diff --git a/src/app/api/version/__tests__/route.test.ts b/src/app/api/version/__tests__/route.test.ts
index f21c9561f..fdff3cd98 100644
--- a/src/app/api/version/__tests__/route.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/version/__tests__/route.test.ts
@@ -4,11 +4,17 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/api-handler", () => ({
   apiHandler: <T extends (...args: unknown[]) => unknown>(fn: T) => fn,
 }));
 
+const offlineGeoReadyMock = vi.fn(() => false);
+vi.mock("@/lib/geo", () => ({
+  offlineGeoReady: () => offlineGeoReadyMock(),
+}));
+
 import { GET } from "../route";
 
 beforeEach(() => {
   delete process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_BUILD_SHA;
   delete process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_BUILT_AT;
+  offlineGeoReadyMock.mockReturnValue(false);
 });
 
 interface VersionEnvelope {
@@ -20,6 +26,7 @@ interface VersionEnvelope {
     repository: string;
     changelog: string;
     docs: string;
+    offlineGeoEnabled: boolean;
   };
 }
 
@@ -49,4 +56,18 @@ describe("GET /api/version", () => {
     expect(body.data.buildSha).toBe("abc1234");
     expect(body.data.builtAt).toBe("2026-05-08T12:00:00.000Z");
   });
+
+  it("reports offlineGeoEnabled=false when the GeoLite2 databases are absent", async () => {
+    offlineGeoReadyMock.mockReturnValue(false);
+    const response = await (GET as unknown as () => Promise<Response>)();
+    const body = (await response.json()) as VersionEnvelope;
+    expect(body.data.offlineGeoEnabled).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("reports offlineGeoEnabled=true when the GeoLite2 databases are present", async () => {
+    offlineGeoReadyMock.mockReturnValue(true);
+    const response = await (GET as unknown as () => Promise<Response>)();
+    const body = (await response.json()) as VersionEnvelope;
+    expect(body.data.offlineGeoEnabled).toBe(true);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/api/version/route.ts b/src/app/api/version/route.ts
index 7a9fc8371..68ed0bc66 100644
--- a/src/app/api/version/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/version/route.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,24 @@
 import { apiHandler } from "@/lib/api-handler";
 import { apiSuccess } from "@/lib/api-response";
+import { offlineGeoReady } from "@/lib/geo";
 import packageJson from "../../../../package.json";
 
-export const dynamic = "force-static";
-export const revalidate = false;
+// v1.4.27 R5 — `offlineGeoEnabled` reads from the same source the geo
+// resolver uses for the runtime fallback gate, so the public state and
+// the runtime behaviour cannot disagree. The check hits the filesystem
+// (`existsSync` on the `.empty` marker + the City MMDB) which forces
+// the route to be dynamic — the previous `force-static` setting would
+// have frozen the answer at build time.
+export const dynamic = "force-dynamic";
 
 /**
  * GET /api/version
  *
  * Public endpoint exposing the running build's version. Used by the
- * Settings → About surface, the footer of every page, and the
- * "Check for updates" button (which compares against the GHCR API).
+ * Settings → About surface, the footer of every page, the
+ * "Check for updates" button (which compares against the GHCR API),
+ * and the admin status-summary row that surfaces the offline-geo
+ * availability state.
  *
  * The build SHA and built-at timestamp come from environment variables
  * baked at image build time:
@@ -21,11 +29,18 @@ export const revalidate = false;
  *
  * For local `pnpm dev` neither is set; the route returns `null` and
  * the UI falls back to "development" wording.
+ *
+ * `offlineGeoEnabled` is `true` when the GeoLite2-City MMDB is present
+ * at the configured `GEOLITE2_DIR` and no `.empty` marker is set.
+ * When `false` the runtime falls back to the online `ipwho.is`
+ * provider and the resolver emits a one-shot admin notification on
+ * first use.
  */
 export const GET = apiHandler(async () => {
   const version = packageJson.version;
   const buildSha = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_BUILD_SHA?.trim() || null;
   const builtAt = process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_BUILT_AT?.trim() || null;
+  const offlineGeoEnabled = offlineGeoReady();
 
   return apiSuccess({
     version,
@@ -35,5 +50,6 @@ export const GET = apiHandler(async () => {
     repository: "https://github.com/MBombeck/HealthLog",
     changelog: "https://github.com/MBombeck/HealthLog/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md",
     docs: "https://docs.healthlog.dev",
+    offlineGeoEnabled,
   });
 });