diff --git a/app/components/ConnectorModal.vue b/app/components/ConnectorModal.vue
index 25fb48895c..343fa24ce8 100644
--- a/app/components/ConnectorModal.vue
+++ b/app/components/ConnectorModal.vue
@@ -8,7 +8,10 @@ const tokenInput = shallowRef('')
 const portInput = shallowRef('31415')
 const { copied, copy } = useClipboard({ copiedDuring: 2000 })
 
+const hasAttemptedConnect = shallowRef(false)
+
 async function handleConnect() {
+  hasAttemptedConnect.value = true
   const port = Number.parseInt(portInput.value, 10) || 31415
   const success = await connect(tokenInput.value.trim(), port)
   if (success) {
@@ -42,6 +45,7 @@ const executeNpmxConnectorCommand = computed(() => {
 watch(open, isOpen => {
   if (isOpen) {
     tokenInput.value = ''
+    hasAttemptedConnect.value = false
   }
 })
 </script>
@@ -116,10 +120,58 @@ watch(open, isOpen => {
 
             <!-- Disconnected state -->
             <form v-else class="space-y-4" @submit.prevent="handleConnect">
+              <!-- Contributor-only notice -->
+              <div class="p-3 bg-amber-500/10 border border-amber-500/30 rounded-lg">
+                <div class="space-y-2">
+                  <span
+                    class="inline-block px-2 py-0.5 text-xs font-bold uppercase tracking-wider bg-amber-500/20 text-amber-400 rounded"
+                  >
+                    {{ $t('connector.modal.contributor_badge') }}
+                  </span>
+                  <p class="text-sm text-fg-muted">
+                    <i18n-t keypath="connector.modal.contributor_notice">
+                      <template #link>
+                        <a
+                          href="https://github.com/npmx-dev/npmx.dev/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#local-connector-cli"
+                          target="_blank"
+                          rel="noopener noreferrer"
+                          class="text-amber-400 hover:underline"
+                        >
+                          {{ $t('connector.modal.contributor_link') }}
+                        </a>
+                      </template>
+                    </i18n-t>
+                  </p>
+                </div>
+              </div>
+
               <p class="text-sm text-fg-muted">
                 {{ $t('connector.modal.run_hint') }}
               </p>
 
+              <div
+                class="flex items-center p-3 bg-bg-muted border border-border rounded-lg font-mono text-sm"
+              >
+                <span class="text-fg-subtle">$</span>
+                <span class="text-fg-subtle ms-2">pnpm npmx-connector</span>
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  :aria-label="
+                    copied ? $t('connector.modal.copied') : $t('connector.modal.copy_command')
+                  "
+                  class="ms-auto text-fg-subtle hover:text-fg transition-colors duration-200 focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-fg/50 rounded"
+                  @click="copy('pnpm npmx-connector')"
+                >
+                  <span v-if="!copied" class="i-carbon:copy block w-5 h-5" aria-hidden="true" />
+                  <span
+                    v-else
+                    class="i-carbon:checkmark block w-5 h-5 text-green-500"
+                    aria-hidden="true"
+                  />
+                </button>
+              </div>
+
+              <!-- TODO: Uncomment when npmx-connector is published to npm
               <div
                 class="flex items-center p-3 bg-bg-muted border border-border rounded-lg font-mono text-sm"
               >
@@ -145,6 +197,7 @@ watch(open, isOpen => {
                   </button>
                 </div>
               </div>
+              -->
 
               <p class="text-sm text-fg-muted">{{ $t('connector.modal.paste_token') }}</p>
 
@@ -193,9 +246,9 @@ watch(open, isOpen => {
                 </details>
               </div>
 
-              <!-- Error message -->
+              <!-- Error message (only show after user explicitly clicks Connect) -->
               <div
-                v-if="error"
+                v-if="error && hasAttemptedConnect"
                 role="alert"
                 class="p-3 text-sm text-red-400 bg-red-500/10 border border-red-500/20 rounded-md"
               >
diff --git a/i18n/locales/en.json b/i18n/locales/en.json
index 038a6d6873..171309c19f 100644
--- a/i18n/locales/en.json
+++ b/i18n/locales/en.json
@@ -374,6 +374,9 @@
     },
     "modal": {
       "title": "Local Connector",
+      "contributor_badge": "Contributors only",
+      "contributor_notice": "The connector is not yet published to npm. See the {link} for how to run locally.",
+      "contributor_link": "contributing guide",
       "connected": "Connected",
       "connected_as_user": "Connected as ~{user}",
       "connected_hint": "You can now manage packages and organizations from the web UI.",
diff --git a/lunaria/files/en-US.json b/lunaria/files/en-US.json
index 038a6d6873..171309c19f 100644
--- a/lunaria/files/en-US.json
+++ b/lunaria/files/en-US.json
@@ -374,6 +374,9 @@
     },
     "modal": {
       "title": "Local Connector",
+      "contributor_badge": "Contributors only",
+      "contributor_notice": "The connector is not yet published to npm. See the {link} for how to run locally.",
+      "contributor_link": "contributing guide",
       "connected": "Connected",
       "connected_as_user": "Connected as ~{user}",
       "connected_hint": "You can now manage packages and organizations from the web UI.",