diff --git a/mc-refresh-restart.sh b/mc-refresh-restart.sh
index 6d05df0..807407b 100755
--- a/mc-refresh-restart.sh
+++ b/mc-refresh-restart.sh
@@ -57,13 +57,19 @@ DATASET="$(findmnt -no SOURCE "${SHARE}" 2>/dev/null || true)"
 log "Syncing pack metadata against ${MODS_DIR}..."
 cd "${PACK_DIR}"
 
-probe="$(curl -so /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' --max-time 10 "${BASE_URL}/" || echo 000)"
-[ "${probe}" = "000" ] && die "cannot reach ${BASE_URL} — packwiz needs it to hash each mod"
-
 shopt -s nullglob
 JARS=("${MODS_DIR}"/*.jar)
 shopt -u nullglob
-(( ${#JARS[@]} > 0 )) || die "no .jar files in ${MODS_DIR}"
+
+# Zero jars is legitimate — an empty pack, or every mod deliberately removed.
+# The orphan sweep below then clears the metadata to match.
+if (( ${#JARS[@]} > 0 )); then
+    probe="$(curl -so /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' --max-time 10 "${BASE_URL}/" || true)"
+    probe="${probe:-000}"
+    [ "${probe}" = "000" ] && die "cannot reach ${BASE_URL} — packwiz needs it to hash each mod"
+else
+    log "WARNING: no .jar files in ${MODS_DIR} — pack will end up empty"
+fi
 
 added=0; updated=0; unchanged=0; FAILED=()
 declare -A SEEN=()
@@ -150,7 +156,8 @@ if [ -n "${PACK_URL}" ]; then
     fi
 
     # index.toml is fetched as a separate request and cached separately.
-    idx="$(curl -fsS --max-time 10 -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "${PACK_URL}/index.toml" || echo 000)"
+    idx="$(curl -fsS --max-time 10 -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' "${PACK_URL}/index.toml" || true)"
+    idx="${idx:-000}"
     [ "${idx}" = "200" ] || die "${PACK_URL}/index.toml returned HTTP ${idx} — clients cannot resolve the pack"
 fi
 
diff --git a/packwiz-setup.sh b/packwiz-setup.sh
index 4f94689..c1cc5fa 100755
--- a/packwiz-setup.sh
+++ b/packwiz-setup.sh
@@ -234,16 +234,6 @@ if [ -n "$MODSDIR" ]; then
     grep -q 'url' <<<"$("$PACKWIZ" --help 2>&1 || true)" \
         || die "this packwiz build has no 'url' subcommand — cannot add mods by URL"
 
-    # packwiz downloads each URL to hash it, so a mirror that isn't up yet
-    # produces a pile of confusing per-mod failures. Check once, up front.
-    info "checking mirror at $BASEURL"
-    probe="$(curl -so /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' --max-time 10 "$BASEURL/" || echo 000)"
-    case "$probe" in
-        2*|3*|40[34]) ;;   # a listing may legitimately be forbidden
-        000) die "cannot reach $BASEURL — start the mirror before running this" ;;
-        *)   warn "$BASEURL/ returned HTTP $probe; continuing, individual mods may fail" ;;
-    esac
-
     shopt -s nullglob
     jars=("$MODSDIR"/*.jar)
     shopt -u nullglob
@@ -251,9 +241,21 @@ if [ -n "$MODSDIR" ]; then
     failed=()
     if [ "${#jars[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
         # An empty pack is a valid starting point: drop jars in later and run
-        # mc-refresh-restart.sh to register them.
+        # mc-refresh-restart.sh to register them. Nothing needs fetching, so the
+        # mirror does not have to be reachable yet either.
         warn "no .jar files in $MODSDIR yet — creating an empty pack"
     else
+    # packwiz downloads each URL to hash it, so a mirror that isn't up yet
+    # produces a pile of confusing per-mod failures. Check once, up front.
+    info "checking mirror at $BASEURL"
+    probe="$(curl -so /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' --max-time 10 "$BASEURL/" || true)"
+    probe="${probe:-000}"
+    case "$probe" in
+        2*|3*|40[34]) ;;   # a listing may legitimately be forbidden
+        000) die "cannot reach $BASEURL — the pack server or proxy is not up yet" ;;
+        *)   warn "$BASEURL/ returned HTTP $probe; continuing, individual mods may fail" ;;
+    esac
+
     info "adding ${#jars[@]} mods from the mirror"
     for jar in "${jars[@]}"; do
         file="$(basename "$jar")"