diff --git a/computes/tests/test_unreachable_host_pages.py b/computes/tests/test_unreachable_host_pages.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b4706605
--- /dev/null
+++ b/computes/tests/test_unreachable_host_pages.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+"""A host page whose list could not be read says why, and not that the host has none."""
+
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from django.contrib.auth.models import User
+from django.test import TestCase
+from django.urls import reverse
+from vrtManager.util import ConnectionFailed
+
+from computes.models import Compute
+
+EMPTY = {
+    "storages": "This host has no storage pools.",
+    "networks": "This host has no networks.",
+    "interfaces": "libvirt lists no interfaces of this host.",
+    "nwfilters": "This host has no network filters.",
+    "virtsecrets": "This host has no secrets.",
+}
+
+
+class UnreachableHostPagesTestCase(TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.compute = Compute.objects.create(name="c", hostname="192.0.2.10", login="u", password="p", type=1)
+        self.client.force_login(User.objects.create_superuser("hostadmin", "hostadmin@example.com", "pw"))
+
+    def test_the_connection_error_shows_without_an_empty_list(self):
+        failed = ConnectionFailed("Connection Failed: %(host)s did not answer within 5 s", host="192.0.2.10")
+        for page, empty in EMPTY.items():
+            with self.subTest(page), patch("vrtManager.connection.connection_manager.get_connection", side_effect=failed):
+                content = self.client.get(reverse(page, args=[self.compute.id])).content.decode()
+                self.assertIn("192.0.2.10 did not answer within 5 s", content)
+                self.assertNotIn(empty, content)
diff --git a/console/tests/test_views.py b/console/tests/test_views.py
index e9139b2c..c9c9c294 100644
--- a/console/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/console/tests/test_views.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from django.conf import settings
 from django.test import TestCase, override_settings
 from django.urls import reverse
 from instances.models import Instance
-from libvirt import libvirtError
+from vrtManager.util import ConnectionFailed
 from lxml import html
 
 
@@ -323,16 +323,26 @@ class ConsoleViewsTestCase(TestCase):
                 self.assertEqual("This console listens only on its host" in response.content.decode(), refused)
 
     @patch("console.views.wvmInstance")
-    def test_console_libvirt_error_fallback(self, mock_wvm):
-        mock_wvm.side_effect = libvirtError("Connection to libvirtd failed")
+    def test_a_host_that_cannot_be_reached_is_named_as_the_cause_and_logged(self, mock_wvm):
+        # not "check the console configuration of your VM": the VM was never read
+        mock_wvm.side_effect = ConnectionFailed("Connection Failed: %(host)s did not answer within 5 s", host="192.0.2.10")
+        for user, shown in ((self.admin_user, "Connection Failed: 192.0.2.10 did not answer within 5 s"),
+                            (self.alice, "The host of this virtual machine cannot be reached right now.")):
+            with self.subTest(user.username):
+                self.client.force_login(user)
+                with self.assertLogs("console.views", "WARNING") as logs:
+                    response = self.client.get(self.url)
+                self.assertTemplateUsed(response, "console-error.html")
+                self.assertEqual(str(response.context["console_error"]), shown)
+                self.assertIn("Console of vm-alpha on", logs.output[0])
+                self.assertIn("192.0.2.10 did not answer", logs.output[0])
 
+    @patch("console.views.wvmInstance")
+    def test_a_vm_without_a_readable_console_points_to_its_console_settings(self, mock_wvm):
+        mock_wvm.return_value.get_console_type.side_effect = IndexError
         self.client.force_login(self.admin_user)
-        url = self.url
-        response = self.client.get(url)
-
-        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
-        self.assertTemplateUsed(response, "console-error.html")
-        self.assertIsNotNone(response.context["console_error"])
+        response = self.client.get(self.url)
+        self.assertIn("check the console configuration", str(response.context["console_error"]))
 
     def test_an_unknown_vm_gives_the_superuser_an_error_page(self):
         self.client.force_login(self.admin_user)
diff --git a/console/views.py b/console/views.py
index c584550d..3e10bc1a 100644
--- a/console/views.py
+++ b/console/views.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import functools
 import json
+import logging
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from appsettings.settings import app_settings
@@ -12,9 +13,13 @@ from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
 from instances.models import Instance
 from instances.utils import can_open_console
 from libvirt import libvirtError
+from operations.utils import safe_text
 from vrtManager.connection import CONN_TCP, CONN_TLS
 from vrtManager.instance import wvmInstance
 from vrtManager.util import is_loopback
+from webvirtcloud.middleware import error_text
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 # one file a layout, written by dev/console_layout.py
 LAYOUTS_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent / "layouts"
@@ -60,7 +65,11 @@ def console(request, compute_id, uuid):
         unreachable = instance.compute.type in (CONN_TCP, CONN_TLS) and bool(
             conn.get_console_socket() or is_loopback(conn.get_console_listener_addr())
         )
-    except (libvirtError, ValueError, IndexError):
+    except libvirtError as err:
+        # the host or the VM could not be read: the page says that, not to check the console settings
+        logger.warning("Console of %s on %s: %s", instance.name, instance.compute.name, safe_text(err))
+        return render(request, "console-error.html", {"instance": instance, "console_error": error_text(request, err)})
+    except (ValueError, IndexError):
         running = unreachable = False
         console_type = None
         console_passwd = None
diff --git a/interfaces/templates/interfaces.html b/interfaces/templates/interfaces.html
index 2f110010..de16d7b0 100644
--- a/interfaces/templates/interfaces.html
+++ b/interfaces/templates/interfaces.html
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     {% include "computes/host_nav.html" with section="interfaces" %}
 
     {% if changeable is False %}{% include 'interfaces_unchangeable.html' %}{% endif %}
-    {% if not ifaces_all %}
+    {% if ifaces_all is None %}{# not read: the error above says why #}{% elif not ifaces_all %}
         <div class="alert alert-warning shadow-sm">
             {% bs_icon 'exclamation-triangle' %} {% trans "libvirt lists no interfaces of this host." %}
         </div>
diff --git a/interfaces/views.py b/interfaces/views.py
index db3baad0..40a8f5f0 100644
--- a/interfaces/views.py
+++ b/interfaces/views.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from admin.decorators import superuser_only
 def interfaces(request, compute_id):
     """The host's interfaces, and a new one where its libvirt can define them."""
     compute = get_object_or_404(Compute, pk=compute_id)
+    ifaces_all = None  # not read: the page shows no list
 
     try:
         conn = wvmInterfaces(compute.hostname, compute.login, compute.password, compute.type)
diff --git a/networks/templates/networks.html b/networks/templates/networks.html
index b43b559d..ef115643 100644
--- a/networks/templates/networks.html
+++ b/networks/templates/networks.html
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 {% block content %}
     {% include "computes/host_nav.html" with section="networks" %}
 
-    {% if not networks %}
+    {% if networks is None %}{# not read: the error above says why #}{% elif not networks %}
         <div class="alert alert-warning shadow-sm">
             {% bs_icon 'exclamation-triangle' %} {% trans "This host has no networks." %}
         </div>
diff --git a/networks/views.py b/networks/views.py
index 43f88c9f..b88dc340 100644
--- a/networks/views.py
+++ b/networks/views.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ def networks(request, compute_id):
     form = AddNetPool()
     # the new network dialog's mode: the one sent back after a refusal
     net_mode = request.POST.get("forward", "nat")
+    networks = None  # not read: the page shows no list
 
     try:
         conn = wvmNetworks(
diff --git a/nwfilters/templates/nwfilters.html b/nwfilters/templates/nwfilters.html
index df10c525..f00a7be7 100644
--- a/nwfilters/templates/nwfilters.html
+++ b/nwfilters/templates/nwfilters.html
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 {% block content %}
     {% include "computes/host_nav.html" with section="nwfilters" %}
 
-    {% if not nwfilters %}
+    {% if nwfilters is None %}{# not read: the error above says why #}{% elif not nwfilters %}
         <div class="alert alert-warning shadow-sm">
             {% bs_icon 'exclamation-triangle' %} {% trans "This host has no network filters." %}
         </div>
diff --git a/nwfilters/views.py b/nwfilters/views.py
index 6aac34ef..f8ab04ac 100644
--- a/nwfilters/views.py
+++ b/nwfilters/views.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ def nwfilters(request, compute_id):
     """The host's network filters; one created, cloned or deleted, after
     which the list is read again."""
     compute = get_object_or_404(Compute, pk=compute_id)
-    nwfilters_all = []
+    nwfilters_all = None  # not read: the page shows no list
 
     try:
         conn = wvmNWFilters(compute.hostname, compute.login, compute.password, compute.type)
diff --git a/storages/templates/storages.html b/storages/templates/storages.html
index 83e40aee..b69fd6f0 100644
--- a/storages/templates/storages.html
+++ b/storages/templates/storages.html
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
         </div>
     </div>
 
-    {% if not storages %}
+    {% if storages is None %}{# not read: the error above says why #}{% elif not storages %}
         <div class="alert alert-warning shadow-sm">
             {% bs_icon 'exclamation-triangle' %} {% trans "This host has no storage pools." %}
         </div>
diff --git a/storages/views.py b/storages/views.py
index b4e5f9f1..b3f92b55 100644
--- a/storages/views.py
+++ b/storages/views.py
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ def storages(request, compute_id):
     form = AddStgPool()
     # the new pool dialog's type: its radio cards tell the ISO pool from another directory
     pool_kind = request.POST.get("pool_kind", "dir")
+    storages = None  # not read: the page shows no list
 
     try:
         conn = wvmStorages(
diff --git a/virtsecrets/templates/secrets.html b/virtsecrets/templates/secrets.html
index b25c4809..69f68dbd 100644
--- a/virtsecrets/templates/secrets.html
+++ b/virtsecrets/templates/secrets.html
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 {% block content %}
     {% include "computes/host_nav.html" with section="virtsecrets" %}
 
-    {% if not secrets_all %}
+    {% if secrets_all is None %}{# not read: the error above says why #}{% elif not secrets_all %}
         <div class="alert alert-warning shadow-sm">
             {% bs_icon 'exclamation-triangle' %} {% trans "This host has no secrets." %}
         </div>
diff --git a/virtsecrets/tests/test_secret_in_use.py b/virtsecrets/tests/test_secret_in_use.py
index 310df4c0..539d8398 100644
--- a/virtsecrets/tests/test_secret_in_use.py
+++ b/virtsecrets/tests/test_secret_in_use.py
@@ -41,4 +41,4 @@ class SecretInUsePageTests(TestCase):
                                                                 "ephemeral": False, "private": False}]
             conn.return_value.get_users.side_effect = libvirt.libvirtError("connection reset")
             response = self.client.get(self.url)
-        self.assertEqual(response.context["secrets_all"], [])
+        self.assertIsNone(response.context["secrets_all"])
diff --git a/virtsecrets/views.py b/virtsecrets/views.py
index 576dfd80..d2d70313 100644
--- a/virtsecrets/views.py
+++ b/virtsecrets/views.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def secrets(request, compute_id):
     given a value or deleted, after which the list is read again. A value is
     never shown or logged."""
     compute = get_object_or_404(Compute, pk=compute_id)
-    secrets_all = []
+    secrets_all = None  # not read: the page shows no list
 
     try:
         conn = wvmSecrets(compute.hostname, compute.login, compute.password, compute.type)