diff --git a/client/pages/CategoriesPage.jsx b/client/pages/CategoriesPage.jsx
index 9b2ba26..c738bb9 100644
--- a/client/pages/CategoriesPage.jsx
+++ b/client/pages/CategoriesPage.jsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import React, { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useRef } from 'react';
 import { Link } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { toast } from 'sonner';
 import {
-  ChevronDown, Plus, Pencil, Trash2, ReceiptText,
+  ChevronDown, Plus, Pencil, Trash2, ReceiptText, AlertCircle, RefreshCw,
 } from 'lucide-react';
 import { api } from '@/api.js';
 import { Button, buttonVariants } from '@/components/ui/button';
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ function ExpandedBills({ category }) {
 export default function CategoriesPage() {
   const [categories, setCategories] = useState([]);
   const [loading, setLoading]       = useState(true);
+  const [loadError, setLoadError]   = useState(null);
   const [newName, setNewName]       = useState('');
   const [adding, setAdding]         = useState(false);
   const [expanded, setExpanded]     = useState(() => new Set());
@@ -243,11 +244,12 @@ export default function CategoriesPage() {
   const [deleting, setDeleting]         = useState(false);
 
   const load = useCallback(async () => {
+    setLoadError(null);
     try {
       const cats = await api.categories();
       setCategories(cats);
     } catch (err) {
-      toast.error(err.message);
+      setLoadError(err.message || 'Failed to load categories');
     } finally {
       setLoading(false);
     }
@@ -412,6 +414,17 @@ export default function CategoriesPage() {
         <div className="table-surface overflow-hidden rounded-xl">
           {loading ? (
             <div className="py-16 text-center text-sm text-muted-foreground">Loading...</div>
+          ) : loadError ? (
+            <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center py-16 text-center">
+              <AlertCircle className="h-8 w-8 text-destructive mb-3" />
+              <p className="text-sm font-medium text-foreground">Failed to load categories</p>
+              <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">{loadError}</p>
+              <Button size="sm" variant="outline" onClick={load}
+                className="mt-4 gap-1.5 text-xs border-destructive/30 hover:bg-destructive/10 hover:text-destructive hover:border-destructive/50">
+                <RefreshCw className="h-3 w-3" />
+                Try again
+              </Button>
+            </div>
           ) : visibleCategories.length === 0 ? (
             <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-3 px-4 py-16 text-center text-sm text-muted-foreground">
               <span>
diff --git a/client/pages/SettingsPage.jsx b/client/pages/SettingsPage.jsx
index 70a728b..a87b17f 100644
--- a/client/pages/SettingsPage.jsx
+++ b/client/pages/SettingsPage.jsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+import React, { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { toast } from 'sonner';
-import { Sun, Moon, Users } from 'lucide-react';
+import { Sun, Moon, Users, AlertCircle, RefreshCw } from 'lucide-react';
 import { api } from '@/api';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
@@ -218,16 +218,21 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
   };
 
   const [settings, setSettings] = useState(DEFAULTS);
-  const [loading, setLoading]   = useState(true);
-  const [saving, setSaving]     = useState(false);
+  const [loading,   setLoading]   = useState(true);
+  const [loadError, setLoadError] = useState(null);
+  const [saving,    setSaving]    = useState(false);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
+  const loadSettings = useCallback(() => {
+    setLoading(true);
+    setLoadError(null);
     api.settings()
       .then((d) => setSettings({ ...DEFAULTS, ...d }))
-      .catch(() => {})
+      .catch((err) => setLoadError(err.message || 'Failed to load settings'))
       .finally(() => setLoading(false));
   }, []); // eslint-disable-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
 
+  useEffect(() => { loadSettings(); }, [loadSettings]);
+
   const set = (k, v) => setSettings((p) => ({ ...p, [k]: v }));
 
   const handleSave = async () => {
@@ -254,6 +259,21 @@ export default function SettingsPage() {
     );
   }
 
+  if (loadError) {
+    return (
+      <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center py-24 text-center rounded-xl border border-destructive/20 bg-destructive/5">
+        <AlertCircle className="h-10 w-10 text-destructive mb-3" />
+        <p className="text-sm font-medium text-foreground">Failed to load settings</p>
+        <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">{loadError}</p>
+        <Button size="sm" variant="outline" onClick={loadSettings}
+          className="mt-4 gap-1.5 text-xs border-destructive/30 hover:bg-destructive/10 hover:text-destructive hover:border-destructive/50">
+          <RefreshCw className="h-3 w-3" />
+          Try again
+        </Button>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
   return (
     <div>
 
diff --git a/client/pages/SnowballPage.jsx b/client/pages/SnowballPage.jsx
index b02c042..a72cb91 100644
--- a/client/pages/SnowballPage.jsx
+++ b/client/pages/SnowballPage.jsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
-import { GripVertical, TrendingDown, Zap, Save, CalendarCheck, AlertTriangle, PenLine, EyeOff, CheckCircle2, Circle } from 'lucide-react';
+import { GripVertical, TrendingDown, Zap, Save, CalendarCheck, AlertTriangle, PenLine, EyeOff, CheckCircle2, Circle, AlertCircle, RefreshCw } from 'lucide-react';
 import { toast } from 'sonner';
 import { api } from '@/api';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
@@ -425,6 +425,7 @@ export default function SnowballPage() {
   const [bills,      setBills]      = useState([]);
   const [categories, setCategories] = useState([]);
   const [loading,    setLoading]    = useState(true);
+  const [loadError,  setLoadError]  = useState(null);
   const [saving,     setSaving]     = useState(false);
   const [dirty,      setDirty]      = useState(false);
   const [editBill,   setEditBill]   = useState(null);
@@ -454,6 +455,7 @@ export default function SnowballPage() {
 
   const load = useCallback(async () => {
     setLoading(true);
+    setLoadError(null);
     try {
       const [billsArr, catsArr, settings] = await Promise.all([
         api.snowball(), api.categories(), api.snowballSettings(),
@@ -468,7 +470,7 @@ export default function SnowballPage() {
       setExtraPayment(ep);
       extraPaymentRef.current = ep;
     } catch (err) {
-      toast.error(err.message || 'Failed to load snowball data');
+      setLoadError(err.message || 'Failed to load snowball data');
     } finally { setLoading(false); }
   }, []);
 
@@ -666,6 +668,21 @@ export default function SnowballPage() {
     );
   }
 
+  if (loadError) {
+    return (
+      <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center py-24 text-center rounded-xl border border-destructive/20 bg-destructive/5">
+        <AlertCircle className="h-10 w-10 text-destructive mb-3" />
+        <p className="text-sm font-medium text-foreground">Failed to load snowball data</p>
+        <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">{loadError}</p>
+        <Button size="sm" variant="outline" onClick={load}
+          className="mt-4 gap-1.5 text-xs border-destructive/30 hover:bg-destructive/10 hover:text-destructive hover:border-destructive/50">
+          <RefreshCw className="h-3 w-3" />
+          Try again
+        </Button>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
   const inp = 'bg-background/50 border-border/60 h-9 text-sm font-mono';
 
   return (
diff --git a/client/pages/TrackerPage.jsx b/client/pages/TrackerPage.jsx
index 25214c7..6844a2c 100644
--- a/client/pages/TrackerPage.jsx
+++ b/client/pages/TrackerPage.jsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import React, { useState, useEffect, useCallback, useRef, useMemo, useTransition } from 'react';
 import { useSearchParams } from 'react-router-dom';
-import { ChevronLeft, ChevronRight, Pencil, TrendingUp, AlertCircle, Clock, CheckCircle2, Settings2, Loader2, Plus, Search, X } from 'lucide-react';
+import { ChevronLeft, ChevronRight, Pencil, TrendingUp, AlertCircle, Clock, CheckCircle2, Settings2, Loader2, Plus, Search, X, RefreshCw } from 'lucide-react';
 import { toast } from 'sonner';
 import { api } from '@/api.js';
 import { useTracker } from '@/hooks/useQueries';
@@ -2170,15 +2170,6 @@ export default function TrackerPage() {
     setMonth(n.getMonth() + 1);
   }
 
-  // Handle errors from React Query (use ref to prevent duplicate toasts)
-  const errorShownRef = useRef(false);
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (isError && !errorShownRef.current) {
-      toast.error(error?.message || 'Failed to load tracker data');
-      errorShownRef.current = true;
-    }
-    if (!isError) errorShownRef.current = false;
-  }, [isError, error]);
 
   const rows    = data?.rows    || [];
   const summary = data?.summary || {};
@@ -2379,8 +2370,28 @@ export default function TrackerPage() {
         </div>
       )}
 
+      {/* ── Fetch error state ── */}
+      {isError && (
+        <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center py-20 text-center rounded-xl border border-destructive/20 bg-destructive/5">
+          <div className="h-10 w-10 rounded-full bg-destructive/10 flex items-center justify-center mb-3">
+            <AlertCircle className="h-5 w-5 text-destructive" />
+          </div>
+          <p className="text-sm font-medium text-foreground">Failed to load tracker data</p>
+          <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">{error?.message || 'An unexpected error occurred.'}</p>
+          <Button
+            size="sm"
+            variant="outline"
+            onClick={() => refetch()}
+            className="mt-4 gap-1.5 text-xs border-destructive/30 hover:bg-destructive/10 hover:text-destructive hover:border-destructive/50"
+          >
+            <RefreshCw className="h-3 w-3" />
+            Try again
+          </Button>
+        </div>
+      )}
+
       {/* ── Empty state ── */}
-      {rows.length === 0 && data !== null && (
+      {!isError && rows.length === 0 && data !== null && (
         <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center py-20 text-center rounded-xl border border-border bg-muted/20">
           <div className="h-10 w-10 rounded-full bg-muted flex items-center justify-center mb-3">
             <CheckCircle2 className="h-5 w-5 text-muted-foreground" />
@@ -2393,7 +2404,7 @@ export default function TrackerPage() {
       )}
 
       {/* ── Buckets — year and month passed so Row can open the correct monthly state dialog ── */}
-      {loading && (
+      {!isError && loading && (
         <div className="space-y-5" aria-busy="true">
           <div className="rounded-xl border border-border overflow-hidden bg-card p-4">
             <div className="flex items-center justify-between mb-4">
@@ -2425,8 +2436,8 @@ export default function TrackerPage() {
           </div>
         </div>
       )}
-      {first.length  > 0 && <Bucket label="1st – 14th"  rows={first}  year={year} month={month} refresh={refetch} onEditBill={handleOpenEditBill} loading={loading} />}
-      {second.length > 0 && <Bucket label="15th – 31st" rows={second} year={year} month={month} refresh={refetch} onEditBill={handleOpenEditBill} loading={loading} />}
+      {!isError && first.length  > 0 && <Bucket label="1st – 14th"  rows={first}  year={year} month={month} refresh={refetch} onEditBill={handleOpenEditBill} loading={loading} />}
+      {!isError && second.length > 0 && <Bucket label="15th – 31st" rows={second} year={year} month={month} refresh={refetch} onEditBill={handleOpenEditBill} loading={loading} />}
 
       {/* Edit Bill modal — opened by clicking a bill name in any tracker row */}
       {editBillData && (