diff --git a/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.test.ts b/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.test.ts
index bda21bf5fa..2ed9472849 100644
--- a/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.test.ts
@@ -73,22 +73,24 @@ 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 () => {
+    it("throws on network error (transient failure is not auth-disabled)", async () => {
       (global.fetch as jest.Mock).mockRejectedValue(new Error("Network error"));
 
       const { fetchAuthConfig } = await import("./msalConfig");
-      const result = await fetchAuthConfig();
 
-      expect(result).toEqual({ clientId: "", tenantId: "", allowedGroupIds: "" });
+      await expect(fetchAuthConfig()).rejects.toThrow("Failed to reach /api/auth/config");
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.ts b/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.ts
index c63e3a68cf..1d4a70b121 100644
--- a/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/auth/msalConfig.ts
@@ -24,17 +24,23 @@ 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 (e) {
+    // 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.
+    throw Object.assign(new Error(`Failed to reach /api/auth/config: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)}`), {
+      cause: e,
+    })
   }
+  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 {
diff --git a/pyrit/scenario/core/matrix_atomic_attack_builder.py b/pyrit/scenario/core/matrix_atomic_attack_builder.py
index 40a35ca474..34787b248b 100644
--- a/pyrit/scenario/core/matrix_atomic_attack_builder.py
+++ b/pyrit/scenario/core/matrix_atomic_attack_builder.py
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ def resolve_technique_factories(
 
     Reads the ``AttackTechniqueRegistry`` singleton and keeps only the factories whose name
     matches a selected technique, preserving selection order. Techniques with no registered
-    factory are silently dropped so the caller can proceed with whatever techniques exist.
+    factory are logged and dropped so the caller can proceed with whatever techniques exist.
 
     Args:
         context (ScenarioContext): The resolved runtime inputs for this run.
@@ -160,6 +160,9 @@ def resolve_technique_factories(
     all_factories = dict(AttackTechniqueRegistry.get_registry_singleton().get_factories_or_raise())
     if extra_factories:
         all_factories.update(extra_factories)
+    missing = [technique.value for technique in context.scenario_techniques if technique.value not in all_factories]
+    if missing:
+        logger.warning(f"Selected techniques have no registered factory and will be skipped: {missing}")
     return {
         technique.value: all_factories[technique.value]
         for technique in context.scenario_techniques
diff --git a/tests/unit/scenario/core/test_matrix_atomic_attack_builder.py b/tests/unit/scenario/core/test_matrix_atomic_attack_builder.py
index 044ce78512..2d2c78ddc5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/scenario/core/test_matrix_atomic_attack_builder.py
+++ b/tests/unit/scenario/core/test_matrix_atomic_attack_builder.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 * optional baseline emission from the flattened seed groups.
 """
 
+import logging
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
@@ -408,6 +409,17 @@ def test_drops_techniques_without_factory(self):
             resolved = resolve_technique_factories(context=context)
         assert list(resolved.keys()) == ["alpha"]
 
+    def test_warns_when_selected_technique_has_no_factory(self, caplog: pytest.LogCaptureFixture) -> None:
+        factories = {"alpha": _mock_factory(name="alpha")}
+        context = _context(techniques=[_technique("alpha"), _technique("missing")])
+        with (
+            _patch_registry(factories),
+            caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING, logger="pyrit.scenario.core.matrix_atomic_attack_builder"),
+        ):
+            resolved = resolve_technique_factories(context=context)
+        assert list(resolved.keys()) == ["alpha"]
+        assert any("missing" in r.getMessage() for r in caplog.records)
+
     def test_extra_factories_merged_and_override_registry(self):
         registry_factories = {"alpha": _mock_factory(name="alpha")}
         local_alpha = _mock_factory(name="alpha")