diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop/rover/compute.ex b/lib/microwaveprop/rover/compute.ex
index 30a0cc46..2d69895f 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop/rover/compute.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop/rover/compute.ex
@@ -38,7 +38,11 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Rover.Compute do
           min_elev_gain: integer()
         }
 
-  @spec run(run_args(), keyword()) :: %{cells: [map()], top_candidates: [map()]}
+  @spec run(run_args(), keyword()) :: %{
+          cells: [map()],
+          top_candidates: [map()],
+          warnings: [String.t()]
+        }
   def run(args, deps \\ []) do
     scores_at = Keyword.get(deps, :scores_at, &Propagation.scores_at/3)
     elev_lookup = Keyword.get(deps, :elev_lookup, &Elevation.lookup_many/1)
@@ -76,15 +80,44 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Rover.Compute do
       |> Enum.filter(&keep_cell?(&1, home_elev, min_elev_gain))
 
     top_candidates =
-      cells |> Enum.sort_by(& &1.score, :desc) |> Enum.take(@top_n) |> Enum.map(&candidate_payload(&1, home))
+      cells
+      |> Enum.sort_by(& &1.score, :desc)
+      |> Enum.take(@top_n)
+      |> Enum.map(&candidate_payload(&1, home))
 
-    %{cells: cells, top_candidates: top_candidates}
+    warnings = build_warnings(raw_cells, in_radius, elev_map, cells)
+
+    %{cells: cells, top_candidates: top_candidates, warnings: warnings}
+  end
+
+  defp build_warnings(raw_cells, in_radius, elev_map, cells) do
+    []
+    |> add_warning_if(raw_cells == [], "No HRRR score grid available for this band/time.")
+    |> add_warning_if(in_radius == [], "No score grid cells within the drive radius.")
+    |> add_warning_if(
+      in_radius != [] and elev_map_all_nil?(elev_map),
+      "Elevation tiles unavailable (SRTM not mounted); ranking ignores elevation."
+    )
+    |> add_warning_if(
+      in_radius != [] and cells == [],
+      "All cells filtered out by score/elevation thresholds."
+    )
+  end
+
+  defp add_warning_if(list, true, msg), do: list ++ [msg]
+  defp add_warning_if(list, false, _msg), do: list
+
+  defp elev_map_all_nil?(elev_map) do
+    elev_map != %{} and Enum.all?(elev_map, fn {_k, v} -> is_nil(v) end)
   end
 
   defp keep_cell?(nil, _home_elev, _min_gain), do: false
 
-  defp keep_cell?(%{elev_m: elev_m, score: score}, home_elev, min_gain) when is_integer(elev_m) do
-    elev_m - home_elev >= min_gain and score >= 0
+  defp keep_cell?(%{score: score, elev_m: elev_m}, home_elev, min_gain) do
+    # Cells with unknown elevation (no SRTM tile) are kept; elev gain
+    # filter only applies when we actually know the cell elevation.
+    elev_ok? = is_nil(elev_m) or elev_m - home_elev >= min_gain
+    elev_ok? and score >= 0
   end
 
   defp keep_cell?(_, _, _), do: false
@@ -92,33 +125,27 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Rover.Compute do
   defp annotate_cell(cell, elev_map, home, home_elev, mode, stations) do
     elev_m = Map.get(elev_map, {cell.lat, cell.lon})
 
-    case elev_m do
+    margins = Enum.map(stations, fn _s -> LinkMargin.link_margin_from_score(cell.score, mode) end)
+    agg = Aggregator.cell_margin_db(margins)
+
+    case agg do
       nil ->
         nil
 
-      _ ->
-        margins = Enum.map(stations, fn _s -> LinkMargin.link_margin_from_score(cell.score, mode) end)
-        agg = Aggregator.cell_margin_db(margins)
+      agg_db ->
+        dist_km = DriveTime.haversine_km({home.lat, home.lon}, {cell.lat, cell.lon})
+        elev_bonus = elev_bonus(elev_m, home_elev)
+        drive_penalty = drive_penalty(dist_km)
+        score = agg_db + elev_bonus - drive_penalty
 
-        case agg do
-          nil ->
-            nil
-
-          agg_db ->
-            dist_km = DriveTime.haversine_km({home.lat, home.lon}, {cell.lat, cell.lon})
-            elev_bonus = elev_bonus(elev_m, home_elev)
-            drive_penalty = drive_penalty(dist_km)
-            score = agg_db + elev_bonus - drive_penalty
-
-            %{
-              lat: cell.lat,
-              lon: cell.lon,
-              elev_m: elev_m,
-              score: score,
-              distance_km: dist_km,
-              tier_color: tier_color(score)
-            }
-        end
+        %{
+          lat: cell.lat,
+          lon: cell.lon,
+          elev_m: elev_m,
+          score: score,
+          distance_km: dist_km,
+          tier_color: tier_color(score)
+        }
     end
   end
 
@@ -141,6 +168,8 @@ defmodule Microwaveprop.Rover.Compute do
     }
   end
 
+  defp elev_bonus(nil, _elev_home), do: 0.0
+
   defp elev_bonus(elev_c, elev_home) do
     diff = (elev_c - elev_home) / 100.0 * @elev_bonus_db_per_100m
     diff |> max(0.0) |> min(@elev_bonus_cap_db)
diff --git a/lib/microwaveprop_web/live/rover_live.ex b/lib/microwaveprop_web/live/rover_live.ex
index 29ab7fe9..2c0fdf99 100644
--- a/lib/microwaveprop_web/live/rover_live.ex
+++ b/lib/microwaveprop_web/live/rover_live.ex
@@ -255,10 +255,13 @@ defmodule MicrowavepropWeb.RoverLive do
   # ── Async ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
   @impl true
-  def handle_async(:scoring, {:ok, %{cells: cells, top_candidates: cands}}, socket) do
+  def handle_async(:scoring, {:ok, %{cells: cells, top_candidates: cands} = result}, socket) do
+    warnings = Map.get(result, :warnings, [])
+
     {:noreply,
      socket
      |> assign(top_candidates: cands, scoring_loading: false)
+     |> apply_scoring_warnings(warnings)
      |> push_event("rover_results", %{
        cells: cells,
        drive_radius_km: socket.assigns.drive_radius_km
@@ -267,7 +270,17 @@ defmodule MicrowavepropWeb.RoverLive do
 
   def handle_async(:scoring, {:exit, reason}, socket) do
     Logger.error("rover scoring crashed: #{inspect(reason)}")
-    {:noreply, assign(socket, top_candidates: [], scoring_loading: false)}
+
+    {:noreply,
+     socket
+     |> assign(top_candidates: [], scoring_loading: false)
+     |> put_flash(:error, "Calculate failed: #{inspect(reason)}")}
+  end
+
+  defp apply_scoring_warnings(socket, []), do: clear_flash(socket)
+
+  defp apply_scoring_warnings(socket, warnings) do
+    put_flash(socket, :info, Enum.join(warnings, " "))
   end
 
   # ── Mutation helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────