diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensModeSwitch.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensModeSwitch.tsx
index 0cfa9e47bce..16bea129f86 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensModeSwitch.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensModeSwitch.tsx
@@ -57,15 +57,15 @@ export function LensModeSwitch({
   setup?: string;
 }) {
   const connected = useWorkerConnected(workers);
-  const settingsTitle = connected ? "Worker connected" : "Connect worker";
-  const tabs = Object.entries(LENS_TABS).filter(([view]) => view !== "settings" || workers);
+  const workerTitle = connected ? "Worker connected" : "Connect worker";
+  const settingsTitle = workers === null ? LENS_TABS.settings : workerTitle;
   return (
     <div className={frameTab({ session: demo ? "demo" : "live" })}>
       <NotchCorner side="left" demo={demo} />
       <NotchCorner side="right" demo={demo} />
       <TabsPrimitive.List aria-label="Lens" className="relative inline-flex h-9 items-center p-1">
         <TabsPrimitive.Indicator className="absolute top-1 bottom-1 left-(--active-tab-left) w-(--active-tab-width) rounded-full bg-muted transition-[left,width] duration-300 ease-[cubic-bezier(0.32,0.72,0,1)] motion-reduce:transition-none" />
-        {tabs.map(([view, label]) => {
+        {Object.entries(LENS_TABS).map(([view, label]) => {
           const Icon = MODE_ICONS[view as LensTab];
           const workerDisconnected = view === "settings" && workers !== null && !connected;
           return (
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensWorkspace.integration.test.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensWorkspace.integration.test.tsx
index ce99bbae283..d9a5b5826f0 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensWorkspace.integration.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensWorkspace.integration.test.tsx
@@ -280,8 +280,8 @@ describe("Lens interactive demo", () => {
     });
     renderWithProviders(<LensWorkspace accessToken="live-token" userRole="Admin" readOnly={false} />, { onUrlUpdate });
     const tabs = within(screen.getByRole("tablist", { name: "Lens" }));
-    const settings = await tabs.findByRole("tab", { name: "Settings" });
-    expect(settings).toHaveAttribute("title", "Worker connected");
+    const settings = tabs.getByRole("tab", { name: "Settings" });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(settings).toHaveAttribute("title", "Worker connected"));
     await user.click(settings);
     await expectUrl(onUrlUpdate, (url) => expect(url.get("tab")).toBe("settings"));
     expect(screen.queryByRole("dialog")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ describe("Lens interactive demo", () => {
       onUrlUpdate,
     });
     const panel = within(await screen.findByRole("region", { name: "Settings" }));
-    await user.click(panel.getByText("Advanced options"));
+    await user.click(await panel.findByText("Advanced options"));
     await user.click(panel.getByRole("switch", { name: "Use an existing virtual key" }));
     await user.click(panel.getByRole("combobox", { name: "Charge analysis to" }));
     await user.click(await screen.findByRole("option", { name: "Analysis" }));
@@ -378,18 +378,28 @@ describe("Lens interactive demo", () => {
     expect(await screen.findByRole("region", { name: "New investigation" })).toBeVisible();
   });
 
-  it("hides the Settings tab for read-only sessions", async () => {
-    renderWithProviders(<LensWorkspace accessToken="live-token" userRole="Admin" readOnly />);
-    expect(await screen.findByRole("tablist", { name: "Lens" })).toBeVisible();
-    await waitFor(() => expect(network).toHaveBeenCalled());
-    expect(screen.queryByRole("tab", { name: "Settings" })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
-  });
-
-  it("sends read-only sessions following a Settings link to the default tab", async () => {
+  it("opens Settings for read-only sessions without the worker controls", async () => {
     renderWithProviders(<LensWorkspace accessToken="live-token" userRole="Admin" readOnly />, {
       searchParams: "?tab=settings",
     });
-    expect(await screen.findByRole("tab", { name: "Traces", selected: true })).toBeVisible();
+    expect(await screen.findByRole("tab", { name: "Settings", selected: true })).toBeVisible();
+    const panel = within(screen.getByRole("region", { name: "Settings" }));
+    expect(await panel.findByRole("status")).toHaveTextContent("Tracing is not enabled");
+    expect(panel.getByRole("switch", { name: "Show the introduction on each new session" })).toBeVisible();
+    expect(panel.queryByRole("heading", { name: "Analysis worker" })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("shows the Settings tab before /lens answers and when it fails", async () => {
+    network.mockImplementation(async (input) =>
+      requestPath(input) === "/lens"
+        ? Response.json({ detail: "boom" }, { status: 500 })
+        : Response.json({ data: [], traces: true, requests: false }),
+    );
+    renderWithProviders(<LensWorkspace accessToken="live-token" userRole="Admin" readOnly={false} />);
+    const tabs = within(screen.getByRole("tablist", { name: "Lens" }));
+    expect(tabs.getByRole("tab", { name: "Settings" })).toHaveAttribute("title", "Settings");
+    await waitFor(() => expect(network.mock.calls.some(([input]) => requestPath(input) === "/lens")).toBe(true));
+    expect(tabs.getByRole("tab", { name: "Settings" })).toBeVisible();
   });
 
   it("turns the worker health dot off once heartbeats expire even when polling returns unchanged data", async () => {
@@ -412,8 +422,8 @@ describe("Lens interactive demo", () => {
       });
       renderWithProviders(<LensWorkspace accessToken="live-token" userRole="Admin" readOnly={false} />);
       const tabs = within(screen.getByRole("tablist", { name: "Lens" }));
-      const settings = await tabs.findByRole("tab", { name: "Settings" });
-      expect(settings).toHaveAttribute("title", "Worker connected");
+      const settings = tabs.getByRole("tab", { name: "Settings" });
+      await waitFor(() => expect(settings).toHaveAttribute("title", "Worker connected"));
       await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(130000);
       await waitFor(() => expect(settings).toHaveAttribute("title", "Connect worker"));
     } finally {
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensWorkspace.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensWorkspace.tsx
index ccd2f665564..9fa1c1df8d6 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensWorkspace.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/LensWorkspace.tsx
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ function LensContent({ userRole, readOnly }: Omit<WorkspaceProps, "accessToken">
   const isAdmin = isProxyAdminRole(userRole);
   const canConfigure = canViewInvestigations && !readOnly;
   const defaultTab = lensId ? "investigations" : "traces";
-  const activeTab = tab === "settings" && !canConfigure ? defaultTab : tab ?? defaultTab;
+  const activeTab = tab ?? defaultTab;
   const intro = useLensIntro({ demo, settingUp });
   const { activity, list } = useLensOverview(
     canViewInvestigations,
@@ -192,21 +192,20 @@ function LensContent({ userRole, readOnly }: Omit<WorkspaceProps, "accessToken">
                 )}
               </LensPreviewContext.Provider>
             </TabsContent>
-            {workers && list && (
-              <TabsContent value="settings" keepMounted className={cn(PANEL, "p-6")}>
-                <LensSettings
-                  list={list}
-                  workerReadyAction={
-                    list.lenses.length === 0 ? (
-                      <Button className="w-full" onClick={startFirstInvestigation}>
-                        New investigation
-                      </Button>
-                    ) : undefined
-                  }
-                  onOpenTraces={() => setTab("traces")}
-                />
-              </TabsContent>
-            )}
+            <TabsContent value="settings" keepMounted className={cn(PANEL, "p-6")}>
+              <LensSettings
+                tracingEnabled={list?.tracing_enabled}
+                workers={workers}
+                workerReadyAction={
+                  list?.lenses.length === 0 ? (
+                    <Button className="w-full" onClick={startFirstInvestigation}>
+                      New investigation
+                    </Button>
+                  ) : undefined
+                }
+                onOpenTraces={() => setTab("traces")}
+              />
+            </TabsContent>
           </div>
         </Tabs>
         <LensIntroDialog
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/settings/LensSettings.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/settings/LensSettings.tsx
index 4ee7917cc00..f5718d283c2 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/settings/LensSettings.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/lens/settings/LensSettings.tsx
@@ -60,24 +60,28 @@ function IntroductionSection() {
 }
 
 export function LensSettings({
-  list,
+  tracingEnabled,
+  workers,
   workerReadyAction,
   onOpenTraces,
 }: {
-  list: LensList;
+  tracingEnabled: boolean | undefined;
+  workers: LensList["workers"] | null;
   /** Replaces the worker install card's Done button once the new worker connects. */
   workerReadyAction?: ReactNode;
   onOpenTraces: () => void;
 }) {
   return (
     <div aria-label="Settings" role="region" className="flex w-full flex-col divide-y divide-border">
-      <TracingSection enabled={list.tracing_enabled} onOpenTraces={onOpenTraces} />
-      <SettingsSection
-        heading="Analysis worker"
-        description="Runs investigations on your server and bills model usage to an analysis key."
-      >
-        <WorkerSettings workers={list.workers} readyAction={workerReadyAction} />
-      </SettingsSection>
+      {tracingEnabled !== undefined && <TracingSection enabled={tracingEnabled} onOpenTraces={onOpenTraces} />}
+      {workers && (
+        <SettingsSection
+          heading="Analysis worker"
+          description="Runs investigations on your server and bills model usage to an analysis key."
+        >
+          <WorkerSettings workers={workers} readyAction={workerReadyAction} />
+        </SettingsSection>
+      )}
       <IntroductionSection />
     </div>
   );