diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7d6b4c1..2b8ec06 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ request-local cache -> process-local cache -> Redis cache -> fallback function
 - Process-local misses try Redis and populate the process-local cache on a Redis hit.
 - Redis misses call the fallback and attempt to populate Redis and, when active, the process-local cache. Tracked invalidation may suppress both publications.
 - Selected tracked Redis keys can execute non-serving [shadow work](#shadow-validation) that validates hits and fills clean misses, even before Redis is allowed to serve callers.
-- Redis read failures and timeouts are logged, counted in metrics, and fail open without attempting a second Redis operation. Redis write failures also fail open. `invalidateRemote` logs/counts Redis failures and rethrows them so callers do not assume invalidation succeeded.
+- Redis read failures and timeouts are logged, counted in metrics, and fail open without attempting a second Redis operation. Redis write failures also fail open. `invalidateRemote` requires a configured Redis client; missing configuration and Redis failures are logged, counted, and rethrown so callers do not assume invalidation succeeded.
 - Cache-key construction and config-provider failures also fail open and run the fallback uncached.
 - A missing effective process-local/Redis TTL disables that layer by policy; a configured TTL with no ramp defaults to 100%. Disabled layers record a disabled reason and fall through to the next layer/fallback.
 
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ Use a narrower copy when its semantics are sufficient; the ownership boundary is
 
 ## Targeted invalidation and watermarks
 
-Mutable Redis-backed use cases can opt into targeted invalidation by setting `trackForInvalidation: true` in the options and calling `dialcache.invalidateRemote(keyType, id, futureBufferMs)` after writes. The buffer is an application-owned safety value; DialCache cannot choose a universally safe nonzero value:
+Mutable Redis-backed use cases can opt into targeted invalidation by setting `trackForInvalidation: true` in the options and calling `dialcache.invalidateRemote(keyType, id, futureBufferMs)` after writes. `invalidateRemote` requires `DialCacheConfig.redis`; local-only caching remains supported, but this explicit remote maintenance operation rejects when Redis is absent. The buffer is an application-owned safety value; DialCache cannot choose a universally safe nonzero value:
 
 ```ts
 import { CacheLayer, DialCache, DialCacheKeyConfig } from "dialcache";
diff --git a/src/dialcache.ts b/src/dialcache.ts
index 90f3eca..4c670c1 100644
--- a/src/dialcache.ts
+++ b/src/dialcache.ts
@@ -481,6 +481,10 @@ export class DialCache {
   /**
    * Writes a remote invalidation watermark for Redis-tracked entries.
    *
+   * Requires a Redis client in the DialCache configuration. If Redis is not
+   * configured, the call rejects rather than reporting an invalidation that
+   * did not occur.
+   *
    * This does not synchronously evict local cache hits or untracked Redis values.
    * Call it only after the source mutation commits.
    *
@@ -522,12 +526,12 @@ export class DialCache {
   async invalidateRemote(keyType: string, id: Id, futureBufferMs = 0): Promise<void> {
     assertSupportedFutureBufferMs(futureBufferMs);
 
-    if (this.redisCache === null) {
-      return;
-    }
-
     this.metrics?.invalidation({ cacheNamespace: this.namespace, keyType, layer: CacheLayer.REMOTE });
     try {
+      if (this.redisCache === null) {
+        throw new TypeError("DialCache invalidateRemote requires a configured Redis client");
+      }
+
       await this.redisCache.invalidate(keyType, String(id), futureBufferMs, this.namespace);
     } catch (error) {
       this.logger.warn("Error writing DialCache invalidation watermark", error);
diff --git a/test/dialcache-invalidation.test.ts b/test/dialcache-invalidation.test.ts
index dae7517..9bdb024 100644
--- a/test/dialcache-invalidation.test.ts
+++ b/test/dialcache-invalidation.test.ts
@@ -403,9 +403,81 @@ describe("DialCache targeted invalidation watermarks", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("rejects missing Redis configuration and records the invalidation failure", async () => {
+    const logger = { debug: vi.fn(), warn: vi.fn(), error: vi.fn() };
+    const metrics = new RecordingMetrics();
+    const dialcache = new DialCache({ logger, metrics });
+
+    const rejection = await dialcache.invalidateRemote("user_id", "123").catch((error: unknown) => error);
+
+    expect(rejection).toBeInstanceOf(TypeError);
+    expect(rejection).toHaveProperty(
+      "message",
+      "DialCache invalidateRemote requires a configured Redis client",
+    );
+    expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "Error writing DialCache invalidation watermark",
+      rejection,
+    );
+    expect(metrics.events).toEqual([
+      {
+        name: "invalidation",
+        labels: { cacheNamespace: "urn", keyType: "user_id", layer: CacheLayer.REMOTE },
+      },
+      {
+        name: "error",
+        labels: {
+          cacheNamespace: "urn",
+          useCase: "watermark",
+          keyType: "user_id",
+          layer: CacheLayer.REMOTE,
+          error: "invalidation",
+          inFallback: false,
+        },
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("preserves the missing Redis error when invalidation observers fail", async () => {
+    const observerError = new Error("observer failed");
+    const logger = {
+      debug: vi.fn(),
+      error: vi.fn(),
+      warn: vi.fn(() => {
+        throw observerError;
+      }),
+    };
+    const metrics = new RecordingMetrics();
+    const invalidationMetric = vi.spyOn(metrics, "invalidation").mockImplementation(() => {
+      throw observerError;
+    });
+    const errorMetric = vi.spyOn(metrics, "error").mockImplementation(() => {
+      throw observerError;
+    });
+    const dialcache = new DialCache({ logger, metrics });
+
+    const rejection = await dialcache.invalidateRemote("user_id", "123").catch((error: unknown) => error);
+
+    expect(rejection).toBeInstanceOf(TypeError);
+    expect(rejection).toHaveProperty(
+      "message",
+      "DialCache invalidateRemote requires a configured Redis client",
+    );
+    expect(logger.warn).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(invalidationMetric).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(errorMetric).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+
   it("rejects invalid future buffers before calling Redis", async () => {
     const redis = new FakeRedis();
-    const dialcache = new DialCache({ redis: { client: redis, readTimeoutMs: 1_000 } });
+    const logger = { debug: vi.fn(), warn: vi.fn(), error: vi.fn() };
+    const metrics = new RecordingMetrics();
+    const dialcache = new DialCache({
+      redis: { client: redis, readTimeoutMs: 1_000 },
+      logger,
+      metrics,
+    });
 
     await expect(dialcache.invalidateRemote("user_id", "123", -1)).rejects.toThrow("futureBufferMs");
     await expect(dialcache.invalidateRemote("user_id", "123", 1.5)).rejects.toThrow("futureBufferMs");
@@ -418,6 +490,8 @@ describe("DialCache targeted invalidation watermarks", () => {
       dialcache.invalidateRemote("user_id", "123", Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER),
     ).rejects.toThrow(`no greater than ${MAX_SUPPORTED_DURATION_MS}`);
     expect(redis.setCalls).toBe(0);
+    expect(logger.warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(metrics.events).toEqual([]);
   });
 
   it("accepts the maximum TTL across local, Redis, and tracked-watermark storage", async () => {
diff --git a/test/dialcache-local.test.ts b/test/dialcache-local.test.ts
index ccf8ce3..0065281 100644
--- a/test/dialcache-local.test.ts
+++ b/test/dialcache-local.test.ts
@@ -79,9 +79,11 @@ describe("DialCache local-only MVP", () => {
     expect(calls).toBe(1);
   });
 
-  it("supports local caching with metrics omitted and no-op invalidation without Redis", async () => {
+  it("supports local caching with metrics omitted while invalidation without Redis rejects", async () => {
     // Given metrics and Redis are both absent.
-    const dialcache = new DialCache();
+    const dialcache = new DialCache({
+      logger: { debug: vi.fn(), warn: vi.fn(), error: vi.fn() },
+    });
     let calls = 0;
     const getUser = dialcache.cached(async (userId: string) => ({ userId, calls: ++calls }), {
       keyType: "user_id",
@@ -92,7 +94,9 @@ describe("DialCache local-only MVP", () => {
 
     // When local caching is used and targeted invalidation is requested without a Redis layer.
     const first = await dialcache.enable(async () => await getUser("123"));
-    await dialcache.invalidateRemote("user_id", "123");
+    await expect(dialcache.invalidateRemote("user_id", "123")).rejects.toThrow(
+      "DialCache invalidateRemote requires a configured Redis client",
+    );
     const second = await dialcache.enable(async () => await getUser("123"));
 
     // Then no metrics adapter or Redis layer is required for the local path to work.