diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index 9e68741..43425a4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -255,12 +255,6 @@ export function App() {
     refreshUnreads,
   } = useUnreadCounts(channels, contacts, activeConversation);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (showSettings && !config && settingsSection === 'radio') {
-      setSettingsSection('local');
-    }
-  }, [config, settingsSection, setSettingsSection, showSettings]);
-
   useEffect(() => {
     if (activeConversation?.type !== 'channel') {
       setChannelUnreadMarker(null);
@@ -573,7 +567,6 @@ export function App() {
       settingsSection={settingsSection}
       sidebarOpen={sidebarOpen}
       showCracker={showCracker}
-      disabledSettingsSections={config ? [] : ['radio']}
       onSettingsSectionChange={setSettingsSection}
       onSidebarOpenChange={setSidebarOpen}
       onCrackerRunningChange={setCrackerRunning}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SettingsModal.tsx b/frontend/src/components/SettingsModal.tsx
index 117d100..616b796 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SettingsModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SettingsModal.tsx
@@ -155,13 +155,11 @@ export function SettingsModal(props: SettingsModalProps) {
   const renderSectionHeader = (section: SettingsSection): ReactNode => {
     if (!showSectionButton) return null;
     const Icon = SETTINGS_SECTION_ICONS[section];
-    const disabled = section === 'radio' && !config;
     return (
       <button
         type="button"
-        className={`${sectionButtonClasses} disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50`}
+        className={sectionButtonClasses}
         aria-expanded={expandedSections[section]}
-        disabled={disabled}
         onClick={() => toggleSection(section)}
       >
         <span className="inline-flex items-center gap-2 font-medium" role="heading" aria-level={3}>
@@ -206,8 +204,8 @@ export function SettingsModal(props: SettingsModalProps) {
               />
             ) : (
               <div className={sectionContentClass}>
-                <div className="rounded-md border border-input bg-muted/20 px-4 py-3 text-sm text-muted-foreground">
-                  Radio settings are unavailable until a radio connects.
+                <div className="flex items-center justify-center py-12 text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+                  Radio is not available.
                 </div>
               </div>
             ))}
diff --git a/frontend/src/test/appStartupHash.test.tsx b/frontend/src/test/appStartupHash.test.tsx
index 19bcf2e..fa23a4b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/test/appStartupHash.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/test/appStartupHash.test.tsx
@@ -327,19 +327,17 @@ describe('App startup hash resolution', () => {
     expect(window.location.hash).toBe('');
   });
 
-  it('opens settings from a settings hash and falls back away from radio when disconnected', async () => {
+  it('stays on radio settings section even when radio is disconnected', async () => {
     window.location.hash = '#settings/radio';
     mocks.api.getRadioConfig.mockRejectedValue(new Error('radio offline'));
 
     render(<App />);
 
     await waitFor(() => {
-      expect(screen.getByTestId('settings-modal-section')).toHaveTextContent('local');
+      expect(screen.getByTestId('settings-modal-section')).toHaveTextContent('radio');
     });
 
-    for (const button of screen.getAllByRole('button', { name: 'Radio' })) {
-      expect(button).toBeDisabled();
-    }
-    expect(window.location.hash).toBe('#settings/local');
+    // Section stays on radio (no redirect to local) and hash is preserved
+    expect(window.location.hash).toBe('#settings/radio');
   });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/test/settingsModal.test.tsx b/frontend/src/test/settingsModal.test.tsx
index ce74b1d..450f33a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/test/settingsModal.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/test/settingsModal.test.tsx
@@ -206,30 +206,24 @@ describe('SettingsModal', () => {
     expect(screen.getByText(/Configured radio contact capacity/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('keeps non-radio settings available when radio config is unavailable', () => {
+  it('shows radio-unavailable message when config is null', () => {
     renderModal({ config: null });
 
     const radioToggle = screen.getByRole('button', { name: /Radio/i });
-    expect(radioToggle).toBeDisabled();
+    expect(radioToggle).not.toBeDisabled();
 
-    openLocalSection();
-    expect(screen.getByLabelText('Local label text')).toBeInTheDocument();
-
-    openDatabaseSection();
-    expect(screen.getByText('Delete Undecrypted Packets')).toBeInTheDocument();
+    fireEvent.click(radioToggle);
+    expect(screen.getByText('Radio is not available.')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('shows a radio-unavailable message instead of blocking the whole settings page', () => {
+  it('shows radio-unavailable message in sidebar-nav mode when config is null', () => {
     renderModal({
       config: null,
       externalSidebarNav: true,
       desktopSection: 'radio',
     });
 
-    expect(
-      screen.getByText('Radio settings are unavailable until a radio connects.')
-    ).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.queryByText('Loading configuration...')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText('Radio is not available.')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
   it('shows cached radio firmware and capacity info under the connection status', () => {