diff --git a/src/guards/pipeline-execution.guard.spec.ts b/src/guards/pipeline-execution.guard.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e2dbf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/guards/pipeline-execution.guard.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import { BadRequestException } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { PipelineExecutionGuard } from './pipeline-execution.guard';
+
+const logger = { info: jest.fn(), error: jest.fn() };
+
+function buildGuard(proxyImpl: jest.Mock) {
+  const platformApiService: any = { proxy: proxyImpl };
+  return new PipelineExecutionGuard(
+    { logger } as any,
+    platformApiService,
+  );
+}
+
+function contextWith(pipelineId = 'abc-123') {
+  return {
+    switchToHttp: () => ({
+      getRequest: () => ({ params: { pipelineId }, user: {} }),
+    }),
+  } as any;
+}
+
+describe('PipelineExecutionGuard', () => {
+  afterEach(() => jest.clearAllMocks());
+
+  it('allows the edit when the pipeline has no run history (empty array)', async () => {
+    const guard = buildGuard(jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([]));
+    await expect(guard.canActivate(contextWith())).resolves.toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('allows the edit when the last run has no last_status', async () => {
+    const guard = buildGuard(jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([{}]));
+    await expect(guard.canActivate(contextWith())).resolves.toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('allows the edit when the pipeline is not running', async () => {
+    const guard = buildGuard(
+      jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([{ last_status: 'SUCCEEDED' }]),
+    );
+    await expect(guard.canActivate(contextWith())).resolves.toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('blocks with the is-running message when the pipeline is running', async () => {
+    const guard = buildGuard(
+      jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([{ last_status: 'RUNNING' }]),
+    );
+    await expect(guard.canActivate(contextWith())).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Pipeline is running, cannot update input now',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('wraps a genuine status-check failure (fail closed)', async () => {
+    const guard = buildGuard(
+      jest.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('platform down')),
+    );
+    await expect(guard.canActivate(contextWith())).rejects.toThrow(
+      'Error checking pipeline status: platform down',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('does not double-wrap the is-running BadRequestException', async () => {
+    const guard = buildGuard(
+      jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([{ last_status: 'running' }]),
+    );
+    await expect(guard.canActivate(contextWith())).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(
+      BadRequestException,
+    );
+    await expect(guard.canActivate(contextWith())).rejects.not.toThrow(
+      /Error checking pipeline status/,
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/guards/pipeline-execution.guard.ts b/src/guards/pipeline-execution.guard.ts
index ffd651b..1b6ebcd 100644
--- a/src/guards/pipeline-execution.guard.ts
+++ b/src/guards/pipeline-execution.guard.ts
@@ -46,10 +46,16 @@ export class PipelineExecutionGuard implements CanActivate {
         user,
       );
 
-      const currentStatus = status[status.length - 1]
+      const currentStatus = status?.[status.length - 1];
 
       this.logger.info('Pipeline current status response:' +  JSON.stringify(currentStatus));
-  
+
+      // No run history (e.g. CDC pipelines never record batch runs) means
+      // nothing is executing — allow the edit rather than crash on .last_status.
+      if (!currentStatus?.last_status) {
+        return true;
+      }
+
       if (currentStatus.last_status.toLowerCase() === 'running') {
         this.logger.error('Pipeline is running, cannot update input now');
         throw new BadRequestException('Pipeline is running, cannot update input now');
@@ -57,6 +63,11 @@ export class PipelineExecutionGuard implements CanActivate {
         return true;
       }
     } catch (error) {
+      // Preserve the deliberate is-running rejection; only wrap genuine
+      // status-check failures (fail closed on those for a destructive gate).
+      if (error instanceof BadRequestException) {
+        throw error;
+      }
       this.logger.error('Error in PipelineExecutionGuard: ' + error.message);
       throw new BadRequestException('Error checking pipeline status: ' + error.message);
     }