diff --git a/frontend/src/entrypoints/main.tsx b/frontend/src/entrypoints/main.tsx
index 0635b09ab..250a1d482 100644
--- a/frontend/src/entrypoints/main.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/entrypoints/main.tsx
@@ -5,24 +5,17 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
 // Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
 
-import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { QueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { RouterProvider } from "@tanstack/react-router";
-import { TooltipProvider } from "@vector-im/compound-web";
-import { StrictMode, Suspense } from "react";
-import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client";
-import { I18nextProvider } from "react-i18next";
+import { Suspense } from "react";
 import * as v from "valibot";
-import ErrorBoundary from "../components/ErrorBoundary";
 import LoadingScreen from "../components/LoadingScreen";
-import { setGraphqlEndpoint } from "../graphql";
-import i18n, { setupI18n } from "../i18n";
 import { makeRouter } from "../router";
+import { mountIsland } from "../utils/mountIsland";
 import "./vendor.css";
 import "./shared.css";
 
-setupI18n();
-
-const configSchema = v.object({
+const schema = v.object({
   root: v.optional(v.string(), "/"),
   graphqlEndpoint: v.optional(v.string(), "/graphql"),
 });
@@ -35,25 +28,14 @@ const queryClient = new QueryClient({
   },
 });
 
-const rootElement = document.getElementById("root");
-if (!rootElement) throw new Error("#root element not found");
-
-const config = v.parse(configSchema, rootElement.dataset);
-setGraphqlEndpoint(config.graphqlEndpoint);
-const router = makeRouter(config.root, queryClient);
-
-createRoot(rootElement).render(
-  <StrictMode>
-    <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
-      <ErrorBoundary>
-        <TooltipProvider>
-          <Suspense fallback={<LoadingScreen />}>
-            <I18nextProvider i18n={i18n}>
-              <RouterProvider router={router} />
-            </I18nextProvider>
-          </Suspense>
-        </TooltipProvider>
-      </ErrorBoundary>
-    </QueryClientProvider>
-  </StrictMode>,
-);
+void mountIsland({
+  id: "root",
+  schema,
+  queryClient,
+  children: (config) => (
+    // The router lazy-loads its routes, so it needs a boundary of its own
+    <Suspense fallback={<LoadingScreen />}>
+      <RouterProvider router={makeRouter(config.root, queryClient)} />
+    </Suspense>
+  ),
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/entrypoints/shared.css b/frontend/src/entrypoints/shared.css
index bbf532163..caa56aead 100644
--- a/frontend/src/entrypoints/shared.css
+++ b/frontend/src/entrypoints/shared.css
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-/* Copyright 2024, 2025 New Vector Ltd.
+/* Copyright 2025, 2026 Element Creations Ltd.
+ * Copyright 2024, 2025 New Vector Ltd.
  * Copyright 2024 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
@@ -7,6 +8,9 @@
 
 @import "tailwindcss";
 
+/* Both the SSR templates and the SPA shell need this one */
+@import "../styles/critical-notice.css";
+
 /* The SSR templates live outside the frontend root, so they aren't picked up by
  * Tailwind's automatic content detection. */
 @source "../../../templates/**/*.html";
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/critical-notice.css b/frontend/src/styles/critical-notice.css
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..542c4a151
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/critical-notice.css
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/* Copyright 2026 Element Creations Ltd.
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
+ * Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
+ */
+
+/* Used by the SSR templates and by the React island boot-failure notices, so it
+ * has to be in a stylesheet both the templates and the SPA bundle pull in. */
+.critical-notice {
+  color: var(--cpd-color-text-critical-primary);
+  font: var(--cpd-font-body-md-semibold);
+  letter-spacing: var(--cpd-font-letter-spacing-body-md);
+  background-color: var(--cpd-color-bg-critical-subtle);
+  border: 1px solid var(--cpd-color-border-critical-subtle);
+  border-radius: var(--cpd-space-2x);
+  text-align: justify;
+  padding: var(--cpd-space-4x);
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/utils/mountIsland.tsx b/frontend/src/utils/mountIsland.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..77eccb5ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/utils/mountIsland.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+// Copyright 2026 Element Creations Ltd.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: AGPL-3.0-only OR LicenseRef-Element-Commercial
+// Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
+
+import type { QueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { TooltipProvider } from "@vector-im/compound-web";
+import { StrictMode } from "react";
+import { createRoot } from "react-dom/client";
+import { I18nextProvider } from "react-i18next";
+import * as v from "valibot";
+import ErrorBoundary from "../components/ErrorBoundary";
+import { setGraphqlEndpoint } from "../graphql";
+import i18n, { setupI18n } from "../i18n";
+
+/**
+ * The server hands each island its parameters through `data-*` attributes; the
+ * GraphQL endpoint is always one of them, so the helper can wire it up itself.
+ */
+type IslandSchema = v.GenericSchema<unknown, { graphqlEndpoint: string }>;
+
+/**
+ * Boot a React island rendered into a server-rendered page.
+ *
+ * The mount element's `data-*` attributes are parsed with `schema`, the locale
+ * data is loaded, then `children` is rendered inside the shared provider stack.
+ * Anything going wrong before the first render leaves the page with the
+ * template's own `#<id>-error` notice instead of a half-mounted island.
+ */
+export const mountIsland = async <S extends IslandSchema>({
+  id,
+  schema,
+  queryClient,
+  children,
+}: {
+  /** Id of the mount element; its `#<id>-error` sibling is the fallback */
+  id: string;
+  schema: S;
+  queryClient: QueryClient;
+  children: (data: v.InferOutput<S>) => React.ReactNode;
+}): Promise<void> => {
+  const el = document.getElementById(id);
+
+  try {
+    if (!el) throw new Error(`#${id} element not found`);
+
+    const data = v.parse(schema, el.dataset);
+    // Set before any query runs, i.e. before the children render
+    setGraphqlEndpoint(data.graphqlEndpoint);
+
+    // Rendering before the locale data is in would flash the raw keys
+    await setupI18n();
+
+    createRoot(el).render(
+      <StrictMode>
+        <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
+          <ErrorBoundary>
+            <TooltipProvider>
+              <I18nextProvider i18n={i18n}>{children(data)}</I18nextProvider>
+            </TooltipProvider>
+          </ErrorBoundary>
+        </QueryClientProvider>
+      </StrictMode>,
+    );
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error(`Failed to mount #${id}`, error);
+    if (el) el.hidden = true;
+    document.getElementById(`${id}-error`)?.removeAttribute("hidden");
+  }
+};
diff --git a/templates/app.html b/templates/app.html
index 0763b8d12..d5aced6d9 100644
--- a/templates/app.html
+++ b/templates/app.html
@@ -23,5 +23,9 @@ Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
 
   <body>
     <div id="root" data-root="{{ app_config.root }}" data-graphql-endpoint="{{ app_config.graphqlEndpoint }}"></div>
+
+    <div id="root-error" class="critical-notice" hidden>
+      {{ _("mas.loading_failed") }}
+    </div>
   </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/translations/en.json b/translations/en.json
index e7df4b636..8352d0e96 100644
--- a/translations/en.json
+++ b/translations/en.json
@@ -450,6 +450,10 @@
         "context": "pages/sso.html:28:11-109"
       }
     },
+    "loading_failed": "Something went wrong while loading the page. Try reloading it.",
+    "@loading_failed": {
+      "context": "app.html:28:9-32"
+    },
     "login": {
       "call_to_register": "Don't have an account yet?",
       "@call_to_register": {