diff --git a/src/job_research/cli.py b/src/job_research/cli.py
index 10c627d..6246946 100644
--- a/src/job_research/cli.py
+++ b/src/job_research/cli.py
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ def fetch_apec(
     profile = CandidateProfileOutput.model_validate(load_yaml(profile_path))
     derived_queries = derive_apec_queries(profile)
 
+    if not derived_queries:
+        typer.echo("No usable Apec queries derived from candidate profile", err=True)
+        raise typer.Exit(code=1)
+
     current = _utc_now().astimezone(timezone.utc).replace(microsecond=0)
     run_id = current.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H-%M-%SZ")
     fetched_at = current.strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
@@ -101,20 +105,21 @@ def fetch_apec(
     paths["snapshots"].mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
     adapter = ApecAdapter(max_listings=50)
-    search_results = adapter.search(derived_queries)
+    search_results = adapter.search(derived_queries)[:50]
 
     normalized_listings = []
     listing_errors: list[ListingError] = []
     fetched_count = 0
 
     for index, result in enumerate(search_results, start=1):
+        fetched_count += 1
+
         try:
             html = adapter.fetch_listing_html(result.url)
         except Exception as exc:  # pragma: no cover - defensive boundary
             listing_errors.append(ListingError(url=result.url, stage="fetch_html", message=str(exc)))
             continue
 
-        fetched_count += 1
         snapshot_path = paths["snapshots"] / f"{index:04d}.html"
         snapshot_path.write_text(html, encoding="utf-8")
 
@@ -131,6 +136,10 @@ def fetch_apec(
 
         normalized_listings.append(listing)
 
+    if fetched_count > 0 and not normalized_listings:
+        typer.echo("No listings could be fetched or normalized from Apec", err=True)
+        raise typer.Exit(code=1)
+
     deduplicated_listings = dedupe_apec_listings(normalized_listings)
     run_meta = ApecRunMeta(
         derived_queries=derived_queries,
diff --git a/tests/test_apec_cli.py b/tests/test_apec_cli.py
index 9060fa1..d4b6c91 100644
--- a/tests/test_apec_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_apec_cli.py
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ from job_research.apec.adapter import ApecSearchResult
 from job_research.cli import app
 
 
+def _fixed_now() -> datetime:
+    return datetime(2026, 6, 1, 10, 0, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+
+
 def test_fetch_apec_reads_profile_and_writes_run_artifacts(tmp_path, monkeypatch) -> None:
     data_root = tmp_path / "data"
     data_root.mkdir()
@@ -55,7 +59,7 @@ def test_fetch_apec_reads_profile_and_writes_run_artifacts(tmp_path, monkeypatch
     monkeypatch.setattr("job_research.cli.ApecAdapter", FakeApecAdapter)
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         "job_research.cli._utc_now",
-        lambda: datetime(2026, 6, 1, 10, 0, 0, tzinfo=timezone.utc),
+        _fixed_now,
     )
 
     result = CliRunner().invoke(app, ["fetch-apec", "--data-root", str(data_root)])
@@ -107,3 +111,158 @@ def test_fetch_apec_reads_profile_and_writes_run_artifacts(tmp_path, monkeypatch
         "failed_count": 0,
         "listing_errors": [],
     }
+
+
+def test_fetch_apec_fails_when_no_queries_are_derived(tmp_path, monkeypatch) -> None:
+    data_root = tmp_path / "data"
+    data_root.mkdir()
+    (data_root / "candidate-profile.yaml").write_text("target_roles: []\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    class SpyApecAdapter:
+        instances: list["SpyApecAdapter"] = []
+
+        def __init__(self, max_listings: int = 50) -> None:
+            self.max_listings = max_listings
+            SpyApecAdapter.instances.append(self)
+
+        def search(self, queries: list[str]) -> list[ApecSearchResult]:
+            raise AssertionError("search should not be called when there are no queries")
+
+        def fetch_listing_html(self, url: str) -> str:
+            raise AssertionError("fetch should not be called when there are no queries")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("job_research.cli.ApecAdapter", SpyApecAdapter)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("job_research.cli._utc_now", _fixed_now)
+
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(app, ["fetch-apec", "--data-root", str(data_root)])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "No usable Apec queries derived from candidate profile" in result.stderr
+    assert SpyApecAdapter.instances == []
+    assert not (data_root / "apec").exists()
+
+
+def test_fetch_apec_processes_only_the_first_fifty_search_results(tmp_path, monkeypatch) -> None:
+    data_root = tmp_path / "data"
+    data_root.mkdir()
+    (data_root / "candidate-profile.yaml").write_text(
+        dedent(
+            """
+            target_roles:
+              - Role From YAML
+            """
+        ).strip(),
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+
+    html = dedent(
+        """
+        <html>
+          <body>
+            <h1>Role From YAML</h1>
+            <div class="company">Example Corp</div>
+            <div class="location">Paris</div>
+            <div class="contract">CDI</div>
+            <div class="description">Build pipelines</div>
+          </body>
+        </html>
+        """
+    ).strip()
+    results = [
+        ApecSearchResult(url=f"https://example.test/job/{index}", source_job_id=f"job-{index}")
+        for index in range(51)
+    ]
+
+    class FakeApecAdapter:
+        instances: list["FakeApecAdapter"] = []
+
+        def __init__(self, max_listings: int = 50) -> None:
+            self.max_listings = max_listings
+            self.search_calls: list[list[str]] = []
+            self.fetch_calls: list[str] = []
+            FakeApecAdapter.instances.append(self)
+
+        def search(self, queries: list[str]) -> list[ApecSearchResult]:
+            self.search_calls.append(list(queries))
+            return list(results)
+
+        def fetch_listing_html(self, url: str) -> str:
+            self.fetch_calls.append(url)
+            return html
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("job_research.cli.ApecAdapter", FakeApecAdapter)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("job_research.cli._utc_now", _fixed_now)
+
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(app, ["fetch-apec", "--data-root", str(data_root)])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert "fetched=50" in result.stdout
+    assert "normalized=50" in result.stdout
+    assert "deduplicated=50" in result.stdout
+    assert "failed=0" in result.stdout
+
+    adapter = FakeApecAdapter.instances[0]
+    assert adapter.max_listings == 50
+    assert adapter.search_calls == [["Role From YAML"]]
+    assert adapter.fetch_calls == [result.url for result in results[:50]]
+
+    run_dir = data_root / "apec" / "runs" / "2026-06-01T10-00-00Z"
+    snapshot_files = sorted((run_dir / "snapshots").glob("*.html"))
+    assert len(snapshot_files) == 50
+
+    run_meta_payload = yaml.safe_load((run_dir / "run-meta.yaml").read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    assert run_meta_payload["fetched_count"] == 50
+    assert run_meta_payload["normalized_count"] == 50
+    assert run_meta_payload["deduplicated_count"] == 50
+    assert run_meta_payload["failed_count"] == 0
+
+
+def test_fetch_apec_fails_when_every_listing_attempt_fails(tmp_path, monkeypatch) -> None:
+    data_root = tmp_path / "data"
+    data_root.mkdir()
+    (data_root / "candidate-profile.yaml").write_text(
+        dedent(
+            """
+            target_roles:
+              - Role From YAML
+            """
+        ).strip(),
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+    results = [
+        ApecSearchResult(url=f"https://example.test/job/{index}", source_job_id=f"job-{index}")
+        for index in range(2)
+    ]
+
+    class FailingApecAdapter:
+        instances: list["FailingApecAdapter"] = []
+
+        def __init__(self, max_listings: int = 50) -> None:
+            self.max_listings = max_listings
+            self.search_calls: list[list[str]] = []
+            self.fetch_calls: list[str] = []
+            FailingApecAdapter.instances.append(self)
+
+        def search(self, queries: list[str]) -> list[ApecSearchResult]:
+            self.search_calls.append(list(queries))
+            return list(results)
+
+        def fetch_listing_html(self, url: str) -> str:
+            self.fetch_calls.append(url)
+            raise RuntimeError(f"boom: {url}")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("job_research.cli.ApecAdapter", FailingApecAdapter)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("job_research.cli._utc_now", _fixed_now)
+
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(app, ["fetch-apec", "--data-root", str(data_root)])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "No listings could be fetched or normalized from Apec" in result.stderr
+
+    adapter = FailingApecAdapter.instances[0]
+    assert adapter.search_calls == [["Role From YAML"]]
+    assert adapter.fetch_calls == [result_item.url for result_item in results]
+
+    run_dir = data_root / "apec" / "runs" / "2026-06-01T10-00-00Z"
+    assert not (run_dir / "listings.yaml").exists()
+    assert not (run_dir / "run-meta.yaml").exists()