diff --git a/app/frontend_static.py b/app/frontend_static.py
index ab53446..5ba4544 100644
--- a/app/frontend_static.py
+++ b/app/frontend_static.py
@@ -120,3 +120,16 @@ def register_frontend_static_routes(app: FastAPI, frontend_dir: Path) -> bool:
 
     logger.info("Serving frontend from %s", frontend_dir)
     return True
+
+
+def register_frontend_missing_fallback(app: FastAPI) -> None:
+    """Register a fallback route that tells the user to build the frontend."""
+
+    @app.get("/", include_in_schema=False)
+    async def frontend_not_built():
+        return JSONResponse(
+            status_code=404,
+            content={
+                "detail": "Frontend not built. Run: cd frontend && npm install && npm run build"
+            },
+        )
diff --git a/app/main.py b/app/main.py
index 0504d39..59914d8 100644
--- a/app/main.py
+++ b/app/main.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse
 
 from app.config import setup_logging
 from app.database import db
-from app.frontend_static import register_frontend_static_routes
+from app.frontend_static import register_frontend_missing_fallback, register_frontend_static_routes
 from app.radio import RadioDisconnectedError, radio_manager
 from app.radio_sync import (
     stop_message_polling,
@@ -109,4 +109,5 @@ app.include_router(ws.router, prefix="/api")
 
 # Serve frontend static files in production
 FRONTEND_DIR = Path(__file__).parent.parent / "frontend" / "dist"
-register_frontend_static_routes(app, FRONTEND_DIR)
+if not register_frontend_static_routes(app, FRONTEND_DIR):
+    register_frontend_missing_fallback(app)
diff --git a/tests/test_frontend_static.py b/tests/test_frontend_static.py
index 3043f34..42230ac 100644
--- a/tests/test_frontend_static.py
+++ b/tests/test_frontend_static.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import logging
 from fastapi import FastAPI
 from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
 
-from app.frontend_static import register_frontend_static_routes
+from app.frontend_static import register_frontend_missing_fallback, register_frontend_static_routes
 
 
 def test_missing_dist_logs_error_and_keeps_app_running(tmp_path, caplog):
@@ -16,9 +16,14 @@ def test_missing_dist_logs_error_and_keeps_app_running(tmp_path, caplog):
     assert registered is False
     assert "Frontend build directory not found" in caplog.text
 
+    # Register the fallback like main.py does
+    register_frontend_missing_fallback(app)
+
     with TestClient(app) as client:
-        # App still runs; no frontend route is registered.
-        assert client.get("/").status_code == 404
+        resp = client.get("/")
+        assert resp.status_code == 404
+        assert "npm install" in resp.json()["detail"]
+        assert "npm run build" in resp.json()["detail"]
 
 
 def test_missing_index_logs_error_and_skips_frontend_routes(tmp_path, caplog):