diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c
index 2ecd60c1a..c3f5eab06 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-device.c
@@ -2546,13 +2546,17 @@ fu_device_ensure_inhibits(FuDevice *self)
 		g_signal_handler_block(self, priv->notify_flags_handler_id);
 
 	/* was okay -> not okay */
-	if (fu_device_has_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE) && nr_inhibits > 0) {
+	if (nr_inhibits > 0) {
 		g_autofree gchar *reasons_str = NULL;
 		g_autoptr(GList) values = g_hash_table_get_values(priv->inhibits);
 		g_autoptr(GPtrArray) reasons = g_ptr_array_new();
 
-		fu_device_remove_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE);
-		fu_device_add_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN);
+		/* updatable -> updatable-hidden -- which is required as devices might have
+		 * inhibits and *not* be automatically updatable */
+		if (fu_device_has_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE)) {
+			fu_device_remove_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE);
+			fu_device_add_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN);
+		}
 
 		/* update update error */
 		for (GList *l = values; l != NULL; l = l->next) {
@@ -2561,12 +2565,11 @@ fu_device_ensure_inhibits(FuDevice *self)
 		}
 		reasons_str = fu_common_strjoin_array(", ", reasons);
 		fu_device_set_update_error(self, reasons_str);
-	}
-
-	/* not okay -> is okay */
-	if (fu_device_has_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN) && nr_inhibits == 0) {
-		fu_device_remove_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN);
-		fu_device_add_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE);
+	} else {
+		if (fu_device_has_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN)) {
+			fu_device_remove_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN);
+			fu_device_add_flag(self, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE);
+		}
 		fu_device_set_update_error(self, NULL);
 	}
 
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c
index 6d5fc1ebf..ae7cb32da 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-self-test.c
@@ -1776,6 +1776,28 @@ fu_device_inhibit_func(void)
 	g_assert_false(fu_device_has_flag(device, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN));
 }
 
+static void
+fu_device_inhibit_updateable_func(void)
+{
+	g_autoptr(FuDevice) device = fu_device_new();
+
+	g_assert_false(fu_device_has_flag(device, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE));
+	g_assert_false(fu_device_has_flag(device, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN));
+	g_assert_cmpstr(fu_device_get_update_error(device), ==, NULL);
+
+	/* first one */
+	fu_device_inhibit(device, "needs-activation", "Device is pending activation");
+	g_assert_false(fu_device_has_flag(device, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN));
+	g_assert_false(fu_device_has_flag(device, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE));
+	g_assert_cmpstr(fu_device_get_update_error(device), ==, "Device is pending activation");
+
+	/* activated, but still not updatable */
+	fu_device_uninhibit(device, "needs-activation");
+	g_assert_false(fu_device_has_flag(device, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE));
+	g_assert_false(fu_device_has_flag(device, FWUPD_DEVICE_FLAG_UPDATABLE_HIDDEN));
+	g_assert_cmpstr(fu_device_get_update_error(device), ==, NULL);
+}
+
 #define TEST_FLAG_FOO (1 << 0)
 #define TEST_FLAG_BAR (1 << 1)
 #define TEST_FLAG_BAZ (1 << 2)
@@ -3950,6 +3972,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	g_test_add_func("/fwupd/device{flags}", fu_device_flags_func);
 	g_test_add_func("/fwupd/device{custom-flags}", fu_device_private_flags_func);
 	g_test_add_func("/fwupd/device{inhibit}", fu_device_inhibit_func);
+	g_test_add_func("/fwupd/device{inhibit-updateable}", fu_device_inhibit_updateable_func);
 	g_test_add_func("/fwupd/device{parent}", fu_device_parent_func);
 	g_test_add_func("/fwupd/device{children}", fu_device_children_func);
 	g_test_add_func("/fwupd/device{incorporate}", fu_device_incorporate_func);
diff --git a/src/fu-engine.c b/src/fu-engine.c
index 37d4b3151..a16008857 100644
--- a/src/fu-engine.c
+++ b/src/fu-engine.c
@@ -4291,6 +4291,7 @@ fu_engine_get_result_from_component(FuEngine *self,
 	g_autoptr(FuDevice) dev = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(FwupdRelease) rel = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(GError) error_local = NULL;
+	g_autoptr(GError) error_reqs = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(GPtrArray) provides = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(GPtrArray) tags = NULL;
 	g_autoptr(XbNode) description = NULL;
@@ -4327,6 +4328,8 @@ fu_engine_get_result_from_component(FuEngine *self,
 			fu_device_set_version_raw(dev, fu_device_get_version_raw(device));
 			fu_device_set_version_format(dev, fu_device_get_version_format(device));
 			fu_device_set_version(dev, fu_device_get_version(device));
+		} else {
+			fu_device_inhibit(dev, "not-found", "Device was not found");
 		}
 
 		/* add GUID */
@@ -4355,10 +4358,12 @@ fu_engine_get_result_from_component(FuEngine *self,
 					  request,
 					  task,
 					  FWUPD_INSTALL_FLAG_IGNORE_VID_PID,
-					  error))
-		return NULL;
+					  &error_reqs)) {
+		fu_device_inhibit(dev, "failed-reqs", error_reqs->message);
+		/* continue */
+	}
 
-		/* verify trust */
+	/* verify trust */
 #if LIBXMLB_CHECK_VERSION(0, 2, 0)
 	query = xb_query_new_full(xb_node_get_silo(component),
 				  "releases/release",