diff --git a/appview/pipelines/pipelines.go b/appview/pipelines/pipelines.go
--- a/appview/pipelines/pipelines.go
+++ b/appview/pipelines/pipelines.go
@@ -96,12 +96,43 @@ // no filters otherwise, default to "all"
 		filterKind = "all"
 	}
 
+	if f.Spindle == "" {
+		p.pages.Pipelines(w, pages.PipelinesParams{
+			BaseParams: pages.BaseParamsFromContext(r.Context()),
+			RepoInfo:   p.repoResolver.GetRepoInfo(r, user),
+			Pipelines:  nil,
+			FilterKind: filterKind,
+			Total:      0,
+		})
+		return
+	}
+
+	spindleUrl, err := hostutil.EnsureHttpScheme(f.Spindle)
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Error("invalid spindle host", "host", f.Spindle, "err", err)
+		p.pages.Pipelines(w, pages.PipelinesParams{
+			BaseParams: pages.BaseParamsFromContext(r.Context()),
+			RepoInfo:   p.repoResolver.GetRepoInfo(r, user),
+			Pipelines:  nil,
+			FilterKind: filterKind,
+			Total:      0,
+		})
+		return
+	}
+
 	// sh.tangled.ci.queryPipelines(repo, kind, limit=30)
-	xrpcc := indigoxrpc.Client{Host: f.Spindle}
+	xrpcc := indigoxrpc.Client{Host: spindleUrl}
 	out, err := tangled.CiQueryPipelines(r.Context(), &xrpcc, nil, "", 1, f.RepoDid)
 	if err != nil {
 		l.Error("failed to fetch pipelines", "err", err)
-		panic("unimplemented") // spindle failure, appview should not fail.
+		p.pages.Pipelines(w, pages.PipelinesParams{
+			BaseParams: pages.BaseParamsFromContext(r.Context()),
+			RepoInfo:   p.repoResolver.GetRepoInfo(r, user),
+			Pipelines:  nil,
+			FilterKind: filterKind,
+			Total:      0,
+		})
+		return
 	}
 
 	p.pages.Pipelines(w, pages.PipelinesParams{
@@ -143,7 +174,19 @@
 	// TODO: change url path to:
 	// /{owner}/{slug}/pipelines/{spindle-did}/{pipeline-id}/workflow/{workflow-id}
 
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: f.Spindle}
+	if f.Spindle == "" {
+		p.pages.Error404(w)
+		return
+	}
+
+	spindleUrl, err := hostutil.EnsureHttpScheme(f.Spindle)
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Error("invalid spindle host", "host", f.Spindle, "err", err)
+		p.pages.Error404(w)
+		return
+	}
+
+	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: spindleUrl}
 	out, err := tangled.CiGetPipeline(r.Context(), xrpcc, pipelineId.String())
 	if err != nil {
 		// TODO(boltless): change behavior based on error
@@ -237,10 +280,16 @@
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(r.Context())
 	defer cancel()
 
+	spindleUrl, err := hostutil.EnsureHttpScheme(f.Spindle)
+	if err != nil {
+		l.Error("invalid spindle host", "host", f.Spindle, "err", err)
+		return
+	}
+
 	evChan := make(chan *tangled.CiPipelineSubscribeLogs_Event, 100)
 	done := make(chan error, 1)
 	sched := &webLogScheduler{ch: evChan}
-	xrpcc := &lexutil.Client{Client: indigoxrpc.Client{Host: f.Spindle}}
+	xrpcc := &lexutil.Client{Client: indigoxrpc.Client{Host: spindleUrl}}
 	go func() {
 		done <- tangled.CiPipelineSubscribeLogs(ctx, xrpcc, pipelineId.String(), []string{workflowName}, sched)
 	}()
diff --git a/appview/pulls/list.go b/appview/pulls/list.go
--- a/appview/pulls/list.go
+++ b/appview/pulls/list.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ "tangled.org/core/orm"
 
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/syntax"
 	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
+	"tangled.org/core/hostutil"
 )
 
 func (s *Pulls) RepoPulls(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
@@ -264,13 +265,21 @@ }
 
 	// commitId -> latest pipeline
 	pipelines := func(ctx context.Context, shas []string) map[string]tangled.CiDefs_Pipeline {
-		xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: f.Spindle}
+		m := make(map[string]tangled.CiDefs_Pipeline)
+		if f.Spindle == "" {
+			return m
+		}
+		spindleUrl, err := hostutil.EnsureHttpScheme(f.Spindle)
+		if err != nil {
+			l.Error("invalid spindle host", "host", f.Spindle, "err", err)
+			return m
+		}
+		xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: spindleUrl}
 		out, err := tangled.CiQueryPipelines(ctx, xrpcc, shas, "", 0, f.RepoDid)
 		if err != nil {
 			l.Error("failed to fetch pipelines", "err", err)
+			return m
 		}
-
-		m := make(map[string]tangled.CiDefs_Pipeline)
 
 		for _, pipeline := range out.Pipelines {
 			if pipeline == nil {
diff --git a/appview/pulls/single.go b/appview/pulls/single.go
--- a/appview/pulls/single.go
+++ b/appview/pulls/single.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 	"github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/atproto/syntax"
 	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 	"github.com/go-chi/chi/v5"
+	"tangled.org/core/hostutil"
 )
 
 // htmx fragment
@@ -161,13 +162,21 @@ }
 
 	// commitId -> latest pipeline
 	pipelines := func(ctx context.Context) map[string]tangled.CiDefs_Pipeline {
-		xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: f.Spindle}
+		m := make(map[string]tangled.CiDefs_Pipeline)
+		if f.Spindle == "" {
+			return m
+		}
+		spindleUrl, err := hostutil.EnsureHttpScheme(f.Spindle)
+		if err != nil {
+			l.Error("invalid spindle host", "host", f.Spindle, "err", err)
+			return m
+		}
+		xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: spindleUrl}
 		out, err := tangled.CiQueryPipelines(ctx, xrpcc, shas, "", 0, f.RepoDid)
 		if err != nil {
 			l.Error("failed to fetch pipelines", "err", err)
+			return m
 		}
-
-		m := make(map[string]tangled.CiDefs_Pipeline)
 
 		for _, pipeline := range out.Pipelines {
 			if pipeline == nil {
diff --git a/appview/repo/repo_util.go b/appview/repo/repo_util.go
--- a/appview/repo/repo_util.go
+++ b/appview/repo/repo_util.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 	indigoxrpc "github.com/bluesky-social/indigo/xrpc"
 	"tangled.org/core/api/tangled"
 	"tangled.org/core/appview/models"
+	"tangled.org/core/hostutil"
 	"tangled.org/core/types"
 )
 
@@ -87,9 +88,7 @@
 	return
 }
 
-// grab pipelines from DB and munge that into a hashmap with commit sha as key
-//
-// golang is so blessed that it requires 35 lines of imperative code for this
+// fetch pipelines from DB and map by commit sha
 func getPipelineStatuses(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	repo *models.Repo,
@@ -101,7 +100,16 @@ if len(shas) == 0 {
 		return m, nil
 	}
 
-	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: repo.Spindle}
+	if repo.Spindle == "" {
+		return m, nil
+	}
+
+	spindleUrl, err := hostutil.EnsureHttpScheme(repo.Spindle)
+	if err != nil {
+		return m, nil // Don't block repo rendering on bad spindle configuration
+	}
+
+	xrpcc := &indigoxrpc.Client{Host: spindleUrl}
 	out, err := tangled.CiQueryPipelines(ctx, xrpcc, shas, "", 0, repo.RepoDid)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err