diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/AdditionalInitializers.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/AdditionalInitializers.test.tsx
index 74a909d626..8ddae07a63 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/AdditionalInitializers.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/AdditionalInitializers.test.tsx
@@ -162,6 +162,32 @@ describe('AdditionalInitializers', () => {
     expect(screen.getByText('tags (list[str], optional)')).toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
+  it('should disable Edit while the initializer catalog is unavailable', () => {
+    render(
+      <TestWrapper>
+        <AdditionalInitializers {...defaultProps} catalogAvailable={false} />
+      </TestWrapper>,
+    )
+
+    const editButtons = screen.getAllByRole('button', { name: 'Edit' })
+    expect(editButtons.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+    editButtons.forEach((button) => expect(button).toBeDisabled())
+    // The row explains why editing is unavailable instead of failing silently on save.
+    expect(screen.getAllByText(/editing is disabled until it reloads/i).length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+  })
+
+  it('should keep Apply and Remove usable while the initializer catalog is unavailable', () => {
+    render(
+      <TestWrapper>
+        <AdditionalInitializers {...defaultProps} catalogAvailable={false} />
+      </TestWrapper>,
+    )
+
+    const row = screen.getByTestId('initializer-row-additional-2')
+    expect(within(row).getByRole('button', { name: 'Apply now' })).toBeEnabled()
+    expect(within(row).getByRole('button', { name: 'Remove' })).toBeEnabled()
+  })
+
   it('should show the saved parameters read-only without an inline editor', () => {
     render(
       <TestWrapper>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/AdditionalInitializers.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/AdditionalInitializers.tsx
index 992292ca3c..59c352c263 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/AdditionalInitializers.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/AdditionalInitializers.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import ConfirmDialog from '../ConfirmDialog'
 interface AdditionalInitializersProps {
   items: AdditionalInitializerSetting[]
   registeredInitializers: RegisteredInitializer[]
+  catalogAvailable?: boolean
   creating: boolean
   savingInitializerId?: string | null
   saveErrors?: Record<string, string>
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ interface AdditionalInitializersProps {
 interface AdditionalInitializerCardProps {
   item: AdditionalInitializerSetting
   initializer: RegisteredInitializer
+  catalogAvailable: boolean
   isSaving: boolean
   isApplying: boolean
   isDeleting: boolean
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ interface AdditionalInitializerCardProps {
 function AdditionalInitializerCard({
   item,
   initializer,
+  catalogAvailable,
   isSaving,
   isApplying,
   isDeleting,
@@ -93,6 +96,11 @@ function AdditionalInitializerCard({
               Required env vars: {initializer.required_env_vars.join(', ')}
             </Text>
           )}
+          {!catalogAvailable && (
+            <Text className={styles.envVarText}>
+              Initializer catalog is unavailable; editing is disabled until it reloads.
+            </Text>
+          )}
         </div>
       </div>
 
@@ -110,7 +118,7 @@ function AdditionalInitializerCard({
       </div>
 
       <div className={styles.actionsRow}>
-        <Button appearance="primary" onClick={() => setEditOpen(true)} disabled={isBusy}>
+        <Button appearance="primary" onClick={() => setEditOpen(true)} disabled={isBusy || !catalogAvailable}>
           Edit
         </Button>
         <Button
@@ -157,6 +165,7 @@ function AdditionalInitializerCard({
 export default function AdditionalInitializers({
   items,
   registeredInitializers,
+  catalogAvailable = true,
   creating,
   savingInitializerId = null,
   saveErrors = {},
@@ -237,7 +246,8 @@ export default function AdditionalInitializers({
             <AdditionalInitializerCard
               key={`${item.id}:${formatInitializerParameters(item.parameters)}:${item.order_index ?? ''}`}
               item={item}
-              initializer={resolveRegisteredInitializer(item.initializer_name, registeredInitializers)}
+              initializer={resolveRegisteredInitializer(item.initializer_name, registeredInitializers, catalogAvailable)}
+              catalogAvailable={catalogAvailable}
               isSaving={savingInitializerId === item.id}
               isApplying={applyingInitializerId === item.id}
               isDeleting={deletingInitializerId === item.id}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/BaselineInitializers.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/BaselineInitializers.tsx
index 46910182ff..7cd810a1c3 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/BaselineInitializers.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/BaselineInitializers.tsx
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ import { useInitializersStyles } from './Initializers.styles'
 interface BaselineInitializersProps {
   items: BaselineInitializerSetting[]
   registeredInitializers: RegisteredInitializer[]
+  catalogAvailable?: boolean
 }
 
 export default function BaselineInitializers({
   items,
   registeredInitializers,
+  catalogAvailable = true,
 }: BaselineInitializersProps) {
   const styles = useInitializersStyles()
 
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ export default function BaselineInitializers({
       ) : (
         <div className={styles.baselineGroup} role="list" aria-label="Baseline initializers">
           {items.map((item: BaselineInitializerSetting) => {
-            const initializer = resolveRegisteredInitializer(item.initializer_name, registeredInitializers)
+            const initializer = resolveRegisteredInitializer(item.initializer_name, registeredInitializers, catalogAvailable)
             return (
               <div
                 key={`${item.initializer_name}:${item.order_index}`}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/Initializers.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/Initializers.test.tsx
index 3ddc8b6954..b0a06b8192 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/Initializers.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/Initializers.test.tsx
@@ -285,6 +285,31 @@ describe('Initializers', () => {
     expect(screen.getByText('Service Unavailable')).toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
+  it('should describe rows as temporarily unavailable, not unregistered, when the catalog fails', async () => {
+    mockedInitializersApi.listRegistered.mockRejectedValue(new Error('Service Unavailable'))
+
+    renderInitializers()
+
+    const row = await screen.findByTestId('baseline-initializer-row-target')
+    // A metadata outage must not be presented as a configuration problem.
+    expect(within(row).getByText(/temporarily unavailable/i)).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(within(row).queryByText(/no longer registered/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+
+    mockedInitializersApi.listRegistered.mockResolvedValue({
+      items: [targetInitializer],
+      pagination: { limit: 200, has_more: false },
+    })
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Refresh' }))
+
+    // Refresh re-runs the load effect (and remounts rows via the loading
+    // state), so assert on a freshly queried node.
+    await waitFor(async () => {
+      expect(screen.getByTestId('baseline-initializer-row-target')).toHaveTextContent(
+        'Registers targets.',
+      )
+    })
+  })
+
   it('should remove an additional initializer and show success feedback', async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup()
     renderInitializers()
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/Initializers.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/Initializers.tsx
index 55c7547d7f..39af8feaa6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/Initializers.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/Initializers.tsx
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ export default function Initializers() {
   const styles = useInitializersStyles()
   const [settings, setSettings] = useState<InitializerSettingsResponse>(EMPTY_SETTINGS)
   const [registeredInitializers, setRegisteredInitializers] = useState<RegisteredInitializer[]>([])
+  // A failed catalog request leaves registration state unknown; rows must
+  // then say "temporarily unavailable" instead of "no longer registered",
+  // which would present a metadata outage as a configuration problem.
+  const [catalogAvailable, setCatalogAvailable] = useState(true)
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true)
   const [statusMessage, setStatusMessage] = useState<StatusMessage | null>(null)
   const [refetchCount, setRefetchCount] = useState(0)
@@ -55,7 +59,9 @@ export default function Initializers() {
 
       if (registeredResult.status === 'fulfilled') {
         setRegisteredInitializers(registeredResult.value.items)
+        setCatalogAvailable(true)
       } else {
+        setCatalogAvailable(false)
         const catalogError = toApiError(registeredResult.reason).detail
         setStatusMessage((current: StatusMessage | null) =>
           current
@@ -207,10 +213,12 @@ export default function Initializers() {
           <BaselineInitializers
             items={settings.baseline}
             registeredInitializers={registeredInitializers}
+            catalogAvailable={catalogAvailable}
           />
           <AdditionalInitializers
             items={settings.additional}
             registeredInitializers={registeredInitializers}
+            catalogAvailable={catalogAvailable}
             creating={creating}
             savingInitializerId={savingInitializerId}
             saveErrors={saveErrors}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/initializerLookup.test.ts b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/initializerLookup.test.ts
index cecf5e57bc..751e839900 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/initializerLookup.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/initializerLookup.test.ts
@@ -45,3 +45,24 @@ describe('resolveRegisteredInitializer', () => {
     expect(result.initializer_type).toBe('UnknownInitializer')
   })
 })
+
+describe('resolveRegisteredInitializer with catalog availability', () => {
+  it('reports temporary unavailability instead of unregistered when the catalog request failed', () => {
+    const result = resolveRegisteredInitializer('target', [], false)
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      initializer_name: 'target',
+      initializer_type: 'UnverifiedInitializer',
+      description: expect.stringContaining('temporarily unavailable'),
+      required_env_vars: [],
+      supported_parameters: [],
+    })
+    expect(result.description).not.toContain('no longer registered')
+  })
+
+  it('still resolves matches from stale-but-loaded catalog data when available flag is true', () => {
+    const result = resolveRegisteredInitializer('target', registered, true)
+
+    expect(result).toBe(registered[0])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/initializerLookup.ts b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/initializerLookup.ts
index 73b3d889b1..20cb305f5b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Initializers/initializerLookup.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Initializers/initializerLookup.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,36 @@
 import type { RegisteredInitializer } from '@/types'
 
+export const UNREGISTERED_INITIALIZER_DESCRIPTION = 'Initializer is no longer registered.'
+export const CATALOG_UNAVAILABLE_DESCRIPTION =
+  'Initializer catalog is temporarily unavailable; registration state cannot be confirmed.'
+
 /**
  * Resolve a settings entry's `initializer_name` to its catalog definition.
  *
  * Settings reference an initializer by name; the catalog (from `listRegistered`)
  * is the single source of truth for display metadata. When a persisted name is no
  * longer registered, return a placeholder so the row still renders.
+ *
+ * `catalogAvailable` distinguishes the two ways a name can fail to resolve:
+ * a successful catalog response that lacks the name means the entry is truly
+ * unregistered, while a failed catalog request only means registration state
+ * is unknown and must not be reported as a configuration problem.
  */
 export function resolveRegisteredInitializer(
   initializerName: string,
   registeredInitializers: RegisteredInitializer[],
+  catalogAvailable: boolean = true,
 ): RegisteredInitializer {
+  if (!catalogAvailable) {
+    return {
+      initializer_name: initializerName,
+      initializer_type: 'UnverifiedInitializer',
+      description: CATALOG_UNAVAILABLE_DESCRIPTION,
+      required_env_vars: [],
+      supported_parameters: [],
+    }
+  }
+
   const match = registeredInitializers.find((item) => item.initializer_name === initializerName)
   if (match) {
     return match
@@ -19,7 +39,7 @@ export function resolveRegisteredInitializer(
   return {
     initializer_name: initializerName,
     initializer_type: 'UnknownInitializer',
-    description: 'Initializer is no longer registered.',
+    description: UNREGISTERED_INITIALIZER_DESCRIPTION,
     required_env_vars: [],
     supported_parameters: [],
   }