diff --git a/src/Integrations/Pods/PodsFieldSource.php b/src/Integrations/Pods/PodsFieldSource.php
index 24a346d..b612cfa 100644
--- a/src/Integrations/Pods/PodsFieldSource.php
+++ b/src/Integrations/Pods/PodsFieldSource.php
@@ -50,11 +50,12 @@ final class PodsFieldSource implements FieldSource
         $this->loadPod = $loadPod ?? static fn (string $name): mixed => pods_api()->load_pod(['name' => $name]);
         $this->podFor = $podFor ?? static fn (string $name, int $id): mixed => pods($name, $id);
         $this->permitted = $permitted ?? static function (object $field): ?bool {
-            if (! function_exists('pods_has_permissions') || ! pods_has_permissions($field)) {
-                return null;
+            // Fail closed: without the Pods permission API no field counts as permitted.
+            if (! function_exists('pods_has_permissions') || ! function_exists('pods_permission')) {
+                return false;
             }
 
-            return function_exists('pods_permission') && (bool) pods_permission($field);
+            return pods_has_permissions($field) ? (bool) pods_permission($field) : null;
         };
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/Unit/Integrations/Pods/PodsFieldSourceTest.php b/tests/Unit/Integrations/Pods/PodsFieldSourceTest.php
index e78c181..e078094 100644
--- a/tests/Unit/Integrations/Pods/PodsFieldSourceTest.php
+++ b/tests/Unit/Integrations/Pods/PodsFieldSourceTest.php
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ final class PodsFieldSourceTest extends TestCase
 
     private function source(?object $pod): PodsFieldSource
     {
-        return new PodsFieldSource(static fn (string $name) => $pod ?? false);
+        return new PodsFieldSource(static fn (string $name) => $pod ?? false, null, static fn (object $field): ?bool => null);
     }
 
     /** @return array<string, array<string, mixed>> */
@@ -79,6 +79,19 @@ final class PodsFieldSourceTest extends TestCase
         self::assertSame(FieldDefinition::UNKNOWN, $fields['mystery']['status']);
     }
 
+    /** Fail-closed: without the Pods permission functions (not loaded in the unit run) no field counts as permitted. */
+    public function testFieldIsHiddenWhenThePodsPermissionFunctionsAreMissing(): void
+    {
+        self::assertFalse(function_exists('pods_has_permissions'));
+        $pod = Mockery::mock();
+        $pod->allows('get_type')->andReturn('post_type');
+        $pod->allows('get_fields')->andReturn(['role' => $this->field('role', 'text')]);
+
+        $fields = (new PodsFieldSource(static fn (string $name) => $pod))->fieldsFor('lit_person');
+
+        self::assertSame(FieldDefinition::HIDDEN, $fields[0]->status);
+    }
+
     public function testParsesCustomSimpleChoices(): void
     {
         self::assertSame(