diff --git a/api/src/routes/admin.ts b/api/src/routes/admin.ts
index 171d582..028cab8 100644
--- a/api/src/routes/admin.ts
+++ b/api/src/routes/admin.ts
@@ -668,7 +668,21 @@ router.get("/api/v1/admin/compliance-orders/:order_number/documents", requireAdm
     const exists = await pool.query("SELECT 1 FROM compliance_orders WHERE order_number = $1", [req.params.order_number]);
     if (exists.rows.length === 0) { res.status(404).json({ error: "Order not found." }); return; }
     const docs = await collectOrderDocuments(req.params.order_number);
-    res.json({ order_number: req.params.order_number, documents: docs });
+    // Verify each object actually exists in storage so the UI can disable dead
+    // links (a key can be recorded in the DB before the object is uploaded, e.g.
+    // a prepared-filing path written for an order whose prep never completed).
+    const checked = await Promise.all(docs.map(async (d) => {
+      let present = false;
+      try {
+        const url = await presignInternal(d.key);
+        if (url) {
+          const head = await fetch(url, { method: "HEAD" });
+          present = head.ok;
+        }
+      } catch { /* treat as missing */ }
+      return { ...d, exists: present };
+    }));
+    res.json({ order_number: req.params.order_number, documents: checked });
   } catch (err) {
     console.error("[admin/compliance-orders/documents] Error:", err);
     res.status(500).json({ error: "Could not list documents." });
@@ -696,6 +710,10 @@ router.get("/api/v1/admin/compliance-orders/:order_number/document", requireAdmi
     if (!url) { res.status(502).json({ error: "Could not generate object URL." }); return; }
 
     const upstream = await fetch(url);
+    if (upstream.status === 404) {
+      res.status(404).json({ error: "Document not found in storage (it may not have been generated yet)." });
+      return;
+    }
     if (!upstream.ok || !upstream.body) {
       res.status(502).json({ error: `Object fetch failed (${upstream.status}).` });
       return;
diff --git a/site/public/admin/compliance-orders/index.html b/site/public/admin/compliance-orders/index.html
index 86595c0..644fdf6 100644
--- a/site/public/admin/compliance-orders/index.html
+++ b/site/public/admin/compliance-orders/index.html
@@ -386,12 +386,13 @@
         box.innerHTML = documents.map((d) => {
           const u = API + "/api/v1/admin/compliance-orders/" + encodeURIComponent(orderNumber)
             + "/document?key=" + encodeURIComponent(d.key) + "&token=" + tok;
+          const action = (d.exists === false)
+            ? `<span class="small" style="color:#9ca3af;">not generated yet</span>`
+            : `<a href="${u}" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="btn btn-blue btn-sm" style="text-decoration:none;">View</a>`;
           return `<div class="svc-row"><div class="svc-left">
               <span style="font-size:13px;">${esc(d.label)}</span>
               <span class="small">${esc(d.key.split("/").pop())}</span>
-            </div><div class="svc-right">
-              <a href="${u}" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="btn btn-blue btn-sm" style="text-decoration:none;">View</a>
-            </div></div>`;
+            </div><div class="svc-right">${action}</div></div>`;
         }).join("");
       } catch (e) {
         box.innerHTML = `<div style="color:#b91c1c;font-size:12px;">Could not load documents: ${esc(e.message)}</div>`;