diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c69f601..a9f950d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ backups/
 *.egg-info/
 build/
 dist/
+.env
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/pobsync_backend/snapshot_discovery.py b/src/pobsync_backend/snapshot_discovery.py
index a8a6f18..fb9250b 100644
--- a/src/pobsync_backend/snapshot_discovery.py
+++ b/src/pobsync_backend/snapshot_discovery.py
@@ -65,6 +65,54 @@ def discover_snapshots(
     }
 
 
+def inspect_snapshot_discovery(
+    *,
+    host: HostConfig,
+    global_config: GlobalConfig | None = None,
+    kinds: list[str] | None = None,
+) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    try:
+        global_config = global_config or GlobalConfig.objects.get(name="default")
+    except GlobalConfig.DoesNotExist:
+        return {
+            "ok": False,
+            "reason": "missing_global_config",
+            "message": "Create the default global config before discovering snapshots.",
+            "backup_root": "",
+            "host_root": "",
+            "host_root_exists": False,
+            "kind_counts": {},
+            "total_candidates": 0,
+        }
+
+    kinds = kinds or ["scheduled", "manual", "incomplete"]
+    host_root = resolve_host_root(global_config.backup_root, host.host)
+    kind_counts = {kind: len(list(iter_snapshot_dirs(host_root, kind))) for kind in kinds}
+    total_candidates = sum(kind_counts.values())
+    host_root_exists = host_root.exists()
+
+    if not host_root_exists:
+        reason = "missing_host_root"
+        message = f"Host backup directory does not exist yet: {host_root}"
+    elif total_candidates == 0:
+        reason = "no_snapshots"
+        message = f"No snapshot directories found below {host_root}."
+    else:
+        reason = "ready"
+        message = f"Found {total_candidates} snapshot directories below {host_root}."
+
+    return {
+        "ok": True,
+        "reason": reason,
+        "message": message,
+        "backup_root": str(global_config.backup_root),
+        "host_root": str(host_root),
+        "host_root_exists": host_root_exists,
+        "kind_counts": kind_counts,
+        "total_candidates": total_candidates,
+    }
+
+
 def upsert_snapshot_record(*, host: HostConfig, kind: str, snapshot_dir: Path) -> tuple[SnapshotRecord, bool]:
     meta = read_snapshot_meta(snapshot_dir)
     base_defaults = _base_defaults_from_meta(meta)
diff --git a/src/pobsync_backend/templates/pobsync_backend/base.html b/src/pobsync_backend/templates/pobsync_backend/base.html
index a35d8bd..7cf6164 100644
--- a/src/pobsync_backend/templates/pobsync_backend/base.html
+++ b/src/pobsync_backend/templates/pobsync_backend/base.html
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@
     }
     .message.success { border-color: #a7d8b9; background: #edf8f1; color: var(--success); }
     .message.error { border-color: #e8b4b4; background: #fff0f0; color: var(--failed); }
+    .message.warning { border-color: #e7cf8a; background: #fff8df; color: var(--running); }
     .form-grid { display: grid; gap: 14px; max-width: 680px; }
     .field { display: grid; gap: 5px; }
     .field label { font-weight: 650; }
diff --git a/src/pobsync_backend/templates/pobsync_backend/host_detail.html b/src/pobsync_backend/templates/pobsync_backend/host_detail.html
index 7098ec3..64cb4a8 100644
--- a/src/pobsync_backend/templates/pobsync_backend/host_detail.html
+++ b/src/pobsync_backend/templates/pobsync_backend/host_detail.html
@@ -51,6 +51,22 @@
     </section>
   </div>
 
+  <section class="panel">
+    <h2>Snapshot Discovery</h2>
+    <div class="stack">
+      <div><strong>Backup root:</strong> {{ discovery.backup_root|default:"" }}</div>
+      <div><strong>Host root:</strong> {{ discovery.host_root|default:"" }}</div>
+      <div><strong>Status:</strong> {{ discovery.message }}</div>
+      {% if discovery.kind_counts %}
+        <div><strong>On disk:</strong>
+          scheduled {{ discovery.kind_counts.scheduled|default:0 }},
+          manual {{ discovery.kind_counts.manual|default:0 }},
+          incomplete {{ discovery.kind_counts.incomplete|default:0 }}
+        </div>
+      {% endif %}
+    </div>
+  </section>
+
   <section class="panel">
     <h2>Queue Manual Backup</h2>
     <form method="post" action="{% url 'queue_manual_backup' host.host %}" class="form-grid">
diff --git a/src/pobsync_backend/tests/test_snapshot_discovery.py b/src/pobsync_backend/tests/test_snapshot_discovery.py
index 3da7e66..d1bd68a 100644
--- a/src/pobsync_backend/tests/test_snapshot_discovery.py
+++ b/src/pobsync_backend/tests/test_snapshot_discovery.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from pobsync.util import write_yaml_atomic
 from pobsync_backend.models import GlobalConfig, HostConfig, SnapshotRecord
 from pobsync_backend.snapshot_discovery import (
     discover_snapshots,
+    inspect_snapshot_discovery,
     parse_snapshot_datetime,
     resolve_base_links,
     upsert_snapshot_record,
@@ -63,6 +64,30 @@ class SnapshotDiscoveryTests(TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(record.kind, "scheduled")
         self.assertEqual(record.started_at, datetime(2026, 5, 19, 2, 15, tzinfo=timezone.utc))
 
+    def test_inspect_snapshot_discovery_reports_missing_global_config(self) -> None:
+        host = HostConfig.objects.create(host="web-01", address="web-01.example.test")
+
+        result = inspect_snapshot_discovery(host=host)
+
+        self.assertFalse(result["ok"])
+        self.assertEqual(result["reason"], "missing_global_config")
+        self.assertEqual(result["total_candidates"], 0)
+
+    def test_inspect_snapshot_discovery_counts_snapshot_directories(self) -> None:
+        with TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            backup_root = Path(tmp) / "backups"
+            GlobalConfig.objects.create(name="default", backup_root=str(backup_root))
+            host = HostConfig.objects.create(host="web-01", address="web-01.example.test")
+            (backup_root / host.host / "scheduled" / "20260519-021500Z__ABCDEFGH").mkdir(parents=True)
+            (backup_root / host.host / "manual" / "20260519-031500Z__MANUAL01").mkdir(parents=True)
+
+            result = inspect_snapshot_discovery(host=host)
+
+        self.assertTrue(result["ok"])
+        self.assertEqual(result["reason"], "ready")
+        self.assertEqual(result["total_candidates"], 2)
+        self.assertEqual(result["kind_counts"], {"scheduled": 1, "manual": 1, "incomplete": 0})
+
     def test_discovery_links_snapshot_to_base_record(self) -> None:
         with TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
             backup_root = Path(tmp) / "backups"
diff --git a/src/pobsync_backend/tests/test_views.py b/src/pobsync_backend/tests/test_views.py
index f32ab1d..3d7a3f7 100644
--- a/src/pobsync_backend/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/src/pobsync_backend/tests/test_views.py
@@ -218,10 +218,28 @@ class ViewTests(TestCase):
         self.assertContains(response, "Edit schedule")
         self.assertContains(response, "Edit config")
         self.assertContains(response, "Queue Manual Backup")
+        self.assertContains(response, "Snapshot Discovery")
         self.assertContains(response, reverse("queue_manual_backup", args=[host.host]))
         self.assertContains(response, reverse("run_detail", args=[BackupRun.objects.get().id]))
         self.assertContains(response, reverse("snapshot_detail", args=[snapshot.id]))
 
+    def test_host_detail_renders_discovery_status_for_existing_snapshot_dirs(self) -> None:
+        self.client.force_login(self.staff_user)
+        with TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            backup_root = Path(tmp) / "backups"
+            GlobalConfig.objects.create(name="default", backup_root=str(backup_root))
+            host = HostConfig.objects.create(host="web-01", address="web-01.example.test")
+            (backup_root / host.host / "scheduled" / "20260519-021500Z__ABCDEFGH").mkdir(parents=True)
+            (backup_root / host.host / ".incomplete" / "20260519-031500Z__BROKEN01").mkdir(parents=True)
+
+            response = self.client.get(reverse("host_detail", args=[host.host]))
+
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertContains(response, f"Host root:</strong> {backup_root / host.host}")
+        self.assertContains(response, "Found 2 snapshot directories")
+        self.assertContains(response, "scheduled 1")
+        self.assertContains(response, "incomplete 1")
+
     def test_host_detail_returns_404_for_unknown_host(self) -> None:
         self.client.force_login(self.staff_user)
 
@@ -352,6 +370,20 @@ class ViewTests(TestCase):
         self.assertContains(response, "Snapshot discovery scanned 1 items")
         self.assertTrue(SnapshotRecord.objects.filter(host=host, dirname=snapshot_dir.name).exists())
 
+    def test_discover_host_snapshots_warns_when_host_root_is_missing(self) -> None:
+        self.client.force_login(self.staff_user)
+        with TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            backup_root = Path(tmp) / "backups"
+            GlobalConfig.objects.create(name="default", backup_root=str(backup_root))
+            host = HostConfig.objects.create(host="web-01", address="web-01.example.test")
+
+            response = self.client.post(reverse("discover_host_snapshots", args=[host.host]), follow=True)
+
+        self.assertRedirects(response, reverse("host_detail", args=[host.host]))
+        self.assertContains(response, "Snapshot discovery scanned 0 items")
+        self.assertContains(response, "Host backup directory does not exist yet")
+        self.assertFalse(SnapshotRecord.objects.exists())
+
     def test_discover_host_snapshots_requires_post(self) -> None:
         self.client.force_login(self.staff_user)
         host = HostConfig.objects.create(host="web-01", address="web-01.example.test")
diff --git a/src/pobsync_backend/views.py b/src/pobsync_backend/views.py
index b103ce2..abcc24b 100644
--- a/src/pobsync_backend/views.py
+++ b/src/pobsync_backend/views.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from .backup_runner import queue_backup_run
 from .forms import CreateHostConfigForm, GlobalConfigForm, HostConfigForm, ManualBackupForm, ScheduleConfigForm
 from .models import BackupRun, GlobalConfig, HostConfig, ScheduleConfig, SnapshotRecord
 from .retention import run_sql_retention_plan
-from .snapshot_discovery import discover_snapshots
+from .snapshot_discovery import discover_snapshots, inspect_snapshot_discovery
 
 
 @staff_member_required
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ def host_detail(request, host: str):
     context = {
         "host": host_config,
         "schedule": _schedule_for_host(host_config),
+        "discovery": inspect_snapshot_discovery(host=host_config),
         "manual_backup_form": ManualBackupForm(initial=_default_manual_backup_initial(host_config)),
         "latest_runs": host_config.runs.select_related("snapshot").order_by("-created_at")[:10],
         "snapshots": host_config.snapshots.select_related("base").order_by("-started_at", "dirname")[:20],
@@ -167,13 +168,15 @@ def discover_host_snapshots(request, host: str):
     except Exception as exc:
         messages.error(request, f"Snapshot discovery failed for {host_config.host}: {exc}")
     else:
-        messages.success(
-            request,
-            (
-                f"Snapshot discovery scanned {result['scanned']} items for {host_config.host}: "
-                f"{result['created']} created, {result['updated']} updated."
-            ),
+        summary = (
+            f"Snapshot discovery scanned {result['scanned']} items for {host_config.host}: "
+            f"{result['created']} created, {result['updated']} updated."
         )
+        if result["scanned"]:
+            messages.success(request, summary)
+        else:
+            discovery = inspect_snapshot_discovery(host=host_config)
+            messages.warning(request, f"{summary} {discovery['message']}")
     return redirect("host_detail", host=host_config.host)