diff --git a/server/public/js/pages.js b/server/public/js/pages.js
index c94f6a1..092bdb4 100644
--- a/server/public/js/pages.js
+++ b/server/public/js/pages.js
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ function MondayImport() {
     </div>
     <button class="btn primary" disabled=${!sel.length || status?.running} onClick=${start}>Import ${sel.length} board${sel.length === 1 ? '' : 's'}</button>` : null}
     ${status && (status.running || status.log.length) ? html`<div class="import-log">
-      <div class="row gap"><strong>${status.running ? 'Importing…' : status.error ? 'Import failed' : 'Import finished'}</strong>${status.running ? html`<${Spinner} />` : null}
+      <div class="row gap"><strong>${status.running ? 'Importing…' : status.error ? (status.counts.boards ? 'Import finished with errors' : 'Import failed') : 'Import finished'}</strong>${status.running ? html`<${Spinner} />` : null}
         <span class="muted small">${status.counts.boards || 0} boards · ${status.counts.items || 0} items · ${status.counts.updates || 0} updates · ${status.counts.files || 0} files</span></div>
       <pre>${status.log.slice(-200).join('\n')}</pre></div>` : null}
   </div>`;
diff --git a/server/src/importMonday.js b/server/src/importMonday.js
index e57b4f4..0472f28 100644
--- a/server/src/importMonday.js
+++ b/server/src/importMonday.js
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ const UPLOADS = path.join(DATA_DIR, 'uploads');
 const status = { running: false, log: [], startedAt: null, finishedAt: null, error: null, counts: {} };
 const log = (msg) => { status.log.push(`${new Date().toLocaleTimeString()}  ${msg}`); if (status.log.length > 500) status.log.shift(); console.log('[import]', msg); };
 const sleep = (ms) => new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, ms));
+// Errors that would fail every remaining board the same way, so the import stops instead of moving on.
+const fatal = (msg) => Object.assign(new Error(msg), { fatal: true });
 
 async function gql(token, query, variables = {}, attempt = 0) {
   const res = await fetch(API, {
@@ -26,13 +28,13 @@ async function gql(token, query, variables = {}, attempt = 0) {
   const body = await res.json().catch(() => ({}));
   const errs = body.errors || (body.error_message ? [{ message: body.error_message }] : null);
   if (res.status === 429 || (errs && /complexity|rate limit|budget/i.test(JSON.stringify(errs)))) {
-    if (attempt > 8) throw new Error('monday.com kept rate-limiting the import — try again later');
+    if (attempt > 8) throw fatal('monday.com kept rate-limiting the import — try again later');
     const wait = Math.min(60, 5 * (attempt + 1));
     log(`Rate limited by monday.com, waiting ${wait}s…`);
     await sleep(wait * 1000);
     return gql(token, query, variables, attempt + 1);
   }
-  if (res.status === 401 || res.status === 403) throw new Error('monday.com rejected the API token');
+  if (res.status === 401 || res.status === 403) throw fatal('monday.com rejected the API token');
   if (errs) throw new Error(errs.map((e) => e.message).join('; '));
   return body.data;
 }
@@ -60,6 +62,11 @@ function htmlToText(html) {
 
 const parseJSON = (s) => { try { return s ? JSON.parse(s) : null; } catch { return null; } };
 
+// Only active monday users get an account here, so deactivated staff and outside guests have none.
+// Their updates keep the author's name with no linked account. Must return null, never undefined:
+// node:sqlite refuses to bind undefined and the whole import fails.
+const userIdByEmail = (email) => (email ? get('SELECT id FROM users WHERE email = ?', String(email).toLowerCase())?.id ?? null : null);
+
 // monday column type → { type, settings, convert(columnValue) }
 function mapColumn(col, ctx) {
   const st = parseJSON(col.settings_str) || {};
@@ -226,17 +233,31 @@ async function importAll(token, opts = {}) {
     const wanted = opts.boardIds?.length ? boards.filter((b) => opts.boardIds.includes(String(b.id))) : boards;
     log(`${wanted.length} boards to import`);
 
+    const failed = [];
     for (const [bi, b] of wanted.entries()) {
       if (get('SELECT 1 FROM boards WHERE external_id = ?', 'monday:' + b.id)) { log(`Skipping "${b.name}" (already imported)`); continue; }
       log(`(${bi + 1}/${wanted.length}) ${b.name}`);
-      await importBoard(token, b, ctx, {
-        workspaceId: b.workspace_id ? wsMap[b.workspace_id] || mainWs() : mainWs(),
-        folderId: b.board_folder_id ? folderMap[b.board_folder_id] || null : null,
-        position: bi + 1,
-      });
+      const countsBefore = { ...status.counts };
+      try {
+        await importBoard(token, b, ctx, {
+          workspaceId: b.workspace_id ? wsMap[b.workspace_id] || mainWs() : mainWs(),
+          folderId: b.board_folder_id ? folderMap[b.board_folder_id] || null : null,
+          position: bi + 1,
+        });
+      } catch (e) {
+        // Remove the half-imported board so the next run retries it instead of skipping it as
+        // already imported. Deleting a board cascades to its columns, groups, items and updates.
+        run('DELETE FROM boards WHERE external_id = ?', 'monday:' + b.id);
+        status.counts = countsBefore;
+        if (e.fatal) throw e;
+        failed.push(b.name);
+        log(`  "${b.name}" failed and was removed, so the next import retries it: ${e.message}`);
+        continue;
+      }
       status.counts.boards = (status.counts.boards || 0) + 1;
       M.emitTree(null);
     }
+    if (failed.length) status.error = `${failed.length} board${failed.length === 1 ? '' : 's'} failed: ${failed.join(', ')}`;
 
     // Tidy: drop imported folders left empty (e.g. only held boards you chose not to import).
     for (let changed = true; changed;) {
@@ -249,6 +270,7 @@ async function importAll(token, opts = {}) {
     }
     setSetting('mondayImport', { at: now(), counts: status.counts });
     log(`Done — ${status.counts.boards || 0} boards, ${status.counts.items || 0} items, ${status.counts.updates || 0} updates, ${status.counts.files || 0} files`);
+    if (status.error) log(`${status.error}. Run the import again to retry.`);
   } catch (e) {
     status.error = e.message;
     log(`FAILED: ${e.message}`);
@@ -367,13 +389,13 @@ async function importItem(it, { bid, groupMap, colInfo, ctx, position }) {
   // Updates and replies, oldest thread first is irrelevant — they're sorted by date on display.
   for (const u of it.updates || []) {
     const uid = id();
-    const author = u.creator?.email ? get('SELECT id FROM users WHERE email = ?', u.creator.email.toLowerCase())?.id : null;
+    const author = userIdByEmail(u.creator?.email);
     run('INSERT INTO updates(id, item_id, user_id, author_name, body, created_at) VALUES(?,?,?,?,?,?)',
       uid, iid, author, u.creator?.name || null, htmlToText(u.body), Date.parse(u.created_at) || now());
     status.counts.updates = (status.counts.updates || 0) + 1;
     for (const a of u.assets || []) { used.add(String(a.id)); await downloadAsset(a, iid, null, uid, author); }
     for (const rep of u.replies || []) {
-      const ra = rep.creator?.email ? get('SELECT id FROM users WHERE email = ?', rep.creator.email.toLowerCase())?.id : null;
+      const ra = userIdByEmail(rep.creator?.email);
       run('INSERT INTO updates(id, item_id, parent_id, user_id, author_name, body, created_at) VALUES(?,?,?,?,?,?,?)',
         id(), iid, uid, ra, rep.creator?.name || null, htmlToText(rep.body), Date.parse(rep.created_at) || now());
     }