diff --git a/frontend/components/HealthDashboard.stories.ts b/frontend/components/HealthDashboard.stories.ts
index fe3a54e..6980774 100644
--- a/frontend/components/HealthDashboard.stories.ts
+++ b/frontend/components/HealthDashboard.stories.ts
@@ -6,11 +6,28 @@ const meta: Meta<typeof HealthDashboard> = {
   component: HealthDashboard,
   tags: ['autodocs'],
 }
-
 export default meta
 
 type Story = StoryObj<typeof meta>
 
+// Default story - calls real /api/healthz (works in browser if dev proxy + backend are up)
 export const Default: Story = {
   args: {},
 }
+
+// Documents the loading/error visuals so reviewers see them in Storybook
+// without needing a backend down. The component currently doesn't accept overrides
+// because it uses useFetch internally - this story is a placeholder for a future
+// refactor that exposes data/pending/error as props for testability.
+export const DocumentationStub: Story = {
+  args: {},
+  parameters: {
+    docs: {
+      description: {
+        story:
+          'Renders the same as Default. The HealthDashboard fetches /api/healthz internally, so loading/error states only appear when the backend is down or slow. ' +
+          'Future improvement: accept healthData/pending/error as props for easy state-based stories. Until then, see frontend/docs/e2e/ for screenshots of both healthy and error states.',
+      },
+    },
+  },
+}
diff --git a/frontend/tests/e2e/health.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/e2e/health.spec.ts
index cbff6c8..5ed5c5f 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/e2e/health.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/e2e/health.spec.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,37 @@
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test'
 
-test('home page loads and shows server health info', async ({ page }) => {
+test('home page loads and shows healthy server state', async ({ page }) => {
   await page.goto('/')
   await expect(page.getByTestId('health-dashboard')).toBeVisible()
   const heading = page.getByRole('heading', { name: /dance-lessons-coach/i })
   await expect(heading).toBeVisible()
+
+  // Assert the dashboard is in HEALTHY state, not an error state.
+  // The dashboard renders an "Error loading health: ..." paragraph when /api/healthz
+  // is unreachable (Go backend not running, proxy misconfigured, endpoint removed,
+  // etc.). Without these assertions the test would falsely PASS even when the
+  // dashboard shows the error UI - regression observed 2026-05-03 (Go backend
+  // not running locally → page renders the error, Playwright PASSES).
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('health-info')).toBeVisible()
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('health-status')).toHaveText('healthy')
+  await expect(page.getByText(/Error loading health/i)).not.toBeVisible()
+
   await page.screenshot({ path: 'tests/e2e/screenshots/home-page-loads-and-shows-server-health-info.png', fullPage: true })
 })
+
+// Regression spec: documents the expected error UX so we don't ship a silent failure.
+// Routes /api/healthz to a 502 mock so the test is reproducible regardless of backend.
+test('home page surfaces health endpoint errors visibly', async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.route('**/api/healthz', (route) => {
+    route.fulfill({
+      status: 502,
+      contentType: 'application/json',
+      body: JSON.stringify({ error: 'simulated_backend_down' }),
+    })
+  })
+  await page.goto('/')
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('health-dashboard')).toBeVisible()
+  await expect(page.getByText(/Error loading health/i)).toBeVisible()
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('health-info')).not.toBeVisible()
+  await page.screenshot({ path: 'tests/e2e/screenshots/home-page-surfaces-health-endpoint-errors-visibly.png', fullPage: true })
+})