[F082] surface release-proposal query failures instead of silent hide

The card collapsed any non-404 backend failure (500 / network drop) onto
`!proposal` and returned null, so the CEO had no idea the release-proposal
endpoint was unreachable. Distinguish the cases: isError + a Retry affordance
vs the 404 null empty state that stays hidden. Mirrors PrReviewQueue.

panel/src/components/dashboard/__tests__/release-proposal-card.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import type { ReleaseProposal } from "@/lib/api/release";
+
+// Control useQuery per test; the mutation + queryClient hooks just need to exist.
+const { mockUseQuery } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  mockUseQuery: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("@tanstack/react-query", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("@tanstack/react-query")>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    useQuery: mockUseQuery,
+    useMutation: vi.fn(() => ({ mutate: vi.fn(), mutateAsync: vi.fn() })),
+    useQueryClient: vi.fn(() => ({
+      invalidateQueries: vi.fn(),
+    })),
+  };
+});
+
+// releaseApi methods never run (useQuery/useMutation are mocked) — the
+// component imports releaseApi from the barrel, so provide a stub object.
+vi.mock("@/lib/api", () => ({
+  releaseApi: {
+    getProposal: vi.fn(),
+    approve: vi.fn(),
+    reject: vi.fn(),
+  },
+}));
+
+import { ReleaseProposalCard } from "../release-proposal-card";
+
+function buildProposal(): ReleaseProposal {
+  return {
+    task_id: "t1",
+    title: "Cut v0.14.0",
+    status: "awaiting_ceo_approval",
+    required_changes: null,
+    report: {
+      proposed_version: "0.14.0",
+      bump_kind: "minor",
+      change_summary: ["feat: metrics"],
+      drafted_changelog: "## 0.14.0\n- metrics",
+      version_bump_plan: ["pyproject.toml"],
+      gaps: [],
+      migration_notes: [],
+      gate_state: "green",
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+describe("ReleaseProposalCard — query-failure surfacing (F082)", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockUseQuery.mockReturnValue({
+      data: undefined,
+      isLoading: false,
+      isError: false,
+      error: null,
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("surfaces a backend error (not a 404) instead of silently hiding", () => {
+    // A non-404 failure (500, network drop) rethrows in releaseApi.getProposal,
+    // so useQuery sees isError=true + data=undefined. Before the fix the card
+    // collapsed this onto `!proposal` and returned null — the CEO had no idea
+    // the release-proposal endpoint was unreachable.
+    mockUseQuery.mockReturnValue({
+      data: undefined,
+      isLoading: false,
+      isError: true,
+      error: new Error("release service unavailable"),
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+    });
+
+    render(<ReleaseProposalCard />);
+
+    // The failure must be visible — not a silent hide. The error card surfaces
+    // the underlying message and a retry affordance.
+    expect(
+      screen.getByText(/couldn't load the release proposal/i),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(
+      screen.getByText(/release service unavailable/i),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+    // A retry affordance so the CEO can re-fetch without a full page reload.
+    expect(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /retry/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("still hides on the 404 no-open-proposal empty state (regression guard)", () => {
+    // 404 → releaseApi.getProposal returns null → data=null, isError=false.
+    // That's the normal empty state and must stay hidden (mirrors PrReviewQueue).
+    mockUseQuery.mockReturnValue({
+      data: null,
+      isLoading: false,
+      isError: false,
+      error: null,
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+    });
+
+    const { container } = render(<ReleaseProposalCard />);
+    expect(container).toBeEmptyDOMElement();
+  });
+
+  it("renders the proposal card on the happy path (regression guard)", () => {
+    mockUseQuery.mockReturnValue({
+      data: buildProposal(),
+      isLoading: false,
+      isError: false,
+      error: null,
+      refetch: vi.fn(),
+    });
+
+    render(<ReleaseProposalCard />);
+    expect(screen.getByText(/Release Proposal/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText("v0.14.0")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(
+      screen.getByRole("button", { name: /Approve & publish/i }),
+    ).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});

panel/src/components/dashboard/release-proposal-card.tsx

@@ -44,7 +44,13 @@ export function ReleaseProposalCard({ className }: { className?: string }) {
   const [action, setAction] = useState<"approve" | "reject" | null>(null);
   const [requiredChanges, setRequiredChanges] = useState("");
 
-  const { data: proposal, isLoading } = useQuery({
+  const {
+    data: proposal,
+    isLoading,
+    isError,
+    error,
+    refetch,
+  } = useQuery({
     queryKey: ["release", "proposal"],
     queryFn: () => releaseApi.getProposal(),
     refetchInterval: 30000,
@@ -102,8 +108,38 @@ export function ReleaseProposalCard({ className }: { className?: string }) {
     }
   };
 
-  // Hidden entirely when there is no open proposal (mirrors PrReviewQueue).
+  // Loading: nothing to render yet (mirrors the prior hide).
-  if (isLoading || !proposal) return null;
+  if (isLoading) return null;
+  // A genuine query failure (non-404) must NOT hide silently — a 500 / network
+  // drop rethrows out of releaseApi.getProposal, leaving data undefined + isError
+  // set. Collapsing that onto `!proposal` returned null, so the CEO had no idea
+  // the release-proposal endpoint was unreachable. Surface it with a retry.
+  // (A 404 — "no open proposal" — is mapped to null in getProposal and falls
+  // through to the `!proposal` hide below, the normal empty state.)
+  if (isError) {
+    return (
+      <Card className={className}>
+        <CardHeader>
+          <CardTitle className="flex items-center gap-2">
+            <Rocket className="h-5 w-5" />
+            Release Proposal
+          </CardTitle>
+          <CardDescription>
+            Couldn&apos;t load the release proposal
+            {error instanceof Error ? `: ${error.message}` : ""}.
+          </CardDescription>
+        </CardHeader>
+        <CardContent>
+          <Button variant="outline" size="sm" onClick={() => refetch()}>
+            Retry
+          </Button>
+        </CardContent>
+      </Card>
+    );
+  }
+  // No open proposal (404 → null) — the normal empty state, hidden (mirrors
+  // PrReviewQueue).
+  if (!proposal) return null;
 
   const { report } = proposal;
   const pending = approveMutation.isPending || rejectMutation.isPending;