diff --git a/webui/static/downloads.js b/webui/static/downloads.js
index b82e8c76..a772d9e5 100644
--- a/webui/static/downloads.js
+++ b/webui/static/downloads.js
@@ -5022,10 +5022,14 @@ const _gsState = {
     sources: {},              // src -> {artists, albums, tracks, videos, db_artists, ...}
     fallbacks: {},            // src -> actual source served when backend fell back (rate-limit)
     loadingSources: new Set(),
+    configuredSources: {},    // src -> bool, populated from /api/settings/config-status
     abortCtrl: null,
     debounceTimer: null,
     _defaultSourceResolved: false,
 };
+// Permissive initial map — replaced by the real config-status lookup on
+// first popover open. Prevents a flash of "all unconfigured" icons.
+for (const _src of SOURCE_ORDER) _gsState.configuredSources[_src] = true;
 
 (function initGlobalSearch() {
     // Defer init until DOM is ready
@@ -5160,6 +5164,16 @@ async function _gsInitDefaultSource() {
         }
     } catch (_) { /* best-effort */ }
     if (!SOURCE_LABELS[_gsState.activeSource]) _gsState.activeSource = 'spotify';
+    // Fetch per-source configured state so unconfigured icons render dimmed.
+    try {
+        _gsState.configuredSources = await fetchSourceConfiguredMap();
+    } catch (_) { /* keep optimistic default */ }
+    // If the configured primary is itself unconfigured, fall forward to the
+    // first configured source so the default active icon is actually usable.
+    if (_gsState.configuredSources[_gsState.activeSource] === false) {
+        const firstConfigured = SOURCE_ORDER.find(s => _gsState.configuredSources[s] !== false);
+        if (firstConfigured) _gsState.activeSource = firstConfigured;
+    }
 }
 
 async function _gsPerformSearch(query) {
@@ -5296,14 +5310,21 @@ function _gsSourceRowHtml() {
         const cached = !!_gsState.sources[src];
         const loading = _gsState.loadingSources.has(src);
         const fallback = _gsState.fallbacks[src];
+        const configured = _gsState.configuredSources[src] !== false;
         const classes = ['gsearch-source-icon',
             active ? 'active' : '',
             cached ? 'cached' : '',
             loading ? 'loading' : '',
-            fallback ? 'fallback-warning' : ''].filter(Boolean).join(' ');
-        const title = fallback
-            ? `${info.text} unavailable — served from ${(SOURCE_LABELS[fallback] || {}).text || fallback}`
-            : info.text;
+            fallback ? 'fallback-warning' : '',
+            configured ? '' : 'unconfigured'].filter(Boolean).join(' ');
+        let title;
+        if (!configured) {
+            title = `${info.text} — set up in Settings`;
+        } else if (fallback) {
+            title = `${info.text} unavailable — served from ${(SOURCE_LABELS[fallback] || {}).text || fallback}`;
+        } else {
+            title = info.text;
+        }
         const glyph = loading
             ? '⏳'
             : (info.logo
@@ -5487,6 +5508,13 @@ function _gsSetActiveSource(src) {
     if (!SOURCE_LABELS[src]) return;
     _gsState._lastInteraction = Date.now();
 
+    // Not configured — jump to Settings instead of firing a doomed search.
+    if (_gsState.configuredSources[src] === false) {
+        _gsDeactivate();
+        openSettingsForSource(src);
+        return;
+    }
+
     // Soulseek — hand off to the Search page since its raw file results need
     // more room than the popover provides.
     if (src === 'soulseek') {
diff --git a/webui/static/search.js b/webui/static/search.js
index e3fe134a..73e781b8 100644
--- a/webui/static/search.js
+++ b/webui/static/search.js
@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@ function initializeSearchModeToggle() {
         loadingSources: new Set(),
     };
 
+    // Which sources have credentials saved. Populated asynchronously on init
+    // via /api/settings/config-status. Unconfigured sources render dimmed
+    // and clicking them redirects to Settings → Connections instead of
+    // firing a search.
+    let _configuredSources = {};
+    for (const src of SOURCE_ORDER) _configuredSources[src] = true;  // optimistic default
+
     // Initialize enhanced search
     const enhancedInput = document.getElementById('enhanced-search-input');
     const enhancedSearchBtn = document.getElementById('enhanced-search-btn');
@@ -96,16 +103,23 @@ function initializeSearchModeToggle() {
             const cached = !!_cachedData.sources[src];
             const loading = _cachedData.loadingSources.has(src);
             const fallback = _cachedData.fallbacks[src];
+            const configured = _configuredSources[src] !== false;
             const classes = [
                 'enh-source-icon',
                 active ? 'active' : '',
                 cached ? 'cached' : '',
                 loading ? 'loading' : '',
                 fallback ? 'fallback-warning' : '',
+                configured ? '' : 'unconfigured',
             ].filter(Boolean).join(' ');
-            const title = fallback
-                ? `${info.text} unavailable — served from ${(SOURCE_LABELS[fallback] || {}).text || fallback}`
-                : info.text;
+            let title;
+            if (!configured) {
+                title = `${info.text} — set up in Settings`;
+            } else if (fallback) {
+                title = `${info.text} unavailable — served from ${(SOURCE_LABELS[fallback] || {}).text || fallback}`;
+            } else {
+                title = info.text;
+            }
             // Prefer the brand logo when available; fall back to the emoji.
             // Spinner glyph overrides both while loading.
             const glyph = loading
@@ -144,6 +158,20 @@ function initializeSearchModeToggle() {
             }
         } catch (_) { /* settings fetch best-effort */ }
         if (!SOURCE_LABELS[currentSearchSource]) currentSearchSource = 'spotify';
+        // Pull per-source configured state in parallel so the dimmed icons
+        // don't flash on first render. Errors fall through to the optimistic
+        // default set at init.
+        try {
+            _configuredSources = await fetchSourceConfiguredMap();
+        } catch (_) { /* keep optimistic default */ }
+        // If the configured primary turns out to be unconfigured (e.g.
+        // spotify saved as primary but the user never entered credentials),
+        // bump to the first source that is configured so the default click
+        // doesn't land on a dimmed "set up" icon.
+        if (_configuredSources[currentSearchSource] === false) {
+            const firstConfigured = SOURCE_ORDER.find(s => _configuredSources[s] !== false);
+            if (firstConfigured) currentSearchSource = firstConfigured;
+        }
         renderSourceRow();
     }
     _initDefaultSource();
@@ -151,6 +179,15 @@ function initializeSearchModeToggle() {
     // ── Source selection ───────────────────────────────────────────────
     function setActiveSource(src) {
         if (!SOURCE_LABELS[src]) return;
+
+        // Not configured — jump to the relevant card in Settings rather than
+        // firing a search that can't succeed. Don't swap activeSource so the
+        // user's previous pick stays current when they come back.
+        if (_configuredSources[src] === false) {
+            openSettingsForSource(src);
+            return;
+        }
+
         if (src === currentSearchSource) return;
         currentSearchSource = src;
 
diff --git a/webui/static/shared-helpers.js b/webui/static/shared-helpers.js
index 662f881e..87062be1 100644
--- a/webui/static/shared-helpers.js
+++ b/webui/static/shared-helpers.js
@@ -85,6 +85,56 @@ const SOURCE_ORDER = [
     'youtube_videos', 'soulseek',
 ];
 
+// Sources the config-status endpoint doesn't cover because they don't need
+// user-supplied credentials — they always render as "configured" in the picker.
+const _ALWAYS_CONFIGURED_SOURCES = new Set(['musicbrainz', 'youtube_videos', 'soulseek']);
+
+// Fetch /api/settings/config-status and return a map { src -> bool }
+// covering every source in SOURCE_ORDER. Sources not present in the backend
+// registry (musicbrainz / youtube_videos / soulseek) are reported as
+// configured so the picker doesn't dim always-available sources.
+async function fetchSourceConfiguredMap() {
+    const map = {};
+    try {
+        const resp = await fetch('/api/settings/config-status');
+        if (resp.ok) {
+            const data = await resp.json();
+            for (const src of SOURCE_ORDER) {
+                if (_ALWAYS_CONFIGURED_SOURCES.has(src)) {
+                    map[src] = true;
+                } else {
+                    map[src] = !!(data[src] && data[src].configured);
+                }
+            }
+            return map;
+        }
+    } catch (_) { /* fall through to conservative default */ }
+    // Network / endpoint failure — be permissive rather than dim everything.
+    for (const src of SOURCE_ORDER) map[src] = true;
+    return map;
+}
+
+// Navigate to Settings → Connections tab and scroll to the service card that
+// matches the picker's source id. Called when a user clicks an unconfigured
+// source icon.
+function openSettingsForSource(src) {
+    if (typeof navigateToPage !== 'function') return;
+    navigateToPage('settings');
+    setTimeout(() => {
+        try {
+            if (typeof switchSettingsTab === 'function') switchSettingsTab('connections');
+        } catch (_) { /* best-effort */ }
+        setTimeout(() => {
+            const card = document.querySelector(`#settings-page .stg-service[data-service="${src}"]`);
+            if (card) {
+                card.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'center' });
+                card.classList.add('stg-service-flash');
+                setTimeout(() => card.classList.remove('stg-service-flash'), 2200);
+            }
+        }, 120);
+    }, 60);
+}
+
 // Render a single enhanced-search result section (artists / albums / tracks).
 // Shared between the Search page and the global widget. The mapItem callback
 // projects each backend item to the card config consumed here.
diff --git a/webui/static/style.css b/webui/static/style.css
index f3aeefc1..ada5555e 100644
--- a/webui/static/style.css
+++ b/webui/static/style.css
@@ -5624,6 +5624,39 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
     box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px rgba(250, 176, 5, 0.25);
 }
 
+/* Same unconfigured treatment as the Search page icons. */
+.gsearch-source-icon.unconfigured {
+    opacity: 0.42;
+    filter: grayscale(0.7);
+    background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.02);
+    border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.05);
+    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);
+}
+.gsearch-source-icon.unconfigured:hover {
+    opacity: 0.75;
+    filter: grayscale(0.35);
+    transform: none;
+    box-shadow: none;
+    border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.12);
+}
+.gsearch-source-icon.unconfigured.active {
+    background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.02);
+    box-shadow: none;
+    transform: none;
+}
+
+/* Flash highlight on the Settings service card after scrolling to it via
+   the picker. Two and a half seconds of gentle accent pulse so the user's
+   eye catches the card. */
+.stg-service.stg-service-flash {
+    animation: stg-service-flash-anim 2.2s ease-out;
+}
+@keyframes stg-service-flash-anim {
+    0%   { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.55); }
+    35%  { box-shadow: 0 0 0 6px rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.25); }
+    100% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0); }
+}
+
 .gsearch-fallback-banner {
     padding: 6px 14px;
     margin: 0 12px 6px;
@@ -33837,6 +33870,31 @@ div.artist-hero-badge {
     box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px rgba(250, 176, 5, 0.25);
 }
 
+/* Unconfigured — no credentials saved for this source. The chip still
+   clicks (redirects to Settings → Connections), but looks muted so the
+   user's eye is drawn to the sources that actually work. */
+.enh-source-icon.unconfigured {
+    opacity: 0.42;
+    filter: grayscale(0.7);
+    background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.02);
+    border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.05);
+    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.5);
+}
+.enh-source-icon.unconfigured:hover {
+    opacity: 0.75;
+    filter: grayscale(0.35);
+    transform: none;
+    box-shadow: none;
+    border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.12);
+}
+/* Kill brand glow / active gradient if an unconfigured source is somehow
+   marked active (defensive — setActiveSource bails before this normally). */
+.enh-source-icon.unconfigured.active {
+    background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.02);
+    box-shadow: none;
+    transform: none;
+}
+
 /* Rate-limit fallback banner above the enhanced results. */
 .enh-fallback-banner {
     padding: 8px 12px;