diff --git a/dev-api.py b/dev-api.py
index 4b1c4b3..2bca90c 100644
--- a/dev-api.py
+++ b/dev-api.py
@@ -1293,9 +1293,9 @@ def get_email_config():
 def save_email_config(payload: dict):
     try:
         EMAIL_PATH.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-        # Extract password before writing yaml
-        password = payload.pop("password", None) or payload.pop("password_set", None)
-        # Only store if it's a real new value (not the sentinel True/False)
+        # Extract password before writing yaml; discard the sentinel boolean regardless
+        password = payload.pop("password", None)
+        payload.pop("password_set", None)  # always discard — boolean sentinel, not a secret
         if password and isinstance(password, str):
             set_credential(EMAIL_CRED_SERVICE, EMAIL_CRED_KEY, password)
         # Write non-secret fields to yaml (chmod 600 still, contains username)
@@ -1311,8 +1311,8 @@ def save_email_config(payload: dict):
 @app.post("/api/settings/system/email/test")
 def test_email(payload: dict):
     try:
-        # Allow test to pass in a password override, or use stored credential
-        password = payload.get("password") or get_credential(EMAIL_CRED_SERVICE, EMAIL_CRED_KEY)
+        # Always use the stored credential — never accept a password in the test request body
+        password = get_credential(EMAIL_CRED_SERVICE, EMAIL_CRED_KEY)
         host = payload.get("host", "")
         port = int(payload.get("port", 993))
         use_ssl = payload.get("ssl", True)
diff --git a/scripts/credential_store.py b/scripts/credential_store.py
index f4cafaf..3a1c307 100644
--- a/scripts/credential_store.py
+++ b/scripts/credential_store.py
@@ -23,8 +23,9 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 _ENV_REF = re.compile(r'^\$\{([A-Z_][A-Z0-9_]*)\}$')
 
-CRED_DIR = Path("config/credentials")
-KEY_PATH = Path("config/.credential_key")
+_PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).parent.parent
+CRED_DIR = _PROJECT_ROOT / "config" / "credentials"
+KEY_PATH = _PROJECT_ROOT / "config" / ".credential_key"
 
 
 def _resolve_env_ref(value: str) -> Optional[str]:
diff --git a/web/src/stores/settings/system.ts b/web/src/stores/settings/system.ts
index bb4ea39..7160451 100644
--- a/web/src/stores/settings/system.ts
+++ b/web/src/stores/settings/system.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ export const useSystemStore = defineStore('settings/system', () => {
   const deployConfig = ref<Record<string, unknown>>({})
   const filePathsSaving = ref(false)
   const deploySaving = ref(false)
+  const filePathsError = ref<string | null>(null)
+  const deployError = ref<string | null>(null)
+  // Integration test/connect results — keyed by integration id
+  const integrationResults = ref<Record<string, {ok: boolean; error?: string}>>({})
 
   async function loadLlm() {
     loadError.value = null
@@ -158,11 +162,12 @@ export const useSystemStore = defineStore('settings/system', () => {
       `/api/settings/system/integrations/${id}/connect`,
       { method: 'POST', headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify(credentials) }
     )
-    if (error || !data?.ok) {
-      return { ok: false, error: data?.error ?? 'Connection failed' }
-    }
-    await loadIntegrations()
-    return { ok: true }
+    const result = error || !data?.ok
+      ? { ok: false, error: data?.error ?? 'Connection failed' }
+      : { ok: true }
+    integrationResults.value = { ...integrationResults.value, [id]: result }
+    if (result.ok) await loadIntegrations()
+    return result
   }
 
   async function testIntegration(id: string, credentials: Record<string, string>) {
@@ -170,7 +175,9 @@ export const useSystemStore = defineStore('settings/system', () => {
       `/api/settings/system/integrations/${id}/test`,
       { method: 'POST', headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify(credentials) }
     )
-    return { ok: data?.ok ?? false, error: data?.error ?? (error ? 'Test failed' : undefined) }
+    const result = { ok: data?.ok ?? false, error: data?.error ?? (error ? 'Test failed' : undefined) }
+    integrationResults.value = { ...integrationResults.value, [id]: result }
+    return result
   }
 
   async function disconnectIntegration(id: string) {
@@ -206,7 +213,7 @@ export const useSystemStore = defineStore('settings/system', () => {
       body: JSON.stringify(filePaths.value),
     })
     filePathsSaving.value = false
-    if (error) saveError.value = 'Failed to save file paths.'
+    filePathsError.value = error ? 'Failed to save file paths.' : null
   }
 
   async function loadDeployConfig() {
@@ -222,14 +229,14 @@ export const useSystemStore = defineStore('settings/system', () => {
       body: JSON.stringify(deployConfig.value),
     })
     deploySaving.value = false
-    if (error) saveError.value = 'Failed to save deployment config.'
+    deployError.value = error ? 'Failed to save deployment config.' : null
   }
 
   return {
     backends, byokAcknowledged, byokPending, saving, saveError, loadError,
     loadLlm, trySave, confirmByok, cancelByok,
-    services, emailConfig, integrations, serviceErrors, emailSaving, emailError,
-    filePaths, deployConfig, filePathsSaving, deploySaving,
+    services, emailConfig, integrations, integrationResults, serviceErrors, emailSaving, emailError,
+    filePaths, deployConfig, filePathsSaving, deploySaving, filePathsError, deployError,
     loadServices, startService, stopService,
     loadEmail, saveEmail, testEmail, saveEmailWithPassword,
     loadIntegrations, connectIntegration, testIntegration, disconnectIntegration,
diff --git a/web/src/views/settings/SystemSettingsView.vue b/web/src/views/settings/SystemSettingsView.vue
index 1a15bee..a6dac2f 100644
--- a/web/src/views/settings/SystemSettingsView.vue
+++ b/web/src/views/settings/SystemSettingsView.vue
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@
             <div class="form-actions">
               <button @click="handleConnect(integration.id)" class="btn-primary">Connect</button>
               <button @click="handleTest(integration.id)" class="btn-secondary">Test</button>
-              <span v-if="integrationResults[integration.id]" :class="integrationResults[integration.id].ok ? 'test-ok' : 'test-fail'">
-                {{ integrationResults[integration.id].ok ? '✓ OK' : '✗ ' + integrationResults[integration.id].error }}
+              <span v-if="store.integrationResults[integration.id]" :class="store.integrationResults[integration.id].ok ? 'test-ok' : 'test-fail'">
+                {{ store.integrationResults[integration.id].ok ? '✓ OK' : '✗ ' + store.integrationResults[integration.id].error }}
               </span>
             </div>
           </div>
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@
           {{ store.filePathsSaving ? 'Saving…' : 'Save Paths' }}
         </button>
       </div>
+      <p v-if="store.filePathsError" class="error-msg">{{ store.filePathsError }}</p>
     </section>
 
     <!-- Deployment / Server -->
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@
           {{ store.deploySaving ? 'Saving…' : 'Save (requires restart)' }}
         </button>
       </div>
+      <p v-if="store.deployError" class="error-msg">{{ store.deployError }}</p>
     </section>
 
     <!-- BYOK Modal -->
@@ -288,8 +290,6 @@ async function handleConfirmByok() {
 const emailTestResult = ref<boolean | null>(null)
 const emailPasswordInput = ref('')
 const integrationInputs = ref<Record<string, string>>({})
-const integrationResults = ref<Record<string, {ok: boolean; error?: string}>>({})
-
 async function handleTestEmail() {
   const result = await store.testEmail()
   emailTestResult.value = result?.ok ?? false
@@ -307,8 +307,7 @@ async function handleConnect(id: string) {
   for (const field of integration.fields) {
     credentials[field.key] = integrationInputs.value[`${id}:${field.key}`] ?? ''
   }
-  const result = await store.connectIntegration(id, credentials)
-  integrationResults.value = { ...integrationResults.value, [id]: result }
+  await store.connectIntegration(id, credentials)
 }
 
 async function handleTest(id: string) {
@@ -318,8 +317,7 @@ async function handleTest(id: string) {
   for (const field of integration.fields) {
     credentials[field.key] = integrationInputs.value[`${id}:${field.key}`] ?? ''
   }
-  const result = await store.testIntegration(id, credentials)
-  integrationResults.value = { ...integrationResults.value, [id]: result }
+  await store.testIntegration(id, credentials)
 }
 
 onMounted(async () => {