diff --git a/internal/server/apigroup.go b/internal/server/apigroup.go
index 186a6148..7ca43922 100644
--- a/internal/server/apigroup.go
+++ b/internal/server/apigroup.go
@@ -105,7 +105,9 @@ func (s *Server) handleAPIMetrics(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 // filtered to samples after the ?after=<RFC3339> timestamp.
 func (s *Server) handleAPIPerformance(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	if s.perf == nil {
-		shared.SendResponse(w, r, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, "performance monitor not available")
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusServiceUnavailable)
+		json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]bool{"enabled": false})
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -136,6 +138,7 @@ func (s *Server) handleAPIPerformance(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 	json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(map[string]any{
+		"enabled":   true,
 		"sys_stats": sysStats,
 		"gpu_stats": gpuStats,
 	})
diff --git a/ui-svelte/src/App.svelte b/ui-svelte/src/App.svelte
index b251258a..df2dc1a0 100644
--- a/ui-svelte/src/App.svelte
+++ b/ui-svelte/src/App.svelte
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
   import Performance from "./routes/Performance.svelte";
   import Playground from "./routes/Playground.svelte";
   import PlaygroundStub from "./routes/PlaygroundStub.svelte";
-  import { enableAPIEvents } from "./stores/api";
+  import { enableAPIEvents, checkPerformanceEnabled } from "./stores/api";
   import { initScreenWidth, initSystemThemeListener, isDarkMode, appTitle, connectionState } from "./stores/theme";
   import { currentRoute } from "./stores/route";
 
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
     const cleanupScreenWidth = initScreenWidth();
     const cleanupSystemTheme = initSystemThemeListener();
     enableAPIEvents(true);
+    checkPerformanceEnabled();
 
     return () => {
       cleanupScreenWidth();
diff --git a/ui-svelte/src/components/Header.svelte b/ui-svelte/src/components/Header.svelte
index 10665e8e..00a76b4d 100644
--- a/ui-svelte/src/components/Header.svelte
+++ b/ui-svelte/src/components/Header.svelte
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   import { screenWidth, toggleTheme, themeMode, appTitle, isNarrow } from "../stores/theme";
   import { currentRoute } from "../stores/route";
   import { playgroundActivity } from "../stores/playgroundActivity";
+  import { performanceEnabled } from "../stores/api";
   import ConnectionStatus from "./ConnectionStatus.svelte";
 
   function handleTitleChange(newTitle: string): void {
@@ -84,16 +85,18 @@
     >
       Logs
     </a>
-    <a
-      href="/performance"
-      use:link
-      class="text-gray-600 hover:text-black dark:text-gray-300 dark:hover:text-gray-100 p-1 whitespace-nowrap"
-      class:font-semibold={isActive("/performance", $currentRoute)}
-      class:underline={isActive("/performance", $currentRoute)}
-      class:underline-offset-4={isActive("/performance", $currentRoute)}
-    >
-      Performance
-    </a>
+    {#if $performanceEnabled}
+      <a
+        href="/performance"
+        use:link
+        class="text-gray-600 hover:text-black dark:text-gray-300 dark:hover:text-gray-100 p-1 whitespace-nowrap"
+        class:font-semibold={isActive("/performance", $currentRoute)}
+        class:underline={isActive("/performance", $currentRoute)}
+        class:underline-offset-4={isActive("/performance", $currentRoute)}
+      >
+        Performance
+      </a>
+    {/if}
     <button onclick={toggleTheme} title="Toggle theme (current: {$themeMode})">
       {#if $themeMode === "system"}
         <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor" class="w-5 h-5">
diff --git a/ui-svelte/src/stores/api.ts b/ui-svelte/src/stores/api.ts
index 653cd1a8..10bac807 100644
--- a/ui-svelte/src/stores/api.ts
+++ b/ui-svelte/src/stores/api.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export const proxyLogs = writable<string>("");
 export const upstreamLogs = writable<string>("");
 export const metrics = writable<ActivityLogEntry[]>([]);
 export const inFlightRequests = writable<number>(0);
+export const performanceEnabled = writable<boolean>(false);
 export const versionInfo = writable<VersionInfo>({
   build_date: "unknown",
   commit: "unknown",
@@ -210,6 +211,20 @@ export async function getCapture(id: number): Promise<ReqRespCapture | null> {
   }
 }
 
+export async function checkPerformanceEnabled(): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const response = await fetch("/api/performance");
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      performanceEnabled.set(false);
+      return;
+    }
+    const data = await response.json();
+    performanceEnabled.set(data.enabled);
+  } catch {
+    performanceEnabled.set(false);
+  }
+}
+
 export async function fetchPerformance(after?: string): Promise<PerformanceResponse | null> {
   try {
     const url = after ? `/api/performance?after=${encodeURIComponent(after)}` : "/api/performance";