diff --git a/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/tabs/MCostsTab.tsx b/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/tabs/MCostsTab.tsx
index c11fbcd85..dd28c4d11 100644
--- a/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/tabs/MCostsTab.tsx
+++ b/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/tabs/MCostsTab.tsx
@@ -58,8 +58,13 @@ export default function MCostsTab({ planner, shell }: MTabScreenProps) {
   const ctx: CostsCtx = useMemo(() => ({ me, tripCurrency, convert }), [me, tripCurrency, convert])
 
   const [settlement, setSettlement] = useState<CostsSettlementResponse | null>(null)
+  // A failed settlement read leaves `settlement` null, and the final budget would
+  // read that as "the trip cost nobody anything", a claim we cannot make.
+  const [settlementError, setSettlementError] = useState(false)
   const loadSettlement = useCallback(() => {
-    budgetApi.settlement(tripId, base).then(setSettlement).catch(() => {})
+    budgetApi.settlement(tripId, base)
+      .then(s => { setSettlement(s); setSettlementError(false) })
+      .catch(() => setSettlementError(true))
   }, [tripId, base])
 
   // Mirrors CostsPanel.tsx: items reload on trip change, settlement reloads on
@@ -312,7 +317,9 @@ export default function MCostsTab({ planner, shell }: MTabScreenProps) {
       {/* Final budget — what the trip costs each traveler; the arithmetic opens on tap */}
       <div className="mt-2 rounded-2xl border border-[color:var(--m-rowbr)] bg-m-card p-[13px]">
         <div className="font-geist text-[0.625rem] font-bold uppercase tracking-[.09em] text-m-faint">{t('costs.finalBudget')}</div>
-        {tripMembers.map(p => {
+        {settlementError ? (
+          <p className="py-[14px] text-center font-geist text-[0.71875rem] text-m-muted">{t('common.unknownError')}</p>
+        ) : tripMembers.map(p => {
           const row = finalBudgetFor(settlement?.finalBudgets || [], p)
           const open = expandedFinalId === p.id
           return (
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/mobile/trip/MCostsTab.test.tsx b/client/tests/unit/mobile/trip/MCostsTab.test.tsx
index 7e6b65c90..6c6d11d3d 100644
--- a/client/tests/unit/mobile/trip/MCostsTab.test.tsx
+++ b/client/tests/unit/mobile/trip/MCostsTab.test.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import { resetAllStores, seedStore } from '../../../helpers/store'
 import { server } from '../../../helpers/msw/server'
 import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor, within } from '../../../helpers/render'
 
-// FE-MOB-COSTT-001 to FE-MOB-COSTT-043
+// FE-MOB-COSTT-001 to FE-MOB-COSTT-044
 
 // The add/edit expense sheet is the shared desktop-sized form; the panel only
 // owns when it opens and what happens on save, so it is stubbed here.
@@ -646,6 +646,16 @@ describe('MCostsTab', () => {
     expect(within(card).queryByText('+$58.00')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
+  it('FE-MOB-COSTT-044: a settlement read that fails says so instead of costing everyone nothing', async () => {
+    serveSettlement(SETTLEMENT, true)
+    render(<MCostsTab planner={planner()} shell={buildShell()} />)
+
+    const card = up(await screen.findByText('costs.finalBudget'), 1)
+    await waitFor(() => expect(within(card).getByText('common.unknownError')).toBeInTheDocument())
+    expect(within(card).queryByText('$0.00')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(within(card).queryByRole('button')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
   it('FE-MOB-COSTT-040: the expense filters apply to payments the same way they do on desktop', async () => {
     const mine = { id: 503, from_user_id: 1, to_user_id: 2, amount: 8, currency: 'USD', created_at: '2026-05-02T09:00:00Z' }
     const others = { id: 504, from_user_id: 2, to_user_id: 3, amount: 9, currency: 'USD', created_at: '2026-05-02T09:00:00Z' }