diff --git a/client/src/app/editor/editor.component.ts b/client/src/app/editor/editor.component.ts
index 5ff7feb..74d2ae8 100644
--- a/client/src/app/editor/editor.component.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/editor/editor.component.ts
@@ -3524,14 +3524,24 @@ export class EditorComponent
           // A synchronous throw inside initSetup (called from the .then()
           // above) lands here too, not just a network failure - log it, or
           // the table just renders hidden with no clue why.
-          // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
-          console.error('editors/getdata failed:', err)
-          this.getdataError = true
-          this.tableTrue = true
+          this.handleGetdataFailure(err)
         })
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Puts the page into its getdata error state. Shared by the callService
+   * .catch and initSetup's own retry branch: a throw from the retry runs on a
+   * bare setTimeout, outside that promise chain, so it would otherwise never
+   * reach the .catch and the user would be left on the loading spinner.
+   */
+  private handleGetdataFailure(err: any) {
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+    console.error('editors/getdata failed:', err)
+    this.getdataError = true
+    this.tableTrue = true
+  }
+
   /**
    * VA mode, initial (unfiltered) route only: briefly wait for VA's buffered
    * first message and, if it already carries a filter, save that filter and
@@ -3880,9 +3890,17 @@ export class EditorComponent
 
     this.hotInstance = this.hotTableComponent?.hotInstance!
     if (!this.hotInstance) {
-      // Retry init, don't permanently abort
+      // Retry init, don't permanently abort. A throw from the retry runs on a
+      // bare setTimeout rather than in the caller's promise chain, so it would
+      // never reach that .catch - surface it through the same handler here.
       if (attempt < 60) {
-        setTimeout(() => this.initSetup(response, attempt + 1), 50)
+        setTimeout(() => {
+          try {
+            this.initSetup(response, attempt + 1)
+          } catch (err) {
+            this.handleGetdataFailure(err)
+          }
+        }, 50)
       }
       return
     }
@@ -3890,7 +3908,8 @@ export class EditorComponent
     // The delete column is client-owned (see deleteRecordColumnRule.ts):
     // this asserts getdata did not send it, then prepends it to COLHEADERS so
     // it is the grid's first column. A throw here lands in the caller's
-    // .catch, which sets getdataError and shows the error state.
+    // .catch - or, on a retry, the branch above - which sets getdataError and
+    // shows the error state.
     prepareDeleteRecordColumn(response)
 
     this.cols = response.data.cols
diff --git a/client/src/app/multi-dataset/multi-dataset.component.ts b/client/src/app/multi-dataset/multi-dataset.component.ts
index b18d623..8166b80 100644
--- a/client/src/app/multi-dataset/multi-dataset.component.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/multi-dataset/multi-dataset.component.ts
@@ -368,13 +368,16 @@ export class MultiDatasetComponent implements OnInit, AfterViewInit {
       // buildDatasetsObjects throws when a getdata response carries the
       // reserved delete-record column (see deleteRecordColumn.ts). This chain
       // has no .catch, so an uncaught throw here would become an unhandled
-      // rejection that aborts the loop with nothing shown. Log it and drop the
-      // parse, the way fetchDataset's own catch handles a failed getdata.
+      // rejection that aborts the loop with nothing shown. Surface it on
+      // screen, the way the editor flow refuses the same response, rather
+      // than leaving the user on an empty table selection with the file
+      // still attached.
       let datasetObjects: DatasetsObject[] = []
       try {
         datasetObjects = this.buildDatasetsObjects(datasets)
       } catch (err) {
         console.warn('Error building dataset objects', err)
+        this.eventService.showInfoModal('Upload error', (err as Error).message)
         return
       }