diff --git a/.changeset/loud-apes-listen.md b/.changeset/loud-apes-listen.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6b8ca5389f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/loud-apes-listen.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@atproto/api': patch
+---
+
+Emit `expired` events for failed responses from `agent.resumeSession` instead of `create-failed`. `create-failed` events now reserved for unexpected exceptions, like a network timeout.
diff --git a/packages/api/src/agent.ts b/packages/api/src/agent.ts
index aea3cce9d4b..399cf0a28f4 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/agent.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/agent.ts
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ export class AtpAgent {
     try {
       this.session = session
       const res = await this.api.com.atproto.server.getSession()
+      console.log('resumeSession', res)
       if (!res.success || res.data.did !== this.session.did) {
         throw new Error('Invalid session')
       }
@@ -166,16 +167,19 @@ export class AtpAgent {
       this.session.handle = res.data.handle
       this.session.emailConfirmed = res.data.emailConfirmed
       this._updateApiEndpoint(res.data.didDoc)
+      this._persistSession?.('create', this.session)
       return res
-    } catch (e) {
+    } catch (e: any) {
+      console.error('resumeSession', e)
       this.session = undefined
-      throw e
-    } finally {
-      if (this.session) {
-        this._persistSession?.('create', this.session)
-      } else {
+
+      if (e.message.includes('Invalid session')) {
         this._persistSession?.('create-failed', undefined)
+      } else {
+        this._persistSession?.('unknown', undefined)
       }
+
+      throw e
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/api/src/types.ts b/packages/api/src/types.ts
index c0f78bfaafc..978c5759aff 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/types.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { LabelPreference } from './moderation/types'
 /**
  * Used by the PersistSessionHandler to indicate what change occurred
  */
-export type AtpSessionEvent = 'create' | 'create-failed' | 'update' | 'expired'
+export type AtpSessionEvent = 'create' | 'create-failed' | 'update' | 'expired' | 'unknown'
 
 /**
  * Used by AtpAgent to store active sessions