diff --git a/messages/en.json b/messages/en.json
index 2203abae4..6639f5cde 100644
--- a/messages/en.json
+++ b/messages/en.json
@@ -878,9 +878,6 @@
     "heroFindingWarning": "Top alert",
     "correlationsTitle": "Correlations",
     "recommendationsTitle": "Recommendations",
-    "briefingDisabledByOperator": "The Daily Briefing is currently unavailable on this server.",
-    "statusDisabledByOperator": "Status cards are currently unavailable on this server.",
-    "correlationsDisabledByOperator": "Correlation narration is currently unavailable on this server.",
     "personalRecord": {
       "badge": "PR",
       "tooltip": "Personal record: {value} {unit} on {date}"
@@ -1036,7 +1033,6 @@
       "composerHint": "Press Enter to send, Shift+Enter for a new line.",
       "composerDisclaimer": "Coach replies are generated. Clinical decisions belong with your doctor.",
       "voiceComingSoon": "Voice input arrives with the iOS app in v1.5.",
-      "disabledByOperator": "Coach is currently unavailable on this server.",
       "threadEmpty": "Ask anything about your trends, medications, or readings to start a conversation.",
       "historyTitle": "Conversations",
       "historySearchPlaceholder": "Search conversations…",
@@ -1621,9 +1617,6 @@
       "about": {
         "title": "About",
         "description": "Version, license, links."
-      },
-      "placeholder": {
-        "coming_soon": "Moving here with the next release update."
       }
     },
     "profile": "Profile",
diff --git a/src/components/insights/__tests__/assistant-disabled-notice.test.tsx b/src/components/insights/__tests__/assistant-disabled-notice.test.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index c236f7c7c..000000000
--- a/src/components/insights/__tests__/assistant-disabled-notice.test.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
-import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
-
-import { I18nProvider } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
-import { AssistantDisabledNotice } from "../assistant-disabled-notice";
-
-function render(node: React.ReactNode) {
-  return renderToStaticMarkup(
-    <I18nProvider initialLocale="en">{node}</I18nProvider>,
-  );
-}
-
-describe("<AssistantDisabledNotice>", () => {
-  it("renders the coach copy in the card variant", () => {
-    const html = render(<AssistantDisabledNotice surface="coach" />);
-    expect(html).toContain("data-slot=\"assistant-disabled-notice\"");
-    expect(html.toLowerCase()).toContain("coach");
-  });
-
-  it("renders the briefing copy", () => {
-    const html = render(<AssistantDisabledNotice surface="briefing" />);
-    expect(html).toContain("data-slot=\"assistant-disabled-notice\"");
-  });
-
-  it("renders the status copy", () => {
-    const html = render(<AssistantDisabledNotice surface="insightStatus" />);
-    expect(html).toContain("data-slot=\"assistant-disabled-notice\"");
-  });
-
-  it("renders the inline variant without the Card wrapper", () => {
-    const html = render(
-      <AssistantDisabledNotice surface="correlations" variant="inline" />,
-    );
-    expect(html).toContain("<p");
-    expect(html).not.toContain("CardContent");
-  });
-});
diff --git a/src/components/insights/assistant-disabled-notice.tsx b/src/components/insights/assistant-disabled-notice.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index 1c2cdc841..000000000
--- a/src/components/insights/assistant-disabled-notice.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,73 +0,0 @@
-"use client";
-
-import { Sparkles } from "lucide-react";
-
-import { Card, CardContent } from "@/components/ui/card";
-import { useTranslations } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
-import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
-
-/**
- * v1.4.31 — Small inline notice surfaced when an assistant surface
- * is gated off by the operator. Used by callers that already
- * resolved a `errorCode: "assistant.disabled.<surface>"` response
- * from the server or that detected the matching flag locally via
- * `useFeatureFlags()`.
- *
- * The copy intentionally stays generic — "currently unavailable on
- * this server" — so the surface doesn't leak operator-identity
- * info into a user-facing string. Marc-voice English; the locale
- * key carries the surface-specific phrasing.
- */
-export type AssistantDisabledSurface =
-  | "coach"
-  | "briefing"
-  | "insightStatus"
-  | "correlations";
-
-interface AssistantDisabledNoticeProps {
-  surface: AssistantDisabledSurface;
-  className?: string;
-  variant?: "card" | "inline";
-}
-
-const SURFACE_LABEL_KEY: Record<AssistantDisabledSurface, string> = {
-  coach: "insights.coach.disabledByOperator",
-  briefing: "insights.briefingDisabledByOperator",
-  insightStatus: "insights.statusDisabledByOperator",
-  correlations: "insights.correlationsDisabledByOperator",
-};
-
-export function AssistantDisabledNotice({
-  surface,
-  className,
-  variant = "card",
-}: AssistantDisabledNoticeProps) {
-  const { t } = useTranslations();
-  const message = t(SURFACE_LABEL_KEY[surface]);
-
-  if (variant === "inline") {
-    return (
-      <p
-        data-slot="assistant-disabled-notice"
-        className={cn("text-muted-foreground text-sm", className)}
-      >
-        {message}
-      </p>
-    );
-  }
-
-  return (
-    <Card
-      data-slot="assistant-disabled-notice"
-      className={cn("opacity-70", className)}
-    >
-      <CardContent className="flex items-start gap-3 py-4">
-        <Sparkles
-          className="text-muted-foreground mt-0.5 size-4 shrink-0"
-          aria-hidden="true"
-        />
-        <p className="text-muted-foreground text-sm">{message}</p>
-      </CardContent>
-    </Card>
-  );
-}
diff --git a/src/components/settings/section-placeholder.tsx b/src/components/settings/section-placeholder.tsx
index 999dcc296..3f05ea25d 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/section-placeholder.tsx
+++ b/src/components/settings/section-placeholder.tsx
@@ -54,6 +54,14 @@ export function SectionPlaceholder({ slug }: SectionPlaceholderProps) {
   const sectionTitle = t(`settings.sections.${slug}.title`);
   const sectionDescription = t(`settings.sections.${slug}.description`);
 
+  // v1.4.33 A4 — `<SectionPlaceholder>` is a defensive fallback for
+  // slugs added to SETTINGS_SECTION_SLUGS without a matching component.
+  // The type system blocks that path today, so the EmptyState body is
+  // effectively unreachable. We retire the dedicated locale key
+  // (`settings.sections.placeholder.coming_soon`) and inherit the
+  // section's own description so the guard still renders meaningful
+  // copy if it ever does fire — no more dead-string maintenance across
+  // six locale files.
   return (
     <section
       aria-labelledby={`settings-section-${slug}-title`}
@@ -72,7 +80,7 @@ export function SectionPlaceholder({ slug }: SectionPlaceholderProps) {
       <EmptyState
         icon={<Icon className="size-6" />}
         title={sectionTitle}
-        description={t("settings.sections.placeholder.coming_soon")}
+        description={sectionDescription}
       />
     </section>
   );
diff --git a/src/lib/api-handler.ts b/src/lib/api-handler.ts
index 86c042fde..eb208a54c 100644
--- a/src/lib/api-handler.ts
+++ b/src/lib/api-handler.ts
@@ -169,8 +169,8 @@ export function apiHandler<T extends (...args: any[]) => Promise<Response>>(
           // envelope is locked per
           // `.planning/RESPONSE-TO-IOS-TEAM-2026-05-16.md` §3 R5.
           // Older iOS clients that don't know the errorCode surface
-          // this as a generic 403; v1.4.31+ clients render the
-          // `<AssistantDisabledNotice>` empty state.
+          // this as a generic 403; v1.4.31+ clients can branch on the
+          // errorCode to render an inline operator-disabled notice.
           evt.setError(error);
           response = NextResponse.json(
             {