diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d658b4212..43a2620b1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
   Explicitly removing either source leaves its layer unavailable; standalone
   defaults preserve the existing providers.
 
+- Street Level with no providers uses the shared unavailable state and refuses
+  activation before initialization, while keeping its layer identity visible.
+
 - Application source configuration accepts replacements and explicit removal.
   Missing catalog feeds leave their layers unavailable without blocking startup
   or making fallback requests; malformed supplied feeds remain configuration errors.
diff --git a/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md b/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
index 6f4e3e546..27a5815e9 100644
--- a/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
+++ b/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ visibility lifecycle before initialization. Invalid supplied methods still fail
 construction. `createStandaloneApplication` and `createStandaloneCatalog` accept
 `sources` overrides; unspecified entries retain
 standalone defaults, and null entries explicitly remove a source. Street Level
-continues to accept an explicit provider list. Directions (`getRoute`) and
+continues to accept an explicit provider list. An empty Street Level provider
+list uses the same unavailable lifecycle and disabled layer toggle. Directions (`getRoute`) and
 Recent Imagery (`searchHls`, `getThumbnail`, `getTileTemplate`) use the same source
 configuration boundary. Standalone selects their default adapters; layers retain
 route normalization, imagery selection and rendering. Recent Imagery adapters
@@ -21,7 +22,10 @@ An explicit list replaces the default Mapillary provider; an empty list removes
 all imagery providers. Without that option, Mapillary is registered only when
 `sources.mapillary` is supplied. An absent source leaves Street Level registered
 with a truthful no-provider state, preserving layer controls and share tokens.
-Malformed supplied sources and provider definitions still fail validation.
+Malformed selected sources and provider definitions still fail validation.
+An explicit provider list bypasses the unused Mapillary source, including its
+validation. Layer share identities are preserved; custom provider switches require
+a corresponding serialization contract.
 
 ## God's Eye View in conversations — October 2, 2026
 
diff --git a/scripts/qa-street-level.mjs b/scripts/qa-street-level.mjs
index 59b0584da..f8d50f85f 100644
--- a/scripts/qa-street-level.mjs
+++ b/scripts/qa-street-level.mjs
@@ -622,11 +622,17 @@ async function main() {
       await target.click(
         '.panel-collapse-btn[data-collapse-target="street-level-panel"]',
       );
-      await settle(
-        target,
-        () =>
-          getComputedStyle(document.getElementById('sl-body')).display ===
-          'flex',
+      assert.ok(
+        await settle(
+          target,
+          () =>
+            !document
+              .getElementById('street-level-panel')
+              .classList.contains('collapsed') &&
+            getComputedStyle(document.getElementById('sl-body')).display ===
+              'flex',
+        ),
+        'Street Level panel did not expand before the timeout',
       );
     };
     await expandStrip();
diff --git a/src/app/layers/streetLevel.js b/src/app/layers/streetLevel.js
index 41e8b2a8b..18a3e7a3b 100644
--- a/src/app/layers/streetLevel.js
+++ b/src/app/layers/streetLevel.js
@@ -5,7 +5,11 @@ import * as picking from '../../data/pickRegistry.js';
 import * as input from '../../data/inputOwnership.js';
 import * as render from '../../renderGovernor.js';
 
-/** Inject providers, or use Mapillary only when its source is supplied. */
+/**
+ * Inject providers, or use Mapillary only when its source is supplied.
+ * An explicit provider list replaces the default; unused sources.mapillary is
+ * neither constructed nor validated, including when the list is empty.
+ */
 export function createApplicationStreetLevel({
   surface,
   sources = {},
diff --git a/src/app/sourceComposition.test.mjs b/src/app/sourceComposition.test.mjs
index 9d6823e40..beafa5c51 100644
--- a/src/app/sourceComposition.test.mjs
+++ b/src/app/sourceComposition.test.mjs
@@ -82,3 +82,20 @@ test('standalone defaults allow exact replacements and explicit removal, and rej
     /Unknown source/,
   );
 });
+
+test('empty Street Level uses the shared unavailable lifecycle without initialization', async (t) => {
+  const actual = catalog({}, t);
+  const manager = new LayerLifecycle({});
+  manager.register(actual.get('street-level'));
+  assert.equal(await manager.setEnabled('street-level', true), false);
+  assert.equal(manager.layers.get('street-level').initialized, false);
+  const row = manager.getAll()[0];
+  assert.equal(row.stats.status, 'unavailable');
+  assert.equal(row.stats.error, 'No street-level imagery providers configured');
+  assert.equal(await manager.setEnabled('street-level', false), true);
+  const configured = catalog(createStandaloneLayerSources(), t);
+  assert.equal(
+    configured.get('street-level').getSourceAvailability().available,
+    true,
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/layers/streetLevel/index.js b/src/layers/streetLevel/index.js
index dd4478c58..60a31691e 100644
--- a/src/layers/streetLevel/index.js
+++ b/src/layers/streetLevel/index.js
@@ -333,6 +333,16 @@ export function createStreetLevelLayer({
     requiresKeyId: requiresKeyIdFor(definitionsFrozen),
     /** Registered providers, in chip order. */
     providerIds: definitionsFrozen.map((def) => def.id),
+    getSourceAvailability() {
+      const available = definitionsFrozen.length > 0;
+      return {
+        available,
+        source: STREET_LEVEL_LAYER_ID,
+        reason: available
+          ? null
+          : 'No street-level imagery providers configured',
+      };
+    },
 
     init(viewer) {
       if (state.initialized)