diff --git a/lib/mixpanel-ruby/flags/local_flags_provider.rb b/lib/mixpanel-ruby/flags/local_flags_provider.rb
index 56e22c6..9f070a1 100644
--- a/lib/mixpanel-ruby/flags/local_flags_provider.rb
+++ b/lib/mixpanel-ruby/flags/local_flags_provider.rb
@@ -71,7 +71,17 @@ def start_polling_for_definitions!
         # blocking HTTP call, and holding the lifecycle lock across it would
         # block a concurrent stop_polling_for_definitions! for the full request
         # timeout.
-        fetch_flag_definitions
+        #
+        # A transient failure here (network blip, HTTP 500) should NOT prevent
+        # the polling thread from spawning — the loop retries on the configured
+        # interval. Without this inner rescue, the outer rescue below would
+        # catch and return, leaving the SDK permanently without polling until
+        # the caller manually retried.
+        begin
+          fetch_flag_definitions
+        rescue StandardError => e
+          safe_handle_error(e)
+        end
 
         @lifecycle_mutex.synchronize do
           # If a stop arrived during/after our @stop_polling clear above, abort
@@ -202,11 +212,19 @@ def get_all_variants(context)
       # Wrap @error_handler.handle so a misbehaving handler can't kill the
       # polling thread mid-loop — that would leave @polling_thread non-nil but
       # dead, and (without the .alive? check in start) silently prevent restart.
+      #
+      # Always warn to stderr as well. The default Mixpanel::ErrorHandler#handle
+      # is a no-op, so dispatching only via @error_handler swallows schema drift
+      # (NoMethodError, JSON::ParserError, etc.) — the loop runs forever
+      # undetected. Matches the convention in mixpanel-python / mixpanel-java /
+      # mixpanel-go / mixpanel-node, all of which log unconditionally and keep
+      # polling.
       def safe_handle_error(error)
+        warn "[Mixpanel] Failed to fetch flag definitions: #{error.class}: #{error.message}"
         @error_handler.handle(error) if @error_handler
       rescue StandardError
-        # Swallow: keeping the polling loop alive is more important than
-        # propagating a broken handler's failure.
+        # Swallow handler failures: keeping the polling loop alive is more
+        # important than propagating a broken handler's failure.
       end
 
       def fetch_flag_definitions
diff --git a/spec/mixpanel-ruby/flags/local_flags_spec.rb b/spec/mixpanel-ruby/flags/local_flags_spec.rb
index 7382ac3..70a4987 100644
--- a/spec/mixpanel-ruby/flags/local_flags_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/mixpanel-ruby/flags/local_flags_spec.rb
@@ -1001,6 +1001,54 @@ def user_context_with_properties(properties)
         polling_provider.stop_polling_for_definitions!
       end
     end
+
+    # SDK-78: safe_handle_error previously dispatched only to @error_handler,
+    # whose default Mixpanel::ErrorHandler#handle is a no-op — schema drift
+    # (NoMethodError, JSON::ParserError, etc.) looped forever undetected.
+    # Warn to stderr unconditionally so failures are visible without an
+    # error_handler being configured.
+    it 'warns to stderr when fetch raises and no error_handler is configured' do
+      stub_request(:get, endpoint_url_regex).to_return(status: 500, body: 'server down')
+
+      polling_provider = Mixpanel::Flags::LocalFlagsProvider.new(
+        test_token,
+        { enable_polling: false },
+        mock_tracker,
+        nil
+      )
+
+      expect { polling_provider.start_polling_for_definitions! }
+        .to output(/\[Mixpanel\] Failed to fetch flag definitions: Mixpanel::ServerError/).to_stderr
+    end
+
+    # Regression: previously the outer rescue on start_polling_for_definitions!
+    # caught an initial-fetch failure and returned before the @lifecycle_mutex
+    # block ever spawned the poller thread. A single startup blip (transient
+    # 500 / network timeout) left the SDK permanently without a poller until
+    # the caller retried — the whole point of polling.
+    it 'still spawns the polling thread when the initial fetch fails' do
+      stub_request(:get, endpoint_url_regex).to_return(status: 500, body: 'transient')
+
+      polling_provider = Mixpanel::Flags::LocalFlagsProvider.new(
+        test_token,
+        { enable_polling: true, polling_interval_in_seconds: 30 },
+        mock_tracker,
+        nil
+      )
+
+      begin
+        # Warning is expected because the initial fetch fails; capture stderr
+        # so it doesn't pollute test output.
+        expect { polling_provider.start_polling_for_definitions! }
+          .to output(/\[Mixpanel\] Failed to fetch flag definitions/).to_stderr
+
+        polling_thread = polling_provider.instance_variable_get(:@polling_thread)
+        expect(polling_thread).not_to be_nil
+        expect(polling_thread).to be_alive
+      ensure
+        polling_provider.stop_polling_for_definitions!
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe 'service account credentials' do