diff --git a/crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode/vaapi.rs b/crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode/vaapi.rs
index 18a593a..837d6eb 100644
--- a/crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode/vaapi.rs
+++ b/crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode/vaapi.rs
@@ -134,11 +134,19 @@ pub fn probe_can_encode(codec: Codec) -> bool {
         return false;
     }
     unsafe {
-        let hw = match VaapiHw::new(ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_NV12, 640, 480, 2) {
-            Ok(hw) => hw,
-            Err(_) => return false,
+        // A missing VA device (non-VAAPI host, GPU-less CI) is an expected probe outcome — quiet
+        // ffmpeg's "No VA display found" error for the probe, then restore the level.
+        let prev = ffi::av_log_get_level();
+        ffi::av_log_set_level(ffi::AV_LOG_FATAL);
+        let ok = match VaapiHw::new(ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_NV12, 640, 480, 2) {
+            Ok(hw) => {
+                open_vaapi_encoder(codec, 640, 480, 30, 2_000_000, hw.device_ref, hw.frames_ref)
+                    .is_ok()
+            }
+            Err(_) => false,
         };
-        open_vaapi_encoder(codec, 640, 480, 30, 2_000_000, hw.device_ref, hw.frames_ref).is_ok()
+        ffi::av_log_set_level(prev);
+        ok
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/punktfunk-host/src/gamestream/serverinfo.rs b/crates/punktfunk-host/src/gamestream/serverinfo.rs
index f90d4f4..b75f4f9 100644
--- a/crates/punktfunk-host/src/gamestream/serverinfo.rs
+++ b/crates/punktfunk-host/src/gamestream/serverinfo.rs
@@ -61,7 +61,13 @@ fn codec_mode_support() -> u32 {
         if caps.av1 {
             m |= SCM_AV1_MAIN8;
         }
-        return m;
+        // Only trust a probe that actually found an encoder. An empty result means VAAPI wasn't
+        // usable at probe time (no VA display — a GPU-less CI box, or a misconfigured host), NOT
+        // that the GPU encodes nothing; advertise the static superset (pre-probe behaviour) rather
+        // than claiming zero codecs.
+        if m != 0 {
+            return m;
+        }
     }
     SERVER_CODEC_MODE_SUPPORT
 }
@@ -99,6 +105,13 @@ mod tests {
             https_port: 47984,
         };
         let xml = serverinfo_xml(&host, false);
-        assert!(xml.contains("<ServerCodecModeSupport>65793</ServerCodecModeSupport>"));
+        // The mask is the GPU-aware value (NVENC/no-GPU → the static 65793; a VAAPI host →
+        // whatever it probes). Assert the XML embeds exactly what `codec_mode_support()` returns,
+        // so the test is deterministic regardless of the build host's GPU.
+        let mask = codec_mode_support();
+        assert!(mask != 0, "must advertise at least one codec");
+        assert!(xml.contains(&format!(
+            "<ServerCodecModeSupport>{mask}</ServerCodecModeSupport>"
+        )));
     }
 }