diff --git a/src/services/work-packages.ts b/src/services/work-packages.ts
index 48c9605..d97a6c4 100644
--- a/src/services/work-packages.ts
+++ b/src/services/work-packages.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import type {
   WorkPackageSummary,
 } from "../client/types.ts";
 import { resolveClient, resolveProjectId } from "./helper.ts";
-import { searchPipeline } from "../search/pipeline.ts";
+import { isFatalSearchError, searchPipeline } from "../search/pipeline.ts";
 import type { FieldSpec, MatchMode } from "../search/rank.ts";
 
 export interface ListWorkPackagesParams extends WorkPackageFilterParams {
@@ -147,22 +147,34 @@ export async function searchWorkPackages(
     assigneeId: options?.assigneeId,
   };
 
+  // A non-fatal failure on one leg (e.g. a transient 500) must not kill the
+  // whole search: the other leg's candidates are still worth ranking. A
+  // fatal failure (401/403/429) must propagate rather than degrade into "0
+  // candidates" — an expired token must not be reported to the model as "no
+  // results found".
+  const listCandidates = async (
+    params: ListWorkPackagesParams
+  ): Promise<{ items: WorkPackageSummary[] }> => {
+    try {
+      return await listWorkPackages(params, opClient);
+    } catch (error: unknown) {
+      if (isFatalSearchError(error)) {
+        throw error;
+      }
+      return { items: [] };
+    }
+  };
+
   const fetchCandidates = async (): Promise<WorkPackageSummary[]> => {
     const [precise, broad] = await Promise.all([
-      listWorkPackages(
-        { ...sharedFilters, subject: query, pageSize: MAX_WORK_PACKAGE_CANDIDATES },
-        opClient
-      ).catch(() => ({ items: [] as WorkPackageSummary[] })),
+      listCandidates({ ...sharedFilters, subject: query, pageSize: MAX_WORK_PACKAGE_CANDIDATES }),
       matchMode === "exact"
         ? Promise.resolve({ items: [] as WorkPackageSummary[] })
-        : listWorkPackages(
-            {
-              ...sharedFilters,
-              pageSize: MAX_WORK_PACKAGE_CANDIDATES,
-              sortBy: '[["updatedAt","desc"]]',
-            },
-            opClient
-          ).catch(() => ({ items: [] as WorkPackageSummary[] })),
+        : listCandidates({
+            ...sharedFilters,
+            pageSize: MAX_WORK_PACKAGE_CANDIDATES,
+            sortBy: '[["updatedAt","desc"]]',
+          }),
     ]);
 
     const byId = new Map<number, WorkPackageSummary>();
diff --git a/tests/services.test.ts b/tests/services.test.ts
index 9a2c162..978b29a 100644
--- a/tests/services.test.ts
+++ b/tests/services.test.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@ import {
   listUsers,
 } from "../src/services/metadata.ts";
 import * as domainServices from "../src/services/index.ts";
-import { OpenProjectClient } from "../src/client/api-client.ts";
+import {
+  OpenProjectClient,
+  OpenProjectAuthenticationError,
+  OpenProjectError,
+} from "../src/client/api-client.ts";
 import { runWithContext, type RequestContext } from "../src/context.ts";
 
 describe("Domain Services Helper", () => {
@@ -884,5 +888,56 @@ describe("Work Package Fuzzy Search", () => {
     );
     expect(result.elements).toHaveLength(0);
   });
+
+  test("propagates an auth failure from candidate fetch instead of reporting no results", async () => {
+    const client = {
+      get: async () => {
+        throw new OpenProjectAuthenticationError();
+      },
+    } as unknown as OpenProjectClient;
+
+    await expect(searchWorkPackages("anything", {}, client)).rejects.toThrow(
+      OpenProjectAuthenticationError
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("a non-fatal failure on one candidate leg still returns results from the other", async () => {
+    let calls = 0;
+    const client = {
+      get: async (path: string) => {
+        calls++;
+        // Fail the precise (subject-filtered) leg non-fatally; the broad
+        // leg (no subject filter) should still supply candidates.
+        if (calls === 1) {
+          throw new OpenProjectError("boom", { statusCode: 500 });
+        }
+        return {
+          _type: "Collection",
+          total: 1,
+          count: 1,
+          pageSize: 100,
+          offset: 1,
+          _embedded: {
+            elements: [
+              {
+                _type: "WorkPackage",
+                id: 1,
+                subject: "Fix login redirect",
+                _links: {
+                  type: { title: "Bug" },
+                  status: { title: "New" },
+                  project: { href: "/api/v3/projects/1", title: "Demo project" },
+                },
+                updatedAt: "2026-09-10T00:00:00Z",
+              },
+            ],
+          },
+        };
+      },
+    } as unknown as OpenProjectClient;
+
+    const result = await searchWorkPackages("login", {}, client);
+    expect(result.elements[0]!.workPackage.id).toBe(1);
+  });
 });