diff --git a/internal/db/schema/migrations/oss/postgres/70/11_session_recording.up.sql b/internal/db/schema/migrations/oss/postgres/70/11_session_recording.up.sql
index d37d74759..d094b3c41 100644
--- a/internal/db/schema/migrations/oss/postgres/70/11_session_recording.up.sql
+++ b/internal/db/schema/migrations/oss/postgres/70/11_session_recording.up.sql
@@ -7,6 +7,24 @@ begin;
   comment on domain rec_timestamp is
     'a nullable timestamp with a time zone used for start and end times of recordings';
 
+
+  create table recording_session_state_enm (
+    name text primary key
+      constraint only_predefined_states_allowed
+        check(name in ('unknown', 'started', 'available'))
+  );
+  comment on table recording_session_state_enm is
+    'recording_session_state_enm holds valid values for the state of a recording_session row.';
+
+  insert into recording_session_state_enm (name)
+  values
+    ('unknown'),
+    ('started'),
+    ('available');
+
+  create trigger immutable_columns before update on recording_session_state_enm
+    for each row execute procedure immutable_columns('name');
+
   create table recording_session (
     public_id wt_public_id primary key,
     storage_bucket_id wt_public_id not null
@@ -58,8 +76,22 @@ begin;
     end_time rec_timestamp null
       constraint end_time_null_or_after_start_time
         check (end_time > start_time),
+    state text not null default 'started'
+      constraint recording_session_state_enm_fkey
+        references recording_session_state_enm (name)
+        on delete restrict
+        on update cascade,
+    error_details wt_sentinel not null default wt_to_sentinel('no error details'), 
     constraint recording_session_session_id_public_id_uq
-      unique (session_id, public_id)
+      unique (session_id, public_id),
+    -- Error details are allowed two different types of values:
+    --  - e'\ufffeno error details\uffff', the sentinel value for "no error details", only when the recording is in the started or available state.
+    --  - some error message when the recording is in the unknown state.
+    constraint error_details_set_iff_state_not_started
+      check (
+        (error_details = wt_to_sentinel('no error details') and state in ('started', 'available')) or
+        (error_details != wt_to_sentinel('no error details') and state = 'unknown')
+      )
   );
   comment on table recording_session is
     'recording_session holds metadata for the recording of a session. It outlives the session itself.';
@@ -86,6 +118,9 @@ begin;
     if new.session_id is null then
       raise exception 'a new recorded session must have a session_id';
     end if;
+    if new.state is not null and new.state != 'started' then
+      raise exception 'state can only be set to ''started'' on insert';
+    end if;
 
     select * into strict _session
       from session
@@ -160,6 +195,21 @@ begin;
   create trigger insert_session_recording before insert on recording_session
     for each row execute procedure insert_session_recording();
 
+  create function update_session_recording() returns trigger
+  as $$
+  begin
+    if new.state != old.state and old.state != 'started' then
+      raise exception 'state can only be updated once';
+    end if;
+    return new;
+  end;
+  $$ language plpgsql;
+  comment on function update_session_recording is
+    'update_session_recording is a before update trigger for the recording_session table.';
+
+  create trigger update_session_recording before update on recording_session
+    for each row execute procedure update_session_recording();
+
   create table recording_connection (
     public_id wt_public_id primary key,
     session_id wt_public_id null, -- Can be null if associated session has been deleted
diff --git a/internal/db/schema/migrations/oss/postgres/70/12_session_recording_views.up.sql b/internal/db/schema/migrations/oss/postgres/70/12_session_recording_views.up.sql
index 3f6fc1c08..a4642f5e6 100644
--- a/internal/db/schema/migrations/oss/postgres/70/12_session_recording_views.up.sql
+++ b/internal/db/schema/migrations/oss/postgres/70/12_session_recording_views.up.sql
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ select
   rs.update_time,
   rs.start_time,
   rs.end_time,
+  rs.state,
+  rs.error_details,
   sb.scope_id as storage_bucket_scope_id,
   -- fields that cover the user fields at creation time
   uh.public_id as user_history_public_id,
diff --git a/internal/db/sentinel/sentinel.go b/internal/db/sentinel/sentinel.go
index 9221a8e6b..5cfa2672a 100644
--- a/internal/db/sentinel/sentinel.go
+++ b/internal/db/sentinel/sentinel.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ const (
 	// ExternalIdNone is a Boundary sentinel indicating that no id was provided by an
 	// external system.
 	ExternalIdNone = "\ufffenone\uffff"
+	// ErrorDetailsNone is a Boundary sentinel indicating that there were no error details.
+	NoErrorDetails = "\ufffeno error details\uffff"
 )
 
 // Is returns true if s is a valid sentinel.
diff --git a/internal/db/sqltest/tests/recording/recording_channel_ssh.sql b/internal/db/sqltest/tests/recording/recording_channel_ssh.sql
index c2229ebb1..1ac297d99 100644
--- a/internal/db/sqltest/tests/recording/recording_channel_ssh.sql
+++ b/internal/db/sqltest/tests/recording/recording_channel_ssh.sql
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ begin;
   select wtt_load('widgets', 'iam', 'kms', 'auth', 'hosts', 'targets', 'sessions');
 
   insert into recording_session
-    (public_id,      storage_bucket_id, session_id)
+    (public_id,      storage_bucket_id, session_id,     state)
   values
-    ('sr_123456789', 'sb____global',    's2_____clare');
+    ('sr_123456789', 'sb____global',    's2_____clare', 'started');
   insert into session_connection
     (public_id,      session_id)
   values
diff --git a/internal/db/sqltest/tests/recording/recording_session.sql b/internal/db/sqltest/tests/recording/recording_session.sql
index 4b7745ba7..a31cf5570 100644
--- a/internal/db/sqltest/tests/recording/recording_session.sql
+++ b/internal/db/sqltest/tests/recording/recording_session.sql
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
 -- recording_session tests the following triggers:
 --    insert_session_recording
 --    set_once_columns
+--    insert_session_recording
+--    update_session_recording
 -- and the following constraints:
 --    end_time_null_or_after_start_time
 
 begin;
-  select plan(44);
+  select plan(53);
   select wtt_load('widgets', 'iam', 'kms', 'auth', 'hosts', 'targets', 'sessions');
 
   select has_view('session_recording_aggregate', 'view for aggregating session recording info does not exist');
@@ -58,16 +60,24 @@ begin;
   -- Try to insert row with null session id
   prepare insert_invalid_recording_session as
     insert into recording_session
-      (public_id,      storage_bucket_id, session_id)
+      (public_id,      storage_bucket_id, session_id, state)
     values
-      ('sr_________1', 'sb____global',    null);
+      ('sr_________1', 'sb____global',    null,       'started');
   select throws_ok('insert_invalid_recording_session', null, null, 'insert invalid recording_session succeeded');
 
+  -- Try to insert row with non-started state
+  prepare insert_with_invalid_state as
+    insert into recording_session
+      (public_id,      storage_bucket_id, session_id,     state)
+    values
+      ('sr_________1', 'sb_________g',    's1_____clare', 'available');
+  select throws_ok('insert_with_invalid_state', null, null, 'insert invalid recording_session state succeeded');
+
   prepare insert_recording_session as
     insert into recording_session
-      (public_id,      storage_bucket_id, session_id)
+      (public_id,      storage_bucket_id, session_id,     state)
     values
-      ('sr_________1', 'sb____global',    's2_____clare');
+      ('sr_________1', 'sb____global',    's2_____clare', 'started');
   select lives_ok('insert_recording_session');
 
   prepare insert_recording_session_target_address as
@@ -85,6 +95,65 @@ begin;
     where public_id = 'sr_________1';
   select throws_ok('invalid_close_recording_session', '23514', null, 'setting end_time before start_time succeeded');
 
+  -- Try to set state to unknown without setting error_details
+  prepare update_state_to_unknown_without_error as
+    update recording_session set
+      state = 'unknown'
+    where public_id = 'sr_________1';
+  select throws_ok('update_state_to_unknown_without_error', 23514, null, 'updating the state to ''unknown'' without setting error_details succeeded');
+
+  -- Try to set state to available while setting error details to a non-sentinel value
+  prepare update_state_to_available_without_sentinel_error as
+    update recording_session set
+      state = 'available',
+      error_details = 'an actual error'
+    where public_id = 'sr_________1';
+  select throws_ok('update_state_to_available_without_sentinel_error', 23514, null, 'updating the state to ''available'' without setting error_details to the sentinel value succeeded');
+
+  -- Try to set state to unknown while setting error_details to the no error sentinel value
+  prepare update_state_to_unknown_with_sentinel_error as
+    update recording_session set
+      state = 'unknown',
+      error_details = wt_to_sentinel('no error details')
+    where public_id = 'sr_________1';
+  select throws_ok('update_state_to_unknown_with_sentinel_error', 23514, null, 'updating the state to ''unknown'' while setting error_details to the no error sentinel value succeeded');
+
+  -- Try to set error_details without updating state
+  prepare update_error_details_without_updating_state as
+    update recording_session set
+      error_details = 'some error'
+    where public_id = 'sr_________1';
+  select throws_ok('update_error_details_without_updating_state', 23514, null, 'setting error_details without updating the state succeeded');
+
+  prepare update_state_to_available as
+    update recording_session set
+      state = 'available'
+    where public_id = 'sr_________1';
+  select lives_ok('update_state_to_available');
+
+  -- Updating state again should error
+  prepare update_state_to_unknown as
+    update recording_session set
+      state = 'unknown',
+      error_details = 'some error'
+    where public_id = 'sr_________1';
+  select throws_ok('update_state_to_unknown', null, null, 'updating the state away from ''available'' succeeded');
+
+  prepare update_state_to_unknown_with_error as
+    update recording_session set
+      state = 'unknown',
+      error_details = 'some error'
+    where public_id = 'sr_________2';
+  select lives_ok('update_state_to_unknown_with_error');
+
+  -- Updating state again should error
+  prepare update_state_to_available_again as
+    update recording_session set
+      state = 'available',
+      error_details = wt_to_sentinel('no error details')
+    where public_id = 'sr_________2';
+  select throws_ok('update_state_to_available_again', null, null, 'updating the state away from ''unknown'' succeeded');
+
   prepare close_recording_session as
     update recording_session set
       start_time = clock_timestamp()::timestamptz,