diff --git a/src/models/componentSpec/validation/types.ts b/src/models/componentSpec/validation/types.ts
index 617aa892c..013ec039f 100644
--- a/src/models/componentSpec/validation/types.ts
+++ b/src/models/componentSpec/validation/types.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export type ValidationIssueCode =
   | "MISSING_REQUIRED_INPUT"
   | "EMPTY_TASK_NAME"
   | "MISSING_COMPONENT_REF"
+  | "COMPONENT_HYDRATION_FAILED"
   | "BAD_INPUT_REFERENCE"
   | "BAD_TASK_REFERENCE"
   | "BAD_OUTPUT_REFERENCE"
diff --git a/src/models/componentSpec/validation/validateSpec.ts b/src/models/componentSpec/validation/validateSpec.ts
index ad10f7c43..b51b7f79c 100644
--- a/src/models/componentSpec/validation/validateSpec.ts
+++ b/src/models/componentSpec/validation/validateSpec.ts
@@ -213,6 +213,16 @@ function validateSingleTask(
       severity: "error",
       issueCode: "MISSING_COMPONENT_REF",
     });
+  } else if (!task.subgraphSpec && !task.resolvedComponentSpec) {
+    // The ref points at a loadable component (url/digest/text) but hydration
+    // never populated its spec, so the component could not be resolved.
+    issues.push({
+      type: "task",
+      message: "Failed to load component",
+      entityId: task.$id,
+      severity: "error",
+      issueCode: "COMPONENT_HYDRATION_FAILED",
+    });
   }
 
   issues.push(...validateTaskArguments(task, spec));
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/components/IssueResolution/ValidationIssueResolutionCard.tsx b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/components/IssueResolution/ValidationIssueResolutionCard.tsx
index 2f0b6ba3a..ff9a38952 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/components/IssueResolution/ValidationIssueResolutionCard.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/components/IssueResolution/ValidationIssueResolutionCard.tsx
@@ -171,6 +171,10 @@ const RESOLUTION_MAP: Record<ValidationIssueCode, ResolutionResolver> = {
   DUPLICATE_OUTPUT_NAME: (p) => renderDuplicateNameResolution("output", p),
   MISSING_COMPONENT_REF: (p) =>
     renderDeleteResolution("Delete Task", "task", p),
+  COMPONENT_HYDRATION_FAILED: () =>
+    renderInfoResolution(
+      "The component could not be loaded from its source. Check the component URL or your connection, then reload the pipeline.",
+    ),
   BAD_INPUT_REFERENCE: renderBadRefResolution,
   BAD_TASK_REFERENCE: renderBadRefResolution,
   BAD_OUTPUT_REFERENCE: renderBadRefResolution,
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/__tests__/hydrateSpecRefs.test.ts b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/__tests__/hydrateSpecRefs.test.ts
index e62093d11..ab2ceb642 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/__tests__/hydrateSpecRefs.test.ts
+++ b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/__tests__/hydrateSpecRefs.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { ComponentSpec } from "@/models/componentSpec/entities/componentSpec";
 import { Task } from "@/models/componentSpec/entities/task";
 import { IncrementingIdGenerator } from "@/models/componentSpec/factories/idGenerator";
+import { validateSpec } from "@/models/componentSpec/validation/validateSpec";
 import { hydrateLoadedSpecRefs } from "@/routes/v2/pages/Editor/utils/hydrateSpecRefs";
 import { hydrateComponentReference } from "@/services/componentService";
 import type {
@@ -66,6 +67,31 @@ describe("hydrateLoadedSpecRefs", () => {
     expect(task.resolvedComponentSpec?.name).toBe("Foo");
   });
 
+  it("leaves the ref untouched and surfaces a validation issue on failure", async () => {
+    const task = new Task({
+      $id: idGen.next("task"),
+      name: "Process",
+      componentRef: { url: "https://example.com/comp.yaml", digest: "abc" },
+    });
+    const spec = specWithTask(task);
+
+    mockHydrate.mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+    await hydrateLoadedSpecRefs(spec);
+
+    expect(task.componentRef.url).toBe("https://example.com/comp.yaml");
+    expect(task.resolvedComponentSpec).toBeUndefined();
+
+    const issues = validateSpec(spec);
+    expect(
+      issues.some(
+        (issue) =>
+          issue.entityId === task.$id &&
+          issue.issueCode === "COMPONENT_HYDRATION_FAILED",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it("recurses into subgraph tasks without re-hydrating the subgraph ref", async () => {
     const innerTask = new Task({
       $id: idGen.next("task"),