diff --git a/frontend/src/auth/AuthProvider.test.tsx b/frontend/src/auth/AuthProvider.test.tsx
index e3023b1e28..8ddae4ca70 100644
--- a/frontend/src/auth/AuthProvider.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/auth/AuthProvider.test.tsx
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ describe("AuthProvider", () => {
     await waitFor(() => {
       expect(screen.getByText("Authentication Error")).toBeVisible();
       expect(screen.getByText("Config fetch failed")).toBeVisible();
+      expect(screen.getByText("Reload the page to try again.")).toBeVisible();
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/auth/AuthProvider.tsx b/frontend/src/auth/AuthProvider.tsx
index 34577c7b9b..f707ffa159 100644
--- a/frontend/src/auth/AuthProvider.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/auth/AuthProvider.tsx
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ export function AuthProvider({ children }: AuthProviderProps) {
       <div style={{ padding: '2rem', textAlign: 'center', color: 'red' }}>
         <h2>Authentication Error</h2>
         <p>{error}</p>
+        <p>Reload the page to try again.</p>
       </div>
     )
   }
diff --git a/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.test.ts b/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.test.ts
index bda21bf5fa..c9eb612b3b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.test.ts
@@ -73,22 +73,28 @@ describe("msalConfig", () => {
       expect(global.fetch).toHaveBeenCalledWith("/api/auth/config");
     });
 
-    it("returns empty config when response is not ok", async () => {
-      (global.fetch as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValue({ ok: false });
+    it("throws when response is not ok (transient failure is not auth-disabled)", async () => {
+      (global.fetch as jest.Mock).mockResolvedValue({
+        ok: false,
+        status: 503,
+        statusText: "Service Unavailable",
+      });
 
       const { fetchAuthConfig } = await import("./msalConfig");
-      const result = await fetchAuthConfig();
 
-      expect(result).toEqual({ clientId: "", tenantId: "", allowedGroupIds: "" });
+      await expect(fetchAuthConfig()).rejects.toThrow("/api/auth/config returned 503 Service Unavailable");
     });
 
-    it("returns empty config on network error", async () => {
-      (global.fetch as jest.Mock).mockRejectedValue(new Error("Network error"));
+    it("throws on network error (transient failure is not auth-disabled)", async () => {
+      const networkError = new Error("Network error");
+      (global.fetch as jest.Mock).mockRejectedValue(networkError);
 
       const { fetchAuthConfig } = await import("./msalConfig");
-      const result = await fetchAuthConfig();
 
-      expect(result).toEqual({ clientId: "", tenantId: "", allowedGroupIds: "" });
+      await expect(fetchAuthConfig()).rejects.toMatchObject({
+        message: "Failed to reach /api/auth/config: Network error",
+        cause: networkError,
+      });
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.ts b/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.ts
index c63e3a68cf..a99aebc3fd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.ts
@@ -24,17 +24,26 @@ export interface AuthConfig {
 }
 
 export async function fetchAuthConfig(): Promise<AuthConfig> {
+  let response: Response
   try {
-    const response = await fetch('/api/auth/config')
-    if (!response.ok) {
-      // Auth endpoint not available — treat as auth disabled
-      return { clientId: '', tenantId: '', allowedGroupIds: '' }
-    }
-    return (await response.json()) as AuthConfig
-  } catch {
-    // Network error (e.g., backend not running yet) — treat as auth disabled
-    return { clientId: '', tenantId: '', allowedGroupIds: '' }
+    response = await fetch('/api/auth/config')
+  } catch (error) {
+    // A network error (e.g., backend not running yet) is a transient
+    // infrastructure failure, not proof that auth is disabled. Surface it so
+    // AuthProvider can show its error state instead of rendering the shell
+    // while protected APIs return 401.
+    const fetchError = new Error(
+      `Failed to reach /api/auth/config: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}`,
+    )
+    // ErrorOptions requires ES2022, while this project targets ES2020.
+    Object.defineProperty(fetchError, 'cause', { value: error })
+    throw fetchError
   }
+  if (!response.ok) {
+    // HTTP-level failures on the config endpoint are equally inconclusive.
+    throw new Error(`/api/auth/config returned ${response.status} ${response.statusText}`)
+  }
+  return (await response.json()) as AuthConfig
 }
 
 export function buildMsalConfig(authConfig: AuthConfig): Configuration {