diff --git a/src/fgai/dashboard.py b/src/fgai/dashboard.py
index a3d2bb8..b16003b 100644
--- a/src/fgai/dashboard.py
+++ b/src/fgai/dashboard.py
@@ -251,6 +251,8 @@ function llmCapability(llm, configuration) {
   const status = String(llm.status || 'starting');
   if (status === 'ok') return {state: 'on', detail: 'ok'};
   if (status === 'cached') return {state: 'on', detail: 'cached'};
+  if (status === 'cached_assessment_error') return {state: 'warn', detail: 'cached, assessment unavailable'};
+  if (status === 'assessment_unavailable') return {state: 'warn', detail: 'assessment unavailable'};
   if (status === 'error' && String(llm.text || '').trim()) return {state: 'warn', detail: 'cached, assessment error'};
   if (status === 'error') return {state: 'warn', detail: 'assessment error'};
   return {state: 'warn', detail: status};
@@ -619,6 +621,7 @@ async function refresh() {
     `Baseline DB size: ${esc(bytes((data.baseline || {}).size_bytes || 0))}`,
     `Discovery fields recorded: ${esc((data.baseline || {}).discovery_fields_recorded || 0)}`,
     `Discovery cache events: ${esc((data.baseline || {}).discovery_cache_events || 0)}`,
+    ['assessment_unavailable','cached_assessment_error'].includes(llm.status) ? `Ollama assessment: unavailable (${esc(llm.error || 'unknown error')})` : '',
     llm.status === 'error' ? `<span class="sev-high">Ollama assessment error: ${esc(llm.error || 'unknown error')}</span>` : '',
     `MCP status: ${esc(mcp.status || 'unknown')}`,
     mcp.status === 'refreshing' && pollStartedAt ? `MCP poll running: ${esc(pollRunningSeconds)}s` : '',
@@ -641,8 +644,7 @@ async function refresh() {
     configuration.log_source === 'graylog_mcp' && mcp.status !== 'refreshing' && enabledStreams.length > 0 && displayedRawEvents === 0 ? `<span class="sev-high">No raw events fetched from enabled streams. Check poll window, Graylog query, stream permissions, and Diagnostics -> Stream Coverage.</span>` : '',
     enabledWithNoRawEvents.length && mcp.status !== 'refreshing' ? `<span class="sev-high">${esc(enabledWithNoRawEvents.length)} enabled stream(s) returned zero raw events in ${esc(zeroRawWindow)}.</span>` : '',
     mcp.coverage_warning ? `<span class="sev-high">${esc(mcp.coverage_warning)}</span>` : '',
-    advisor.status === 'heuristic_fallback' ? `Profile advisor: heuristic fallback (${esc(advisor.error || 'advisor unavailable')})` : '',
-    advisor.status === 'error' ? `<span class="sev-high">Profile advisor error: ${esc(advisor.error || 'unknown error')}</span>` : ''
+    ['heuristic_fallback','error'].includes(advisor.status) ? `Profile advisor: heuristic fallback (${esc(advisor.error || 'advisor unavailable')})` : ''
   ].filter(Boolean).join('<br>');
   document.getElementById('health').innerHTML = [
     metric('Enabled streams', enabledStreams.length), metric('Streams missing profile', streamsMissingProfile), metric('MCP aggregate events', displayedAggregateEvents), metric('MCP raw sample', displayedRawEvents), metric('Partial streams', mcp.partial_streams || 0), metric('Sample capped', mcp.sample_limited_streams || 0), metric('Truncated streams', mcp.truncated_streams || 0), metric('Correlated entities', correlations.length)
diff --git a/src/fgai/monitor.py b/src/fgai/monitor.py
index 420a9fe..318512b 100644
--- a/src/fgai/monitor.py
+++ b/src/fgai/monitor.py
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ def add_llm_assessment(status: dict[str, object], *, previous: str | None = None
     except Exception as exc:
         status["llm_assessment"] = {
             "enabled": True,
-            "status": "error",
+            "status": "cached_assessment_error" if previous else "assessment_unavailable",
             "generated_at": int(time.time()),
             "error": str(exc),
             "text": previous or "",
diff --git a/tests/test_dashboard.py b/tests/test_dashboard.py
index 2070879..ab58869 100644
--- a/tests/test_dashboard.py
+++ b/tests/test_dashboard.py
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ class DashboardTests(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_dashboard_labels_ollama_assessment_errors(self):
         self.assertIn("function llmCapability", HTML)
-        self.assertIn("assessment error", HTML)
-        self.assertIn("Ollama assessment error", HTML)
+        self.assertIn("assessment unavailable", HTML)
+        self.assertIn("Ollama assessment: unavailable", HTML)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
diff --git a/tests/test_monitor.py b/tests/test_monitor.py
index 7543726..1ba091b 100644
--- a/tests/test_monitor.py
+++ b/tests/test_monitor.py
@@ -178,15 +178,24 @@ class MonitorTests(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual(status["capabilities"]["graylog_mcp"]["status"], "no_streams_enabled")
             self.assertEqual(status["summary"]["total"], 0)
 
-    def test_add_llm_assessment_records_error_without_ollama(self):
+    def test_add_llm_assessment_uses_cached_error_status_with_previous_text(self):
         status = {"summary": {}, "anomalies": []}
 
         with patch("fgai.monitor.ollama_dashboard_assessment", side_effect=TimeoutError("timeout")):
             add_llm_assessment(status, previous="old text")
 
-        self.assertEqual(status["llm_assessment"]["status"], "error")
+        self.assertEqual(status["llm_assessment"]["status"], "cached_assessment_error")
         self.assertEqual(status["llm_assessment"]["text"], "old text")
 
+    def test_add_llm_assessment_records_unavailable_without_previous_text(self):
+        status = {"summary": {}, "anomalies": []}
+
+        with patch("fgai.monitor.ollama_dashboard_assessment", side_effect=TimeoutError("timeout")):
+            add_llm_assessment(status)
+
+        self.assertEqual(status["llm_assessment"]["status"], "assessment_unavailable")
+        self.assertEqual(status["llm_assessment"]["text"], "")
+
     def test_add_llm_assessment_records_text(self):
         status = {"summary": {}, "anomalies": []}