diff --git a/shell/header/app.tsx b/shell/header/app.tsx
index 375fbded..a810df93 100644
--- a/shell/header/app.tsx
+++ b/shell/header/app.tsx
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ const config: App = {
       op: WidgetOperationTypes.APPEND,
       component: MasqueradeBar,
       condition: {
+        authenticated: true,
         callback: () => isCourseBarMasqueradeRoute(),
       }
     }
diff --git a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/MasqueradeBar.tsx b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/MasqueradeBar.tsx
index dfd65286..6a8d22d1 100644
--- a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/MasqueradeBar.tsx
+++ b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/MasqueradeBar.tsx
@@ -12,13 +12,10 @@ export default function MasqueradeBar() {
   const { formatMessage } = useIntl();
   const { courseId = '', unitId = '' } = useParams();
   const masquerade = useMasqueradeState(courseId);
-  const {
-    errorMessage, isLoading, isDenied, isUnreachable,
-  } = masquerade;
+  const { errorMessage, isLoading, isDenied } = masquerade;
 
-  /* Render nothing while we wait for the first response, and when the server
-   * tells us this user can't masquerade.  Other failures fall through to a
-   * partial bar plus an alert. */
+  /* Render nothing while we wait for the first response, and when the load
+   * fails or the server says this user can't masquerade. */
   if (isLoading || isDenied) {
     return null;
   }
@@ -29,11 +26,9 @@ export default function MasqueradeBar() {
         <div className="bg-primary text-white">
           <Container fluid size="xl">
             <div className="py-3 d-md-flex justify-content-end align-items-start">
-              {!isUnreachable && (
-                <div className="align-items-center flex-grow-1 d-md-flex mx-1 my-1">
-                  <MasqueradeWidget />
-                </div>
-              )}
+              <div className="align-items-center flex-grow-1 d-md-flex mx-1 my-1">
+                <MasqueradeWidget />
+              </div>
               <StudioLink courseId={courseId} unitId={unitId} />
             </div>
           </Container>
diff --git a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/data/api.ts b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/data/api.ts
index ca2ee83b..39d40fdf 100644
--- a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/data/api.ts
+++ b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/data/api.ts
@@ -34,8 +34,15 @@ export interface MasqueradePayload {
 
 export async function getMasqueradeOptions(courseId: string): Promise<MasqueradeStatus> {
   const url = `${getSiteConfig().lmsBaseUrl}/courses/${courseId}/masquerade`;
-  const { data } = await getAuthenticatedHttpClient().get(url, {});
-  return camelCaseObject(data);
+  const response = await getAuthenticatedHttpClient().get(url, {});
+  /* The LMS 302s to /login instead of returning 403 when masquerade is denied. */
+  if (response.request?.responseURL && response.request.responseURL !== url) {
+    const error = Object.assign(new Error(`Masquerade endpoint redirected to ${response.request.responseURL}`), {
+      customAttributes: { httpErrorStatus: 403 },
+    });
+    throw error;
+  }
+  return camelCaseObject(response.data);
 }
 
 export async function postMasqueradeOptions(courseId: string, payload: MasqueradePayload): Promise<MasqueradeStatus> {
diff --git a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/hooks.ts b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/hooks.ts
index 34aeb151..dddebf9a 100644
--- a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/hooks.ts
+++ b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/hooks.ts
@@ -68,14 +68,12 @@ function getHttpStatus(error: unknown): number | undefined {
 }
 
 /*
- * The server tells us "no, you can't masquerade here" via either HTTP 403 or
- * a 200 with `success: false`.  Both mean: hide the bar entirely.  Other
- * failures (network, 5xx) are treated as "couldn't load" and surface as an
- * alert.
+ * Anything other than a successful load with `success: true` hides the bar:
+ * 403, 200 with `success: false`, network errors, 5xx, redirected requests.
  */
 function isQueryDenied(query: { isError: boolean, error: unknown, data: MasqueradeStatus | undefined }): boolean {
   if (query.isError) {
-    return getHttpStatus(query.error) === 403;
+    return true;
   }
   return query.data !== undefined && !query.data.success;
 }
@@ -96,13 +94,8 @@ export function formatErrorMessage(
 }
 
 function pickErrorMessage(
-  query: { isError: boolean, error: unknown, data: MasqueradeStatus | undefined },
   mutation: { isError: boolean, error: unknown, data: MasqueradeStatus | undefined },
 ): MasqueradeErrorMessage | null {
-  /* Denial is handled by hiding the bar; only surface truly-failed loads here. */
-  if (query.isError && getHttpStatus(query.error) !== 403) {
-    return messages.failedToLoadOptions;
-  }
   if (mutation.isError) {
     return getHttpStatus(mutation.error) === 404
       ? messages.noStudentFound
@@ -127,7 +120,6 @@ export interface MasqueradeState {
   isSubmitting: boolean,
   isLoading: boolean,
   isDenied: boolean,
-  isUnreachable: boolean,
 }
 
 export function useMasqueradeState(courseId: string): MasqueradeState {
@@ -227,10 +219,8 @@ export function useMasqueradeState(courseId: string): MasqueradeState {
   const showUserNameInput = active.userName !== null
     || pendingOption?.userName !== undefined;
 
-  const errorMessage = pickErrorMessage(query, mutation);
+  const errorMessage = pickErrorMessage(mutation);
   const isDenied = isQueryDenied(query);
-  /* Query landed but we couldn't load options — bar shows but widget hides. */
-  const isUnreachable = query.isError && getHttpStatus(query.error) !== 403;
   /* Loading until the first response (success or failure) lands. */
   const isLoading = query.isLoading;
 
@@ -262,6 +252,5 @@ export function useMasqueradeState(courseId: string): MasqueradeState {
     isSubmitting: mutation.isPending,
     isLoading,
     isDenied,
-    isUnreachable,
   };
 }
diff --git a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/masquerade-widget/MasqueradeWidget.test.tsx b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/masquerade-widget/MasqueradeWidget.test.tsx
index 169518cb..4c77e358 100644
--- a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/masquerade-widget/MasqueradeWidget.test.tsx
+++ b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/masquerade-widget/MasqueradeWidget.test.tsx
@@ -266,15 +266,13 @@ describe('MasqueradeWidget', () => {
     ).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it('shows an alert when masquerade options fail to load', async () => {
+  it('hides the bar entirely on a generic load failure', async () => {
     mockGetMasqueradeOptions.mockRejectedValue(new Error('Boom'));
 
     renderWidget();
 
-    expect(
-      await screen.findByText(/Unable to load masquerade options/),
-    ).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.queryByRole('button', { name: 'Staff' })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    await waitFor(() => expect(mockGetMasqueradeOptions).toHaveBeenCalled());
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('region', { name: /masquerade bar/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
   it('hides the bar entirely when the server returns success: false', async () => {
@@ -284,7 +282,6 @@ describe('MasqueradeWidget', () => {
 
     await waitFor(() => expect(mockGetMasqueradeOptions).toHaveBeenCalled());
     expect(screen.queryByRole('region', { name: /masquerade bar/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.queryByText(/Unable to load masquerade options/)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
   it('hides the bar entirely on 403', async () => {
diff --git a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/masquerade-widget/MasqueradeWidgetOption.test.tsx b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/masquerade-widget/MasqueradeWidgetOption.test.tsx
index 6a36a85c..5c8c753d 100644
--- a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/masquerade-widget/MasqueradeWidgetOption.test.tsx
+++ b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/masquerade-widget/MasqueradeWidgetOption.test.tsx
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ function buildContextValue(
     isSubmitting: false,
     isLoading: false,
     isDenied: false,
-    isUnreachable: false,
     ...overrides,
   };
 }
diff --git a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/messages.ts b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/messages.ts
index 62823820..52fae7d2 100644
--- a/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/messages.ts
+++ b/shell/header/course-bar/masquerade/messages.ts
@@ -16,11 +16,6 @@ const messages = defineMessages({
     defaultMessage: 'Studio',
     description: 'Button to view in studio',
   },
-  failedToLoadOptions: {
-    id: 'masqueradeBar.error.failedToLoadOptions',
-    defaultMessage: 'Unable to load masquerade options.',
-    description: 'Error shown when masquerade options cannot be retrieved from the server.',
-  },
   noStudentFound: {
     id: 'masqueradeBar.error.noStudentFound',
     defaultMessage: 'No student with this username or email could be found.',