diff --git a/orchestrator/src/server/api/routes/profile.test.ts b/orchestrator/src/server/api/routes/profile.test.ts
index 72919be..db71386 100644
--- a/orchestrator/src/server/api/routes/profile.test.ts
+++ b/orchestrator/src/server/api/routes/profile.test.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,24 @@ describe.sequential('Profile API routes', () => {
     await stopServer({ server, closeDb, tempDir });
   });
 
+  it('returns empty projects when resume is missing', async () => {
+    const res = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/api/profile/projects`);
+    const body = await res.json();
+
+    expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(body.success).toBe(true);
+    expect(body.data).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('returns null profile when resume is missing', async () => {
+    const res = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/api/profile`);
+    const body = await res.json();
+
+    expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(body.success).toBe(true);
+    expect(body.data).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it('returns base resume projects', async () => {
     // Create valid resume file first
     const resumePath = join(tempDir, 'resume.json');
diff --git a/orchestrator/src/server/api/routes/profile.ts b/orchestrator/src/server/api/routes/profile.ts
index fc50cba..c75bd31 100644
--- a/orchestrator/src/server/api/routes/profile.ts
+++ b/orchestrator/src/server/api/routes/profile.ts
@@ -7,11 +7,24 @@ import { resumeDataSchema } from '@shared/rxresume-schema.js';
 
 export const profileRouter = Router();
 
+async function profileExists(): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    const fileInfo = await stat(DEFAULT_PROFILE_PATH);
+    return fileInfo.isFile() && fileInfo.size > 0;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * GET /api/profile/projects - Get all projects available in the base resume
  */
 profileRouter.get('/projects', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
   try {
+    if (!(await profileExists())) {
+      res.json({ success: true, data: [] });
+      return;
+    }
     const profile = await getProfile();
     const { catalog } = extractProjectsFromProfile(profile);
     res.json({ success: true, data: catalog });
@@ -26,6 +39,10 @@ profileRouter.get('/projects', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
  */
 profileRouter.get('/', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
   try {
+    if (!(await profileExists())) {
+      res.json({ success: true, data: null });
+      return;
+    }
     const profile = await getProfile();
     res.json({ success: true, data: profile });
   } catch (error) {