diff --git a/src/app/(protected)/completion-docs/_components/completion-templates-table.tsx b/src/app/(protected)/completion-docs/_components/completion-templates-table.tsx
index 0a8bd5d7..5756ad64 100644
--- a/src/app/(protected)/completion-docs/_components/completion-templates-table.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(protected)/completion-docs/_components/completion-templates-table.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ const BODY_CELL_SX = { fontSize: 13, padding: "8px 12px" } as const;
 type CompletionTemplatesTableProps = {
   templates: CompletionTemplate[];
   isLoading: boolean;
+  /** The load failed: the page shows the error, so there is no search result to explain. */
+  hasError: boolean;
   canEdit: boolean;
   onView: (template: CompletionTemplate) => void;
   onEdit: (template: CompletionTemplate) => void;
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ function TemplateRow({
   canEdit,
   onView,
   onEdit,
-}: Omit<CompletionTemplatesTableProps, "templates" | "isLoading"> & {
+}: Omit<CompletionTemplatesTableProps, "templates" | "isLoading" | "hasError"> & {
   template: CompletionTemplate;
 }) {
   return (
@@ -120,6 +122,7 @@ function TemplateRow({
 export function CompletionTemplatesTable({
   templates,
   isLoading,
+  hasError,
   canEdit,
   onView,
   onEdit,
@@ -143,7 +146,7 @@ export function CompletionTemplatesTable({
       </TableHead>
       <TableBody>
         {isLoading && <TableLoadingRow colSpan={4} />}
-        {!isLoading && templates.length === 0 && <EmptyRow />}
+        {!isLoading && !hasError && templates.length === 0 && <EmptyRow />}
         {templates.map((template) => (
           <TemplateRow
             key={template.id}
diff --git a/src/app/(protected)/completion-docs/index.tsx b/src/app/(protected)/completion-docs/index.tsx
index 924c418f..a17139c3 100644
--- a/src/app/(protected)/completion-docs/index.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(protected)/completion-docs/index.tsx
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ export default function CompletionDocsPage() {
         <CompletionTemplatesTable
           templates={templates}
           isLoading={filtered.isPending}
+          hasError={filtered.error !== null}
           canEdit={permissions.canEdit}
           onView={(template) => setDialog({ template, mode: "view" })}
           onEdit={(template) => setDialog({ template, mode: "edit" })}
diff --git a/src/test/app/(protected)/completion-docs/completion-docs-page.test.tsx b/src/test/app/(protected)/completion-docs/completion-docs-page.test.tsx
index 3521c871..30f1070c 100644
--- a/src/test/app/(protected)/completion-docs/completion-docs-page.test.tsx
+++ b/src/test/app/(protected)/completion-docs/completion-docs-page.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { screen, within } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { screen, waitFor, within } from "@testing-library/react";
 import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import CompletionDocsPage from "@/app/(protected)/completion-docs/index";
@@ -88,6 +88,21 @@ describe("Completion Docs page", { timeout: 15_000 }, () => {
     expect(screen.queryByRole("row", { name: /Backflow Test Report/ })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  it("reports a failed load without the empty-search message, including after a failed Retry", async () => {
+    api.apiGet.mockRejectedValue(new Error("Templates are unavailable"));
+    renderPage();
+
+    const retry = await screen.findByRole("button", { name: "Retry" });
+    expect(screen.getByText("Templates are unavailable")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("No templates found")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    const callsBeforeRetry = api.apiGet.mock.calls.length;
+    await user.click(retry);
+    await waitFor(() => expect(api.apiGet.mock.calls.length).toBeGreaterThan(callsBeforeRetry));
+    expect(await screen.findByText("Templates are unavailable")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("No templates found")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   it("opens a read-only detail panel from a row with every part of the template", async () => {
     renderPage();
     const dialog = await openTemplate("Backflow Test Report");