diff --git a/assets/js/components/ChargingPlans/PlanStrategy.vue b/assets/js/components/ChargingPlans/PlanStrategy.vue
index ecb858bf0..0c1f5918a 100644
--- a/assets/js/components/ChargingPlans/PlanStrategy.vue
+++ b/assets/js/components/ChargingPlans/PlanStrategy.vue
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 <template>
 	<div class="strategy-wrapper" :class="{ open: show }">
 		<div class="strategy-content">
-			<div class="row">
+			<div v-if="disabled" class="row mb-4">
+				<div class="small text-muted">
+					<strong class="text-primary">{{ $t("general.note") }}</strong>
+					{{ $t("main.chargingPlan.strategyDisabledDescription") }}
+				</div>
+			</div>
+			<div v-else class="row">
 				<div class="col-12 col-sm-6 col-lg-3 offset-lg-3 mb-3">
 					<div class="row">
 						<label :for="formId('continuous')" class="col-form-label col-5 col-sm-12">
@@ -68,6 +74,7 @@ export default defineComponent({
 		show: Boolean,
 		precondition: { type: Number, default: 0 },
 		continuous: { type: Boolean, default: false },
+		disabled: Boolean,
 	},
 	emits: ["update"],
 	data() {
diff --git a/assets/js/components/ChargingPlans/PlansSettings.vue b/assets/js/components/ChargingPlans/PlansSettings.vue
index 85f462b25..cc5babd79 100644
--- a/assets/js/components/ChargingPlans/PlansSettings.vue
+++ b/assets/js/components/ChargingPlans/PlansSettings.vue
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@
 				<span v-else-if="alreadyReached">{{ $t("main.targetCharge.goalReached") }}</span>
 				<span v-else>{{ nextPlanTitle }}</span>
 				<button
-					v-if="showStrategy"
 					type="button"
 					class="btn btn-sm"
 					:class="strategyOpen ? 'btn-secondary' : 'evcc-gray'"
@@ -57,8 +56,8 @@
 			</div>
 		</h5>
 		<ChargingPlanStrategy
-			v-if="showStrategy"
 			v-bind="chargingPlanStrategyProps"
+			:disabled="strategyDisabled"
 			:show="strategyOpen"
 			@update="updatePlanStrategy"
 		/>
@@ -173,11 +172,12 @@ export default defineComponent({
 		nextPlanTitle(): string {
 			return `${this.$t("main.targetCharge.nextPlan")} #${this.nextPlanId}`;
 		},
-		showStrategy(): boolean {
-			// only show option if planner forecast has different values
+		strategyDisabled(): boolean {
+			// options only make sense if there are variable prices
+			// TODO: make this logic more robust (api fails, missing data)
 			const slots = this.forecast?.planner || [];
 			const values = new Set(slots.map(({ value }) => value));
-			return values.size > 1;
+			return values.size <= 1;
 		},
 	},
 	watch: {
diff --git a/i18n/de.json b/i18n/de.json
index 4e9bc8199..021af0e1a 100644
--- a/i18n/de.json
+++ b/i18n/de.json
@@ -760,6 +760,9 @@
       "solar": "Solar"
     }
   },
+  "general": {
+    "note": "Hinweis:"
+  },
   "header": {
     "about": "Über",
     "blog": "Blog",
@@ -893,6 +896,7 @@
       "repeating": "wiederholend",
       "repeatingPlans": "Wiederholende Pläne",
       "selectAll": "Alle wählen",
+      "strategyDisabledDescription": "Das Laden startet so spät wie möglich und wird rechtzeitig zur Abfahrt abgeschlossen. Mit dynamischen Netzpreisen oder einem CO₂-Tarif stehen hier weitere Optionen zur Verfügung.",
       "strategySettings": "Strategie-Einstellungen",
       "time": "Zeit",
       "title": "Plan",
diff --git a/i18n/en.json b/i18n/en.json
index 3bdb8ba4f..4dbf35aea 100644
--- a/i18n/en.json
+++ b/i18n/en.json
@@ -762,6 +762,9 @@
       "solar": "Solar"
     }
   },
+  "general": {
+    "note": "Note:"
+  },
   "header": {
     "about": "About",
     "blog": "Blog",
@@ -895,6 +898,7 @@
       "repeating": "repeating",
       "repeatingPlans": "Repeating plans",
       "selectAll": "Select all",
+      "strategyDisabledDescription": "Charging starts as late as possible to finish just in time for departure. With dynamic grid prices or CO₂ tariff, more options are available here.",
       "strategySettings": "Strategy settings",
       "time": "Time",
       "title": "Plan",
diff --git a/tests/evcc.ts b/tests/evcc.ts
index b15cea92e..eb986be08 100644
--- a/tests/evcc.ts
+++ b/tests/evcc.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ const BINARY = "./evcc";
 const IS_CI = !!process.env["GITHUB_ACTIONS"];
 const LOG_ENABLED = !IS_CI;
 
+console.log(
+  "REMINDER: Playwright tests run against the ./evcc binary. Rebuild with 'make ui build' after application changes."
+);
+
 // sometimes evcc startup fails due to infra issues in runner ususally fixed by retry. allowing some fails to avoid github annotations clutter
 let allowedStartupFails = IS_CI ? 2 : 0;
 
@@ -105,6 +109,7 @@ async function _start(config?: string, flags: string | string[] = []) {
   const configArgs = config ? ["--config", config.includes("/") ? config : `tests/${config}`] : [];
   const port = workerPort();
   const ocpp = ocppPort();
+
   log(`wait until port ${port} is available`);
   // wait for port to be available
   await waitOn({ resources: [`tcp:${port}`], reverse: true, log: LOG_ENABLED });
diff --git a/tests/plan.spec.ts b/tests/plan.spec.ts
index 5a80050e1..e24edbf2e 100644
--- a/tests/plan.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/plan.spec.ts
@@ -687,8 +687,13 @@ test.describe("plan strategy", async () => {
     await lp1.getByTestId("charging-plan").getByRole("button", { name: "none" }).click();
     const modal = page.getByTestId("charging-plan-modal");
     await expect(modal.getByTestId("static-plan-active")).toBeVisible();
-    // Strategy toggle should not be visible when no dynamic tariff exists
-    await expect(modal.getByRole("button", { name: "Strategy settings" })).not.toBeVisible();
+
+    // Strategy toggle should be visible but expand to show informational note only
+    await expect(modal.getByRole("button", { name: "Strategy settings" })).toBeVisible();
+    await modal.getByRole("button", { name: "Strategy settings" }).click();
+    await expect(modal.getByLabel("Optimization")).not.toBeVisible();
+    await expect(modal.getByLabel("Late Charging")).not.toBeVisible();
+    await expect(modal).toContainText("just in time for departure");
   });
 
   test("visible and functional on mobile", async ({ page }) => {