GameController.php
+++ b/src/Game/Controller/GameController.php
@@ -160,12 +160,14 @@ final class GameController extends AbstractController
         $screen = $player ? $player->getScreen() : 0;
         $session_id = $session->getId();
         $lock = $player ? $gameResponseService->getPublicLockState($player) : null;
+        $filesRemovalDeadline = $gameResponseService->getPublicLockedFilesDeadline($session);
 
         return $this->render('game/index.html.twig', [
             'session' => $session,
             'screen' => $screen,
             'session_id' => $session_id,
             'lock' => $lock,
+            'filesRemovalDeadline' => $filesRemovalDeadline,
         ]);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Game/Service/GameResponseService.php b/src/Game/Service/GameResponseService.php
index 3ddddd9..2899782 100644
--- a/src/Game/Service/GameResponseService.php
+++ b/src/Game/Service/GameResponseService.php
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ class GameResponseService
                     return ['result' => ['You are not allowed to remove this file.']];
 
                 $this->playerService->addDeletedFileToSession($player, $fullPath);
-                $this->startLockedFilesRemovalDeadline($player->getSession(), $fullPath);
+                $filesRemovalDeadline = $this->startLockedFilesRemovalDeadline($player->getSession(), $fullPath);
                 $lock = $this->triggerLock($player);
 
                 return [
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ class GameResponseService
                     'lockedAt' => $lock['lockedAt'],
                     'revealAt' => $lock['revealAt'],
                     'unlockAt' => $lock['unlockAt'],
+                    'filesRemovalDeadline' => $filesRemovalDeadline,
                 ];
             case 'sudo':
                 if(!in_array('sudo', $rechten))
@@ -1031,17 +1032,19 @@ class GameResponseService
 
     /**
      * Starts (if not already running) the 60-second window within which all locked files
-     * must be removed, or the ones already removed get restored by the virus.
+     * must be removed, or the ones already removed get restored by the virus. Returns the
+     * (new or already-running) deadline as a unix timestamp, or null if the removed file
+     * wasn't a locked one.
      */
-    private function startLockedFilesRemovalDeadline(Session $session, string $removedFile): void
+    private function startLockedFilesRemovalDeadline(Session $session, string $removedFile): ?int
     {
         if (!in_array($removedFile, $this->getLockedFiles())) {
-            return;
+            return null;
         }
 
         $setting = $this->sessionSettingRepository->getSetting($session, SessionSettingType::LOCKED_FILES_REMOVAL_DEADLINE);
         if ($setting && $setting->getValue()) {
-            return; // Window already running
+            return (int)$setting->getValue(); // Window already running
         }
 
         if (!$setting) {
@@ -1050,9 +1053,28 @@ class GameResponseService
             $setting->setName(SessionSettingType::LOCKED_FILES_REMOVAL_DEADLINE);
         }
 
-        $setting->setValue((string)(time() + 60));
+        $deadline = time() + 60;
+        $setting->setValue((string)$deadline);
         $this->entityManager->persist($setting);
         $this->entityManager->flush();
+
+        return $deadline;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Public, session-wide view of the active locked-files removal deadline (if any), safe
+     * to expose on page load so the UI can schedule its auto-check timer after a refresh.
+     */
+    public function getPublicLockedFilesDeadline(Session $session): ?int
+    {
+        $setting = $this->sessionSettingRepository->getSetting($session, SessionSettingType::LOCKED_FILES_REMOVAL_DEADLINE);
+        if (!$setting || !$setting->getValue()) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        $deadline = (int)$setting->getValue();
+
+        return $deadline > time() ? $deadline : null;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/templates/game/index.html.twig b/templates/game/index.html.twig
index 0f31c04..b37268a 100644
--- a/templates/game/index.html.twig
+++ b/templates/game/index.html.twig
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
              data-lock-reveal-at="{{ lock.revealAt }}"
              data-lock-unlock-at="{{ lock.unlockAt }}"
              {% endif %}
+             {% if filesRemovalDeadline %}
+             data-files-removal-deadline="{{ filesRemovalDeadline }}"
+             {% endif %}
              style="display:none">
         </div>