diff --git a/firebase-vscode/common/messaging/protocol.ts b/firebase-vscode/common/messaging/protocol.ts
index c6cd978cb67..82b17543b09 100644
--- a/firebase-vscode/common/messaging/protocol.ts
+++ b/firebase-vscode/common/messaging/protocol.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ export interface WebviewToExtensionParamsMap {
    * Ask extension for initial data
    */
   getInitialData: {};
+  getInitialHasFdcConfigs: void;
+
   addUser: {};
   logout: { email: string };
 
@@ -183,6 +185,8 @@ export interface ExtensionToWebviewParamsMap {
     firebaseJson: ValueOrError<FirebaseConfig> | undefined;
     firebaseRC: ValueOrError<RCData> | undefined;
   };
+  /** Whether any dataconnect.yaml is present */
+  notifyHasFdcConfigs: boolean;
 
   /**
    * Return user-selected preview channel name
diff --git a/firebase-vscode/src/data-connect/config.ts b/firebase-vscode/src/data-connect/config.ts
index 2821ebd1a18..46c324ed6f8 100644
--- a/firebase-vscode/src/data-connect/config.ts
+++ b/firebase-vscode/src/data-connect/config.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import { isPathInside } from "./file-utils";
 import { DeepReadOnly } from "../metaprogramming";
 import { ConnectorYaml, DataConnectYaml } from "../dataconnect/types";
-import { Result, ResultError, ResultValue } from "../result";
-import { globalSignal } from "../utils/globals";
+import { Result, ResultValue } from "../result";
 import { computed, effect, signal } from "@preact/signals-core";
 import {
   _createWatcher as createWatcher,
@@ -17,8 +16,9 @@ import {
   readFirebaseJson as readFdcFirebaseJson,
 } from "../../../src/dataconnect/fileUtils";
 import { Config } from "../config";
-import { DataConnectConfig, DataConnectMultiple } from "../firebaseConfig";
+import { DataConnectMultiple } from "../firebaseConfig";
 import path from "path";
+import { ExtensionBrokerImpl } from "../extension-broker";
 
 export * from "../core/config";
 
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ export const dataConnectConfigs = signal<
   Result<ResolvedDataConnectConfigs | undefined> | undefined
 >(undefined);
 
-export function registerDataConnectConfigs(): vscode.Disposable {
+export function registerDataConnectConfigs(
+  broker: ExtensionBrokerImpl,
+): vscode.Disposable {
   let cancel: () => void | undefined;
 
   function handleResult(
@@ -62,8 +64,19 @@ export function registerDataConnectConfigs(): vscode.Disposable {
   dataConnectWatcher?.onDidDelete(() => handleResult(undefined));
   // TODO watch connectors
 
+  const hasConfigs = computed(() => !!dataConnectConfigs.value?.tryReadValue?.values.length);
+
+  const hasConfigSub = effect(() => {
+    broker.send("notifyHasFdcConfigs", hasConfigs.value);
+  });
+  const getInitialHasFdcConfigsSub = broker.on("getInitialHasFdcConfigs", () => {
+    broker.send("notifyHasFdcConfigs", hasConfigs.value);
+  });
+
   return vscode.Disposable.from(
     { dispose: sub },
+    { dispose: hasConfigSub },
+    { dispose: getInitialHasFdcConfigsSub },
     { dispose: () => cancel?.() },
     dataConnectWatcher,
   );
diff --git a/firebase-vscode/src/data-connect/index.ts b/firebase-vscode/src/data-connect/index.ts
index 3e55cb2b2c5..aa20a107d93 100644
--- a/firebase-vscode/src/data-connect/index.ts
+++ b/firebase-vscode/src/data-connect/index.ts
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ export function registerFdc(
         selectedProjectStatus.show();
       }),
     },
-    registerDataConnectConfigs(),
+    registerDataConnectConfigs(broker),
     registerExecution(context, broker, fdcService, emulatorController),
     registerExplorer(context, broker, fdcService),
     registerFirebaseDataConnectView(context, broker, emulatorController),
diff --git a/firebase-vscode/src/test/suite/src/dataconnect/config.test.ts b/firebase-vscode/src/test/suite/src/dataconnect/config.test.ts
index 5a0ff4c221f..cea57d67e6a 100644
--- a/firebase-vscode/src/test/suite/src/dataconnect/config.test.ts
+++ b/firebase-vscode/src/test/suite/src/dataconnect/config.test.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ firebaseSuite("registerDataConnectConfigs", async () => {
       firebaseConfig: { emulators: { dataconnect: { port: 9399 } } },
     });
 
-    const disposable = registerDataConnectConfigs();
+    const disposable = registerDataConnectConfigs(broker);
     addDisposable(disposable);
 
     broker.simulateOn("getInitialData");
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ firebaseSuite("registerDataConnectConfigs", async () => {
         }),
       );
 
-      const disposable = await registerDataConnectConfigs();
+      const broker = createTestBroker();
+      const disposable = await registerDataConnectConfigs(broker);
       addDisposable(disposable);
 
       const dataConnectListeners = watcherListeners["**/{dataconnect,connector}.yaml"]!;
diff --git a/firebase-vscode/webviews/SidebarApp.tsx b/firebase-vscode/webviews/SidebarApp.tsx
index 2351820aeaf..2fa7c2411c0 100644
--- a/firebase-vscode/webviews/SidebarApp.tsx
+++ b/firebase-vscode/webviews/SidebarApp.tsx
@@ -3,17 +3,13 @@ import { Spacer } from "./components/ui/Spacer";
 import { broker, useBroker } from "./globals/html-broker";
 import { AccountSection } from "./components/AccountSection";
 import { ProjectSection } from "./components/ProjectSection";
-import { DeployPanel } from "./components/DeployPanel";
 import { HostingInitState, DeployState } from "./webview-types";
-import { EmulatorPanel } from "./components/EmulatorPanel";
 
 import { webLogger } from "./globals/web-logger";
-import { InitFirebasePanel } from "./components/InitPanel";
 import { ValueOrError } from "./messaging/protocol";
 import { FirebaseConfig } from "../../src/firebaseConfig";
 import { RCData } from "../../src/rc";
 import { VSCodeButton } from "@vscode/webview-ui-toolkit/react";
-import { ServiceAccountUser } from "../common/types";
 
 export function SidebarApp() {
   const env = useBroker("notifyEnv")?.env;
@@ -28,6 +24,10 @@ export function SidebarApp() {
   const configs = useBroker("notifyFirebaseConfig", {
     initialRequest: "getInitialData",
   });
+  const hasFdcConfigs =
+    useBroker("notifyHasFdcConfigs", {
+      initialRequest: "getInitialHasFdcConfigs",
+    }) ?? false;
   const accountSection = (
     <AccountSection
       user={user}
@@ -46,12 +46,14 @@ export function SidebarApp() {
       </>
     );
   }
-  if (!configs?.firebaseJson) {
+  if (!configs?.firebaseJson?.value || !hasFdcConfigs) {
+    const configLabel = !hasFdcConfigs ? "dataconnect.yaml" : "firebase.json";
+
     return (
       <>
         {accountSection}
         <p>
-          No <code>firebase.json</code> detected in this project
+          No <code>{configLabel}</code> detected in this project
         </p>
         <br />
         <VSCodeButton
@@ -103,7 +105,7 @@ function SidebarContent(props: {
       webLogger.debug(
         "notifyFirebaseConfig",
         JSON.stringify(firebaseJson),
-        JSON.stringify(firebaseRC)
+        JSON.stringify(firebaseRC),
       );
       if (firebaseJson?.value?.hosting) {
         webLogger.debug("Detected firebase.json");
@@ -130,7 +132,7 @@ function SidebarContent(props: {
         } else {
           setHostingInitState(null);
         }
-      }
+      },
     );
 
     broker.on("notifyHostingDeploy", ({ success }) => {
@@ -159,10 +161,15 @@ function SidebarContent(props: {
       <Spacer size="medium" />
       {accountSection}
       {!!user && (
-        <ProjectSection user={user} projectId={projectId} isMonospace={env?.isMonospace} />
+        <ProjectSection
+          user={user}
+          projectId={projectId}
+          isMonospace={env?.isMonospace}
+        />
       )}
-      { // TODO: disable hosting completely
-      /* {hostingInitState === "success" &&
+      {
+        // TODO: disable hosting completely
+        /* {hostingInitState === "success" &&
         !!user &&
         !!projectId &&
         env?.isMonospace && (
@@ -186,7 +193,8 @@ function SidebarContent(props: {
             hostingInitState={hostingInitState}
             setHostingInitState={setHostingInitState}
           />
-        )} */}
+        )} */
+      }
       {
         // disable emulator panel for now, as we have an individual emulator panel in the FDC section
       }