diff --git a/apps/loopover-ui/src/components/site/notification-readiness-card.test.tsx b/apps/loopover-ui/src/components/site/notification-readiness-card.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c5a42c53a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/loopover-ui/src/components/site/notification-readiness-card.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+import { fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+// #6985: a real fetch failure used to render the same generic text as "still loading" — these tests
+// pin the three render paths (loading / error / success) now that LoadingState/ErrorState replace it.
+const { useApiResource } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ useApiResource: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("@/lib/api/use-api-resource", () => ({
+  useApiResource: (...args: unknown[]) => useApiResource(...args),
+}));
+
+import { NotificationReadinessCard } from "./notification-readiness-card";
+
+const notificationModelFixture = {
+  notificationModel: {
+    mode: "opt_in",
+    defaultState: "disabled",
+    channels: [
+      {
+        id: "browser_push",
+        transport: "web_push",
+        defaultEnabled: false,
+        purpose: "PR review updates",
+      },
+    ],
+    privacyGuards: ["No content leaves the browser without consent."],
+    fallbackWhenUnavailable: "email digest",
+  },
+  pwa: { nativeDependency: false, manifestPath: "/manifest.json", serviceWorkerPath: "/sw.js" },
+  mobileReadyRoutes: [],
+  nativeMobileFuture: [],
+};
+
+describe("NotificationReadinessCard loading/error states (#6985)", () => {
+  it("shows a LoadingState (not the generic spinner-free text) while the model loads", () => {
+    useApiResource.mockReturnValue({
+      status: "loading",
+      data: null,
+      error: null,
+      loadedAt: null,
+      reload: () => {},
+    });
+
+    render(<NotificationReadinessCard />);
+
+    expect(screen.getByText("Loading notification model…")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Notification model unavailable.")).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("shows an ErrorState with the real error message and a working retry, distinguishing it from loading", () => {
+    const reload = vi.fn();
+    useApiResource.mockReturnValue({
+      status: "error",
+      data: null,
+      error: "The server returned a 500.",
+      errorKind: "http",
+      loadedAt: null,
+      reload,
+    });
+
+    render(<NotificationReadinessCard />);
+
+    expect(screen.getByText("The server returned a 500.")).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Loading notification model…")).toBeNull();
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Try again" }));
+    expect(reload).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("renders the network-specific ErrorState copy when errorKind indicates an unreachable server", () => {
+    useApiResource.mockReturnValue({
+      status: "error",
+      data: null,
+      error: "Failed to fetch",
+      errorKind: "network",
+      loadedAt: null,
+      reload: () => {},
+    });
+
+    render(<NotificationReadinessCard />);
+
+    expect(screen.getByText("Can't reach the server")).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  it("still renders the privacy guards list unchanged on success", () => {
+    useApiResource.mockReturnValue({
+      status: "ready",
+      data: notificationModelFixture,
+      error: null,
+      loadedAt: Date.now(),
+      reload: () => {},
+    });
+
+    const { container } = render(<NotificationReadinessCard />);
+
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain("No content leaves the browser without consent.");
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Loading notification model…")).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/loopover-ui/src/components/site/notification-readiness-card.tsx b/apps/loopover-ui/src/components/site/notification-readiness-card.tsx
index 853477affd..36459045c2 100644
--- a/apps/loopover-ui/src/components/site/notification-readiness-card.tsx
+++ b/apps/loopover-ui/src/components/site/notification-readiness-card.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Bell, BellOff } from "lucide-react";
 import { useMemo, useState } from "react";
 
 import { StatusPill } from "./control-primitives";
+import { ErrorState, LoadingState } from "./state-views";
 import { useApiResource } from "@/lib/api/use-api-resource";
 import { useLocalStorage } from "@/lib/use-local-storage";
 
@@ -112,12 +113,15 @@ export function NotificationReadinessCard() {
             ))}
           </ul>
         </div>
+      ) : model.status === "loading" ? (
+        <LoadingState className="mt-3" title="Loading notification model…" />
       ) : (
-        <p className="mt-3 text-token-sm text-muted-foreground">
-          {model.status === "loading"
-            ? "Loading notification model…"
-            : "Notification model unavailable."}
-        </p>
+        <ErrorState
+          className="mt-3"
+          description={model.error}
+          errorKind={model.errorKind}
+          onRetry={model.reload}
+        />
       )}
     </section>
   );