diff --git a/app/Livewire/Boarding/Index.php b/app/Livewire/Boarding/Index.php
index d7fa67b7b..7e1121860 100644
--- a/app/Livewire/Boarding/Index.php
+++ b/app/Livewire/Boarding/Index.php
@@ -432,6 +432,9 @@ public function getProjects()
     public function selectExistingProject()
     {
         $this->createdProject = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->find($this->selectedProject);
+        if (! $this->createdProject) {
+            return $this->dispatch('error', 'Project not found.');
+        }
         $this->currentState = 'create-resource';
     }
 
diff --git a/app/Livewire/Project/New/DockerCompose.php b/app/Livewire/Project/New/DockerCompose.php
index 5732e0cd5..2b92902c6 100644
--- a/app/Livewire/Project/New/DockerCompose.php
+++ b/app/Livewire/Project/New/DockerCompose.php
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ public function submit()
             // Validate for command injection BEFORE saving to database
             validateDockerComposeForInjection($this->dockerComposeRaw);
 
-            $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['project_uuid'])->first();
-            $environment = $project->load(['environments'])->environments->where('uuid', $this->parameters['environment_uuid'])->first();
+            $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['project_uuid'])->firstOrFail();
+            $environment = $project->environments()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['environment_uuid'])->firstOrFail();
 
             $destination_uuid = $this->query['destination'];
             $destination = StandaloneDocker::where('uuid', $destination_uuid)->first();
diff --git a/app/Livewire/Project/New/DockerImage.php b/app/Livewire/Project/New/DockerImage.php
index 545afdd0b..268333d07 100644
--- a/app/Livewire/Project/New/DockerImage.php
+++ b/app/Livewire/Project/New/DockerImage.php
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ public function submit()
         }
         $destination_class = $destination->getMorphClass();
 
-        $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['project_uuid'])->first();
-        $environment = $project->load(['environments'])->environments->where('uuid', $this->parameters['environment_uuid'])->first();
+        $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['project_uuid'])->firstOrFail();
+        $environment = $project->environments()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['environment_uuid'])->firstOrFail();
 
         // Append @sha256 to image name if using digest and not already present
         $imageName = $parser->getFullImageNameWithoutTag();
diff --git a/app/Livewire/Project/New/GithubPrivateRepository.php b/app/Livewire/Project/New/GithubPrivateRepository.php
index d1993b4ac..86424642d 100644
--- a/app/Livewire/Project/New/GithubPrivateRepository.php
+++ b/app/Livewire/Project/New/GithubPrivateRepository.php
@@ -185,8 +185,8 @@ public function submit()
             }
             $destination_class = $destination->getMorphClass();
 
-            $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['project_uuid'])->first();
-            $environment = $project->load(['environments'])->environments->where('uuid', $this->parameters['environment_uuid'])->first();
+            $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['project_uuid'])->firstOrFail();
+            $environment = $project->environments()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['environment_uuid'])->firstOrFail();
 
             $application = Application::create([
                 'name' => generate_application_name($this->selected_repository_owner.'/'.$this->selected_repository_repo, $this->selected_branch_name),
diff --git a/app/Livewire/Project/New/GithubPrivateRepositoryDeployKey.php b/app/Livewire/Project/New/GithubPrivateRepositoryDeployKey.php
index 30c8ded4f..94ef23cc9 100644
--- a/app/Livewire/Project/New/GithubPrivateRepositoryDeployKey.php
+++ b/app/Livewire/Project/New/GithubPrivateRepositoryDeployKey.php
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ public function submit()
             // Note: git_repository has already been validated and transformed in get_git_source()
             // It may now be in SSH format (git@host:repo.git) which is valid for deploy keys
 
-            $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['project_uuid'])->first();
-            $environment = $project->load(['environments'])->environments->where('uuid', $this->parameters['environment_uuid'])->first();
+            $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['project_uuid'])->firstOrFail();
+            $environment = $project->environments()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['environment_uuid'])->firstOrFail();
             if ($this->git_source === 'other') {
                 $application_init = [
                     'name' => generate_random_name(),
diff --git a/app/Livewire/Project/New/PublicGitRepository.php b/app/Livewire/Project/New/PublicGitRepository.php
index 731584edf..9c9ddb8ce 100644
--- a/app/Livewire/Project/New/PublicGitRepository.php
+++ b/app/Livewire/Project/New/PublicGitRepository.php
@@ -278,8 +278,8 @@ public function submit()
             }
             $destination_class = $destination->getMorphClass();
 
-            $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $project_uuid)->first();
-            $environment = $project->load(['environments'])->environments->where('uuid', $environment_uuid)->first();
+            $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $project_uuid)->firstOrFail();
+            $environment = $project->environments()->where('uuid', $environment_uuid)->firstOrFail();
 
             if ($this->build_pack === 'dockercompose' && isDev() && $this->new_compose_services) {
                 $server = $destination->server;
diff --git a/app/Livewire/Project/New/SimpleDockerfile.php b/app/Livewire/Project/New/SimpleDockerfile.php
index a87da7884..1073157e6 100644
--- a/app/Livewire/Project/New/SimpleDockerfile.php
+++ b/app/Livewire/Project/New/SimpleDockerfile.php
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ public function submit()
         }
         $destination_class = $destination->getMorphClass();
 
-        $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['project_uuid'])->first();
-        $environment = $project->load(['environments'])->environments->where('uuid', $this->parameters['environment_uuid'])->first();
+        $project = Project::ownedByCurrentTeam()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['project_uuid'])->firstOrFail();
+        $environment = $project->environments()->where('uuid', $this->parameters['environment_uuid'])->firstOrFail();
 
         $port = get_port_from_dockerfile($this->dockerfile);
         if (! $port) {
diff --git a/tests/Feature/CrossTeamIdorServerProjectTest.php b/tests/Feature/CrossTeamIdorServerProjectTest.php
index 173dae5cd..671397a1e 100644
--- a/tests/Feature/CrossTeamIdorServerProjectTest.php
+++ b/tests/Feature/CrossTeamIdorServerProjectTest.php
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@
             ->call('selectExistingProject');
 
         expect($component->get('createdProject'))->toBeNull();
+        $component->assertDispatched('error');
     });
 
     test('boarding selectExistingProject can load own team project', function () {
@@ -115,8 +116,7 @@
 describe('DeleteProject IDOR (GHSA-qfcc-2fm3-9q42)', function () {
     test('cannot mount DeleteProject with project from another team', function () {
         // Should throw ModelNotFoundException (404) because team-scoped query won't find it
-        Livewire::test(DeleteProject::class, ['project_id' => $this->projectB->id])
-            ->assertStatus(500); // findOrFail throws ModelNotFoundException
+        Livewire::test(DeleteProject::class, ['project_id' => $this->projectB->id]);
     })->throws(\Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\ModelNotFoundException::class);
 
     test('can mount DeleteProject with own team project', function () {