diff --git a/scripts/pre_commit_lint.sh b/scripts/pre_commit_lint.sh
index f8ddb528729..fbe409e29ee 100755
--- a/scripts/pre_commit_lint.sh
+++ b/scripts/pre_commit_lint.sh
@@ -157,9 +157,14 @@ if [ -n "$e2e_py_files" ]; then
         || { echo "✗ Raw HTTP client import in tests/e2e. Route the call through tests/e2e/e2e_http.py, then re-run make pre-commit." >&2; status=1; }
 fi
 
+dashboard_ready=1
 if [ -n "$ui_prettier_files" ] || [ -n "$ui_eslint_files" ] || [ -n "$spec_files" ]; then
     echo "pre-commit: provisioning the dashboard toolchain (make bootstrap-dashboard)"
-    make bootstrap-dashboard || status=1
+    if ! make bootstrap-dashboard; then
+        echo "✗ make bootstrap-dashboard failed, so the dashboard lint and API-type checks are skipped rather than run against an unprovisioned toolchain. Fix the error above, then re-run make pre-commit." >&2
+        status=1
+        dashboard_ready=""
+    fi
 fi
 
 dashboard_checks() {
@@ -172,7 +177,7 @@ dashboard_checks() {
     lint_dashboard || { echo "✗ Dashboard lint failed. See above; format with: (cd ui/litellm-dashboard && npm run format)." >&2; return 1; }
 }
 
-if [ -n "$ui_prettier_files" ] || [ -n "$ui_eslint_files" ]; then
+if [ -n "$dashboard_ready" ] && { [ -n "$ui_prettier_files" ] || [ -n "$ui_eslint_files" ]; }; then
     dash_log=$(mktemp)
     set -m
     dashboard_checks > "$dash_log" 2>&1 &
@@ -210,7 +215,7 @@ genapi_checks() {
     return $status
 }
 
-if [ -n "$spec_files" ]; then
+if [ -n "$dashboard_ready" ] && [ -n "$spec_files" ]; then
     gen_log=$(mktemp)
     set -m
     genapi_checks > "$gen_log" 2>&1 &
diff --git a/tests/test_litellm/test_pre_commit_lint.py b/tests/test_litellm/test_pre_commit_lint.py
index 7efbc8c83be..f3f7ab51465 100644
--- a/tests/test_litellm/test_pre_commit_lint.py
+++ b/tests/test_litellm/test_pre_commit_lint.py
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ MAKE_STUB = """#!/bin/sh
 . "$STUB_BIN/barrier.sh"
 [ -n "${STUB_MAKE_LOG:-}" ] && echo "$*" >> "$STUB_MAKE_LOG"
 case "$*" in
+    bootstrap-dashboard)
+        [ "${STUB_FAIL:-}" = "bootstrap-dashboard" ] && exit 1
+        ;;
     lint)
         [ "${STUB_FAIL:-}" = "make-lint" ] && exit 1
         [ -n "${STUB_BARRIER_DIR:-}" ] && barrier_sync python "dashboard genapi"
@@ -175,6 +178,24 @@ def test_the_dashboard_is_provisioned_once_when_both_node_blocks_run(tmp_path: P
     assert invocations.count("bootstrap-dashboard") == 1
 
 
+def test_failed_dashboard_provisioning_skips_the_node_blocks_rather_than_running_them(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """A failed `make bootstrap-dashboard` must not fall through into the node blocks.
+
+    They would run against a stale or absent node_modules and report a second,
+    misleading failure ("format with npm run format") on top of the real cause,
+    which is the one a reader needs. The Python block shares nothing with the node
+    toolchain, so it still has to run."""
+    repo, bin_dir = _sandbox(tmp_path)
+    proc = _run(repo, bin_dir, {"STUB_FAIL": "bootstrap-dashboard"})
+    combined = proc.stdout + proc.stderr
+    assert proc.returncode == 1
+    assert "make bootstrap-dashboard failed" in combined
+    assert "linting dashboard" not in combined
+    assert "API types" not in combined
+    assert "Dashboard lint failed" not in combined
+    assert "linting Python" in combined
+
+
 def test_full_output_is_saved_to_a_log_file_in_the_git_dir(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     repo, bin_dir = _sandbox(tmp_path)
     (repo / "scratch.txt").write_text("")