diff --git a/src/course-outline/section-card/SectionCard.tsx b/src/course-outline/section-card/SectionCard.tsx
index 2e4bfac07b..aaa6e7f018 100644
--- a/src/course-outline/section-card/SectionCard.tsx
+++ b/src/course-outline/section-card/SectionCard.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { useIntl } from '@edx/frontend-platform/i18n';
 import {
   Bubble, Button, Icon, StandardModal, useToggle,
 } from '@openedx/paragon';
-import { Newsstand } from '@openedx/paragon/icons';
+import { LinkOff, Newsstand } from '@openedx/paragon/icons';
 import { useSearchParams } from 'react-router-dom';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import { ContainerType } from '@src/generic/key-utils';
 import { ComponentPicker, SelectedComponent } from '@src/library-authoring';
 import { ContentType } from '@src/library-authoring/routes';
 import { COMPONENT_TYPES } from '@src/generic/block-type-utils/constants';
-import { XBlock } from '@src/data/types';
+import type { XBlock } from '@src/data/types';
 import messages from './messages';
 
 interface SectionCardProps {
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ const SectionCard = ({
     highlights,
     actions: sectionActions,
     isHeaderVisible = true,
+    upstreamInfo,
   } = section;
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -219,14 +220,16 @@ const SectionCard = ({
     }
   }, [savingStatus]);
 
+  const upstreamRefOk = !upstreamInfo?.errorMessage;
+
   const titleComponent = (
     <TitleButton
       title={displayName}
       isExpanded={isExpanded}
       onTitleClick={handleExpandContent}
       namePrefix={namePrefix}
-      prefixIcon={!!section.upstreamInfo?.upstreamRef && (
-        <Icon src={Newsstand} className="mr-1" />
+      prefixIcon={!!upstreamInfo?.upstreamRef && (
+        <Icon src={upstreamRefOk ? Newsstand : LinkOff} className="mr-1" />
       )}
     />
   );
diff --git a/src/course-outline/subsection-card/SubsectionCard.tsx b/src/course-outline/subsection-card/SubsectionCard.tsx
index 2ede79e353..12aebe28f7 100644
--- a/src/course-outline/subsection-card/SubsectionCard.tsx
+++ b/src/course-outline/subsection-card/SubsectionCard.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { useDispatch } from 'react-redux';
 import { useSearchParams } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useIntl } from '@edx/frontend-platform/i18n';
 import { Icon, StandardModal, useToggle } from '@openedx/paragon';
-import { Newsstand } from '@openedx/paragon/icons';
+import { LinkOff, Newsstand } from '@openedx/paragon/icons';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 import { isEmpty } from 'lodash';
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import { COMPONENT_TYPES } from '@src/generic/block-type-utils/constants';
 import { ContainerType } from '@src/generic/key-utils';
 import { ContentType } from '@src/library-authoring/routes';
 import OutlineAddChildButtons from '@src/course-outline/OutlineAddChildButtons';
-import { XBlock } from '@src/data/types';
+import type { XBlock } from '@src/data/types';
 import messages from './messages';
 
 interface SubsectionCardProps {
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ const SubsectionCard = ({
     isHeaderVisible = true,
     enableCopyPasteUnits = false,
     proctoringExamConfigurationLink,
+    upstreamInfo,
   } = subsection;
 
   // re-create actions object for customizations
@@ -167,14 +168,16 @@ const SubsectionCard = ({
   const handleNewButtonClick = () => onNewUnitSubmit(id);
   const handlePasteButtonClick = () => onPasteClick(id, section.id);
 
+  const upstreamRefOk = !upstreamInfo?.errorMessage;
+
   const titleComponent = (
     <TitleButton
       title={displayName}
       isExpanded={isExpanded}
       onTitleClick={handleExpandContent}
       namePrefix={namePrefix}
-      prefixIcon={!!subsection.upstreamInfo?.upstreamRef && (
-        <Icon src={Newsstand} className="mr-1" />
+      prefixIcon={!!upstreamInfo?.upstreamRef && (
+        <Icon src={upstreamRefOk ? Newsstand : LinkOff} className="mr-1" />
       )}
     />
   );
diff --git a/src/course-outline/unit-card/UnitCard.tsx b/src/course-outline/unit-card/UnitCard.tsx
index 62a5d307f9..5f0339900f 100644
--- a/src/course-outline/unit-card/UnitCard.tsx
+++ b/src/course-outline/unit-card/UnitCard.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {
 } from 'react';
 import { useDispatch } from 'react-redux';
 import { Icon, useToggle } from '@openedx/paragon';
-import { Newsstand } from '@openedx/paragon/icons';
+import { LinkOff, Newsstand } from '@openedx/paragon/icons';
 import { isEmpty } from 'lodash';
 import { useSearchParams } from 'react-router-dom';
 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import XBlockStatus from '@src/course-outline/xblock-status/XBlockStatus';
 import { getItemStatus, getItemStatusBorder, scrollToElement } from '@src/course-outline/utils';
 import { useClipboard } from '@src/generic/clipboard';
 import { PreviewLibraryXBlockChanges } from '@src/course-unit/preview-changes';
-import { XBlock } from '@src/data/types';
+import type { XBlock } from '@src/data/types';
 
 interface UnitCardProps {
   unit: XBlock;
@@ -157,13 +157,15 @@ const UnitCard = ({
     dispatch(fetchCourseSectionQuery([section.id]));
   }, [dispatch, section]);
 
+  const upstreamRefOk = !upstreamInfo?.errorMessage;
+
   const titleComponent = (
     <TitleLink
       title={displayName}
       titleLink={getTitleLink(id)}
       namePrefix={namePrefix}
-      prefixIcon={!!unit.upstreamInfo?.upstreamRef && (
-        <Icon src={Newsstand} size="sm" className="mr-1" />
+      prefixIcon={!!upstreamInfo?.upstreamRef && (
+        <Icon src={upstreamRefOk ? Newsstand : LinkOff} size="sm" className="mr-1" />
       )}
     />
   );
diff --git a/src/course-unit/data/utils.js b/src/course-unit/data/utils.ts
similarity index 55%
rename from src/course-unit/data/utils.js
rename to src/course-unit/data/utils.ts
index 891021debd..94c457455f 100644
--- a/src/course-unit/data/utils.js
+++ b/src/course-unit/data/utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { camelCaseObject } from '@edx/frontend-platform';
 
+import type { XBlock } from '@src/data/types';
+
 import { NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES } from '../../constants';
 import { PUBLISH_TYPES } from '../constants';
 
@@ -27,35 +29,42 @@ export function normalizeCourseSectionVerticalData(metadata) {
 
 /**
  * Get the notification message based on the publishing type and visibility.
- * @param {string} type - The publishing type.
- * @param {boolean} isVisible - The visibility status.
- * @param {boolean} isModalView - The modal view status.
- * @returns {string} The corresponding notification message.
+ * @param type - The publishing type.
+ * @param isVisible - The visibility status.
+ * @param isModalView - The modal view status.
+ * @returns The corresponding notification message.
  */
-export const getNotificationMessage = (type, isVisible, isModalView) => {
-  let notificationMessage;
-
+export const getNotificationMessage = (type: string, isVisible: boolean, isModalView: boolean): string => {
   if (type === PUBLISH_TYPES.discardChanges) {
-    notificationMessage = NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.discardChanges;
-  } else if (type === PUBLISH_TYPES.makePublic) {
-    notificationMessage = NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.publishing;
-  } else if (type === PUBLISH_TYPES.republish && isModalView) {
-    notificationMessage = NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.saving;
-  } else if (type === PUBLISH_TYPES.republish && !isVisible) {
-    notificationMessage = NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.makingVisibleToStudents;
-  } else if (type === PUBLISH_TYPES.republish && isVisible) {
-    notificationMessage = NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.hidingFromStudents;
+    return NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.discardChanges;
+  }
+  if (type === PUBLISH_TYPES.makePublic) {
+    return NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.publishing;
+  }
+  if (type === PUBLISH_TYPES.republish && isModalView) {
+    return NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.saving;
+  }
+  // istanbul ignore next: this is not used in the app
+  if (type === PUBLISH_TYPES.republish && !isVisible) {
+    return NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.makingVisibleToStudents;
+  }
+
+  // istanbul ignore next: this is not used in the app
+  if (type === PUBLISH_TYPES.republish && isVisible) {
+    return NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.hidingFromStudents;
   }
 
-  return notificationMessage;
+  // istanbul ignore next: should never hit this case
+  return NOTIFICATION_MESSAGES.empty;
 };
 
 /**
  * Updates the 'id' property of objects in the data structure using the 'blockId' value where present.
- * @param {Object} data - The original data structure to be updated.
- * @returns {Object} - The updated data structure with updated 'id' values.
+ * @param data - The original data structure to be updated.
+ * @returns The updated data structure with updated 'id' values.
  */
-export const updateXBlockBlockIdToId = (data) => {
+export const updateXBlockBlockIdToId = (data: object): object => {
+  // istanbul ignore if: should never hit this case
   if (typeof data !== 'object' || data === null) {
     return data;
   }
@@ -64,7 +73,7 @@ export const updateXBlockBlockIdToId = (data) => {
     return data.map(updateXBlockBlockIdToId);
   }
 
-  const updatedData = {};
+  const updatedData: Record<string, any> = {};
 
   Object.keys(data).forEach(key => {
     const value = data[key];
@@ -90,9 +99,11 @@ export const updateXBlockBlockIdToId = (data) => {
  *
  * Units sourced from libraries are read-only (temporary, for Teak).
  *
- * @param {object} unit - uses the 'upstreamInfo' object if found.
- * @returns {boolean} True if readOnly, False if editable.
+ * @param unit - uses the 'upstreamInfo' object if found.
+ * @returns True if readOnly, False if editable.
  */
-export const isUnitReadOnly = ({ upstreamInfo }) => (
-  upstreamInfo && upstreamInfo.upstreamRef && upstreamInfo.upstreamRef.startsWith('lct:')
+export const isUnitReadOnly = ({ upstreamInfo }: XBlock): boolean => (
+  !!upstreamInfo
+  && !!upstreamInfo.upstreamRef
+  && upstreamInfo.upstreamRef.startsWith('lct:')
 );
diff --git a/src/data/types.ts b/src/data/types.ts
index f7fedfd820..c2ac2a469e 100644
--- a/src/data/types.ts
+++ b/src/data/types.ts
@@ -47,10 +47,11 @@ export interface XBlockPrereqs {
   blockDisplayName: string;
 }
 
-export interface UpstreeamInfo {
+export interface UpstreamInfo {
   readyToSync: boolean,
   upstreamRef: string,
   versionSynced: number,
+  errorMessage: string | null,
 }
 
 export interface XBlock {
@@ -106,5 +107,5 @@ export interface XBlock {
   prereqMinScore?: number;
   prereqMinCompletion?: number;
   discussionEnabled?: boolean;
-  upstreamInfo?: UpstreeamInfo;
+  upstreamInfo?: UpstreamInfo;
 }