diff --git a/js/subscriptions.js b/js/subscriptions.js
index 6a3e1d64..0ac83a2b 100644
--- a/js/subscriptions.js
+++ b/js/subscriptions.js
@@ -339,7 +339,14 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
     }
 
     if (!this.loaded) {
-      await this.loadSubscriptions(userPubkey);
+      try {
+        await this.loadSubscriptions(userPubkey);
+      } catch (error) {
+        userLogger.error(
+          "[SubscriptionsManager] Failed to load subscriptions while rendering feed:",
+          error,
+        );
+      }
     }
 
     const channelHexes = this.getSubscribedAuthors();
@@ -422,6 +429,22 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
         ? result.items.map((item) => item?.video).filter(Boolean)
         : [];
 
+      const metadata = result && typeof result.metadata === "object"
+        ? { ...result.metadata }
+        : {};
+
+      if (!metadata.feed) {
+        metadata.feed = "subscriptions";
+      }
+      if (limit) {
+        metadata.limit = limit;
+      }
+      if (reason) {
+        metadata.reason = reason;
+      }
+
+      const enrichedResult = { ...result, metadata };
+
       if (app?.videosMap instanceof Map) {
         videos.forEach((video) => {
           if (video && typeof video.id === "string" && video.id) {
@@ -430,10 +453,15 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
         });
       }
 
-      this.lastResult = result;
-      this.renderSameGridStyle(result, containerId, { limit, reason });
+      this.lastResult = enrichedResult;
+      this.renderSameGridStyle(enrichedResult, containerId, {
+        limit,
+        reason,
+        emptyMessage:
+          "No playable subscription videos found yet. We'll keep watching for new posts.",
+      });
       this.hasRenderedOnce = true;
-      return result;
+      return enrichedResult;
     } catch (error) {
       userLogger.error(
         "[SubscriptionsManager] Failed to run subscriptions feed:",
@@ -587,6 +615,10 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
         ? { ...result.metadata }
         : {};
 
+    if (!metadata.feed) {
+      metadata.feed = "subscriptions";
+    }
+
     const limitCandidate = Number(options?.limit);
     const limit =
       Number.isFinite(limitCandidate) && limitCandidate > 0
@@ -599,10 +631,15 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
       .filter((video) => video && typeof video === "object");
 
     if (!videos.length) {
-      container.innerHTML = `
-        <p class="flex justify-center items-center h-full w-full text-center text-muted-strong">
-          No videos available yet.
-        </p>`;
+      const reasonDetail =
+        typeof metadata.reason === "string" && metadata.reason
+          ? metadata.reason
+          : "empty";
+      this.renderEmptyState(container, {
+        message: options?.emptyMessage,
+        reason: reasonDetail,
+        metadata,
+      });
       return;
     }
 
@@ -636,6 +673,39 @@ class SubscriptionsManager {
     listView.render(videos, enrichedMetadata);
   }
 
+  renderEmptyState(container, { message, reason, metadata } = {}) {
+    if (!container) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const copy =
+      typeof message === "string" && message.trim()
+        ? message.trim()
+        : "No playable subscription videos found yet. We'll keep watching for new posts.";
+
+    container.innerHTML = getSidebarLoadingMarkup(copy, { showSpinner: false });
+
+    if (this.subscriptionListView && this.subscriptionListView.state) {
+      const currentMetadata =
+        this.subscriptionListView.state.feedMetadata &&
+        typeof this.subscriptionListView.state.feedMetadata === "object"
+          ? { ...this.subscriptionListView.state.feedMetadata }
+          : {};
+
+      if (metadata && typeof metadata === "object") {
+        Object.assign(currentMetadata, metadata);
+      }
+
+      if (reason && typeof reason === "string") {
+        currentMetadata.reason = reason;
+      } else if (!currentMetadata.reason) {
+        currentMetadata.reason = "empty";
+      }
+
+      this.subscriptionListView.state.feedMetadata = currentMetadata;
+    }
+  }
+
   getListView(container, app) {
     if (this.subscriptionListView) {
       return this.subscriptionListView;
diff --git a/tests/subscriptions-manager.test.mjs b/tests/subscriptions-manager.test.mjs
index 63b6b9c1..5de69640 100644
--- a/tests/subscriptions-manager.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/subscriptions-manager.test.mjs
@@ -203,6 +203,11 @@ test(
 
     assert.equal(runCalls.length, 1, "engine.run should execute after warm-up");
     assert.equal(renderCalls.length, 1, "initial render should occur once");
+    assert.equal(
+      renderCalls[0].options.emptyMessage.includes("No playable subscription videos"),
+      true,
+      "empty state should provide a descriptive message",
+    );
 
     nostrService.emit("videos:updated", {
       reason: "subscription",
@@ -226,6 +231,11 @@ test(
       "video-1",
       "updated render should receive fresh videos",
     );
+    assert.equal(
+      renderCalls[1].options.emptyMessage.includes("No playable subscription videos"),
+      true,
+      "subsequent renders should retain the empty state message for metadata",
+    );
 
     if (typeof manager.unsubscribeFromNostrUpdates === "function") {
       manager.unsubscribeFromNostrUpdates();
@@ -257,3 +267,51 @@ test(
   },
 );
 
+test("renderSameGridStyle shows empty state message", async () => {
+  const SubscriptionsManager = subscriptions.constructor;
+
+  const originalWindow = globalThis.window;
+  const originalDocument = globalThis.document;
+
+  const dom = new JSDOM(
+    "<!doctype html><div id=\"subscriptionsVideoList\"></div>",
+    { url: "https://example.test/" },
+  );
+
+  globalThis.window = dom.window;
+  globalThis.document = dom.window.document;
+
+  const manager = new SubscriptionsManager();
+
+  manager.renderSameGridStyle(
+    { items: [] },
+    "subscriptionsVideoList",
+    { emptyMessage: "Custom empty state copy." },
+  );
+
+  const container = dom.window.document.getElementById("subscriptionsVideoList");
+  assert.match(
+    container.textContent,
+    /Custom empty state copy\./,
+    "empty state should render the provided copy",
+  );
+  assert.ok(
+    !container.textContent.includes("Fetching subscriptions"),
+    "loading spinner should be removed when rendering the empty state",
+  );
+
+  dom.window.close();
+
+  if (typeof originalWindow === "undefined") {
+    delete globalThis.window;
+  } else {
+    globalThis.window = originalWindow;
+  }
+
+  if (typeof originalDocument === "undefined") {
+    delete globalThis.document;
+  } else {
+    globalThis.document = originalDocument;
+  }
+});
+