diff --git a/frontend/src/App.vue b/frontend/src/App.vue
index d4e4bb3..995cb79 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/App.vue
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ const status = ref({
 })
 
 const strategies = ref([])
+const strategiesLoading = ref(true)
 const presets = ref([])
 const positions = ref([])
 const orders = ref([])
@@ -71,7 +72,12 @@ async function refreshAll() {
 }
 
 async function loadStrategies() {
-  strategies.value = await api.getStrategies()
+  strategiesLoading.value = true
+  try {
+    strategies.value = await api.getStrategies()
+  } finally {
+    strategiesLoading.value = false
+  }
 }
 
 async function loadPresets() {
@@ -265,6 +271,7 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
       :status="status"
       :busy="busy"
       :presets="presets"
+      :loading="strategiesLoading"
       @start="handleStart"
       @stop="handleStop"
       @kill="handleKill"
@@ -272,8 +279,8 @@ onUnmounted(() => {
       @delete-preset="handleDeletePreset"
     />
 
-    <BacktestPanel :strategies="strategies" :status="status" />
-    <SweepPanel :strategies="strategies" :status="status" />
+    <BacktestPanel :strategies="strategies" :status="status" :loading="strategiesLoading" />
+    <SweepPanel :strategies="strategies" :status="status" :loading="strategiesLoading" />
 
     <div class="grid gap-4 lg:grid-cols-2">
       <EquityChart :points="equityPoints" />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/BacktestPanel.vue b/frontend/src/components/BacktestPanel.vue
index 4ab0a9d..9562ea7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/BacktestPanel.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/BacktestPanel.vue
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import StrategyForm from './StrategyForm.vue'
 defineProps({
   strategies: { type: Array, required: true },
   status: { type: Object, required: true },
+  loading: { type: Boolean, default: false },
 })
 
 const running = ref(false)
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ async function run(payload) {
       :busy="running"
       :symbol="status.symbol"
       :timeframe="status.timeframe"
+      :loading="loading"
       submit-label="Run backtest"
       @submit="run"
     />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/StrategyForm.vue b/frontend/src/components/StrategyForm.vue
index a3ef9dc..e6c63f8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/StrategyForm.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/StrategyForm.vue
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ const props = defineProps({
   symbol: { type: String, default: 'BTC/USDT' },
   timeframe: { type: String, default: '5m' },
   presets: { type: Array, default: () => [] },
+  // True while the strategy list is still being fetched, so the dropdown can
+  // show a loading state instead of appearing empty.
+  loading: { type: Boolean, default: false },
 })
 const emit = defineEmits(['submit', 'save-preset', 'delete-preset', 'load-preset'])
 
@@ -99,7 +102,14 @@ function submit() {
     <div class="grid gap-2 sm:grid-cols-3">
       <label class="space-y-1">
         <span class="label">Strategy</span>
-        <select v-model="selectedKey" class="input" :disabled="disabled">
+        <select
+          v-model="selectedKey"
+          class="input"
+          :disabled="disabled || !strategies.length"
+        >
+          <option v-if="!strategies.length" value="" disabled>
+            {{ loading ? 'Loading strategies…' : 'No strategies available' }}
+          </option>
           <option v-for="s in strategies" :key="s.key" :value="s.key">{{ s.name }}</option>
         </select>
       </label>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/StrategyPanel.vue b/frontend/src/components/StrategyPanel.vue
index 2b1c885..b93862f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/StrategyPanel.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/StrategyPanel.vue
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const props = defineProps({
   status: { type: Object, required: true },
   busy: { type: Boolean, default: false },
   presets: { type: Array, default: () => [] },
+  loading: { type: Boolean, default: false },
 })
 const emit = defineEmits(['start', 'stop', 'kill', 'save-preset', 'delete-preset'])
 
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ function confirmKill() {
         :symbol="status.symbol"
         :timeframe="status.timeframe"
         :presets="presets"
+        :loading="loading"
         @submit="emit('start', $event)"
         @save-preset="emit('save-preset', $event)"
         @delete-preset="emit('delete-preset', $event)"
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SweepPanel.vue b/frontend/src/components/SweepPanel.vue
index fb8f295..e77692c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SweepPanel.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SweepPanel.vue
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import CollapsiblePanel from './CollapsiblePanel.vue'
 const props = defineProps({
   strategies: { type: Array, required: true },
   status: { type: Object, required: true },
+  loading: { type: Boolean, default: false },
 })
 
 const running = ref(false)
@@ -97,7 +98,10 @@ async function run() {
     <div class="grid gap-2 sm:grid-cols-4">
       <label class="space-y-1">
         <span class="label">Strategy</span>
-        <select v-model="selectedKey" class="input" :disabled="running">
+        <select v-model="selectedKey" class="input" :disabled="running || !strategies.length">
+          <option v-if="!strategies.length" value="" disabled>
+            {{ loading ? 'Loading strategies…' : 'No strategies available' }}
+          </option>
           <option v-for="s in strategies" :key="s.key" :value="s.key">{{ s.name }}</option>
         </select>
       </label>
diff --git a/frontend/src/strategy-form.test.js b/frontend/src/strategy-form.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..359f301
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/strategy-form.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { mount } from '@vue/test-utils'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import StrategyForm from './components/StrategyForm.vue'
+
+function mountForm(props) {
+  return mount(StrategyForm, { props: { strategies: [], ...props } })
+}
+
+describe('StrategyForm strategy dropdown states', () => {
+  it('shows a loading option while the list is being fetched', () => {
+    const wrapper = mountForm({ loading: true })
+    const select = wrapper.find('select')
+    expect(select.text()).toContain('Loading strategies…')
+    expect(select.attributes('disabled')).toBeDefined()
+    expect(wrapper.find('option[value=""]').attributes('disabled')).toBeDefined()
+  })
+
+  it('shows a no-strategies option when loaded but empty', () => {
+    const wrapper = mountForm({ loading: false })
+    expect(wrapper.find('select').text()).toContain('No strategies available')
+  })
+
+  it('lists strategies and enables the select once loaded', () => {
+    const wrapper = mountForm({
+      loading: false,
+      strategies: [
+        {
+          key: 'sma_cross',
+          name: 'SMA Crossover',
+          description: '',
+          params: [{ name: 'fast', type: 'int', default: 10, description: '' }],
+        },
+        { key: 'ema_cross', name: 'EMA Crossover', description: '', params: [] },
+      ],
+    })
+    const select = wrapper.find('select')
+    expect(select.attributes('disabled')).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(select.findAll('option')).toHaveLength(2)
+    expect(select.text()).toContain('SMA Crossover')
+    expect(select.element.value).toBe('sma_cross')
+  })
+})