diff --git a/server/cmd/cao-dashboard/canvas.go b/server/cmd/cao-dashboard/canvas.go
index 7a6952c56..922642312 100644
--- a/server/cmd/cao-dashboard/canvas.go
+++ b/server/cmd/cao-dashboard/canvas.go
@@ -33,15 +33,22 @@ func parseCanvasConfig(content []byte) (*server.LocalCanvasConfig, error) {
 
 func readOperatorConfig(path string) (*server.LocalOperatorConfig, error) {
 	if path == "" {
+		commandLog.Printf("native operator integration disabled: reason=no_config_path")
 		return nil, nil //nolint:nilnil // An omitted adapter configuration disables native maintenance.
 	}
 	content, err := os.ReadFile(path) // #nosec G304 -- explicitly selected private native adapter configuration.
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("read native operator configuration")
 	}
+	return parseOperatorConfig(content)
+}
+
+// parseOperatorConfig decodes a native operator configuration document.
+func parseOperatorConfig(content []byte) (*server.LocalOperatorConfig, error) {
 	var config server.LocalOperatorConfig
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(content, &config); err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.New("invalid native operator configuration")
 	}
+	commandLog.Printf("loaded native operator configuration")
 	return &config, nil
 }
diff --git a/server/cmd/cao-dashboard/canvas_test.go b/server/cmd/cao-dashboard/canvas_test.go
index 300cfab3a..fbc01f477 100644
--- a/server/cmd/cao-dashboard/canvas_test.go
+++ b/server/cmd/cao-dashboard/canvas_test.go
@@ -46,3 +46,36 @@ func TestParseCanvasConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestReadOperatorConfigOmittedPathDisablesMaintenance(t *testing.T) {
+	config, err := readOperatorConfig("")
+	if err != nil || config != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("got %v, %v; want nil, nil", config, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadOperatorConfigFromFile(t *testing.T) {
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "operator.json")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(`{"adapterUrl":"http://127.0.0.1:1"}`), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	config, err := readOperatorConfig(path)
+	if err != nil || config.AdapterURL != "http://127.0.0.1:1" || config.OperatorActions != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("got %+v, %v", config, err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadOperatorConfigMissingFile(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := readOperatorConfig(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "absent.json"))
+	if err == nil || err.Error() != "read native operator configuration" {
+		t.Fatalf("got %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParseOperatorConfigRejectsInvalidDocuments(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, bad := range []string{"", "not json", `{"adapterUrl":1}`} {
+		if _, err := parseOperatorConfig([]byte(bad)); err == nil || err.Error() != "invalid native operator configuration" {
+			t.Errorf("%q: got %v", bad, err)
+		}
+	}
+}