diff --git a/backend/controllers/available-items.controller.js b/backend/controllers/available-items.controller.js
index c23734e..8242519 100644
--- a/backend/controllers/available-items.controller.js
+++ b/backend/controllers/available-items.controller.js
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ function parseBoolean(value) {
   return value === true || value === "true" || value === "1";
 }
 
+function isCatalogTableMissing(error) {
+  return error?.code === "42P01" && /household_store_available_items/i.test(error?.message || "");
+}
+
 function parseClassificationInput(value) {
   if (value === undefined) {
     return undefined;
@@ -119,8 +123,15 @@ exports.getAvailableItems = async (req, res) => {
   try {
     const { householdId, storeId } = req.params;
     const items = await AvailableItems.listAvailableItems(householdId, storeId, req.query.query || "");
-    res.json({ items });
+    res.json({ items, catalog_ready: true });
   } catch (error) {
+    if (isCatalogTableMissing(error)) {
+      return res.json({
+        items: [],
+        catalog_ready: false,
+        message: "Store item catalog is unavailable until the latest database migration is applied.",
+      });
+    }
     logError(req, "availableItems.getAvailableItems", error);
     sendError(res, 500, "Failed to load available items");
   }
@@ -171,6 +182,13 @@ exports.createAvailableItem = async (req, res) => {
       item: refreshedItem,
     });
   } catch (error) {
+    if (isCatalogTableMissing(error)) {
+      return sendError(
+        res,
+        503,
+        "Store item catalog is unavailable until the latest database migration is applied"
+      );
+    }
     logError(req, "availableItems.createAvailableItem", error);
     if (error.code === "23505") {
       return sendError(res, 400, "Available item already exists for this store");
@@ -234,6 +252,13 @@ exports.updateAvailableItem = async (req, res) => {
       item: refreshedItem,
     });
   } catch (error) {
+    if (isCatalogTableMissing(error)) {
+      return sendError(
+        res,
+        503,
+        "Store item catalog is unavailable until the latest database migration is applied"
+      );
+    }
     logError(req, "availableItems.updateAvailableItem", error);
     if (error.code === "23505") {
       return sendError(res, 400, "Available item already exists for this store");
@@ -258,6 +283,13 @@ exports.deleteAvailableItem = async (req, res) => {
 
     res.json({ message: "Available item removed" });
   } catch (error) {
+    if (isCatalogTableMissing(error)) {
+      return sendError(
+        res,
+        503,
+        "Store item catalog is unavailable until the latest database migration is applied"
+      );
+    }
     logError(req, "availableItems.deleteAvailableItem", error);
     sendError(res, 500, "Failed to remove available item");
   }
@@ -273,6 +305,13 @@ exports.importCurrentItems = async (req, res) => {
       imported_count: importedCount,
     });
   } catch (error) {
+    if (isCatalogTableMissing(error)) {
+      return sendError(
+        res,
+        503,
+        "Store item catalog is unavailable until the latest database migration is applied"
+      );
+    }
     logError(req, "availableItems.importCurrentItems", error);
     sendError(res, 500, "Failed to import current list items");
   }
diff --git a/backend/tests/available-items.controller.test.js b/backend/tests/available-items.controller.test.js
index 1fc0252..16828ce 100644
--- a/backend/tests/available-items.controller.test.js
+++ b/backend/tests/available-items.controller.test.js
@@ -134,4 +134,53 @@ describe("available-items.controller", () => {
       })
     );
   });
+
+  test("returns an empty catalog payload when the available items table is missing", async () => {
+    const req = {
+      params: { householdId: "1", storeId: "2" },
+      query: {},
+    };
+    const res = createResponse();
+
+    AvailableItems.listAvailableItems.mockRejectedValueOnce({
+      code: "42P01",
+      message: 'relation "household_store_available_items" does not exist',
+    });
+
+    await controller.getAvailableItems(req, res);
+
+    expect(res.json).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        items: [],
+        catalog_ready: false,
+      })
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("returns a setup error when creating while the available items table is missing", async () => {
+    const req = {
+      params: { householdId: "1", storeId: "2" },
+      body: {
+        item_name: "milk",
+      },
+      processedImage: null,
+    };
+    const res = createResponse();
+
+    AvailableItems.createAvailableItem.mockRejectedValueOnce({
+      code: "42P01",
+      message: 'relation "household_store_available_items" does not exist',
+    });
+
+    await controller.createAvailableItem(req, res);
+
+    expect(res.status).toHaveBeenCalledWith(503);
+    expect(res.json).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        error: expect.objectContaining({
+          message: expect.stringContaining("latest database migration"),
+        }),
+      })
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/manage/StoreAvailableItemsManager.jsx b/frontend/src/components/manage/StoreAvailableItemsManager.jsx
index dec357c..aece269 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/manage/StoreAvailableItemsManager.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/manage/StoreAvailableItemsManager.jsx
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ export default function StoreAvailableItemsManager({ householdId, store, isAdmin
   const toast = useActionToast();
   const [expanded, setExpanded] = useState(true);
   const [items, setItems] = useState([]);
+  const [catalogReady, setCatalogReady] = useState(true);
+  const [catalogMessage, setCatalogMessage] = useState("");
   const [query, setQuery] = useState("");
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
   const [editorItem, setEditorItem] = useState(null);
@@ -38,8 +40,12 @@ export default function StoreAvailableItemsManager({ householdId, store, isAdmin
     try {
       const response = await getAvailableItems(householdId, store.id, search);
       setItems(response.data.items || []);
+      setCatalogReady(response.data.catalog_ready !== false);
+      setCatalogMessage(response.data.message || "");
     } catch (error) {
       console.error("Failed to load available items:", error);
+      setCatalogReady(false);
+      setCatalogMessage("Store item catalog is unavailable right now.");
       const message = getApiErrorMessage(error, "Failed to load available items");
       toast.error("Load store items failed", `Load store items failed: ${message}`);
     } finally {
@@ -56,6 +62,14 @@ export default function StoreAvailableItemsManager({ householdId, store, isAdmin
   }, [expanded, query, loadItems]);
 
   const handleCreate = async (payload) => {
+    if (!catalogReady) {
+      toast.info(
+        "Store item catalog unavailable",
+        catalogMessage || "Store item catalog is unavailable until the latest database migration is applied."
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+
     try {
       await createAvailableItem(householdId, store.id, payload);
       toast.success("Added store item", `Added ${payload.itemName} to ${store.name}`);
@@ -70,6 +84,14 @@ export default function StoreAvailableItemsManager({ householdId, store, isAdmin
   };
 
   const handleUpdate = async (payload) => {
+    if (!catalogReady) {
+      toast.info(
+        "Store item catalog unavailable",
+        catalogMessage || "Store item catalog is unavailable until the latest database migration is applied."
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+
     try {
       await updateAvailableItem(householdId, store.id, editorItem.item_id, payload);
       toast.success("Updated store item", `Updated ${payload.itemName} for ${store.name}`);
@@ -84,6 +106,14 @@ export default function StoreAvailableItemsManager({ householdId, store, isAdmin
   };
 
   const handleDelete = async (item) => {
+    if (!catalogReady) {
+      toast.info(
+        "Store item catalog unavailable",
+        catalogMessage || "Store item catalog is unavailable until the latest database migration is applied."
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+
     if (!confirm(`Remove ${item.item_name} from ${store.name}'s available items?`)) {
       return;
     }
@@ -99,6 +129,14 @@ export default function StoreAvailableItemsManager({ householdId, store, isAdmin
   };
 
   const handleImport = async () => {
+    if (!catalogReady) {
+      toast.info(
+        "Store item catalog unavailable",
+        catalogMessage || "Store item catalog is unavailable until the latest database migration is applied."
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+
     try {
       const response = await importCurrentAvailableItems(householdId, store.id);
       const importedCount = response.data.imported_count || 0;
@@ -137,18 +175,25 @@ export default function StoreAvailableItemsManager({ householdId, store, isAdmin
 
       {expanded ? (
         <div className="store-available-items-panel">
+          {!catalogReady ? (
+            <p className="store-available-items-notice">
+              {catalogMessage || "Store item catalog is unavailable until the latest database migration is applied."}
+            </p>
+          ) : null}
           <div className="store-available-items-toolbar">
             <input
               className="store-available-items-search"
               value={query}
               onChange={(event) => setQuery(event.target.value)}
               placeholder="Search store items"
+              disabled={!catalogReady}
             />
             <div className="store-available-items-toolbar-actions">
               <button
                 type="button"
                 className="btn-secondary btn-small"
                 onClick={handleImport}
+                disabled={!catalogReady}
               >
                 Import Current List
               </button>
@@ -159,13 +204,16 @@ export default function StoreAvailableItemsManager({ householdId, store, isAdmin
                   setEditorItem(null);
                   setShowEditor(true);
                 }}
+                disabled={!catalogReady}
               >
                 Add Item
               </button>
             </div>
           </div>
 
-          {loading ? (
+          {!catalogReady ? (
+            <p className="empty-message">Run the latest database migrations to enable this catalog.</p>
+          ) : loading ? (
             <p className="empty-message">Loading store items...</p>
           ) : items.length === 0 ? (
             <p className="empty-message">No available items saved for this store yet.</p>
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/components/manage/StoreAvailableItemsManager.css b/frontend/src/styles/components/manage/StoreAvailableItemsManager.css
index a85dd2c..a8321b2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/components/manage/StoreAvailableItemsManager.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/components/manage/StoreAvailableItemsManager.css
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@
   gap: var(--spacing-md);
 }
 
+.store-available-items-notice {
+  margin: 0;
+  padding: var(--spacing-sm) var(--spacing-md);
+  border: var(--border-width-thin) solid var(--color-border-light);
+  border-radius: var(--border-radius-md);
+  background: var(--color-bg-surface);
+  color: var(--color-text-secondary);
+}
+
 .store-available-items-toolbar {
   display: flex;
   gap: var(--spacing-sm);