diff --git a/src/shared/api/client.ts b/src/shared/api/client.ts
index c2bd376..d936ff3 100644
--- a/src/shared/api/client.ts
+++ b/src/shared/api/client.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { PBHttpError } from './error';
 import type { ListResponse } from './types';
 
 /*
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ export async function getCollection<T>(collection: string, options: PBFetchOptio
   });
 
   if (!res.ok) {
-    throw new Error(`PocketBase ${res.status} ${res.statusText} on collection "${collection}"`);
+    throw new PBHttpError(res.status, collection, res.statusText);
   }
 
   return res.json();
@@ -74,8 +75,20 @@ export async function getCollection<T>(collection: string, options: PBFetchOptio
 
 /**
  * Fetch the first record matching an optional filter from a PocketBase collection.
+ *
+ * Returns null on connection failure (e.g. PocketBase unreachable during build)
+ * so prerendering doesn't crash. HTTP errors (4xx/5xx) are rethrown — PB is
+ * reachable but something is genuinely wrong, which shouldn't be silently hidden.
  */
 export async function getFirstRecord<T>(collection: string, options: PBFetchOptions = {}): Promise<T | null> {
-  const data = await getCollection<T>(collection, options);
-  return data.items[0] ?? null;
+  try {
+    const data = await getCollection<T>(collection, options);
+    return data.items[0] ?? null;
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err instanceof PBHttpError) {
+      throw err;
+    }
+    console.warn(`[getFirstRecord] "${collection}" unreachable — returning null`, err);
+    return null;
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/shared/api/error.ts b/src/shared/api/error.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a460b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shared/api/error.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/**
+ * Error thrown when PocketBase responds with a non-OK HTTP status (4xx/5xx).
+ *
+ * Distinguishes *server-responded-with-failure* from *server-unreachable*.
+ * A connection-level failure (ECONNREFUSED, DNS, the build-time `PB_URL`
+ * guard) throws a plain `Error`; only an actual HTTP response throws this.
+ * Callers use `instanceof PBHttpError` to decide whether to swallow the
+ * failure (connection — safe to ignore at build) or rethrow it (HTTP — a
+ * real problem that must surface).
+ *
+ * @example
+ * try {
+ *   await getCollection('site_settings');
+ * } catch (err) {
+ *   if (err instanceof PBHttpError) {
+ *     // PB is up but returned e.g. 403 — log, alert, rethrow
+ *     console.error(`PB returned ${err.status} for ${err.collection}`);
+ *   } else {
+ *     // PB unreachable — acceptable during build, render empty
+ *   }
+ * }
+ */
+export class PBHttpError extends Error {
+  /**
+   * @param status     HTTP status code returned by PocketBase (e.g. 404, 500).
+   * @param collection Name of the collection that was queried, for context.
+   * @param statusText HTTP status text from the response (e.g. "Not Found").
+   */
+  constructor(
+    public readonly status: number,
+    public readonly collection: string,
+    statusText: string,
+  ) {
+    super(`PocketBase ${status} ${statusText} on collection "${collection}"`);
+    this.name = 'PBHttpError';
+  }
+}