diff --git a/sigma-web/src/components/AiTriageDialog.tsx b/sigma-web/src/components/AiTriageDialog.tsx
index 9a177b5..b02bad0 100644
--- a/sigma-web/src/components/AiTriageDialog.tsx
+++ b/sigma-web/src/components/AiTriageDialog.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
-import { X, Sparkles, AlertTriangle, ListChecks, Lightbulb } from 'lucide-react';
+import { X, Sparkles, AlertTriangle, ListChecks, Lightbulb, Clock, ShieldOff } from 'lucide-react';
+import axios from 'axios';
 import { useAiTriage } from '@/hooks/useAiTriage';
 import type { AlertInfo, TriageContext, TriageResponse } from '@/types/api';
 
@@ -189,17 +190,92 @@ export default function AiTriageDialog({ open, onClose, prefillAlert, prefillCon
           {/* Result */}
           {result && <TriageResultView result={result} />}
 
-          {isError && !result && (
-            <div className="rounded-md bg-red-50 p-4 text-sm text-red-700">
-              <strong>Request failed.</strong> {String(triage.error)}
-            </div>
-          )}
+          {isError && !result && <TriageErrorView error={triage.error} />}
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Format a Retry-After value (in seconds) as a human-friendly duration.
+ * Uses minutes+seconds for >= 60s, otherwise plain seconds.
+ */
+function formatRetryAfter(secondsRaw: string | number | undefined): string | null {
+  if (secondsRaw === undefined || secondsRaw === null || secondsRaw === '') return null;
+  const total = typeof secondsRaw === 'number' ? secondsRaw : parseInt(secondsRaw, 10);
+  if (!Number.isFinite(total) || total <= 0) return null;
+  if (total < 60) {
+    return `${total} second${total === 1 ? '' : 's'}`;
+  }
+  const minutes = Math.floor(total / 60);
+  const seconds = total % 60;
+  const mPart = `${minutes} minute${minutes === 1 ? '' : 's'}`;
+  if (seconds === 0) return mPart;
+  const sPart = `${seconds} second${seconds === 1 ? '' : 's'}`;
+  return `${mPart} ${sPart}`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Renders the triage error state. Distinguishes:
+ *   - 429: per-user LLM rate limit hit. Surface Retry-After in an amber
+ *     "try again later" panel — it's a soft, recoverable hint, not a failure.
+ *   - 403: caller's role (readonly / per-VPS agent key) is not allowed to
+ *     invoke triage. Amber panel suggesting they ask an admin/operator.
+ *   - Anything else: keep the original red "Request failed" banner.
+ */
+function TriageErrorView({ error }: { error: unknown }) {
+  if (axios.isAxiosError(error)) {
+    const status = error.response?.status;
+
+    if (status === 429) {
+      const retryAfterHeader = error.response?.headers?.['retry-after'];
+      const formatted = formatRetryAfter(retryAfterHeader as string | undefined);
+      return (
+        <div className="rounded-md bg-yellow-50 border border-yellow-200 p-4">
+          <div className="flex items-start gap-2">
+            <Clock className="text-yellow-600 shrink-0 mt-0.5" size={18} />
+            <div>
+              <p className="text-sm font-medium text-yellow-900">
+                You've hit your LLM rate limit.
+              </p>
+              <p className="text-sm text-yellow-900 mt-1">
+                {formatted
+                  ? <>Try again in <strong>{formatted}</strong>.</>
+                  : <>Try again shortly.</>}
+              </p>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      );
+    }
+
+    if (status === 403) {
+      return (
+        <div className="rounded-md bg-yellow-50 border border-yellow-200 p-4">
+          <div className="flex items-start gap-2">
+            <ShieldOff className="text-yellow-600 shrink-0 mt-0.5" size={18} />
+            <div>
+              <p className="text-sm font-medium text-yellow-900">
+                Your role doesn't permit AI triage.
+              </p>
+              <p className="text-sm text-yellow-900 mt-1">
+                Ask an admin or operator.
+              </p>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <div className="rounded-md bg-red-50 p-4 text-sm text-red-700">
+      <strong>Request failed.</strong> {String(error)}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 function TriageResultView({ result }: { result: TriageResponse }) {
   // Degraded path — the endpoint is up but the LLM isn't usable.
   if (!result.available) {
diff --git a/sigma-web/src/pages/VpsDetail.tsx b/sigma-web/src/pages/VpsDetail.tsx
index 43c87f9..dd55d6b 100644
--- a/sigma-web/src/pages/VpsDetail.tsx
+++ b/sigma-web/src/pages/VpsDetail.tsx
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ export default function VpsDetail() {
               <BarChart3 size={14} /> Grafana
             </a>
           )}
-          {!isDeleted && (
+          {canMutate && !isDeleted && (
             <button
               onClick={() => setAiTriageOpen(true)}
               className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 px-3 py-1.5 text-sm font-medium text-blue-700 border border-blue-200 rounded-md hover:bg-blue-50"