diff --git a/server.ts b/server.ts
index 1e9a9ea..fffbf9b 100644
--- a/server.ts
+++ b/server.ts
@@ -1180,7 +1180,7 @@ async function startServer() {
 
   app.get('/api/caddy/routes', requireAuth, (_req, res) => {
     try {
-      res.json({ system: [], custom: getCaddyRoutes() });
+      res.json(getCaddyRoutes());
     } catch (err: any) {
       res.status(500).json({ error: err.message });
     }
diff --git a/src/components/Settings.tsx b/src/components/Settings.tsx
index 4aa9b5c..d26ee85 100644
--- a/src/components/Settings.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Settings.tsx
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ export default function Settings({ currentUser: _currentUser }: SettingsProps) {
   const [caddyEnabled, setCaddyEnabled] = useState(false);
   const [caddyAdminUrl, setCaddyAdminUrl] = useState('http://localhost:2019');
   const [caddyStatus, setCaddyStatus] = useState<'unknown' | 'available' | 'unavailable'>('unknown');
-  const [caddyRoutes, setCaddyRoutes] = useState<{ system: { hostname: string; upstream: string }[]; custom: CaddyRoute[] } | null>(null);
+  const [caddyRoutes, setCaddyRoutes] = useState<CaddyRoute[]>([]);
   const [addingRoute, setAddingRoute] = useState(false);
   const [newHostname, setNewHostname] = useState('');
   const [newUpstream, setNewUpstream] = useState('');
@@ -360,17 +360,15 @@ export default function Settings({ currentUser: _currentUser }: SettingsProps) {
   }
 
   async function loadCaddyRoutes() {
-    // Status check is background — never blocks route display
-    authFetch('/api/caddy/status')
-      .then(res => res.ok ? res.json() : null)
-      .then(s => setCaddyStatus(s?.available ? 'available' : 'unavailable'))
-      .catch(() => setCaddyStatus('unavailable'));
-
-    // Routes load immediately from DB
     try {
       const res = await authFetch('/api/caddy/routes');
       if (res.ok) setCaddyRoutes(await res.json());
     } catch {}
+    // Status check runs separately — purely informational, never blocks the list
+    authFetch('/api/caddy/status')
+      .then(res => res.ok ? res.json() : null)
+      .then(s => setCaddyStatus(s?.available ? 'available' : 'unavailable'))
+      .catch(() => setCaddyStatus('unavailable'));
   }
 
   async function handleAddRoute() {
@@ -939,8 +937,14 @@ export default function Settings({ currentUser: _currentUser }: SettingsProps) {
                 </p>
               )}
 
+              {caddyRoutes.length === 0 && (
+                <p className="text-[11px] font-mono text-slate-500 mb-2">
+                  No proxy routes configured yet.
+                </p>
+              )}
+
               {/* Custom routes */}
-              {caddyRoutes?.custom.map(r => (
+              {caddyRoutes.map((r: CaddyRoute) => (
                 <div key={r.id} className="bg-slate-900/60 border border-slate-700/60 rounded-xl px-4 py-2.5">
                   {editingRouteId === r.id ? (
                     <div className="flex items-end gap-2">