diff --git a/src/cli/access.ts b/src/cli/access.ts
index 9cc0ec091a2..dc541db5ce2 100644
--- a/src/cli/access.ts
+++ b/src/cli/access.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ const USAGE = `Usage:
  */
 function formatKeyRows(payload: Record<string, unknown>, keys: Array<Record<string, unknown>>): string[] {
   const cells: string[][] = [["ID", "NAME", "PREFIX", "REQ 7D", "TOTAL", "LAST USED"]];
+  // A string that does not parse is not attribution data: treat it like an absent
+  // field so malformed payloads still render "unavailable" instead of usage values.
+  const attributionSince = typeof payload.attributionSince === "string"
+    && !Number.isNaN(Date.parse(payload.attributionSince))
+    ? payload.attributionSince
+    : undefined;
+  const usageAvailable = attributionSince !== undefined;
   for (const entry of keys) {
     const usage = (entry.usage ?? {}) as Record<string, unknown>;
     const ambiguous = usage.ambiguous === true;
@@ -47,16 +54,16 @@ function formatKeyRows(payload: Record<string, unknown>, keys: Array<Record<stri
       String(entry.name ?? ""),
       String(entry.prefix ?? ""),
       // One marker spanning both numeric columns: the union guarantees neither exists.
-      ambiguous ? "ambiguous" : num(usage.requests7d),
-      ambiguous ? "" : num(usage.totalRequests),
-      ambiguous ? "" : (typeof usage.lastUsedAt === "string" ? usage.lastUsedAt : "never"),
+      !usageAvailable ? "unavailable" : ambiguous ? "ambiguous" : num(usage.requests7d),
+      !usageAvailable || ambiguous ? "" : num(usage.totalRequests),
+      !usageAvailable || ambiguous ? "" : (typeof usage.lastUsedAt === "string" ? usage.lastUsedAt : "never"),
     ]);
   }
   const widths = cells[0]!.map((_, column) => Math.max(...cells.map(row => (row[column] ?? "").length)));
   const lines = cells.map(row => row.map((cell, i) => (cell ?? "").padEnd(widths[i]!)).join("  ").trimEnd());
   const footer: string[] = [];
-  if (typeof payload.attributionSince === "string") {
-    footer.push(`attribution since ${payload.attributionSince}`);
+  if (attributionSince !== undefined) {
+    footer.push(`attribution since ${attributionSince}`);
   }
   if (payload.historyTruncated === true) {
     footer.push("older history truncated");
diff --git a/tests/cli/cli-dto-fidelity.test.ts b/tests/cli/cli-dto-fidelity.test.ts
index 67cc148795a..9cfca772c69 100644
--- a/tests/cli/cli-dto-fidelity.test.ts
+++ b/tests/cli/cli-dto-fidelity.test.ts
@@ -216,6 +216,7 @@ describe("#2705 access key usage columns", () => {
         id: "k_9f2a", name: "ci-runner", prefix: "ocx_data_abc...",
         usage: { requests7d: 1204, totalRequests: 18330, lastUsedAt: "2026-08-27T04:11:00Z" },
       }],
+      attributionSince: "2026-07-29T00:00:00Z",
     });
     expect(out).toContain("REQ 7D");
     expect(out).toContain("1,204");
@@ -229,6 +230,7 @@ describe("#2705 access key usage columns", () => {
     // use is the dangerous answer for someone deciding what to delete.
     const out = await listOutput({
       keys: [{ id: "k_11bd", name: "laptop", prefix: "ocx_data_def...", usage: { ambiguous: true } }],
+      attributionSince: "2026-07-29T00:00:00Z",
     });
     expect(out).toContain("ambiguous");
     expect(out).not.toMatch(/\b0\b/);
@@ -237,10 +239,30 @@ describe("#2705 access key usage columns", () => {
   test("a never-used key says never rather than showing an empty cell", async () => {
     const out = await listOutput({
       keys: [{ id: "k_new", name: "fresh", prefix: "ocx_data_ghi...", usage: { requests7d: 0, totalRequests: 0 } }],
+      attributionSince: "2026-08-29T00:00:00Z",
     });
     expect(out).toContain("never");
   });
 
+  test("unavailable attribution does not report zero usage or never used", async () => {
+    const out = await listOutput({
+      keys: [{ id: "k_unknown", name: "unknown", prefix: "ocx_data_jkl...", usage: { requests7d: 0, totalRequests: 0 } }],
+    });
+    expect(out).toContain("unavailable");
+    expect(out).not.toMatch(/\b0\b/);
+    expect(out).not.toContain("never");
+  });
+
+  test("a malformed attributionSince string stays unavailable", async () => {
+    const out = await listOutput({
+      keys: [{ id: "k_bad", name: "bad", prefix: "ocx_data_mno...", usage: { requests7d: 0, totalRequests: 0 } }],
+      attributionSince: "not-a-timestamp",
+    });
+    expect(out).toContain("unavailable");
+    expect(out).not.toContain("attribution since");
+    expect(out).not.toMatch(/\b0\b/);
+  });
+
   test("dataset-level attribution and truncation print ONCE as a footer", async () => {
     // They describe the usage log, not a key. Without attributionSince an absent lastUsedAt is
     // unreadable: "never used" and "nothing attributable yet" look identical.