diff --git a/frontend/index.html b/frontend/index.html
index 03c440a..92bb1ea 100644
--- a/frontend/index.html
+++ b/frontend/index.html
@@ -20,14 +20,35 @@
     <script>
       // Start critical data fetches before React loads — shaves ~1-2s off startup.
       // React hooks consume the promises via window.__prefetch.
-      var j = function(r) { return r.json(); };
+      var fetchJsonOrThrow = function(url) {
+        return fetch(url).then(function(response) {
+          if (response.ok) {
+            return response.json();
+          }
+          return response.text().then(function(rawError) {
+            var message = rawError || response.statusText || ('HTTP ' + response.status);
+            try {
+              var parsed = JSON.parse(rawError);
+              if (parsed && typeof parsed.detail === 'string' && parsed.detail.length > 0) {
+                message = parsed.detail;
+              }
+            } catch {
+              // Keep raw text fallback when body is not JSON.
+            }
+            throw new Error('Prefetch failed for ' + url + ': ' + message);
+          });
+        }).catch(function(err) {
+          console.error(err);
+          throw err;
+        });
+      };
       window.__prefetch = {
-        config: fetch('/api/radio/config').then(j),
-        settings: fetch('/api/settings').then(j),
-        channels: fetch('/api/channels').then(j),
-        contacts: fetch('/api/contacts?limit=1000&offset=0').then(j),
-        unreads: fetch('/api/read-state/unreads').then(j),
-        undecryptedCount: fetch('/api/packets/undecrypted/count').then(j),
+        config: fetchJsonOrThrow('/api/radio/config'),
+        settings: fetchJsonOrThrow('/api/settings'),
+        channels: fetchJsonOrThrow('/api/channels'),
+        contacts: fetchJsonOrThrow('/api/contacts?limit=1000&offset=0'),
+        unreads: fetchJsonOrThrow('/api/read-state/unreads'),
+        undecryptedCount: fetchJsonOrThrow('/api/packets/undecrypted/count'),
       };
     </script>
     <script type="module" src="/src/main.tsx"></script>
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index 3b27ef1..469f49b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
   Suspense,
 } from 'react';
 import { api } from './api';
-import { takePrefetch } from './prefetch';
+import { takePrefetchOrFetch } from './prefetch';
 import { useWebSocket } from './useWebSocket';
 import {
   useUnreadCounts,
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ export function App() {
     fetchUndecryptedCount();
 
     // Fetch contacts and channels via REST (parallel, faster than WS serial push)
-    (takePrefetch('channels') ?? api.getChannels()).then(setChannels).catch(console.error);
+    takePrefetchOrFetch('channels', api.getChannels).then(setChannels).catch(console.error);
     fetchAllContacts()
       .then((data) => {
         setContacts(data);
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useAppSettings.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useAppSettings.ts
index 89b4fed..7969934 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useAppSettings.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useAppSettings.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useState, useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { api } from '../api';
-import { takePrefetch } from '../prefetch';
+import { takePrefetchOrFetch } from '../prefetch';
 import { toast } from '../components/ui/sonner';
 import {
   initLastMessageTimes,
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export function useAppSettings() {
 
   const fetchAppSettings = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
-      const data = await (takePrefetch('settings') ?? api.getSettings());
+      const data = await takePrefetchOrFetch('settings', api.getSettings);
       setAppSettings(data);
       initLastMessageTimes(data.last_message_times ?? {});
     } catch (err) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useContactsAndChannels.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useContactsAndChannels.ts
index f147d32..ac84f66 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useContactsAndChannels.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useContactsAndChannels.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useState, useCallback, type MutableRefObject } from 'react';
 import { api } from '../api';
-import { takePrefetch } from '../prefetch';
+import { takePrefetchOrFetch } from '../prefetch';
 import { toast } from '../components/ui/sonner';
 import * as messageCache from '../messageCache';
 import { getContactDisplayName } from '../utils/pubkey';
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export function useContactsAndChannels({
 
   const fetchUndecryptedCountInternal = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
-      const data = await (takePrefetch('undecryptedCount') ?? api.getUndecryptedPacketCount());
+      const data = await takePrefetchOrFetch('undecryptedCount', api.getUndecryptedPacketCount);
       setUndecryptedCount(data.count);
     } catch (err) {
       console.error('Failed to fetch undecrypted count:', err);
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export function useContactsAndChannels({
   // Fetch all contacts, paginating if >1000
   const fetchAllContacts = useCallback(async (): Promise<Contact[]> => {
     const pageSize = 1000;
-    const first = await (takePrefetch('contacts') ?? api.getContacts(pageSize, 0));
+    const first = await takePrefetchOrFetch('contacts', () => api.getContacts(pageSize, 0));
     if (first.length < pageSize) return first;
     let all = [...first];
     let offset = pageSize;
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useRadioControl.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useRadioControl.ts
index c63fc19..265402a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useRadioControl.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useRadioControl.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useState, useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { api } from '../api';
-import { takePrefetch } from '../prefetch';
+import { takePrefetchOrFetch } from '../prefetch';
 import { toast } from '../components/ui/sonner';
 import type { HealthStatus, RadioConfig, RadioConfigUpdate } from '../types';
 
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export function useRadioControl() {
 
   const fetchConfig = useCallback(async () => {
     try {
-      const data = await (takePrefetch('config') ?? api.getRadioConfig());
+      const data = await takePrefetchOrFetch('config', api.getRadioConfig);
       setConfig(data);
     } catch (err) {
       console.error('Failed to fetch config:', err);
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useUnreadCounts.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useUnreadCounts.ts
index 34eee7a..2f9f8a2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useUnreadCounts.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useUnreadCounts.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import {
   type ConversationTimes,
 } from '../utils/conversationState';
 import type { Channel, Contact, Conversation, Message, UnreadCounts } from '../types';
-import { takePrefetch } from '../prefetch';
+import { takePrefetchOrFetch } from '../prefetch';
 
 interface UseUnreadCountsResult {
   unreadCounts: Record<string, number>;
@@ -59,13 +59,12 @@ export function useUnreadCounts(
   const contactsLen = contacts.length;
   const prevLens = useRef({ channels: 0, contacts: 0 });
   useEffect(() => {
-    const prefetched = takePrefetch('unreads');
-    if (prefetched) {
-      prefetched.then(applyUnreads).catch(() => fetchUnreads());
-    } else {
-      fetchUnreads();
-    }
-  }, [fetchUnreads, applyUnreads]);
+    takePrefetchOrFetch('unreads', api.getUnreads)
+      .then(applyUnreads)
+      .catch((err) => {
+        console.error('Failed to fetch unreads:', err);
+      });
+  }, [applyUnreads]);
   useEffect(() => {
     const prev = prevLens.current;
     prevLens.current = { channels: channelsLen, contacts: contactsLen };
diff --git a/frontend/src/prefetch.ts b/frontend/src/prefetch.ts
index d437852..3bb55d2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/prefetch.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/prefetch.ts
@@ -18,9 +18,33 @@ interface PrefetchMap {
 
 const store: PrefetchMap = (window as unknown as { __prefetch?: PrefetchMap }).__prefetch ?? {};
 
+type PrefetchResolved<K extends keyof PrefetchMap> =
+  PrefetchMap[K] extends Promise<infer T> ? T : never;
+
 /** Take a prefetched promise (consumed once, then gone). */
 export function takePrefetch<K extends keyof PrefetchMap>(key: K): PrefetchMap[K] {
   const p = store[key];
   delete store[key];
   return p;
 }
+
+/**
+ * Use prefetched data when available. If prefetch failed or was absent, run
+ * the provided fallback fetcher.
+ */
+export async function takePrefetchOrFetch<K extends keyof PrefetchMap>(
+  key: K,
+  fallback: () => Promise<PrefetchResolved<K>>
+): Promise<PrefetchResolved<K>> {
+  const prefetched = takePrefetch(key);
+  if (!prefetched) {
+    return fallback();
+  }
+
+  try {
+    return await prefetched;
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.warn(`Prefetch for "${String(key)}" failed, falling back to live fetch.`, err);
+    return fallback();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/test/prefetch.test.ts b/frontend/src/test/prefetch.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a3a321
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/test/prefetch.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+interface PrefetchWindow extends Window {
+  __prefetch?: unknown;
+}
+
+function setPrefetchStore(store: unknown) {
+  (window as PrefetchWindow).__prefetch = store;
+}
+
+describe('takePrefetchOrFetch', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.resetModules();
+    delete (window as PrefetchWindow).__prefetch;
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it('uses prefetched data once, then falls back', async () => {
+    setPrefetchStore({
+      undecryptedCount: Promise.resolve({ count: 7 }),
+    });
+
+    const { takePrefetchOrFetch } = await import('../prefetch');
+    const fallback = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ count: 9 });
+
+    await expect(takePrefetchOrFetch('undecryptedCount', fallback)).resolves.toEqual({ count: 7 });
+    expect(fallback).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    await expect(takePrefetchOrFetch('undecryptedCount', fallback)).resolves.toEqual({ count: 9 });
+    expect(fallback).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('falls back when prefetched promise rejects', async () => {
+    const prefetchedFailure = Promise.reject(new Error('prefetch failed'));
+    // Avoid unhandled rejection noise while the helper awaits the same promise.
+    prefetchedFailure.catch(() => undefined);
+    setPrefetchStore({
+      undecryptedCount: prefetchedFailure,
+    });
+
+    const warnSpy = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => undefined);
+    const { takePrefetchOrFetch } = await import('../prefetch');
+    const fallback = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ count: 11 });
+
+    await expect(takePrefetchOrFetch('undecryptedCount', fallback)).resolves.toEqual({ count: 11 });
+    expect(fallback).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(warnSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});