diff --git a/artifacts/api-server/src/routes/stats.ts b/artifacts/api-server/src/routes/stats.ts
index 68fcff6e..9fa192f7 100644
--- a/artifacts/api-server/src/routes/stats.ts
+++ b/artifacts/api-server/src/routes/stats.ts
@@ -139,11 +139,23 @@ router.get("/stats/admin", requireAuth, requireAdmin, async (req, res): Promise<
   let rangeEndExclusive: Date;
   let rangeDays: number;
 
-  if (range === "custom" && fromParam && toParam) {
+  if (range === "custom") {
+    if (!fromParam || !toParam) {
+      res.status(400).json({
+        error: "Missing from/to: 'range=custom' requires both 'from' and 'to' as YYYY-MM-DD dates",
+      });
+      return;
+    }
     const fromDate = parseUtcDate(fromParam);
     const toDate = parseUtcDate(toParam);
-    if (!fromDate || !toDate || fromDate.getTime() > toDate.getTime()) {
-      res.status(400).json({ error: "Invalid from/to" });
+    if (!fromDate || !toDate) {
+      res.status(400).json({
+        error: "Invalid from/to: expected YYYY-MM-DD dates",
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+    if (fromDate.getTime() > toDate.getTime()) {
+      res.status(400).json({ error: "Invalid from/to: 'from' must be on or before 'to'" });
       return;
     }
     const MAX_DAYS = 366;
@@ -156,7 +168,6 @@ router.get("/stats/admin", requireAuth, requireAdmin, async (req, res): Promise<
     rangeEndExclusive = new Date(toDate.getTime() + DAY_MS);
     rangeDays = days;
   } else {
-    if (range === "custom") range = "7d";
     rangeDays = range === "90d" ? 90 : range === "30d" ? 30 : 7;
     rangeStart = new Date(startOfTodayUtc.getTime() - (rangeDays - 1) * DAY_MS);
     rangeEndExclusive = new Date(startOfTodayUtc.getTime() + DAY_MS);
diff --git a/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/locales/ar.json b/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/locales/ar.json
index 25e0dd19..011b1ac5 100644
--- a/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/locales/ar.json
+++ b/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/locales/ar.json
@@ -298,7 +298,8 @@
         "from": "من",
         "to": "إلى",
         "apply": "تطبيق",
-        "invalid": "اختر نطاقًا صحيحًا"
+        "invalid": "اختر نطاقًا صحيحًا",
+        "loadError": "تعذّر تحميل الإحصائيات للنطاق المحدّد. يرجى التحقق من التواريخ والمحاولة مرة أخرى."
       },
       "topApps": "أكثر التطبيقات استخدامًا",
       "topAppsSubtitle": "حسب الفتح في {{range}}",
diff --git a/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/locales/en.json b/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/locales/en.json
index c6ac0145..63ebfa8c 100644
--- a/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/locales/en.json
+++ b/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/locales/en.json
@@ -295,7 +295,8 @@
         "from": "From",
         "to": "To",
         "apply": "Apply",
-        "invalid": "Pick a valid date range"
+        "invalid": "Pick a valid date range",
+        "loadError": "Couldn't load stats for the selected dates. Please check the range and try again."
       },
       "topApps": "Top apps",
       "topAppsSubtitle": "By opens in {{range}}",
diff --git a/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/pages/admin.tsx b/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/pages/admin.tsx
index 32899c8f..c8344c09 100644
--- a/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/pages/admin.tsx
+++ b/artifacts/teaboy-os/src/pages/admin.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import {
   getGetAdminStatsQueryKey,
   useAdminIssueResetLink,
 } from "@workspace/api-client-react";
-import type { App, Service, UserProfile, AppSettings, AdminStats } from "@workspace/api-client-react";
+import type { App, Service, UserProfile, AppSettings, AdminStats, GetAdminStatsQueryError } from "@workspace/api-client-react";
 import { useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useAuth } from "@/contexts/AuthContext";
 import { useUpload, type UploadResponse } from "@workspace/object-storage-web";
@@ -149,12 +149,18 @@ export default function AdminPage() {
     statsRange === "custom"
       ? { range: "custom" as const, from: appliedCustom.from, to: appliedCustom.to }
       : { range: statsRange };
-  const { data: adminStats } = useGetAdminStats(statsQueryParams, {
+  const { data: adminStats, error: adminStatsError } = useGetAdminStats(statsQueryParams, {
     query: {
       queryKey: getGetAdminStatsQueryKey(statsQueryParams),
       enabled: isAdmin && (statsRange !== "custom" || isCustomValid),
+      retry: false,
     },
   });
+  const adminStatsErrorMessage: string | null = (() => {
+    if (!adminStatsError) return null;
+    const err = adminStatsError as GetAdminStatsQueryError;
+    return err.data?.error ?? err.message ?? null;
+  })();
 
   const createApp = useCreateApp();
   const updateApp = useUpdateApp();
@@ -499,6 +505,7 @@ export default function AdminPage() {
               users={users}
               appSettings={appSettings}
               adminStats={adminStats}
+              adminStatsErrorMessage={adminStatsErrorMessage}
               lang={lang}
               statsRange={statsRange}
               onStatsRangeChange={setStatsRange}
@@ -963,6 +970,7 @@ function DashboardSection({
   users,
   appSettings,
   adminStats,
+  adminStatsErrorMessage,
   lang,
   statsRange,
   onStatsRangeChange,
@@ -979,6 +987,7 @@ function DashboardSection({
   users: UserProfile[] | undefined;
   appSettings: AppSettings | undefined;
   adminStats: AdminStats | undefined;
+  adminStatsErrorMessage: string | null;
   lang: string;
   statsRange: "7d" | "30d" | "90d" | "custom";
   onStatsRangeChange: (range: "7d" | "30d" | "90d" | "custom") => void;
@@ -1220,6 +1229,17 @@ function DashboardSection({
             )}
           </div>
         )}
+        {adminStatsErrorMessage && (
+          <div
+            role="alert"
+            className="text-xs text-destructive bg-destructive/10 border border-destructive/30 rounded-lg px-3 py-2"
+          >
+            {t("admin.dashboard.customRange.loadError")}
+            <div className="mt-0.5 font-mono text-[11px] opacity-80 break-words">
+              {adminStatsErrorMessage}
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        )}
       </div>
 
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 gap-3">
diff --git a/lib/api-client-react/src/generated/api.ts b/lib/api-client-react/src/generated/api.ts
index 12d4efd1..86537b3a 100644
--- a/lib/api-client-react/src/generated/api.ts
+++ b/lib/api-client-react/src/generated/api.ts
@@ -4068,7 +4068,7 @@ export const getGetAdminStatsQueryKey = (params?: GetAdminStatsParams) => {
 
 export const getGetAdminStatsQueryOptions = <
   TData = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof getAdminStats>>,
-  TError = ErrorType<unknown>,
+  TError = ErrorType<ErrorResponse>,
 >(
   params?: GetAdminStatsParams,
   options?: {
@@ -4098,7 +4098,7 @@ export const getGetAdminStatsQueryOptions = <
 export type GetAdminStatsQueryResult = NonNullable<
   Awaited<ReturnType<typeof getAdminStats>>
 >;
-export type GetAdminStatsQueryError = ErrorType<unknown>;
+export type GetAdminStatsQueryError = ErrorType<ErrorResponse>;
 
 /**
  * @summary Get admin dashboard trend stats
@@ -4106,7 +4106,7 @@ export type GetAdminStatsQueryError = ErrorType<unknown>;
 
 export function useGetAdminStats<
   TData = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof getAdminStats>>,
-  TError = ErrorType<unknown>,
+  TError = ErrorType<ErrorResponse>,
 >(
   params?: GetAdminStatsParams,
   options?: {
diff --git a/lib/api-spec/openapi.yaml b/lib/api-spec/openapi.yaml
index cdbdad52..781ff744 100644
--- a/lib/api-spec/openapi.yaml
+++ b/lib/api-spec/openapi.yaml
@@ -1027,6 +1027,12 @@ paths:
             application/json:
               schema:
                 $ref: "#/components/schemas/AdminStats"
+        "400":
+          description: Invalid range parameters (e.g. range=custom with missing/malformed from/to or inverted dates)
+          content:
+            application/json:
+              schema:
+                $ref: "#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse"
 
 components:
   schemas: