diff --git a/ui/src/components.tsx b/ui/src/components.tsx
index db38242..520a70c 100644
--- a/ui/src/components.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components.tsx
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@ import { Link } from 'react-router-dom'
 import { useReveal } from './reveal'
 import { useI18n, useT } from './i18n'
 import { IS_DEMO } from './api'
+import { helperConfigured } from './helper'
 
 /** A thin, always-visible strip in demo mode (runtime `?demo=1` or the VITE_DEMO fallback) so a
- *  visitor never mistakes the sample data for a real vault, and can leave demo mode (`?demo=0`).
- *  Renders nothing outside demo mode. */
+ *  visitor never mistakes the sample data for a real vault. Offers "Exit demo" (`?demo=0`) ONLY when
+ *  a real mode exists to exit to (a helper is configured) — a pure demo deploy has nowhere to go, so
+ *  the exit would land on an empty backend. Renders nothing outside demo mode. */
 export function DemoBanner() {
   const t = useT()
   if (!IS_DEMO) return null
@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@ export function DemoBanner() {
     <div className="demo-banner" role="note">
       <span className="demo-banner-tag">DEMO</span>
       {t('demo.bannerNote')}
-      <a className="demo-banner-exit" href="?demo=0">{t('demo.bannerExit')}</a>
+      {helperConfigured() && <a className="demo-banner-exit" href="?demo=0">{t('demo.bannerExit')}</a>}
     </div>
   )
 }