diff --git a/src/operator-dashboard/static/App.jsx b/src/operator-dashboard/static/App.jsx
index 7e04553..a7c2f58 100644
--- a/src/operator-dashboard/static/App.jsx
+++ b/src/operator-dashboard/static/App.jsx
@@ -11,11 +11,18 @@ import { dashboardReducer, initialDashboardState } from './state/dashboardReduce
 
 const BOOTSTRAP_PAGE_SIZE = 20;
 
-function LoadingPanel() {
+function LoadingPanel({ error, onRetry }) {
   return (
     <div className="panel">
-      <h2>Loading dashboard</h2>
-      <p className="panel-subtitle">Fetching session, durable history, and live service state.</p>
+      <h2>{error ? 'Dashboard unavailable' : 'Loading dashboard'}</h2>
+      <p className="panel-subtitle">
+        {error || 'Fetching session, durable history, and live service state.'}
+      </p>
+      {error ? (
+        <button className="button secondary" onClick={onRetry} type="button">
+          Retry
+        </button>
+      ) : null}
     </div>
   );
 }
@@ -32,6 +39,13 @@ export default function App() {
     return dashboard;
   }
 
+  async function bootDashboard() {
+    dispatch({ type: 'error.changed', error: null });
+    const session = await fetchJson('/api/session');
+    dispatch({ type: 'session.loaded', session });
+    await loadBootstrap(1);
+  }
+
   async function submitControl(service, action, body = {}, { reload = true } = {}) {
     dispatch({ type: 'notice.changed', notice: `${action} in progress` });
     dispatch({ type: 'error.changed', error: null });
@@ -135,7 +149,14 @@ export default function App() {
       />
 
       {!state.dashboard ? (
-        <LoadingPanel />
+        <LoadingPanel
+          error={state.error}
+          onRetry={() => {
+            bootDashboard().catch((error) => {
+              dispatch({ type: 'error.changed', error: error.message });
+            });
+          }}
+        />
       ) : (
         <>
           <StatusBar status={state.dashboard.status_bar} websocketState={state.websocketState} />
diff --git a/src/operator-dashboard/static/lib/api.js b/src/operator-dashboard/static/lib/api.js
index 2b59092..8edca32 100644
--- a/src/operator-dashboard/static/lib/api.js
+++ b/src/operator-dashboard/static/lib/api.js
@@ -1,11 +1,30 @@
 export async function fetchJson(url, options = {}) {
-  const response = await fetch(url, options);
-  const text = await response.text();
-  const data = text ? JSON.parse(text) : null;
+  const { timeoutMs = 15_000, ...fetchOptions } = options;
+  let timeout = null;
+  let controller = null;
 
-  if (!response.ok) {
-    throw new Error(data?.error || `HTTP ${response.status}`);
+  if (!fetchOptions.signal && timeoutMs > 0) {
+    controller = new AbortController();
+    fetchOptions.signal = controller.signal;
+    timeout = globalThis.setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), timeoutMs);
   }
 
-  return data;
+  try {
+    const response = await fetch(url, fetchOptions);
+    const text = await response.text();
+    const data = text ? JSON.parse(text) : null;
+
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      throw new Error(data?.error || `HTTP ${response.status}`);
+    }
+
+    return data;
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (controller?.signal.aborted) {
+      throw new Error(`Request timed out after ${timeoutMs}ms`);
+    }
+    throw error;
+  } finally {
+    if (timeout) globalThis.clearTimeout(timeout);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/test/operator-dashboard-api-client.test.mjs b/test/operator-dashboard-api-client.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb3380f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/operator-dashboard-api-client.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+
+import { fetchJson } from '../src/operator-dashboard/static/lib/api.js';
+
+test('dashboard fetch helper reports empty upstream 500 responses', async (t) => {
+  const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+  t.after(() => {
+    globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+  });
+
+  globalThis.fetch = async () => new Response('', { status: 500 });
+
+  await assert.rejects(
+    fetchJson('/api/session', { timeoutMs: 0 }),
+    /HTTP 500/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('dashboard fetch helper times out stale port-forward requests', async (t) => {
+  const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+  t.after(() => {
+    globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+  });
+
+  globalThis.fetch = async (_url, options = {}) => new Promise((_resolve, reject) => {
+    options.signal?.addEventListener('abort', () => {
+      reject(Object.assign(new Error('aborted'), { name: 'AbortError' }));
+    });
+  });
+
+  await assert.rejects(
+    fetchJson('/api/bootstrap', { timeoutMs: 1 }),
+    /Request timed out after 1ms/,
+  );
+});
diff --git a/test/operator-dashboard-ui-static.test.mjs b/test/operator-dashboard-ui-static.test.mjs
index d329ae4..3e67aad 100644
--- a/test/operator-dashboard-ui-static.test.mjs
+++ b/test/operator-dashboard-ui-static.test.mjs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const stylesSource = readFileSync(new URL('../src/operator-dashboard/static/styl
 const serviceCardSource = readFileSync(new URL('../src/operator-dashboard/static/components/ServiceCard.jsx', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
 const statusBarSource = readFileSync(new URL('../src/operator-dashboard/static/components/StatusBar.jsx', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
 const systemSource = readFileSync(new URL('../src/operator-dashboard/static/pages/SystemPage.jsx', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
+const appSource = readFileSync(new URL('../src/operator-dashboard/static/App.jsx', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
 
 test('strategy page owns consolidated quote lifecycle and successful trade tables', () => {
   assert.match(strategySource, /Quote lifecycle/);
@@ -64,3 +65,10 @@ test('system page exposes deduped environmental conditions history', () => {
   assert.match(systemSource, /NEAR Intents upstream status changes/);
   assert.match(systemSource, /status_fingerprint/);
 });
+
+test('dashboard loading state exposes API failures and retry action', () => {
+  assert.match(appSource, /Dashboard unavailable/);
+  assert.match(appSource, /<LoadingPanel[\s\S]*error=\{state\.error\}/);
+  assert.match(appSource, /Retry/);
+  assert.match(appSource, /bootDashboard\(\)\.catch/);
+});