diff --git a/packages/webapp/__tests__/SquadPageStaticProps.spec.ts b/packages/webapp/__tests__/SquadPageStaticProps.spec.ts
index 9da0871925..1a5ae006be 100644
--- a/packages/webapp/__tests__/SquadPageStaticProps.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/webapp/__tests__/SquadPageStaticProps.spec.ts
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ describe('squad page getServerSideProps seo', () => {
   // SSR is always unauthenticated, so the API rejects every private squad with
   // FORBIDDEN before we ever see `public`. This fallback used to ship no seo at
   // all, which left private squads advertised as index,follow.
-  it.each([ApiError.Forbidden, ApiError.NotFound, ApiError.RateLimited])(
+  it.each([ApiError.Forbidden, ApiError.RateLimited])(
     'marks the %s fallback as noindex and nofollow',
     async (code) => {
       mockRequest.mockRejectedValue({
@@ -170,4 +170,15 @@ describe('squad page getServerSideProps seo', () => {
       });
     },
   );
+
+  it('returns a real 404 for a squad that does not exist', async () => {
+    mockRequest.mockRejectedValue({
+      response: { errors: [{ extensions: { code: ApiError.NotFound } }] },
+    });
+
+    const result = await runGssp();
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({ notFound: true });
+    expect(mockStaticFields).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/webapp/pages/squads/[handle]/index.tsx b/packages/webapp/pages/squads/[handle]/index.tsx
index c22782787f..fe94d9923d 100644
--- a/packages/webapp/pages/squads/[handle]/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/webapp/pages/squads/[handle]/index.tsx
@@ -501,12 +501,20 @@ export async function getServerSideProps({
     const errors = Object.values(ApiError);
     const errorCode = clientError?.response?.errors?.[0]?.extensions?.code;
 
+    // A squad that doesn't exist is a real 404, not a soft one, so crawlers
+    // and agents don't index or cite a page that isn't there.
+    if (errorCode === ApiError.NotFound) {
+      setCacheHeader();
+
+      return { notFound: true };
+    }
+
     if (errors.includes(errorCode)) {
       setCacheHeader();
 
       // SSR always runs unauthenticated, so every private squad resolves as
-      // FORBIDDEN here. This branch also serves the soft-404/rate-limited
-      // cases, none of which should ever be advertised as indexable.
+      // FORBIDDEN here. This branch also serves the rate-limited and other
+      // API error cases, none of which should ever be advertised as indexable.
       return {
         props: { handle, seo: { ...noindexSeoProps } },
       };