diff --git a/src/components/resources/MusicMoodFilter.tsx b/src/components/resources/MusicMoodFilter.tsx
index 167c7ad0..77c37053 100644
--- a/src/components/resources/MusicMoodFilter.tsx
+++ b/src/components/resources/MusicMoodFilter.tsx
@@ -2,16 +2,20 @@ import { useState, useMemo } from 'react';
 import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input';
 import { ScrollArea } from '@/components/ui/scroll-area';
-import { IconSearch, IconX, IconMoodHappy } from '@tabler/icons-react';
+import { Skeleton } from '@/components/ui/skeleton';
+import { IconSearch, IconX, IconMoodHappy, IconAlertTriangle } from '@tabler/icons-react';
 import { MusicMood } from '@/types/music';
 
 interface MusicMoodFilterProps {
   selectedMoods: string[];
   onMoodChange: (moods: string[]) => void;
   moodsData: MusicMood[];
+  isLoading?: boolean;
+  error?: string | null;
+  onRetry?: () => void;
 }
 
-const MusicMoodFilter = ({ selectedMoods, onMoodChange, moodsData }: MusicMoodFilterProps) => {
+const MusicMoodFilter = ({ selectedMoods, onMoodChange, moodsData, isLoading = false, error = null, onRetry }: MusicMoodFilterProps) => {
   const [moodSearch, setMoodSearch] = useState('');
 
   const allMoods = useMemo(() => {
@@ -41,7 +45,10 @@ const MusicMoodFilter = ({ selectedMoods, onMoodChange, moodsData }: MusicMoodFi
     setMoodSearch('');
   };
 
-  if (allMoods.length === 0) return null;
+  // The panel used to return null whenever the master mood list came back empty,
+  // so a failed /music_moods request hid the whole filter with no explanation.
+  const hasMoods = allMoods.length > 0;
+  const showBody = !isLoading && !error && hasMoods;
 
   return (
     <div className="h-full flex flex-col bg-card border border-border rounded-lg  overflow-hidden">
@@ -58,8 +65,9 @@ const MusicMoodFilter = ({ selectedMoods, onMoodChange, moodsData }: MusicMoodFi
             value={moodSearch}
             onChange={(e) => setMoodSearch(e.target.value)}
             className="pl-8 h-8 text-sm "
+            disabled={!showBody}
           />
-          {moodSearch && (
+          {moodSearch && showBody && (
             <Button
               variant="ghost"
               size="icon"
@@ -90,7 +98,27 @@ const MusicMoodFilter = ({ selectedMoods, onMoodChange, moodsData }: MusicMoodFi
       
       <ScrollArea className="flex-1">
         <div className="p-2">
-          {filteredMoods.map(mood => (
+          {isLoading && (
+            <div className="space-y-2 py-1" aria-busy="true" aria-label="Loading moods">
+              {Array.from({ length: 10 }).map((_, index) => (
+                <Skeleton key={index} className="h-6 w-full" />
+              ))}
+            </div>
+          )}
+
+          {!isLoading && error && (
+            <div className="text-center px-2 py-8 text-muted-foreground text-sm">
+              <IconAlertTriangle className="h-5 w-5 mx-auto mb-2 text-destructive" />
+              <p>{error}</p>
+              {onRetry && (
+                <Button variant="outline" size="sm" className="mt-3" onClick={onRetry}>
+                  Try again
+                </Button>
+              )}
+            </div>
+          )}
+
+          {showBody && filteredMoods.map(mood => (
             <div
               key={mood}
               className={`
@@ -107,11 +135,17 @@ const MusicMoodFilter = ({ selectedMoods, onMoodChange, moodsData }: MusicMoodFi
             </div>
           ))}
           
-          {filteredMoods.length === 0 && moodSearch && (
+          {showBody && filteredMoods.length === 0 && moodSearch && (
             <div className="text-center py-8 text-muted-foreground text-sm">
               No moods match your search
             </div>
           )}
+
+          {!isLoading && !error && !hasMoods && (
+            <div className="text-center py-8 px-2 text-muted-foreground text-sm">
+              No mood tags available yet.
+            </div>
+          )}
         </div>
       </ScrollArea>
     </div>
diff --git a/src/pages/ResourcesHub.tsx b/src/pages/ResourcesHub.tsx
index 0ca3bc72..bc76579a 100644
--- a/src/pages/ResourcesHub.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/ResourcesHub.tsx
@@ -86,19 +86,32 @@ const ResourcesHub = () => {
   const minecraftMusic = useMinecraftMusic(isMinecraftMusicView);
 
   const [musicMoodsData, setMusicMoodsData] = useState<MusicMood[]>([]);
+  const [moodsStatus, setMoodsStatus] = useState<'idle' | 'loading' | 'ready' | 'error'>('idle');
 
   useEffect(() => {
     ensurePlaylistCached();
   }, []);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (isMusicView && musicMoodsData.length === 0) {
-      fetchFromAssetsApi('/music_moods')
-        .then(res => res.json())
-        .then(data => setMusicMoodsData(data))
-        .catch(err => console.error('Failed to load music moods:', err));
+  const loadMusicMoods = useCallback(async () => {
+    setMoodsStatus('loading');
+    try {
+      const response = await fetchFromAssetsApi('/music_moods');
+      if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`music moods request failed (${response.status})`);
+      const data = await response.json();
+      if (!Array.isArray(data)) throw new Error('music moods response was not a list');
+      setMusicMoodsData(data);
+      setMoodsStatus('ready');
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('Failed to load music moods:', err);
+      setMoodsStatus('error');
     }
-  }, [isMusicView, musicMoodsData.length]);
+  }, []);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isMusicView || isMinecraftMusicView) return;
+    if (moodsStatus !== 'idle') return;
+    void loadMusicMoods();
+  }, [isMusicView, isMinecraftMusicView, moodsStatus, loadMusicMoods]);
 
   const moodFilteredResources = useMemo(() => {
     if (!isMusicView || isMinecraftMusicView || selectedMoods.length === 0) return filteredResources;
@@ -351,6 +364,9 @@ const ResourcesHub = () => {
                     }
                   }}
                   moodsData={musicMoodsData}
+                  isLoading={moodsStatus === 'loading' || moodsStatus === 'idle'}
+                  error={moodsStatus === 'error' ? 'Mood filters could not be loaded.' : null}
+                  onRetry={() => setMoodsStatus('idle')}
                 />
               </div>
             </SheetContent>
@@ -522,6 +538,9 @@ const ResourcesHub = () => {
                               selectedMoods={selectedMoods}
                               onMoodChange={setSelectedMoods}
                               moodsData={musicMoodsData}
+                              isLoading={moodsStatus === 'loading' || moodsStatus === 'idle'}
+                              error={moodsStatus === 'error' ? 'Mood filters could not be loaded.' : null}
+                              onRetry={() => setMoodsStatus('idle')}
                             />
                           </div>
                         </div>
diff --git a/workers/api-router/src/index.ts b/workers/api-router/src/index.ts
index 29d4f2a4..f41059cb 100644
--- a/workers/api-router/src/index.ts
+++ b/workers/api-router/src/index.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,15 @@ const E3_ROUTER_CLIENT_ID = "api-router";
 
 type Group = "assets" | "resources";
 
-const RESOURCE_PREFIXES = ["/categories", "/category", "/all", "/fonts", "/mcicons"];
+const RESOURCE_PREFIXES = ["/categories", "/category", "/all", "/fonts", "/mcicons", "/music_moods"];
+
+// JSON API paths (as opposed to file paths). A 404 here means the origin does not
+// implement the route at all, so the next origin should be tried instead of
+// returning the 404 to the client — that is how /music_moods silently disappeared.
+const JSON_API_PATHS = ["/all", "/categories", "/mcicons", "/fonts", "/music_moods"];
+
+const isJsonApiPath = (pathname: string): boolean =>
+  JSON_API_PATHS.includes(pathname) || pathname.startsWith("/category/");
 
 // Per-origin passive health: an origin that fails is skipped for a cooldown, then retried.
 const originDownUntil = new Map<string, number>();
@@ -104,7 +112,7 @@ const classify = (pathname: string): Group =>
     : "assets";
 
 // Read-only endpoints a partner-scoped key (`assets:read`) may request.
-const PARTNER_READ_PREFIXES = ["/all", "/categories", "/category", "/mcicons", "/fonts"];
+const PARTNER_READ_PREFIXES = ["/all", "/categories", "/category", "/mcicons", "/fonts", "/music_moods"];
 
 const isPartnerReadPath = (pathname: string): boolean =>
   PARTNER_READ_PREFIXES.some((prefix) => pathname === prefix || pathname.startsWith(`${prefix}/`));
@@ -255,6 +263,12 @@ async function fetchUpstream(env: Env, path: string): Promise<{ ok: boolean; sta
         last = { ok: false, status: upstream.status, text: "" };
         continue;
       }
+      if (upstream.status === 404 && !isLast && isJsonApiPath(path)) {
+        // Healthy origin that does not implement this JSON route (e.g. an older
+        // e3 build): ask the next origin rather than handing the 404 to the client.
+        last = { ok: false, status: 404, text: "" };
+        continue;
+      }
       markOriginUp(origin);
       return { ok: upstream.ok, status: upstream.status, text: await upstream.text() };
     } catch {
@@ -403,6 +417,12 @@ export default {
           continue;
         }
 
+        if (upstream.status === 404 && !isLast && isJsonApiPath(url.pathname)) {
+          console.warn(`${origin} does not implement ${url.pathname} (404); trying next origin`);
+          markOriginUp(origin);
+          continue;
+        }
+
         markOriginUp(origin);
         if (!isBodyless && upstream.status < 400) ctx.waitUntil(invalidateVersion(env));
         return applyCors(upstream, cors, origin === primary ? "e3" : "fallback");