diff --git a/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/manifest.json b/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/manifest.json
index 0776c48f..f6fe8014 100644
--- a/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/manifest.json
+++ b/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/manifest.json
@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@
     "dist/assets/index-CKUnK_gI.css": {
       "checksum": "910900dfbf81f7ac4caf125b844a495c"
     },
-    "dist/assets/index-BR_SAMDl.js": {
-      "checksum": "1641c59b4d18d7029985a3b98890a397"
+    "dist/assets/index-PKuzyQYK.js": {
+      "checksum": "bd612838b6ccf0c3a03241de2048eec3"
     },
     "dist/index.html": {
-      "checksum": "5bb81dbee09e839af32e17caedc8a436"
+      "checksum": "bdc6e932f6c401d4db24a1157178352a"
     },
     "main.py": {
       "checksum": "ea913b00aaac84531ee46021969f4eaa"
diff --git a/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/ContentCard.test.ts b/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/ContentCard.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5d4f0d65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/ContentCard.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { setActivePinia, createPinia } from "pinia";
+import { mount } from "@vue/test-utils";
+
+import ContentCard from "./ContentCard.vue";
+import type { Content } from "../stores/scanner";
+import { useVulnsStore } from "../stores/vulns";
+
+function makeContent(overrides: Partial<Content> = {}): Content {
+  return {
+    guid: "g1",
+    title: "My Report",
+    bundle_id: "b1",
+    packages: [],
+    vulnerabilityCount: 0,
+    isLoadingPackages: false,
+    ...overrides,
+  } as Content;
+}
+
+describe("ContentCard", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    setActivePinia(createPinia());
+  });
+
+  it("shows a Not scanned badge when the scan has failed", () => {
+    useVulnsStore().error = new Error(
+      "Couldn't fetch vulnerabilities from Package Manager.",
+    );
+
+    const wrapper = mount(ContentCard, {
+      props: { content: makeContent() },
+    });
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain("Not scanned");
+    expect(wrapper.text()).not.toContain("No vulnerabilities");
+  });
+
+  it("shows a Loading badge while the scan is in progress", () => {
+    // A fresh vulns store has not fetched yet, so the scan is still in progress.
+    const wrapper = mount(ContentCard, {
+      props: { content: makeContent() },
+    });
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain("Loading...");
+  });
+
+  it("shows the vulnerability count once the scan has completed", () => {
+    useVulnsStore().isFetched = true; // scan no longer in progress
+
+    const wrapper = mount(ContentCard, {
+      props: { content: makeContent({ vulnerabilityCount: 2 }) },
+    });
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain("2 vulnerabilities");
+  });
+
+  it("hides the scan badge entirely when this item's own packages failed to load", () => {
+    useVulnsStore().error = new Error("vuln service down");
+
+    const wrapper = mount(ContentCard, {
+      props: {
+        content: makeContent({ packageFetchError: new Error("boom") }),
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).not.toContain("Not scanned");
+    expect(wrapper.text()).not.toContain("Loading...");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/ContentCard.vue b/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/ContentCard.vue
index 8877d78b..58910ba1 100644
--- a/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/ContentCard.vue
+++ b/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/ContentCard.vue
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ function handleClick() {
           Loading...
         </ColorBadge>
 
+        <ColorBadge v-else-if="scannerStore.scanFailed" type="neutral">
+          Not scanned
+        </ColorBadge>
+
         <ColorBadge v-else :type="hasVulnerabilities ? 'error' : 'success'">
           {{ vulnerabilityText }}
         </ColorBadge>
@@ -88,7 +92,7 @@ function handleClick() {
         Incomplete content
       </span>
       <span v-else-if="content.packageFetchError" class="text-red-700">
-        Error loading packages
+        Couldn't load packages
       </span>
       <span v-else-if="content.isLoadingPackages" class="text-gray-600">
         Loading packages...
diff --git a/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/VulnerabilityChecker.test.ts b/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/VulnerabilityChecker.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..be5e3d7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/VulnerabilityChecker.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { setActivePinia, createPinia } from "pinia";
+import { mount } from "@vue/test-utils";
+
+import VulnerabilityChecker from "./VulnerabilityChecker.vue";
+import type { Content } from "../stores/scanner";
+import { useVulnsStore } from "../stores/vulns";
+import { usePackagesStore } from "../stores/packages";
+
+function makeContent(overrides: Partial<Content> = {}): Content {
+  return {
+    guid: "g1",
+    title: "My Report",
+    bundle_id: "b1",
+    packages: [],
+    vulnerabilityCount: 0,
+    isLoadingPackages: false,
+    ...overrides,
+  } as Content;
+}
+
+describe("VulnerabilityChecker", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    setActivePinia(createPinia());
+  });
+
+  it("shows the specific reason from Connect when packages can't be read", () => {
+    const content = makeContent({
+      packageFetchError: new Error("Connect API error: Content not found"),
+    });
+
+    const wrapper = mount(VulnerabilityChecker, { props: { content } });
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain("Couldn't load this content's packages");
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain("Connect API error: Content not found");
+  });
+
+  it("shows the scan failure reason when the vuln lookup itself fails", () => {
+    // Unlike packageFetchError (this item's own packages), scanFailed reflects a
+    // store-wide failure (e.g. the vulnerability service), so it applies even
+    // though this item's packages loaded fine.
+    usePackagesStore().error = null;
+    useVulnsStore().error = new Error(
+      "Couldn't fetch vulnerabilities from Package Manager.",
+    );
+
+    const wrapper = mount(VulnerabilityChecker, {
+      props: { content: makeContent() },
+    });
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain("Scan couldn't complete");
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain(
+      "Couldn't fetch vulnerabilities from Package Manager.",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("shows a loading state, not a verdict, while the vuln lookup is pending", () => {
+    // A fresh vulns store has not fetched yet, so the scan is still in progress
+    // even though this item's packages have loaded.
+    const wrapper = mount(VulnerabilityChecker, {
+      props: { content: makeContent() },
+    });
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain("Checking for vulnerabilities");
+    expect(wrapper.text()).not.toContain("No vulnerabilities found");
+  });
+
+  it("shows the result once the scan has completed", () => {
+    useVulnsStore().isFetched = true; // scan no longer in progress
+
+    const wrapper = mount(VulnerabilityChecker, {
+      props: { content: makeContent() },
+    });
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).not.toContain("Checking for vulnerabilities");
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain("No vulnerabilities found");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/VulnerabilityChecker.vue b/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/VulnerabilityChecker.vue
index d952eab4..0d048ad2 100644
--- a/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/VulnerabilityChecker.vue
+++ b/extensions/package-vulnerability-scanner/src/components/VulnerabilityChecker.vue
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ const hasLanguageVersion = computed(() => {
     />
 
     <StatusMessage
-      v-if="isIncomplete"
+      v-else-if="isIncomplete"
       type="error"
       message="This has not been fully deployed. Try publishing again."
     />
@@ -170,7 +170,23 @@ const hasLanguageVersion = computed(() => {
     <StatusMessage
       v-else-if="content.packageFetchError"
       type="error"
-      message="Error analyzing packages. The content may not be fully deployed."
+      message="Couldn't load this content's packages"
+      :details="content.packageFetchError.message"
+    />
+
+    <StatusMessage
+      v-else-if="scannerStore.scanFailed"
+      type="error"
+      message="Scan couldn't complete"
+      :details="scannerStore.scanError || undefined"
+    />
+
+    <!-- The item's packages have loaded, but the vulnerability lookup runs as a
+    later step; wait for it so the view never shows a premature "0 vulnerabilities". -->
+    <LoadingSpinner
+      v-else-if="scannerStore.scanInProgress"
+      message="Checking for vulnerabilities..."
+      size="md"
     />
 
     <!-- Content loaded successfully -->