diff --git a/src/app/common/settings.service.ts b/src/app/common/settings.service.ts
index cdc940adb..76d48a066 100644
--- a/src/app/common/settings.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/common/settings.service.ts
@@ -116,7 +116,19 @@ export class SettingsService extends AsyncHandler {
             (user) => !!user,
         ).catch(() => null);
         if (!user) return;
-        const data = await showMetadata(user.id, 'settings');
+        // Nothing awaits init(), so a failed load must not reject.
+        // The defaults stay in use until the next page load.
+        const data = await showMetadata(user.id, 'settings').catch((err) => {
+            log(
+                'Settings',
+                'Failed to load user settings',
+                [err as object],
+                'warn',
+                true,
+            );
+            return null;
+        });
+        if (!data) return;
         this._user_settings.set((data.details || {}) as HashMap);
         this._initDarkMode();
         this._applyTheme();
diff --git a/src/tests/common/settings.spec.ts b/src/tests/common/settings.spec.ts
index 03b4a9b2d..639b8c20d 100644
--- a/src/tests/common/settings.spec.ts
+++ b/src/tests/common/settings.spec.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ vi.mock('../../app/common/general', () => ({
     log: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
+import { showMetadata } from '@placeos/ts-client';
+
+import { log } from '../../app/common/general';
 import { DEFAULT_SETTINGS } from '../../app/common/settings';
 import { SettingsService } from '../../app/common/settings.service';
 
@@ -102,6 +105,20 @@ describe('SettingsService', () => {
             expect(service.app_name).toBeDefined();
             expect(typeof service.app_name).toBe('string');
         });
+
+        it('should not reject when user settings fail to load', async () => {
+            vi.mocked(showMetadata).mockRejectedValueOnce(
+                new TypeError('Load failed'),
+            );
+            await expect(service.init()).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+            expect(log).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+                'Settings',
+                'Failed to load user settings',
+                [expect.any(TypeError)],
+                'warn',
+                true,
+            );
+        });
     });
 
     describe('title getter/setter', () => {