diff --git a/api/app/config.py b/api/app/config.py
index aaa7a9c..3b16569 100644
--- a/api/app/config.py
+++ b/api/app/config.py
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ class Settings(BaseSettings):
     model_config = SettingsConfigDict(env_file=".env", extra="ignore")
 
     database_url: str = "postgresql+asyncpg://rarelens:rarelens@localhost:5432/rarelens"
-    mlflow_tracking_uri: str = "http://localhost:5000"
+    # docker-compose publishes MLflow on 5001; macOS AirPlay Receiver owns 5000.
+    mlflow_tracking_uri: str = "http://localhost:5001"
     model_name: str = "rarelens-pathogenicity"
     # Registry alias set by `rarelens_ml.train --register` (stages are deprecated in MLflow 3).
     model_alias: str = "production"
diff --git a/api/app/routers/cases.py b/api/app/routers/cases.py
index 297e901..a7a79e4 100644
--- a/api/app/routers/cases.py
+++ b/api/app/routers/cases.py
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ from app.services.scoring import score_job
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 router = APIRouter()
 
+REPORT_TOP = 5
+
 
 async def _case_or_404(session: SessionDep, case_id: uuid.UUID) -> Case:
     case = await case_view.get_case(session, case_id)
@@ -208,6 +210,11 @@ async def report(case_id: uuid.UUID, session: SessionDep) -> ReportOut:
         ]
 
     shortlisted, dismissed = decided(DecisionState.shortlisted), decided(DecisionState.dismissed)
+    top = [
+        CandidateOut.from_candidate(c, labels)
+        for c in view.candidates
+        if c.variant.decision is None
+    ][:REPORT_TOP]
     prediction = next((c.variant.prediction for c in view.candidates if c.variant.prediction), None)
     return ReportOut(
         case=_as_case_out(case, view.job, len(shortlisted)),
@@ -222,4 +229,5 @@ async def report(case_id: uuid.UUID, session: SessionDep) -> ReportOut:
         ),
         shortlisted=shortlisted,
         dismissed=dismissed,
+        top=top,
     )
diff --git a/api/app/schemas.py b/api/app/schemas.py
index 2ddd9f8..825b3b1 100644
--- a/api/app/schemas.py
+++ b/api/app/schemas.py
@@ -170,6 +170,8 @@ class ReportOut(BaseModel):
     provenance: ProvenanceOut
     shortlisted: list[CandidateOut]
     dismissed: list[CandidateOut]
+    # What a reviewer would look at next; a report with no decisions yet still says something.
+    top: list[CandidateOut]
 
 
 class ScoreOut(BaseModel):
diff --git a/api/tests/test_cases.py b/api/tests/test_cases.py
index 8e1ab72..1298ffd 100644
--- a/api/tests/test_cases.py
+++ b/api/tests/test_cases.py
@@ -113,6 +113,30 @@ async def test_the_report_is_the_decision_trail(client: AsyncClient) -> None:
     assert report["provenance"]["vep_version"] == "113.0"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("db")
+async def test_the_report_shows_the_top_candidates_before_anyone_decides(
+    client: AsyncClient,
+) -> None:
+    """The first thing anyone opens is a report with no decisions in it; it must still say something."""
+    case_id, _ = await a_case_with_candidates()
+
+    report = (await client.get(f"/api/cases/{case_id}/report")).json()
+    assert report["shortlisted"] == []
+    assert [c["variant"]["gene"] for c in report["top"]] == ["NF2", "CHEK2"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("db")
+async def test_the_report_drops_decided_variants_from_the_top_list(client: AsyncClient) -> None:
+    case_id, _ = await a_case_with_candidates()
+    items = (await client.get(f"/api/cases/{case_id}/candidates")).json()["items"]
+    await client.post(f"/api/variants/{items[0]['variant']['id']}/decision",
+                      json={"state": "shortlisted", "reason": "fits"})
+
+    report = (await client.get(f"/api/cases/{case_id}/report")).json()
+    assert [c["variant"]["gene"] for c in report["shortlisted"]] == ["NF2"]
+    assert [c["variant"]["gene"] for c in report["top"]] == ["CHEK2"]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures("db")
 async def test_candidates_can_still_be_filtered(client: AsyncClient) -> None:
     case_id, _ = await a_case_with_candidates()
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 3559bea..850beb0 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ services:
       mlflow server --host 0.0.0.0
       --backend-store-uri sqlite:////mlruns/mlflow.db
       --artifacts-destination /mlruns
-    ports: ["5000:5000"]
+    # 5001 on the host: macOS AirPlay Receiver owns 5000 and answers 403.
+    ports: ["5001:5000"]
     volumes: [mlruns:/mlruns]
 
 volumes:
diff --git a/web/src/app.css b/web/src/app.css
index 45f4e73..3fc2f43 100644
--- a/web/src/app.css
+++ b/web/src/app.css
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ td.coord, td.hgvs { font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 0.85rem; }  /* aligned
 
 /* The funnel is the headline: thousands of variants down to a handful. */
 .funnel { list-style: none; padding: 0; margin: 0 0 1.5rem; display: grid; gap: 0.35rem; }
-.funnel li { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 5rem 16rem 1fr; align-items: center; gap: 0.75rem; }
+.funnel li { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 4.5rem minmax(6rem, 14rem) minmax(0, 1fr);
+  align-items: center; gap: 0.75rem; }
 .funnel-value { font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 1.05rem; text-align: right; font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; }
 .funnel-label { color: var(--ink-soft); font-size: 0.9rem; }
 .funnel-track { background: white; border: 1px solid var(--line); height: 0.75rem; border-radius: 2px; }
@@ -126,3 +127,5 @@ td.coord, td.hgvs { font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 0.85rem; }  /* aligned
 .disclaimer { margin-top: 2rem; padding-top: 1rem; border-top: 1px solid var(--line);
   color: var(--ink-soft); font-size: 0.85rem; }
 @media print { .noprint, nav { display: none; } .report { border: none; padding: 0; } }
+.note { color: var(--ink-soft); font-size: 0.88rem; border-left: 3px solid var(--line);
+  padding: 0.35rem 0 0.35rem 0.6rem; margin: 0.5rem 0 1rem; }
diff --git a/web/src/lib/api.ts b/web/src/lib/api.ts
index 2009825..a1ae115 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/api.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/api.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ export type Report = {
   };
   shortlisted: Candidate[];
   dismissed: Candidate[];
+  top: Candidate[];
 };
 
 async function req<T>(path: string, init?: RequestInit): Promise<T> {
diff --git a/web/src/lib/candidates.test.ts b/web/src/lib/candidates.test.ts
index e75e664..3af4068 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/candidates.test.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/candidates.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
-import { candidateQuery, evidenceChips, funnelSteps, scoreBarPercent } from './candidates';
+import { barWidth, candidateQuery, evidenceChips, funnelSteps, plural, scoreBarPercent } from './candidates';
 import type { Candidate, Funnel } from './api';
 
 const candidate = (over: Partial<Candidate> = {}): Candidate => ({
@@ -86,3 +86,30 @@ describe('candidateQuery', () => {
     expect(candidateQuery({ maxAf: 0.01 })).toBe('max_af=0.01');
   });
 });
+
+describe('barWidth', () => {
+  it('draws nothing for a step that kept nothing', () => {
+    expect(barWidth(0, 13)).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps a sliver visible for a small non-zero step', () => {
+    expect(barWidth(1, 1000)).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(barWidth(1, 1000)).toBeLessThan(3);
+  });
+
+  it('fills the track for the first step', () => {
+    expect(barWidth(13, 13)).toBe(100);
+  });
+
+  it('copes with an empty case', () => {
+    expect(barWidth(0, 0)).toBe(0);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('plural', () => {
+  it('does not say "1 candidates"', () => {
+    expect(plural(1, 'candidate')).toBe('1 candidate');
+    expect(plural(0, 'candidate')).toBe('0 candidates');
+    expect(plural(12, 'candidate')).toBe('12 candidates');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/web/src/lib/candidates.ts b/web/src/lib/candidates.ts
index f395c6c..8bc00ea 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/candidates.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/candidates.ts
@@ -68,3 +68,11 @@ export function candidateQuery(filters: CandidateFilters): string {
   if (filters.offset !== undefined) q.set('offset', String(filters.offset));
   return q.toString();
 }
+
+/** Bar width for one funnel step. A step that kept nothing draws nothing. */
+export function barWidth(value: number, total: number): number {
+  if (!total || value <= 0) return 0;
+  return Math.max(1.5, (value / total) * 100);
+}
+
+export const plural = (n: number, noun: string): string => `${n} ${noun}${n === 1 ? '' : 's'}`;
diff --git a/web/src/lib/components/Funnel.svelte b/web/src/lib/components/Funnel.svelte
index d601ddc..6ca1fde 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/components/Funnel.svelte
+++ b/web/src/lib/components/Funnel.svelte
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import type { Funnel } from '$lib/api';
-  import { funnelSteps } from '$lib/candidates';
+  import { barWidth, funnelSteps } from '$lib/candidates';
 
   let { funnel }: { funnel: Funnel } = $props();
   const steps = $derived(funnelSteps(funnel));
-  const width = (value: number) => (funnel.total ? Math.max(1.5, (value / funnel.total) * 100) : 0);
 </script>
 
 <ol class="funnel">
@@ -12,7 +11,7 @@
     <li>
       <span class="funnel-value">{step.value.toLocaleString('en-GB')}</span>
       <span class="funnel-label">{step.label}</span>
-      <span class="funnel-track"><span class="funnel-bar" style="width: {width(step.value)}%"></span></span>
+      <span class="funnel-track"><span class="funnel-bar" style="width: {barWidth(step.value, funnel.total)}%"></span></span>
     </li>
   {/each}
 </ol>
diff --git a/web/src/routes/cases/[id]/+page.svelte b/web/src/routes/cases/[id]/+page.svelte
index 5be56b3..732dd0c 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/cases/[id]/+page.svelte
+++ b/web/src/routes/cases/[id]/+page.svelte
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
   import { api, type Candidate, type CandidatePage, type Case, type Job, type VariantDetail } from '$lib/api';
   import { poll } from '$lib/poll';
   import { formatElapsed, latestStep } from '$lib/progress';
+  import { plural } from '$lib/candidates';
   import CandidateRow from '$lib/components/CandidateRow.svelte';
   import Funnel from '$lib/components/Funnel.svelte';
   import VariantPanel from '$lib/components/VariantPanel.svelte';
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@
   let busy = $state(false);
   let scoring = $state(false);
   let error = $state<string | null>(null);
+  let scoreNote = $state<string | null>(null);
   let now = $state(Date.now());
   let stopPolling: (() => void) | null = null;
 
@@ -82,8 +84,10 @@
     scoring = true;
     try {
       await api.score(data.caseId);
+      scoreNote = null;
     } catch (e) {
-      error = `Scoring failed: ${(e as Error).message}`;
+      // Scoring is optional: without a model the rank simply loses one of its four terms.
+      scoreNote = (e as Error).message;
     } finally {
       scoring = false;
     }
@@ -138,6 +142,9 @@
 </div>
 
 {#if error}<p role="alert">{error}</p>{/if}
+{#if scoreNote}
+  <p class="note">Variants are unscored, so the model term contributes 0 to every rank. {scoreNote}</p>
+{/if}
 
 {#if running}
   <p class="progress" aria-live="polite">
@@ -177,7 +184,7 @@
 
   <div class="triage">
     <div class="candidates">
-      <p class="muted">{page.total} candidates ranked by phenotype fit, rarity, consequence and model score</p>
+      <p class="muted">{plural(page.total, 'candidate')} ranked by phenotype fit, rarity, consequence and model score</p>
       {#each page.items as candidate, i (candidate.variant.id)}
         <CandidateRow
           {candidate}
diff --git a/web/src/routes/cases/[id]/report/+page.svelte b/web/src/routes/cases/[id]/report/+page.svelte
index 3a5211c..c0e5f2a 100644
--- a/web/src/routes/cases/[id]/report/+page.svelte
+++ b/web/src/routes/cases/[id]/report/+page.svelte
@@ -57,6 +57,16 @@
       <p class="muted">Nothing shortlisted yet.</p>
     {/each}
 
+    {#if report.top.length}
+      <h2>Top candidates, not yet decided ({report.top.length})</h2>
+      {#each report.top as item (item.variant.id)}
+        <div class="reportitem">
+          <h3>{item.variant.gene ?? 'intergenic'} <span class="coord">{item.variant.chrom}:{item.variant.pos} {item.variant.ref}&gt;{item.variant.alt}</span></h3>
+          <Chips chips={evidenceChips(item, termCount)} />
+        </div>
+      {/each}
+    {/if}
+
     {#if report.dismissed.length}
       <h2>Dismissed ({report.dismissed.length})</h2>
       <ul class="dismissed">