diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/ContainerMap.test.tsx b/graph-ui/src/architecture/ContainerMap.test.tsx
index 9e2c90c52..39f1ad1d3 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/ContainerMap.test.tsx
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/ContainerMap.test.tsx
@@ -53,6 +53,23 @@ describe('service map interactions', () => {
         expect(button('Open declaration')).toBeUndefined();
         expect(clear).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
     });
+    it('says plainly that a project has no deployment files and leads to its endpoints', async () => {
+        vi.mocked(loadContainerInventory).mockResolvedValue({ project: 'p', rootPath: '/p', files: new Map(), manifests: [], warnings: [] });
+        const showEndpoints = vi.fn();
+        await act(async () => root.render(<ContainerMap project="p" active filter="" onNavigate={vi.fn()} onShowEndpoints={showEndpoints} />));
+        expect(container.textContent).toContain('No Docker Compose deployment files were found in this index. Endpoints shows the routes.');
+        expect(container.textContent).not.toContain('Could not read');
+        await act(async () => button('Show endpoints →').click());
+        expect(showEndpoints).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+        expect(loadContainerTopology).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+    it('keeps a failed read distinct from a project without deployment files', async () => {
+        vi.mocked(loadContainerInventory).mockRejectedValue(new Error('query_graph: Incomplete query results'));
+        await act(async () => root.render(<ContainerMap project="p" active filter="" onNavigate={vi.fn()} onShowEndpoints={vi.fn()} />));
+        expect(container.textContent).toContain('Could not read the indexed deployment files. Refresh to try again.');
+        expect(container.textContent).not.toContain('No Docker Compose deployment files');
+        expect(button('Show endpoints →')).toBeUndefined();
+    });
     it('does not request deployment source while the workspace is inactive', async () => {
         await act(async () => root.render(<ContainerMap project="p" active={false} filter="" onNavigate={vi.fn()} />));
         expect(loadContainerTopology).not.toHaveBeenCalled(); expect(loadContainerInventory).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/ContainerMap.tsx b/graph-ui/src/architecture/ContainerMap.tsx
index a61cb7b67..8d67d33b4 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/ContainerMap.tsx
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/ContainerMap.tsx
@@ -6,10 +6,17 @@ import { layoutContainers } from './container-layout';
 import { loadContainerInventory, loadContainerTopology, type ContainerReading, type ContainerSelection } from './container-source';
 import type { ServiceEvidence } from './container-topology';
 import { useSelectionEvidence, type SelectionEvidenceListener } from '../galaxy/selection-evidence';
+import { architectureText as text } from './strings';
 import './spatial-architecture.css';
 import './container-map.css';
 
-interface Props { project: string; generation?: string; active: boolean; filter: string; onNavigate: (path: string, line?: number) => void; onClearSelection?: () => void; onSelectionEvidence?: SelectionEvidenceListener }
+interface Props {
+    project: string; generation?: string; active: boolean; filter: string; onNavigate: (path: string, line?: number) => void; onClearSelection?: () => void; onSelectionEvidence?: SelectionEvidenceListener;
+    /** Leads from a project without deployment files to the routes it does have. */
+    onShowEndpoints?: () => void;
+}
+/** Reading the deployment inventory: a project without Compose files is an answer, not a failure. */
+type Discovery = keyof typeof text.serviceMap | undefined;
 class ContainerSceneBoundary extends Component<{ children: ReactNode }, { failed: boolean }> {
     state = { failed: false };
     static getDerivedStateFromError() { return { failed: true }; }
@@ -21,10 +28,10 @@ const relativeSource = (absolute: string, selection: ContainerSelection) => {
     return absolute.startsWith(prefix) ? absolute.slice(prefix.length) : undefined;
 };
 
-export default function ContainerMap({ project, generation, active, filter, onNavigate, onClearSelection, onSelectionEvidence }: Props) {
+export default function ContainerMap({ project, generation, active, filter, onNavigate, onClearSelection, onSelectionEvidence, onShowEndpoints }: Props) {
     const [available, setAvailable] = useState<ProjectEntry[]>([]);
     const [selections, setSelections] = useState<ContainerSelection[]>([]);
-    const [discovery, setDiscovery] = useState('Finding indexed Compose definitions…');
+    const [discovery, setDiscovery] = useState<Discovery>('reading');
     const [reading, setReading] = useState<{ key: string; result?: ContainerReading; error?: string }>();
     const [revision, setRevision] = useState(0);
     const [discoveryRevision, setDiscoveryRevision] = useState(0);
@@ -40,7 +47,7 @@ export default function ContainerMap({ project, generation, active, filter, onNa
     useEffect(() => {
         if (!active) return;
         const controller = new AbortController(), client = new RpcIntelligenceClient({ signal: controller.signal });
-        setDiscovery('Finding indexed Compose definitions…');
+        setDiscovery('reading');
         void client.listProjects().then(async response => {
             const projects = response.projects;
             const current = projects.find(entry => entry.name === project);
@@ -48,8 +55,8 @@ export default function ContainerMap({ project, generation, active, filter, onNa
             const inventory = await loadContainerInventory(current, client);
             if (controller.signal.aborted) return;
             setAvailable(projects); setSelections([{ inventory, manifest: inventory.manifests[0] ?? '' }]);
-            setDiscovery(inventory.manifests.length ? '' : 'No indexed Compose file was found. The Endpoints view is still available.');
-        }).catch(() => { if (!controller.signal.aborted) setDiscovery('Could not read the indexed deployment files. Refresh to try again.'); });
+            setDiscovery(inventory.manifests.length ? undefined : 'none');
+        }).catch(() => { if (!controller.signal.aborted) setDiscovery('failed'); });
         return () => controller.abort();
     }, [project, active, generation, discoveryRevision]);
     const selectionKey = JSON.stringify(selections.map(item => [item.inventory.project, item.manifest]));
@@ -107,7 +114,7 @@ export default function ContainerMap({ project, generation, active, filter, onNa
         try {
             const inventory = await loadContainerInventory(entry, new RpcIntelligenceClient());
             setSelections(current => current.some(item => item.inventory.project === name) ? current : [...current, { inventory, manifest: inventory.manifests[0] ?? '' }]);
-        } catch { setDiscovery('Could not read that project. Its index may be unavailable.'); }
+        } catch { setDiscovery('compareFailed'); }
         finally { setAdding(false); }
     };
     const evidenceButton = (evidence: ServiceEvidence, index: number) => <button key={`${evidence.project}:${evidence.path}:${evidence.line}:${index}`} onClick={() => inspect(evidence)}>
@@ -143,7 +150,8 @@ export default function ContainerMap({ project, generation, active, filter, onNa
         <div className="spatial-controls"><nav aria-label="Service navigation"><button onClick={clearSelection}>All services</button>{focus && <span> / {servicesById.get(focus)?.name} and neighbors</span>}</nav>
             <div className="container-edge-key"><span><i className="container-call-key" />Calls</span><label><input type="checkbox" checked={configured} onChange={event => setConfigured(event.target.checked)} />Configured destinations</label>
                 <label><input type="checkbox" checked={startup} onChange={event => setStartup(event.target.checked)} />Startup dependencies</label></div></div>
-        {discovery && <p role="status" className="spatial-notice">{discovery}</p>}
+        {discovery && <div role="status" className="spatial-notice container-discovery" data-discovery={discovery}><p>{text.serviceMap[discovery]}</p>
+            {discovery === 'none' && onShowEndpoints && <button className="spatial-primary" onClick={onShowEndpoints}>{text.showEndpoints}</button>}</div>}
         {!discovery && selections.length > 0 && !selections.some(selection => selection.manifest) && <p className="spatial-notice">Select a Compose file to show its declared services.</p>}
         {reading?.key === key && !result && <p role="status" className="spatial-notice">{reading.error ?? 'Reading deployment definitions and bounded source evidence…'}</p>}
         {graph && topology && <><div className="spatial-map-layout"><div className="spatial-map">
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/RoutesArchitecture.tsx b/graph-ui/src/architecture/RoutesArchitecture.tsx
index 3cfc4ed4e..9beb85fe4 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/RoutesArchitecture.tsx
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/RoutesArchitecture.tsx
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ const ContainerMap = lazy(() => import('./ContainerMap'));
 /** The endpoint graph remains available independently of deployment metadata. */
 export default function RoutesArchitecture(props: ComponentProps<typeof SpatialArchitecture>) {
     const [mode, setMode] = useState<'services' | 'endpoints'>('services');
+    const show = (next: 'services' | 'endpoints') => { if (mode !== next) props.onSelectionEvidence?.(undefined); setMode(next); };
     return <><nav className="container-mode" aria-label="Routes perspective">
-        <button aria-pressed={mode === 'services'} onClick={() => { if (mode !== 'services') props.onSelectionEvidence?.(undefined); setMode('services'); }}>Service map</button>
-        <button aria-pressed={mode === 'endpoints'} onClick={() => { if (mode !== 'endpoints') props.onSelectionEvidence?.(undefined); setMode('endpoints'); }}>Endpoints</button>
+        <button aria-pressed={mode === 'services'} onClick={() => show('services')}>Service map</button>
+        <button aria-pressed={mode === 'endpoints'} onClick={() => show('endpoints')}>Endpoints</button>
     </nav>{mode === 'services' ? <Suspense fallback={<p role="status">Preparing service map…</p>}><ContainerMap
-        project={props.project} generation={props.generation} active={props.active} filter={props.filter} onNavigate={props.onNavigate} onClearSelection={props.onClearSelection} onSelectionEvidence={props.onSelectionEvidence} /></Suspense>
+        project={props.project} generation={props.generation} active={props.active} filter={props.filter} onNavigate={props.onNavigate} onClearSelection={props.onClearSelection} onSelectionEvidence={props.onSelectionEvidence}
+        onShowEndpoints={() => show('endpoints')} /></Suspense>
         : <SpatialArchitecture {...props} />}</>;
 }
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-map.css b/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-map.css
index e70dfb1c9..3cdb08415 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-map.css
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-map.css
@@ -20,3 +20,8 @@
 .container-mode button[aria-pressed=true] { color:#d9ece5; background:#243d35; border-color:#638d7b; }
 .container-mode button:focus-visible { outline:2px solid #8ce9f7; outline-offset:3px; }
 @media(max-width:760px) { .container-projects { padding:12px; } .container-map .spatial-map { height:540px; } }
+/* A project without Compose files is an answer, not a warning; a read failure keeps the warning tone. */
+.container-discovery { display:flex; flex-wrap:wrap; align-items:center; gap:10px 16px; padding:12px 20px; }
+.container-discovery p { margin:0; }
+.container-discovery[data-discovery=none], .container-discovery[data-discovery=reading] { color:var(--spatial-muted); font-size:12px; }
+.container-discovery .spatial-primary { border-color:#449e7b; background:#16322b; color:#90f0c9; }
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-source.test.ts b/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-source.test.ts
index 0152c478c..8cde83d18 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-source.test.ts
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-source.test.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,24 @@ describe('container source inspection', () => {
         expect(result.files.size).toBe(4000); expect(result.manifests).toEqual(['compose.yml']);
         expect(result.warnings).toHaveLength(1); expect(queryRows.mock.calls[0][0]).toBe('p');
     });
+    it('finds no deployment files in a large repository instead of failing on its whole file inventory', async () => {
+        // Django: more File, Module and Class rows than the client pages through, and no Compose file.
+        const queryRows = vi.fn(async (_project: string, query: string) => {
+            if (query.includes('=~')) return [{ path: 'docs/compose-notes.txt', qn: 'notes' }];
+            throw new Error('query_graph: Incomplete query results: retrieval bound reached (4200 rows read).');
+        });
+        const result = await loadContainerInventory({ name: 'django', root_path: '/django' }, client({ queryRows }));
+        expect(result.manifests).toEqual([]);
+        expect(queryRows).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+    it('keeps a discovered manifest readable even beyond the bounded file inventory', async () => {
+        const queryRows = vi.fn(async (_project: string, query: string) => query.includes('=~')
+            ? [{ path: 'deploy/docker-compose.yml', qn: 'demo.deploy.compose' }]
+            : query.includes('f:File') ? [{ path: 'api/main.py', qn: 'demo.main' }] : []);
+        const result = await loadContainerInventory({ name: 'p', root_path: '/p' }, client({ queryRows }));
+        expect(result.manifests).toEqual(['deploy/docker-compose.yml']);
+        expect(result.files.get('deploy/docker-compose.yml')).toBe('demo.deploy.compose');
+    });
     it('rejects incomplete YAML instead of constructing a partial service declaration', async () => {
         const getCodeSnippet = vi.fn(async () => ({ source: 'services:\n  web:', start_line: 1, source_truncated: true }));
         await expect(readContainerSource(inventory, 'compose.yml', client({ getCodeSnippet }), signal())).rejects.toThrow('incomplete');
@@ -43,7 +61,8 @@ describe('container source inspection', () => {
         expect(getCodeSnippet).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     });
     it('reads complete indexed class ranges when a whole-file module is unavailable, preserving source lines', async () => {
-        const queryRows = vi.fn(async (_project: string, query: string) => query.includes('f:File')
+        // The source inventory is read for a project that declares services.
+        const queryRows = vi.fn(async (_project: string, query: string) => query.includes('=~') ? [{ path: 'compose.yml', qn: 'compose' }] : query.includes('f:File')
             ? [{ path: 'api/Client.java', qn: 'file' }]
             : query.includes('f:Class') ? [
                 { path: 'api/Client.java', qn: 'outer', first_line: '5', last_line: '8' },
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-source.ts b/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-source.ts
index cacb490a1..af208c5f1 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-source.ts
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/container-source.ts
@@ -18,8 +18,17 @@ const isCode = (path: string) => /\.(?:py|js|jsx|ts|tsx|cs|go|java|kt|rs|rb|php|
     && !/\.(?:min|test|spec)\.[^.]+$/.test(path);
 const checkAbort = (signal: AbortSignal) => { if (signal.aborted) throw new DOMException('Aborted', 'AbortError'); };
 
-/** Queries only indexed files. The caller explicitly selects each additional project. */
+/** File names that can be Compose manifests; isComposePath decides. The filter keeps the answer small in any repository. */
+const COMPOSE_CANDIDATES = 'MATCH (f:File) WHERE f.file_path =~ "[Cc][Oo][Mm][Pp][Oo][Ss][Ee][^/]*[.][Yy][Aa]?[Mm][Ll]$" RETURN f.file_path AS path, f.qualified_name AS qn ORDER BY f.file_path LIMIT 201';
+
+/**
+ * Queries only indexed files. The caller explicitly selects each additional project.
+ * Manifests are found first with a filtered query: a repository without one (Django)
+ * then reads as "no deployment files" and never pages through its whole inventory.
+ */
 export async function loadContainerInventory(project: ProjectEntry, client: RpcIntelligenceClient): Promise<ContainerInventory> {
+    const candidates = (await client.queryRows(project.name, COMPOSE_CANDIDATES)).filter(row => row.path && row.qn && isComposePath(row.path));
+    if (!candidates.length) return { project: project.name, rootPath: project.root_path ?? '', files: new Map(), manifests: [], warnings: [] };
     const [rows, modules, classes, interfaces] = await Promise.all([
         client.queryRows(project.name, 'MATCH (f:File) RETURN f.file_path AS path, f.qualified_name AS qn ORDER BY f.file_path LIMIT 4001'),
         client.queryRows(project.name, 'MATCH (f:Module) RETURN f.file_path AS path, f.qualified_name AS qn, f.start_line AS first_line, f.end_line AS last_line ORDER BY f.file_path LIMIT 4001'),
@@ -50,6 +59,8 @@ export async function loadContainerInventory(project: ProjectEntry, client: RpcI
         }
         sourceSpans.set(path, outer);
     }
+    // A manifest beyond the bounded inventory stays readable through its own identity.
+    for (const row of candidates) if (!files.has(row.path)) files.set(row.path, row.qn);
     const manifests = [...files.keys()].filter(isComposePath).sort((a, b) =>
         Number(!/^(?:docker-)?compose\.ya?ml$/.test(a)) - Number(!/^(?:docker-)?compose\.ya?ml$/.test(b)) || a.localeCompare(b));
     return { project: project.name, rootPath: project.root_path ?? '', files, manifests, sourceEnds, sourceSpans,
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/architecture/strings.ts b/graph-ui/src/architecture/strings.ts
index dca30f920..ce77bdc3c 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/architecture/strings.ts
+++ b/graph-ui/src/architecture/strings.ts
@@ -80,4 +80,12 @@ export const architectureText = {
     behaviorLimited: 'The analysis returned no call evidence.',
     includeTestRoutes: (hidden: number) => hidden ? `Include test routes (${hidden.toLocaleString()} hidden)` : 'Include test routes',
     showRoutes: (count: number) => `Show these ${count.toLocaleString()} routes →`,
+    /** Routes › Service map: what the deployment inventory read found. */
+    serviceMap: {
+        reading: 'Finding indexed Compose definitions…',
+        none: 'No Docker Compose deployment files were found in this index. Endpoints shows the routes.',
+        failed: 'Could not read the indexed deployment files. Refresh to try again.',
+        compareFailed: 'Could not read that project. Its index may be unavailable.',
+    },
+    showEndpoints: 'Show endpoints →',
 };