diff --git a/frontend/src/components/maps/LocationMapCanvas.jsx b/frontend/src/components/maps/LocationMapCanvas.jsx
index c2b985d..673ca0a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/maps/LocationMapCanvas.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/maps/LocationMapCanvas.jsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export default function LocationMapCanvas({
   svgRef,
   dragState,
   editingLocked = false,
+  onShowZones,
   setDragState,
   setSelectedObjectKey,
   remember,
@@ -27,6 +28,18 @@ export default function LocationMapCanvas({
 }) {
   const canEditObjects = !editingLocked && mode === "edit" && editorTool === "edit";
   const canDragPan = mode === "view" || editorTool === "pan";
+  const hiddenByZonesLayer = objects.length > 0 && !filters.showZones;
+  const visibleObjectCount = filters.showZones
+    ? objects.filter((object) => object.visible).length
+    : 0;
+  const hasNoVisibleObjects = objects.length > 0 && filters.showZones && visibleObjectCount === 0;
+  const emptyCanvasMessage = objects.length === 0
+    ? "No map areas yet"
+    : hiddenByZonesLayer
+      ? "Zones hidden in Layers"
+      : hasNoVisibleObjects
+        ? "No visible map areas"
+        : "";
   const scrollRef = useRef(null);
   const panDragRef = useRef(null);
   const objectDragHistoryCapturedRef = useRef(false);
@@ -113,6 +126,11 @@ export default function LocationMapCanvas({
     selectObject(object);
   };
 
+  const handleShowZones = (event) => {
+    event.stopPropagation();
+    onShowZones?.();
+  };
+
   const clearSelection = () => {
     if (suppressPanClickRef.current) {
       suppressPanClickRef.current = false;
@@ -339,9 +357,23 @@ export default function LocationMapCanvas({
           ) : null}
           {objects.map(renderMapObject)}
         </svg>
-        {objects.length === 0 ? (
-          <div className="location-map-empty-canvas">
-            No map areas yet
+        {emptyCanvasMessage ? (
+          <div
+            className={[
+              "location-map-empty-canvas",
+              hiddenByZonesLayer ? "has-action" : "",
+            ].filter(Boolean).join(" ")}
+          >
+            <span>{emptyCanvasMessage}</span>
+            {hiddenByZonesLayer ? (
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                onPointerDown={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
+                onClick={handleShowZones}
+              >
+                Show Zones
+              </button>
+            ) : null}
           </div>
         ) : null}
       </div>
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/LocationMapManager.jsx b/frontend/src/pages/LocationMapManager.jsx
index 0f6e3f3..e2bc22b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/LocationMapManager.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/LocationMapManager.jsx
@@ -528,6 +528,12 @@ export default function LocationMapManager() {
               setSelectedObjectKey={setSelectedObjectKey}
               remember={remember}
               updateObjects={updateObjects}
+              onShowZones={() =>
+                setFilters((current) => ({
+                  ...current,
+                  showZones: true,
+                }))
+              }
             />
             <LocationMapBottomSheet
               mode={mode}
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/pages/LocationMapManager.css b/frontend/src/styles/pages/LocationMapManager.css
index e58900e..bec0a69 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/pages/LocationMapManager.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/pages/LocationMapManager.css
@@ -325,6 +325,25 @@
   pointer-events: none;
 }
 
+.location-map-empty-canvas.has-action {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.55rem;
+  padding: 0.4rem 0.45rem 0.4rem 0.7rem;
+  pointer-events: auto;
+}
+
+.location-map-empty-canvas button {
+  min-height: 40px;
+  padding: 0 0.75rem;
+  border: 1px solid rgba(96, 165, 250, 0.52);
+  border-radius: 999px;
+  background: rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.24);
+  color: #f8fafc;
+  font-weight: 900;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+
 .location-map-bottom-sheet {
   max-height: 43vh;
   overflow-y: auto;
diff --git a/frontend/tests/location-map-manager.spec.ts b/frontend/tests/location-map-manager.spec.ts
index 69eff46..0cff626 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/location-map-manager.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/location-map-manager.spec.ts
@@ -924,6 +924,53 @@ test("viewer wraps long zone labels and keeps item counts visible", async ({ pag
   await expect(produceArea.locator(".location-map-count")).toHaveAttribute("y", "116");
 });
 
+test("viewer explains when the zones layer hides the map", async ({ page }) => {
+  await mockMapShell(page);
+
+  const mapState = publishedMapState([
+    {
+      id: 1521,
+      location_map_id: 901,
+      zone_id: 501,
+      zone_name: "Bakery",
+      type: "zone",
+      label: "Bakery",
+      x: 40,
+      y: 40,
+      width: 260,
+      height: 160,
+      rotation: 0,
+      locked: false,
+      visible: true,
+      sort_order: 1,
+    },
+  ], true);
+
+  await page.route("**/households/1/locations/10/map", async (route) => {
+    await route.fulfill({
+      status: 200,
+      contentType: "application/json",
+      body: JSON.stringify(mapState),
+    });
+  });
+
+  await page.goto("/stores/100/locations/10/map");
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Map area Bakery" })).toBeVisible();
+
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Layers" }).click();
+  await page.getByLabel("Zones").uncheck();
+
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Map area Bakery" })).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(page.getByText("Zones hidden in Layers")).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Show Zones" })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Layers, 1 changed" })).toBeVisible();
+
+  await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Show Zones" }).click();
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Map area Bakery" })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByText("Zones hidden in Layers")).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Layers" })).toBeVisible();
+});
+
 test("viewer shows a compact overflow cue for long unmapped lists", async ({ page }) => {
   await mockMapShell(page);