diff --git a/src/firstRunExperience.js b/src/firstRunExperience.js
index b1a38a273..07b702461 100644
--- a/src/firstRunExperience.js
+++ b/src/firstRunExperience.js
@@ -98,15 +98,9 @@ export const FIRST_RUN_MISSIONS = Object.freeze({
     // for the FULLY CONFIGURED experience (owner ruling, 2026-08-23): the tile
     // promises both, so it turns on both, and the subcopy in index.html says so.
     //
-    // Keyless, FIRMS is honest where it counts — its own layer row reads
-    // "UNAVAILABLE · NASA FIRMS · LIVE · KEY REQUIRED", and the quakes half of
-    // the tile still delivers in full. What is NOT honest is the GLOBAL status
-    // chip, which has no key-required terminal state and folds that row into
-    // "LOAD FAILED". That aggregation is the defect, not this preset: fixing it
-    // means a KEY REQUIRED terminal state in src/loadingFeedback.js, a state
-    // machine shared by every layer and not a thing to refactor the night
-    // before a launch. LEDGERED post-launch. Until it lands, keyless visitors
-    // are judged on the layer row, which tells them the truth.
+    // Keyless, FIRMS's own row reads "KEY REQUIRED", and the quakes half of
+    // the tile still delivers in full; the global status chip ends on KEY
+    // REQUIRED too (src/loadingFeedback.js) rather than LOAD FAILED.
     layerIds: Object.freeze(['earthquakes', 'local-firms']),
     busyKey: msg('Scanning active events…'),
   }),
diff --git a/src/loadingFeedback.js b/src/loadingFeedback.js
index b4ea03ba1..f03066ff9 100644
--- a/src/loadingFeedback.js
+++ b/src/loadingFeedback.js
@@ -85,13 +85,18 @@ export function normalizeLayerLoading(layer = {}) {
 function terminalFromParticipantStats(summary, participantIds) {
   if (!participantIds?.length) return null;
   const participants = new Set(participantIds);
-  return summary.records.some(
-    (record) =>
-      participants.has(record.id) &&
-      (record.error || record.unavailable || record.keyRequired),
+  const records = summary.records.filter((record) =>
+    participants.has(record.id),
+  );
+  // A layer waiting for a key did not fail: its row names the key. Only an
+  // actual error makes the whole batch read LOAD FAILED.
+  if (
+    records.some(
+      (record) => !record.keyRequired && (record.error || record.unavailable),
+    )
   )
-    ? 'error'
-    : null;
+    return 'error';
+  return records.some((record) => record.keyRequired) ? 'key' : null;
 }
 
 /** Aggregate all manager layers without changing their lifecycle authority. */
@@ -282,7 +287,7 @@ function terminalFromEvent(event) {
 }
 
 function mergeTerminalOutcome(current, next) {
-  const severity = { complete: 1, cancelled: 2, error: 3 };
+  const severity = { complete: 1, key: 2, cancelled: 3, error: 4 };
   if (!next) return current || null;
   if (!current || severity[next] > severity[current]) return next;
   return current;
@@ -424,6 +429,7 @@ export function presentLoadingFeedback(state, summary, nowMs) {
     const labels = {
       complete: 'LOAD COMPLETE',
       cancelled: 'LOAD CANCELLED',
+      key: 'KEY REQUIRED',
       error: 'LOAD FAILED',
     };
     const label =
diff --git a/src/loadingFeedback.test.mjs b/src/loadingFeedback.test.mjs
index d892ddf1c..1aef710c0 100644
--- a/src/loadingFeedback.test.mjs
+++ b/src/loadingFeedback.test.mjs
@@ -247,11 +247,11 @@ test('terminal loading feedback centers its label without an empty detail slot',
   const css = readStylesheet(new URL('../style.css', import.meta.url));
   assert.match(
     css,
-    /#global-loading-status:is\(\s*\[data-state='complete'\],\s*\[data-state='cancelled'\],\s*\[data-state='error'\]\s*\)\s*\{[\s\S]*?justify-content:\s*center;[\s\S]*?text-align:\s*center;/,
+    /#global-loading-status:is\(\s*\[data-state='complete'\],\s*\[data-state='cancelled'\],\s*\[data-state='key'\],\s*\[data-state='error'\]\s*\)\s*\{[\s\S]*?justify-content:\s*center;[\s\S]*?text-align:\s*center;/,
   );
   assert.match(
     css,
-    /#global-loading-status:is\(\s*\[data-state='complete'\],\s*\[data-state='cancelled'\],\s*\[data-state='error'\]\s*\)\s*#global-loading-detail\s*\{\s*display:\s*none;/,
+    /#global-loading-status:is\(\s*\[data-state='complete'\],\s*\[data-state='cancelled'\],\s*\[data-state='key'\],\s*\[data-state='error'\]\s*\)\s*#global-loading-detail\s*\{\s*display:\s*none;/,
   );
 });
 
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ test('participant stats failure outranks a simultaneous visibility completion',
     name: 'AIS Vessels',
     enabled: true,
     lifecycleState: 'enabled',
-    stats: { loading: false, keyRequired: true },
+    stats: { loading: false, error: 'Upstream closed' },
   }]);
   state = reduceLoadingFeedback(state, missingKey, 250, {
     type: 'visibility', layerId: 'ais-live-vessels', enabled: true,
@@ -355,6 +355,36 @@ test('participant stats failure outranks a simultaneous visibility completion',
   assert.equal(state.terminal, 'error');
 });
 
+test('a layer waiting for a key ends the batch as KEY REQUIRED, not LOAD FAILED', () => {
+  const quakes = (stats) => ({ id: 'earthquakes', name: 'Earthquakes', ...stats });
+  const fires = (stats) => ({ id: 'local-firms', name: 'Active Fires', ...stats });
+  const enabling = aggregateLayerLoading([
+    quakes({ lifecycleState: 'enabling', stats: { loading: true } }),
+    fires({ lifecycleState: 'enabling', stats: { loading: true } }),
+  ]);
+  let state = reduceLoadingFeedback(createLoadingFeedbackState(), enabling, 0);
+  state = reduceLoadingFeedback(state, enabling, 200);
+  const settled = aggregateLayerLoading([
+    quakes({ enabled: true, stats: { count: 27, lastUpdate: 1 } }),
+    fires({ enabled: true, stats: { status: 'unavailable', keyRequired: true, error: 'KEY REQUIRED' } }),
+  ]);
+  state = reduceLoadingFeedback(state, settled, 250);
+  assert.equal(state.terminal, 'key');
+  assert.deepEqual(state.failedEventIds, []);
+  const view = presentLoadingFeedback(state, settled, 260);
+  assert.equal(view.state, 'key');
+  assert.equal(view.label, 'KEY REQUIRED');
+
+  // A real failure beside it still reads as one.
+  const broken = aggregateLayerLoading([
+    quakes({ enabled: true, stats: { error: 'USGS 503' } }),
+    fires({ enabled: true, stats: { status: 'unavailable', keyRequired: true } }),
+  ]);
+  let failing = reduceLoadingFeedback(createLoadingFeedbackState(), enabling, 0);
+  failing = reduceLoadingFeedback(failing, enabling, 200);
+  assert.equal(reduceLoadingFeedback(failing, broken, 250).terminal, 'error');
+});
+
 test('retains the worst terminal outcome until every concurrent load drains', () => {
   const both = aggregateLayerLoading([
     { id: 'a', name: 'A', lifecycleState: 'enabling' },
diff --git a/src/ui/shellFeedback.js b/src/ui/shellFeedback.js
index 7193c3c3a..6a7abbfe7 100644
--- a/src/ui/shellFeedback.js
+++ b/src/ui/shellFeedback.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ const STATUS_LABEL_KEYS = Object.freeze({
   'LOAD COMPLETE': msg('LOAD COMPLETE'),
   'LOAD CANCELLED': msg('LOAD CANCELLED'),
   'LOAD FAILED': msg('LOAD FAILED'),
+  'KEY REQUIRED': msg('KEY REQUIRED'),
   'LIVE DATA OFF': msg('LIVE DATA OFF'),
   'MAPPED SITES LOADED': msg('MAPPED SITES LOADED'),
   'RETRYING MAPPED SITES': msg('RETRYING MAPPED SITES'),
diff --git a/src/ui/styles/status.css b/src/ui/styles/status.css
index bba1ef788..12650982b 100644
--- a/src/ui/styles/status.css
+++ b/src/ui/styles/status.css
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ html:not([lang='en']) #global-loading-detail {
 #global-loading-status:is(
   [data-state='complete'],
   [data-state='cancelled'],
+  [data-state='key'],
   [data-state='error']
 ) {
   justify-content: center;
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ html:not([lang='en']) #global-loading-detail {
 #global-loading-status:is(
     [data-state='complete'],
     [data-state='cancelled'],
+    [data-state='key'],
     [data-state='error']
   )
   #global-loading-detail {
@@ -155,11 +157,13 @@ html:not([lang='en']) #global-loading-detail {
 #global-loading-status[data-state='cancelled'] {
   color: #ffd488;
 }
-#global-loading-status[data-state='retry'] {
+#global-loading-status:is([data-state='retry'], [data-state='key']) {
   border-color: rgba(255, 212, 136, 0.55);
 }
-#global-loading-status[data-state='retry'] #global-loading-label,
-#global-loading-status[data-state='retry'] #global-loading-detail {
+#global-loading-status:is([data-state='retry'], [data-state='key'])
+  #global-loading-label,
+#global-loading-status:is([data-state='retry'], [data-state='key'])
+  #global-loading-detail {
   color: #ffd488;
 }
 #global-loading-status[data-state='cancelled'] #global-loading-label,