diff --git a/net_alerter/ble_alerter.py b/net_alerter/ble_alerter.py
index 0e52a56..9378544 100755
--- a/net_alerter/ble_alerter.py
+++ b/net_alerter/ble_alerter.py
@@ -275,14 +275,23 @@ async def scan_loop():
         await on_arrival(name, mac, rssi)
     
     # Active scanner — explicitly required; bleak 0.20 BlueZ backend defaults to passive
-    async with BleakScanner(detection_callback=detection_callback, scanning_mode="active") as scanner:
-        try:
-            while not shutdown_event.is_set():
-                await asyncio.sleep(1)
-        except asyncio.CancelledError:
-            logging.info("BLE scanner cancelled")
-        except Exception as e:
-            logging.error(f"BLE scanner exception: {e}")
+    try:
+        async with BleakScanner(detection_callback=detection_callback, scanning_mode="active") as scanner:
+            try:
+                while not shutdown_event.is_set():
+                    await asyncio.sleep(1)
+            except asyncio.CancelledError:
+                logging.info("BLE scanner cancelled")
+            except Exception as e:
+                logging.error(f"BLE scanner exception: {e}")
+    except Exception as e:
+        # Catch no-adapter or other initialization errors
+        if "No Bluetooth adapters found" in str(e) or "No default Bluetooth adapter" in str(e):
+            logging.warning("No Bluetooth adapter found — BLE scanning disabled.")
+            shutdown_event.set()
+        else:
+            logging.error(f"Failed to initialize BLE scanner: {e}")
+            raise
 
 
 async def timeout_checker():