diff --git a/wicketd/src/context.rs b/wicketd/src/context.rs
index c5d8c97e012..9eefaefb0b8 100644
--- a/wicketd/src/context.rs
+++ b/wicketd/src/context.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use crate::MgsHandle;
 use crate::bgp_auth_keys::BgpAuthKeyError;
 use crate::bgp_auth_keys::BgpAuthKeys;
 use crate::bootstrap_addrs::BootstrapPeersFromDdm;
+use crate::http_helpers::http_error_with_message;
 use crate::multirack_config::CurrentMultirackJoinConfig;
 use crate::preflight_check::PreflightCheckerHandler;
 use crate::rss_config::CurrentRssConfig;
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ use iddqd::IdOrdMap;
 use internal_dns_resolver::Resolver;
 use sled_hardware_types::Baseboard;
 use slog::info;
+use slog_error_chain::InlineErrorChain;
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use std::collections::BTreeSet;
 use std::mem;
@@ -329,10 +331,12 @@ impl ServerContext {
         }
     }
 
-    pub(crate) async fn local_switch_id(&self) -> Option<SpIdentifier> {
+    pub(crate) async fn local_switch_id(
+        &self,
+    ) -> Result<SpIdentifier, LocalSwitchIdError> {
         // Do we already have it cached from a previous invocation?
         if let Some(&switch_id) = self.local_switch_id.get() {
-            return Some(switch_id);
+            return Ok(switch_id);
         }
 
         // We don't have a cached switch ID; try to fetch it from MGS. We
@@ -352,7 +356,7 @@ impl ServerContext {
                     self.transceiver_handle.set_local_switch_id(switch_id);
                 }
 
-                Some(switch_id)
+                Ok(switch_id)
             }
             Err(err) => {
                 slog::warn!(
@@ -360,8 +364,25 @@ impl ServerContext {
                     "Failed to fetch local switch ID from MGS";
                     "err" => #%err,
                 );
-                None
+                Err(LocalSwitchIdError::from(err))
             }
         }
     }
 }
+
+/// An error returned when the local switch ID cannot be fetched from MGS.
+#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
+#[error("failed to fetch local switch ID from MGS")]
+pub(crate) struct LocalSwitchIdError(
+    #[from] gateway_client::Error<gateway_client::types::Error>,
+);
+
+impl LocalSwitchIdError {
+    pub(crate) fn to_http_error(&self) -> HttpError {
+        http_error_with_message(
+            dropshot::ErrorStatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE,
+            Some("UnknownSwitchSlot".to_string()),
+            format!("{} (is MGS running?)", InlineErrorChain::new(self)),
+        )
+    }
+}
diff --git a/wicketd/src/http_entrypoints.rs b/wicketd/src/http_entrypoints.rs
index 198d7f4cfe8..aa7a861c26c 100644
--- a/wicketd/src/http_entrypoints.rs
+++ b/wicketd/src/http_entrypoints.rs
@@ -459,7 +459,10 @@ impl WicketdApi for WicketdApiImpl {
         let rqctx = rqctx.context();
         let inventory = mgs_inventory_or_unavail(&rqctx.mgs_handle).await?;
 
-        let switch_id = rqctx.local_switch_id().await;
+        // We don't error out in get_location on the local switch ID not being
+        // available, so discard the error here (it's already logged in
+        // local_switch_id).
+        let switch_id = rqctx.local_switch_id().await.ok();
         let sled_baseboard = rqctx.baseboard.clone();
 
         let mut switch_baseboard = None;
@@ -592,7 +595,7 @@ impl WicketdApi for WicketdApiImpl {
         let options = body.into_inner();
 
         let our_switch_slot = match rqctx.local_switch_id().await {
-            Some(SpIdentifier { slot, typ: SpType::Switch }) => match slot {
+            Ok(SpIdentifier { slot, typ: SpType::Switch }) => match slot {
                 0 => SwitchSlot::Switch0,
                 1 => SwitchSlot::Switch1,
                 _ => {
@@ -601,16 +604,13 @@ impl WicketdApi for WicketdApiImpl {
                     )));
                 }
             },
-            Some(other) => {
+            Ok(other) => {
                 return Err(HttpError::for_internal_error(format!(
                     "unexpected switch SP identifier {other:?}"
                 )));
             }
-            None => {
-                return Err(HttpError::for_unavail(
-                    Some("UnknownSwitchSlot".to_string()),
-                    "local switch slot not yet determined".to_string(),
-                ));
+            Err(err) => {
+                return Err(err.to_http_error());
             }
         };
 
diff --git a/wicketd/src/http_helpers.rs b/wicketd/src/http_helpers.rs
index 7625b256842..c44d71edd04 100644
--- a/wicketd/src/http_helpers.rs
+++ b/wicketd/src/http_helpers.rs
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ pub(crate) fn ba_lockstep_error_to_http(
 ///
 /// This avoids using methods on `HttpError`, many of which don't expose the
 /// full message to clients for security reasons.
-fn http_error_with_message(
+pub(crate) fn http_error_with_message(
     status_code: dropshot::ErrorStatusCode,
     error_code: Option<String>,
     message: String,