diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/components/Sidebar/Preferences.tsx b/web/apps/photos/src/components/Sidebar/Preferences.tsx
index 5975059af9..32c36f991c 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/components/Sidebar/Preferences.tsx
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/components/Sidebar/Preferences.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { MLSettings } from "@/new/photos/components/MLSettings";
+import { isMLSupported } from "@/new/photos/services/ml";
 import { EnteDrawer } from "@/new/shared/components/EnteDrawer";
 import { MenuItemGroup, MenuSectionTitle } from "@/new/shared/components/Menu";
 import { Titlebar } from "@/new/shared/components/Titlebar";
@@ -15,7 +16,6 @@ import ScienceIcon from "@mui/icons-material/Science";
 import { Box, DialogProps, Stack } from "@mui/material";
 import DropdownInput from "components/DropdownInput";
 import { t } from "i18next";
-import isElectron from "is-electron";
 import { AppContext } from "pages/_app";
 import { useContext, useState } from "react";
 import AdvancedSettings from "./AdvancedSettings";
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export default function Preferences({ open, onClose, onRootClose }) {
                             endIcon={<ChevronRight />}
                             label={t("ADVANCED")}
                         />
-                        {isElectron() && (
+                        {isMLSupported && (
                             <Box>
                                 <MenuSectionTitle
                                     title={t("LABS")}
diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/pages/_app.tsx b/web/apps/photos/src/pages/_app.tsx
index e39ab8fb0e..423ad78d6c 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/pages/_app.tsx
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/pages/_app.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import type { AccountsContextT } from "@/accounts/types/context";
 import DownloadManager from "@/new/photos/services/download";
-import { initML } from "@/new/photos/services/ml";
+import { initML, isMLSupported } from "@/new/photos/services/ml";
 import { clientPackageName, staticAppTitle } from "@/next/app";
 import { CustomHead } from "@/next/components/Head";
 import { setupI18n } from "@/next/i18n";
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ export default function App({ Component, pageProps }: AppProps) {
             }
         };
 
-        initML();
+        if (isMLSupported) initML();
 
         electron.onOpenURL(handleOpenURL);
         electron.onAppUpdateAvailable(showUpdateDialog);
diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/services/searchService.ts b/web/apps/photos/src/services/searchService.ts
index 4afd7af0ef..42b35c57a9 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/services/searchService.ts
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/services/searchService.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { FILE_TYPE } from "@/media/file-type";
-import { faceIndexingStatus, isMLEnabled } from "@/new/photos/services/ml";
+import { mlStatusSnapshot } from "@/new/photos/services/ml";
 import type { Person } from "@/new/photos/services/ml/people";
 import { EnteFile } from "@/new/photos/types/file";
 import { isDesktop } from "@/next/app";
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@ const DIGITS = new Set(["0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9"]);
 
 export const getDefaultOptions = async () => {
     return [
-        // TODO-ML(MR): Skip this for now if indexing is disabled (eventually
-        // the indexing status should not be tied to results).
-        ...(isMLEnabled() ? [await getIndexStatusSuggestion()] : []),
+        ...(await getMLStatusSuggestion()),
         ...(await convertSuggestionsToOptions(await getAllPeopleSuggestion())),
     ].filter((t) => !!t);
 };
@@ -171,32 +169,33 @@ export async function getAllPeopleSuggestion(): Promise<Array<Suggestion>> {
     }
 }
 
-export async function getIndexStatusSuggestion(): Promise<Suggestion> {
-    try {
-        const indexStatus = await faceIndexingStatus();
+export async function getMLStatusSuggestion(): Promise<Suggestion[]> {
+    const status = await mlStatusSnapshot();
 
+    isMLEnabled();
+    try {
         let label: string;
-        switch (indexStatus.phase) {
+        switch (status.phase) {
             case "scheduled":
                 label = t("INDEXING_SCHEDULED");
                 break;
             case "indexing":
                 label = t("ANALYZING_PHOTOS", {
-                    indexStatus,
+                    indexStatus: status,
                 });
                 break;
             case "clustering":
-                label = t("INDEXING_PEOPLE", { indexStatus });
+                label = t("INDEXING_PEOPLE", { indexStatus: status });
                 break;
             case "done":
-                label = t("INDEXING_DONE", { indexStatus });
+                label = t("INDEXING_DONE", { indexStatus: status });
                 break;
         }
 
         return {
             label,
             type: SuggestionType.INDEX_STATUS,
-            value: indexStatus,
+            value: status,
             hide: true,
         };
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/web/apps/photos/src/services/sync.ts b/web/apps/photos/src/services/sync.ts
index b628a3510d..5ebc5b43b0 100644
--- a/web/apps/photos/src/services/sync.ts
+++ b/web/apps/photos/src/services/sync.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { fetchAndSaveFeatureFlagsIfNeeded } from "@/new/photos/services/feature-flags";
-import { triggerMLSync } from "@/new/photos/services/ml";
-import { isDesktop } from "@/next/app";
+import { isMLSupported, triggerMLSync } from "@/new/photos/services/ml";
 import { syncEntities } from "services/entityService";
 import { syncMapEnabled } from "services/userService";
 
@@ -17,7 +16,5 @@ export const sync = async () => {
     await syncEntities();
     await syncMapEnabled();
     fetchAndSaveFeatureFlagsIfNeeded();
-    if (isDesktop) {
-        triggerMLSync();
-    }
+    if (isMLSupported) triggerMLSync();
 };
diff --git a/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts b/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts
index f5a501151d..8ac088253d 100644
--- a/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts
+++ b/web/packages/new/photos/services/ml/index.ts
@@ -93,17 +93,17 @@ export const terminateMLWorker = () => {
     }
 };
 
-/** Gatekeep some common entry points to catch accidental invocations. */
-const ensureDesktop = () => {
-    // ML currently only works when we're running in our desktop app.
-    if (!isDesktop) throw new Error("ML subsystem can only be used on desktop");
-};
+/**
+ * Return true if the current client supports ML.
+ *
+ * ML currently only works when we're running in our desktop app.
+ */
+export const isMLSupported = isDesktop;
 
 /**
  * Initialize the ML subsystem if the user has enabled it in preferences.
  */
 export const initML = () => {
-    ensureDesktop();
     _isMLEnabledLocal = isMLEnabledLocally();
 };
 
@@ -247,10 +247,7 @@ const updateIsMLEnabledRemote = (enabled: boolean) =>
  * This function does not wait for these processes to run to completion, and
  * returns immediately.
  */
-export const triggerMLSync = () => {
-    ensureDesktop();
-    void mlSync();
-};
+export const triggerMLSync = () => void mlSync();
 
 const mlSync = async () => {
     _isMLEnabledRemote = await getIsMLEnabledRemote();
@@ -337,8 +334,8 @@ export const mlStatusSubscribe = (onChange: () => void): (() => void) => {
  */
 export const mlStatusSnapshot = (): MLStatus | undefined => {
     const result = _mlStatusSnapshot;
-    // We don't have it yet, so start figuring it out now.
-    if (!result) triggerStatusUpdate();
+    // We don't have it yet but we're on a supported client, trigger an update.
+    if (!result && isDesktop) triggerStatusUpdate();
     return result;
 };