diff --git a/Plugin/unraid/include/unraid_api.php b/Plugin/unraid/include/unraid_api.php
index 43efa11..0409b7f 100644
--- a/Plugin/unraid/include/unraid_api.php
+++ b/Plugin/unraid/include/unraid_api.php
@@ -17,17 +17,19 @@ require_once __DIR__ . '/config.php';
 // ── Fallback tracking ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 function &_vv_api_fallbacks(): array { static $f = []; return $f; }
+function &_vv_api_key_missing(): bool { static $m = false; return $m; }
 
 function vv_api_record_fallback(string $fn): void {
-    $f  = &_vv_api_fallbacks();
+    $f   = &_vv_api_fallbacks();
     $f[] = $fn;
 }
 
 function vv_api_get_status(): array {
     $fallbacks = array_unique(_vv_api_fallbacks());
     return [
-        'available' => empty($fallbacks),
-        'fallbacks' => $fallbacks,
+        'available'   => empty($fallbacks),
+        'key_missing' => _vv_api_key_missing(),
+        'fallbacks'   => $fallbacks,
     ];
 }
 
@@ -43,7 +45,12 @@ function vv_api_data(): ?array {
     $hostId = vv_detect_host();
     $vars   = vv_conf_vars();
     $key    = $vars[strtoupper($hostId) . '_UNRAID_API_KEY'] ?? '';
-    if (!$key) { $cache = null; return null; }
+    if (!$key) {
+        $m = &_vv_api_key_missing();
+        $m = true;
+        $cache = null;
+        return null;
+    }
 
     // Fields verified against live schema introspection (2026-05-29).
     // array.parities / .disks / .caches are SEPARATE lists — .disks is DATA only.
diff --git a/Plugin/unraid/pages/monitor.php b/Plugin/unraid/pages/monitor.php
index ddd21b2..4fd26b1 100644
--- a/Plugin/unraid/pages/monitor.php
+++ b/Plugin/unraid/pages/monitor.php
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 <?php require_once dirname(__DIR__) . '/include/monitor.php'; ?>
 
-<div id="vv-api-banner" style="display:none;background:#1a1200;border:1px solid #3a2800;border-radius:4px;
-  padding:5px 10px;margin-bottom:8px;font-size:11px;color:#ff9800;">
-  ⚠ Unraid API unavailable — using local reads. Check API key in host conf.
-  <span id="vv-api-fallback-list" style="color:#666;margin-left:6px;"></span>
-</div>
+<div id="vv-api-banner" style="display:none;border-radius:4px;padding:5px 10px;margin-bottom:8px;font-size:11px;"></div>
 
 <div id="vv-monitor" style="display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(8,1fr);gap:12px;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;">
 
@@ -467,10 +463,21 @@ function vvPollMonitor() {
       const apiStatus = d._api_status ?? {};
       const banner    = document.getElementById('vv-api-banner');
       if (banner) {
-        const hasFallbacks = apiStatus.fallbacks && apiStatus.fallbacks.length > 0;
-        banner.style.display = hasFallbacks ? '' : 'none';
-        const listEl = document.getElementById('vv-api-fallback-list');
-        if (listEl && hasFallbacks) listEl.textContent = '(' + apiStatus.fallbacks.join(', ') + ')';
+        const fallbacks = apiStatus.fallbacks ?? [];
+        if (fallbacks.length === 0) {
+          banner.style.display = 'none';
+        } else if (apiStatus.key_missing) {
+          // Key not configured — informational, not alarming
+          Object.assign(banner.style, {display:'', background:'#111', border:'1px solid #2a2a2a', color:'#555'});
+          banner.textContent = 'API key not configured — add HOST' +
+            (typeof vvLocalHostConf !== 'undefined' ? vvLocalHostConf.replace(/\D/g,'') : '1') +
+            '_UNRAID_API_KEY in Scheduler → host conf to enable enhanced monitoring.';
+        } else {
+          // Key present but API unreachable — genuine problem
+          Object.assign(banner.style, {display:'', background:'#1a1200', border:'1px solid #3a2800', color:'#ff9800'});
+          banner.innerHTML = '⚠ Unraid API unreachable — using local reads. Check API key in host conf.' +
+            (fallbacks.length ? ' <span style="color:#666">(' + fallbacks.join(', ') + ')</span>' : '');
+        }
       }
 
       // ── Thresholds (from dynamix.cfg via backend) ────────────────────────────