diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e91efd4..f5b922f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,6 +65,13 @@ nothing waits on it. The panel gets the same token *types* but paints them from
 webview is not given the theme’s token colours. Set `coloredReferences.semanticTokens` to `false` for
 grammar-only colouring; results spanning more than 40 files skip it.
 
+## When nothing is found
+
+"No references" can mean the language server never indexed the project. If the
+*.NET Solution Launcher* extension is installed, an empty result asks it which projects
+DotRush has loaded and says so — "the language server has not loaded MyGame.Runtime" —
+with a *Reload Workspace* button, instead of a plain "No references found".
+
 ## Settings
 
 - `coloredReferences.view` — which view `Find All References (Colored)` opens: `document` (default) or `panel`
diff --git a/media/panel.css b/media/panel.css
index c4d6d61..1d9c06d 100644
--- a/media/panel.css
+++ b/media/panel.css
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ body {
     padding: 4px 8px;
     border-bottom: 1px solid var(--vscode-panel-border, transparent);
     flex: 0 0 auto;
+    /* Solid: rows scroll underneath, and a see-through bar over code is unreadable. */
+    background: var(--vscode-editor-background);
 }
 
 #summary {
@@ -112,7 +114,12 @@ body {
     display: grid;
     grid-template-columns: var(--grid);
     height: var(--header-height);
-    background: var(--vscode-keybindingTable-headerBackground, var(--vscode-editor-background));
+    /* The theme's header colour is usually a translucent tint, so it is painted over the
+       solid editor background; otherwise rows scrolling underneath show through it. */
+    background-color: var(--vscode-editor-background);
+    background-image: linear-gradient(
+        var(--vscode-keybindingTable-headerBackground, transparent),
+        var(--vscode-keybindingTable-headerBackground, transparent));
     border-bottom: 1px solid var(--vscode-panel-border, var(--vscode-editorWidget-border));
     user-select: none;
 }
diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index 3acdd59..2e26ac6 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -276,12 +276,51 @@ interface SearchTarget {
     view?: View;
 }
 
+/** Shape of the launcher's `dotnetSolution.languageServerStatus` answer. */
+interface LanguageServerStatus {
+    loaded: string[];
+    missing: string[];
+    foreign: string[];
+    unavailable: boolean;
+}
+
+/**
+ * "No references" means one of two things: there are none, or the language server never
+ * indexed the project. The .NET Solution Launcher, when installed, knows which projects
+ * DotRush reported loaded; ask it so the second case is not mistaken for the first.
+ */
+async function explainEmptyResult(symbol: string): Promise<void> {
+    let status: LanguageServerStatus | undefined;
+    try {
+        const commands = await vscode.commands.getCommands(true);
+        if (commands.includes('dotnetSolution.languageServerStatus')) {
+            status = await vscode.commands.executeCommand<LanguageServerStatus>('dotnetSolution.languageServerStatus');
+        }
+    } catch {
+        status = undefined;
+    }
+    if (!status || status.unavailable || (status.missing.length === 0 && status.foreign.length === 0)) {
+        vscode.window.setStatusBarMessage(`No references found for '${symbol}'`, 4000);
+        return;
+    }
+    const why = status.missing.length
+        ? `the language server has not loaded ${status.missing.join(', ')}`
+        : `the language server loaded projects outside this solution (${status.foreign.join(', ')})`;
+    const choice = await vscode.window.showWarningMessage(
+        `No references found for '${symbol}' — ${why}.`, 'Reload Workspace', 'Show Status');
+    if (choice === 'Reload Workspace') {
+        await vscode.commands.executeCommand('dotnetSolution.languageServerReload');
+    } else if (choice === 'Show Status') {
+        await vscode.commands.executeCommand('dotnetSolution.languageServerMenu');
+    }
+}
+
 async function runSearch(
     origin: Origin, languageId: string, symbol: string, target: SearchTarget = {},
 ): Promise<void> {
     const locations = await findReferences(origin, symbol);
     if (locations.length === 0) {
-        vscode.window.setStatusBarMessage(`No references found for '${symbol}'`, 4000);
+        await explainEmptyResult(symbol);
         return;
     }