diff --git a/changes/31973-improve-installed-ui-status b/changes/31973-improve-installed-ui-status
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1b78189fa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/31973-improve-installed-ui-status
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- Improved handling of softawre install statuses in the UI, fixing a bug where "installed" software
+  sometimes showed up as "uninstalled" when certain other pieces of data were not also present
diff --git a/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/HostSoftwareLibrary/HostSoftwareLibrary.tsx b/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/HostSoftwareLibrary/HostSoftwareLibrary.tsx
index fcfb37d60c..64d269184b 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/HostSoftwareLibrary/HostSoftwareLibrary.tsx
+++ b/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/HostSoftwareLibrary/HostSoftwareLibrary.tsx
@@ -174,9 +174,9 @@ const HostSoftwareLibrary = ({
     if (!hostSoftwareLibraryRes) return [];
     return hostSoftwareLibraryRes.software.map((software) => ({
       ...software,
-      ui_status: getUiStatus(software, isHostOnline),
+      ui_status: getUiStatus(software, isHostOnline, softwareUpdatedAt),
     }));
-  }, [hostSoftwareLibraryRes, isHostOnline]);
+  }, [hostSoftwareLibraryRes, isHostOnline, softwareUpdatedAt]);
 
   const pendingSoftwareSetRef = useRef<Set<string>>(new Set()); // Track for polling
   const pollingTimeoutIdRef = useRef<NodeJS.Timeout | null>(null);
diff --git a/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/Software/helpers.tests.ts b/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/Software/helpers.tests.ts
index 585a9f2c57..a1cf60010b 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/Software/helpers.tests.ts
+++ b/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/Software/helpers.tests.ts
@@ -309,6 +309,13 @@ describe("getUiStatus", () => {
     });
     expect(getUiStatus(sw, true)).toBe("installed");
   });
+  it("returns 'installed' for regular package, no installed versions present", () => {
+    const sw = createMockHostSoftware({
+      status: "installed",
+      installed_versions: null,
+    });
+    expect(getUiStatus(sw, true)).toBe("installed");
+  });
 
   it("returns 'installed' for regular package, installed version higher than library version", () => {
     const sw = createMockHostSoftware({
diff --git a/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/Software/helpers.tsx b/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/Software/helpers.tsx
index e53e39ed1a..a780219b48 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/Software/helpers.tsx
+++ b/frontend/pages/hosts/details/cards/Software/helpers.tsx
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ export const getUiStatus = (
   }
 
   // **Recently_uninstalled check comes BEFORE update_available**
-  if (software.status === null && lastUninstallDate && hostSoftwareUpdatedAt) {
+  if (status === null && lastUninstallDate && hostSoftwareUpdatedAt) {
     const newerDate = getNewerDate(hostSoftwareUpdatedAt, lastUninstallDate);
     if (newerDate === lastUninstallDate || recentUserActionDetected) {
       return "recently_uninstalled";
@@ -276,19 +276,18 @@ export const getUiStatus = (
   }
 
   // 6. Recently installed (not an update)
-  if (
-    software.status === "installed" &&
-    lastInstallDate &&
-    hostSoftwareUpdatedAt
-  ) {
-    const newerDate = getNewerDate(hostSoftwareUpdatedAt, lastInstallDate);
-    if (newerDate === lastInstallDate || recentUserActionDetected) {
-      return "recently_installed";
+  if (status === "installed") {
+    if (lastInstallDate && hostSoftwareUpdatedAt) {
+      const newerDate = getNewerDate(hostSoftwareUpdatedAt, lastInstallDate);
+      if (newerDate === lastInstallDate || recentUserActionDetected) {
+        return "recently_installed";
+      }
     }
+    return "installed";
   }
 
   // 7. Tarballs edge case
-  if (software.source === "tgz_packages" && software.status === "installed") {
+  if (source === "tgz_packages" && status === "installed") {
     return "installed";
   }