diff --git a/src/entities/media/api/mediaManifestApi.ts b/src/entities/media/api/mediaManifestApi.ts
index 9460f23..785704c 100644
--- a/src/entities/media/api/mediaManifestApi.ts
+++ b/src/entities/media/api/mediaManifestApi.ts
@@ -36,17 +36,26 @@ export const mediaManifestApi = {
       return DEFAULT_MEDIA_MANIFEST;
     }
 
-    const response = await fetch(MEDIA_MANIFEST_URL, {
-      method: 'GET',
-      cache: MEDIA_MANIFEST_FETCH_CACHE,
-      signal,
-    });
+    try {
+      const response = await fetch(MEDIA_MANIFEST_URL, {
+        method: 'GET',
+        cache: MEDIA_MANIFEST_FETCH_CACHE,
+        signal,
+      });
 
-    if (!response.ok) {
-      throw new Error(copy.media.manifestLoadFailed);
+      if (!response.ok) {
+        throw new Error(`${copy.media.manifestLoadFailed} (${response.status} at ${MEDIA_MANIFEST_URL})`);
+      }
+
+      const payload = (await response.json()) as Partial<MediaManifest>;
+      return normalizeMediaManifest(payload);
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (error instanceof Error && error.name === 'AbortError') {
+        throw error;
+      }
+      throw new Error(
+        `${copy.media.manifestLoadFailed}: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)} (URL: ${MEDIA_MANIFEST_URL})`
+      );
     }
-
-    const payload = (await response.json()) as Partial<MediaManifest>;
-    return normalizeMediaManifest(payload);
   },
 };
diff --git a/src/entities/media/model/resolveMediaAsset.ts b/src/entities/media/model/resolveMediaAsset.ts
index 96c41b6..bada8f8 100644
--- a/src/entities/media/model/resolveMediaAsset.ts
+++ b/src/entities/media/model/resolveMediaAsset.ts
@@ -99,18 +99,18 @@ const mergeSoundAssets = (manifest: MediaManifest) => {
 };
 
 export const normalizeMediaManifest = (manifest: Partial<MediaManifest> | null | undefined): MediaManifest => {
-  const mergedManifest: MediaManifest = {
+  const baseManifest: MediaManifest = {
     version: manifest?.version ?? DEFAULT_MEDIA_MANIFEST.version,
     updatedAt: manifest?.updatedAt ?? DEFAULT_MEDIA_MANIFEST.updatedAt,
     cdnBaseUrl: manifest?.cdnBaseUrl ?? DEFAULT_MEDIA_MANIFEST.cdnBaseUrl,
-    scenes: manifest?.scenes ?? [],
-    sounds: manifest?.sounds ?? [],
+    scenes: manifest?.scenes ?? DEFAULT_MEDIA_MANIFEST.scenes,
+    sounds: manifest?.sounds ?? DEFAULT_MEDIA_MANIFEST.sounds,
   };
 
   return {
-    ...mergedManifest,
-    scenes: mergeSceneAssets(mergedManifest),
-    sounds: mergeSoundAssets(mergedManifest),
+    ...baseManifest,
+    scenes: mergeSceneAssets(baseManifest),
+    sounds: mergeSoundAssets(baseManifest),
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/src/entities/media/model/useMediaCatalog.ts b/src/entities/media/model/useMediaCatalog.ts
index 290f83b..f79a9c4 100644
--- a/src/entities/media/model/useMediaCatalog.ts
+++ b/src/entities/media/model/useMediaCatalog.ts
@@ -40,10 +40,18 @@ const readMediaManifest = async (signal?: AbortSignal): Promise<MediaCatalogLoad
         };
       })
       .catch((error) => {
-        const nextError = error instanceof Error ? error.message : null;
+        // Only return abort errors up the chain if we're not using fallback
+        if (error instanceof Error && error.name === 'AbortError') {
+          throw error;
+        }
+
+        const nextError = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
+
+        // Explicitly use normalize with null to get a pure fallback manifest
+        const fallbackManifest = normalizeMediaManifest(null);
 
         return {
-          manifest: manifestCache,
+          manifest: fallbackManifest,
           error: nextError,
           usedFallbackManifest: true,
         };