diff --git a/internal/lab/oauthfixture.go b/internal/lab/oauthfixture.go
index c7a1cb1..d28610b 100644
--- a/internal/lab/oauthfixture.go
+++ b/internal/lab/oauthfixture.go
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ const (
 	// server that answered 401 — muster's api.StateAuthRequired, spelled the
 	// CRD way.
 	mcpServerStateAuthRequired = "Auth Required"
+	// A per-session server that no session has signed into yet (muster 5.28+,
+	// giantswarm/muster#1301): the server answered muster's probe, like Auth Required.
+	mcpServerStateAwaitingSession = "Awaiting Session"
 	// mcpServerStateConnected is the state once a session signed in to the
 	// server and muster holds a connection to it.
 	mcpServerStateConnected = "Connected"
diff --git a/internal/lab/platform.go b/internal/lab/platform.go
index ed44f7a..3b00337 100644
--- a/internal/lab/platform.go
+++ b/internal/lab/platform.go
@@ -1107,7 +1107,7 @@ func waitSidecarMCPServers(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Config, sidecars map
 // Connected that a session already signed in. Every downstream the lab
 // aggregates is such a server now, so this replaced the plain Connected wait.
 func waitMCPServerReachable(name string) error {
-	return waitMCPServerState(name, mcpServerStateConnected, mcpServerStateAuthRequired)
+	return waitMCPServerState(name, mcpServerStateConnected, mcpServerStateAuthRequired, mcpServerStateAwaitingSession)
 }
 
 // waitMCPServerState polls the MCPServer CR's status.state until it reads one