diff --git a/ipn/backend.go b/ipn/backend.go
index ab01d2fde..fd4442f71 100644
--- a/ipn/backend.go
+++ b/ipn/backend.go
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ const (
 	NotifyRateLimit NotifyWatchOpt = 1 << 8 // if set, rate limit spammy netmap updates to every few seconds
 
 	NotifyHealthActions NotifyWatchOpt = 1 << 9 // if set, include PrimaryActions in health.State. Otherwise append the action URL to the text
+
+	NotifyInitialSuggestedExitNode NotifyWatchOpt = 1 << 10 // if set, the first Notify message (sent immediately) will contain the current SuggestedExitNode if available
 )
 
 // Notify is a communication from a backend (e.g. tailscaled) to a frontend
@@ -98,7 +100,7 @@ type Notify struct {
 	// This field is only set in the first message when requesting
 	// NotifyInitialState. Clients must store it on their side as
 	// following notifications will not include this field.
-	SessionID string `json:",omitempty"`
+	SessionID string `json:",omitzero"`
 
 	// ErrMessage, if non-nil, contains a critical error message.
 	// For State InUseOtherUser, ErrMessage is not critical and just contains the details.
@@ -116,7 +118,7 @@ type Notify struct {
 	// user's preferred storage location.
 	//
 	// Deprecated: use LocalClient.AwaitWaitingFiles instead.
-	FilesWaiting *empty.Message `json:",omitempty"`
+	FilesWaiting *empty.Message `json:",omitzero"`
 
 	// IncomingFiles, if non-nil, specifies which files are in the
 	// process of being received. A nil IncomingFiles means this
@@ -125,22 +127,22 @@ type Notify struct {
 	// of being transferred.
 	//
 	// Deprecated: use LocalClient.AwaitWaitingFiles instead.
-	IncomingFiles []PartialFile `json:",omitempty"`
+	IncomingFiles []PartialFile `json:",omitzero"`
 
 	// OutgoingFiles, if non-nil, tracks which files are in the process of
 	// being sent via TailDrop, including files that finished, whether
 	// successful or failed. This slice is sorted by Started time, then Name.
-	OutgoingFiles []*OutgoingFile `json:",omitempty"`
+	OutgoingFiles []*OutgoingFile `json:",omitzero"`
 
 	// LocalTCPPort, if non-nil, informs the UI frontend which
 	// (non-zero) localhost TCP port it's listening on.
 	// This is currently only used by Tailscale when run in the
 	// macOS Network Extension.
-	LocalTCPPort *uint16 `json:",omitempty"`
+	LocalTCPPort *uint16 `json:",omitzero"`
 
 	// ClientVersion, if non-nil, describes whether a client version update
 	// is available.
-	ClientVersion *tailcfg.ClientVersion `json:",omitempty"`
+	ClientVersion *tailcfg.ClientVersion `json:",omitzero"`
 
 	// DriveShares tracks the full set of current DriveShares that we're
 	// publishing. Some client applications, like the MacOS and Windows clients,
@@ -153,7 +155,11 @@ type Notify struct {
 	// Health is the last-known health state of the backend. When this field is
 	// non-nil, a change in health verified, and the API client should surface
 	// any changes to the user in the UI.
-	Health *health.State `json:",omitempty"`
+	Health *health.State `json:",omitzero"`
+
+	// SuggestedExitNode, if non-nil, is the node that the backend has determined to
+	// be the best exit node for the current network conditions.
+	SuggestedExitNode *tailcfg.StableNodeID `json:",omitzero"`
 
 	// type is mirrored in xcode/IPN/Core/LocalAPI/Model/LocalAPIModel.swift
 }
@@ -194,6 +200,10 @@ func (n Notify) String() string {
 	if n.Health != nil {
 		sb.WriteString("Health{...} ")
 	}
+	if n.SuggestedExitNode != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(&sb, "SuggestedExitNode=%v ", *n.SuggestedExitNode)
+	}
+
 	s := sb.String()
 	return s[0:len(s)-1] + "}"
 }
diff --git a/ipn/ipnlocal/bus.go b/ipn/ipnlocal/bus.go
index 111a877d8..910e4e774 100644
--- a/ipn/ipnlocal/bus.go
+++ b/ipn/ipnlocal/bus.go
@@ -156,5 +156,6 @@ func isNotableNotify(n *ipn.Notify) bool {
 		n.Health != nil ||
 		len(n.IncomingFiles) > 0 ||
 		len(n.OutgoingFiles) > 0 ||
-		n.FilesWaiting != nil
+		n.FilesWaiting != nil ||
+		n.SuggestedExitNode != nil
 }
diff --git a/ipn/ipnlocal/local.go b/ipn/ipnlocal/local.go
index 5fb3d5771..95594aacc 100644
--- a/ipn/ipnlocal/local.go
+++ b/ipn/ipnlocal/local.go
@@ -1741,6 +1741,10 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) SetControlClientStatus(c controlclient.Client, st control
 
 		b.send(ipn.Notify{NetMap: st.NetMap})
 
+		// The error here is unimportant as is the result.  This will recalculate the suggested exit node
+		// cache the value and push any changes to the IPN bus.
+		b.SuggestExitNode()
+
 		// Check and update the exit node if needed, now that we have a new netmap.
 		//
 		// This must happen after the netmap change is sent via [ipn.Notify],
@@ -2037,7 +2041,13 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) UpdateNetmapDelta(muts []netmap.NodeMutation) (handled bo
 		}
 	}
 
+	if cn.NetMap() != nil && mutationsAreWorthyOfRecalculatingSuggestedExitNode(muts, cn, b.lastSuggestedExitNode) {
+		// Recompute the suggested exit node
+		b.suggestExitNodeLocked()
+	}
+
 	if cn.NetMap() != nil && mutationsAreWorthyOfTellingIPNBus(muts) {
+
 		nm := cn.netMapWithPeers()
 		notify = &ipn.Notify{NetMap: nm}
 	} else if testenv.InTest() {
@@ -2049,6 +2059,41 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) UpdateNetmapDelta(muts []netmap.NodeMutation) (handled bo
 	return true
 }
 
+// mustationsAreWorthyOfRecalculatingSuggestedExitNode reports whether any mutation type in muts is
+// worthy of recalculating the suggested exit node.
+func mutationsAreWorthyOfRecalculatingSuggestedExitNode(muts []netmap.NodeMutation, cn *nodeBackend, sid tailcfg.StableNodeID) bool {
+	for _, m := range muts {
+		n, ok := cn.NodeByID(m.NodeIDBeingMutated())
+		if !ok {
+			// The node being mutated is not in the netmap.
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// The previously suggested exit node itself is being mutated.
+		if sid != "" && n.StableID() == sid {
+			return true
+		}
+
+		allowed := n.AllowedIPs().AsSlice()
+		isExitNode := slices.Contains(allowed, tsaddr.AllIPv4()) || slices.Contains(allowed, tsaddr.AllIPv6())
+		// The node being mutated is not an exit node.  We don't care about it - unless
+		// it was our previously suggested exit node which we catch above.
+		if !isExitNode {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Some exit node is being mutated.  We care about it if it's online
+		// or offline state has changed.  We *might* eventually care about it for other reasons
+		// but for the sake of finding a "better" suggested exit node, this is probably
+		// sufficient.
+		switch m.(type) {
+		case netmap.NodeMutationOnline:
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // mutationsAreWorthyOfTellingIPNBus reports whether any mutation type in muts is
 // worthy of spamming the IPN bus (the Windows & Mac GUIs, basically) to tell them
 // about the update.
@@ -3068,7 +3113,7 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) WatchNotificationsAs(ctx context.Context, actor ipnauth.A
 
 	b.mu.Lock()
 
-	const initialBits = ipn.NotifyInitialState | ipn.NotifyInitialPrefs | ipn.NotifyInitialNetMap | ipn.NotifyInitialDriveShares
+	const initialBits = ipn.NotifyInitialState | ipn.NotifyInitialPrefs | ipn.NotifyInitialNetMap | ipn.NotifyInitialDriveShares | ipn.NotifyInitialSuggestedExitNode
 	if mask&initialBits != 0 {
 		cn := b.currentNode()
 		ini = &ipn.Notify{Version: version.Long()}
@@ -3091,6 +3136,11 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) WatchNotificationsAs(ctx context.Context, actor ipnauth.A
 		if mask&ipn.NotifyInitialHealthState != 0 {
 			ini.Health = b.HealthTracker().CurrentState()
 		}
+		if mask&ipn.NotifyInitialSuggestedExitNode != 0 {
+			if en, err := b.SuggestExitNode(); err != nil {
+				ini.SuggestedExitNode = &en.ID
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(ctx)
@@ -7706,7 +7756,12 @@ func (b *LocalBackend) suggestExitNodeLocked() (response apitype.ExitNodeSuggest
 	if err != nil {
 		return res, err
 	}
+	if prevSuggestion != res.ID {
+		// Notify the clients via the IPN bus if the exit node suggestion has changed.
+		b.sendToLocked(ipn.Notify{SuggestedExitNode: &res.ID}, allClients)
+	}
 	b.lastSuggestedExitNode = res.ID
+
 	return res, err
 }