diff --git a/src/app/(protected)/uplifts/_components/uplift-approvals-table.tsx b/src/app/(protected)/uplifts/_components/uplift-approvals-table.tsx
index 129df140..9819d2cd 100644
--- a/src/app/(protected)/uplifts/_components/uplift-approvals-table.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(protected)/uplifts/_components/uplift-approvals-table.tsx
@@ -295,9 +295,31 @@ function UpliftApprovalsEmptyState({ tab }: { tab: UpliftApprovalTab }) {
   );
 }
 
+// A failed queue is not an empty one: the page's error alert explains it, so the
+// empty-state copy must not also claim the list has nothing in it.
+function UpliftApprovalsEmptyRow({
+  tab,
+  colSpan,
+  hasError,
+}: {
+  tab: UpliftApprovalTab;
+  colSpan: number;
+  hasError: boolean;
+}) {
+  if (hasError) return null;
+  return (
+    <TableRow>
+      <TableCell colSpan={colSpan} align="center" className="py-10">
+        <UpliftApprovalsEmptyState tab={tab} />
+      </TableCell>
+    </TableRow>
+  );
+}
+
 export function UpliftApprovalsTable({
   tab,
   isLoading,
+  hasError,
   rows,
   canRevoke,
   onOpenDetail,
@@ -309,6 +331,7 @@ export function UpliftApprovalsTable({
 }: {
   tab: UpliftApprovalTab;
   isLoading: boolean;
+  hasError: boolean;
   rows: UpliftQueueItem[];
   canRevoke: boolean;
   onOpenDetail: (row: UpliftQueueItem) => void;
@@ -339,11 +362,7 @@ export function UpliftApprovalsTable({
               </TableCell>
             </TableRow>
           ) : rows.length === 0 ? (
-            <TableRow>
-              <TableCell colSpan={headerCells.length} align="center" className="py-10">
-                <UpliftApprovalsEmptyState tab={tab} />
-              </TableCell>
-            </TableRow>
+            <UpliftApprovalsEmptyRow tab={tab} colSpan={headerCells.length} hasError={hasError} />
           ) : (
             rows.map((row) => (
               <UpliftApprovalRow
diff --git a/src/app/(protected)/uplifts/index.tsx b/src/app/(protected)/uplifts/index.tsx
index dfa64f3b..01779410 100644
--- a/src/app/(protected)/uplifts/index.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(protected)/uplifts/index.tsx
@@ -173,6 +173,7 @@ export default function UpliftQueuePage() {
     approved: knownTotal(approvedQuery),
     rejected: knownTotal(rejectedQuery),
   };
+  const activeTotal = counts[tab];
   const pendingExposureTotal = pendingQuery.data?.pendingExposureTotal ?? null;
 
   const handleTabChange = (_event: unknown, value: string) => {
@@ -189,6 +190,7 @@ export default function UpliftQueuePage() {
       <UpliftApprovalsTable
         tab={tab}
         isLoading={activeQuery.isLoading}
+        hasError={Boolean(activeQuery.error)}
         rows={rows}
         canRevoke={canRevokeUplifts}
         onOpenDetail={openDetail}
@@ -198,11 +200,13 @@ export default function UpliftQueuePage() {
         onOpenAttachment={openUpliftEvidence}
         isDecisionPending={approvePending || rejectPending || revokePending}
       />
-      <UpliftApprovalsPagination
-        count={activeQuery.data?.totalCount ?? 0}
-        page={pages[tab]}
-        onPageChange={(page) => setPages((current) => ({ ...current, [tab]: page }))}
-      />
+      {activeTotal != null && (
+        <UpliftApprovalsPagination
+          count={activeTotal}
+          page={pages[tab]}
+          onPageChange={(page) => setPages((current) => ({ ...current, [tab]: page }))}
+        />
+      )}
       {detailItem != null && (
         <UpliftDetailModal
           item={detailItem}
diff --git a/src/test/app/(protected)/uplifts/uplift-approvals-rejected-tab.test.tsx b/src/test/app/(protected)/uplifts/uplift-approvals-rejected-tab.test.tsx
index cfc29305..7cd67af7 100644
--- a/src/test/app/(protected)/uplifts/uplift-approvals-rejected-tab.test.tsx
+++ b/src/test/app/(protected)/uplifts/uplift-approvals-rejected-tab.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { fireEvent, screen, within } from "@testing-library/react";
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import type {
   UpliftQueueItem,
   UpliftsQueueParams,
@@ -128,6 +128,12 @@ async function openRejectedTab() {
 }
 
 describe("Uplift Approvals rejected tab", () => {
+  // Load the page module once up front so the first test's budget is not spent on a
+  // cold import of the whole route.
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    await import("@/app/(protected)/uplifts/index");
+  }, 60_000);
+
   beforeEach(() => {
     queueState.requestedStatuses = [];
     queueState.errorByStatus = {};
@@ -164,6 +170,17 @@ describe("Uplift Approvals rejected tab", () => {
     expect(screen.getByLabelText("1 pending uplifts")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  it("shows the load error instead of an empty archive when the rejected queue fails", async () => {
+    queueState.byStatus.Rejected = undefined;
+    queueState.errorByStatus.Rejected = new Error("Failed to load uplift queue");
+    const table = await openRejectedTab();
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole("alert")).toHaveTextContent("Failed to load uplift queue");
+    expect(within(table).queryByText("No rejected uplifts.")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(within(table).queryByTestId("HighlightOffOutlinedIcon")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/of 0/)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   it("lists only rejected uplifts, in the server's most-recently-rejected order", async () => {
     const table = await openRejectedTab();