diff --git a/frontend/src/components/license/license-notification.tsx b/frontend/src/components/license/license-notification.tsx
index 50b4d3ad9..7586f434c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/license/license-notification.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/license/license-notification.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { Alert, AlertDescription, AlertIcon, Box, Button, Flex } from '@redpanda-data/ui';
 import { Link, useLocation } from '@tanstack/react-router';
 import { useEffect } from 'react';
-import { useStore } from 'zustand';
 
 import {
   coreHasEnterpriseFeatures,
@@ -13,15 +12,15 @@ import {
   prettyLicenseType,
 } from './license-utils';
 import { License_Source, License_Type } from '../../protogen/redpanda/api/console/v1alpha1/license_pb';
-import { api, useApiStore } from '../../state/backend-api';
+import { api, useApiStoreHook } from '../../state/backend-api';
 import { capitalizeFirst } from '../../utils/utils';
 
 // biome-ignore lint/complexity/noExcessiveCognitiveComplexity: complex business logic
 export const LicenseNotification = () => {
-  const licenses = useStore(useApiStore, (s) => s.licenses);
-  const licensesLoaded = useStore(useApiStore, (s) => s.licensesLoaded);
-  const licenseViolation = useStore(useApiStore, (s) => s.licenseViolation);
-  const enterpriseFeaturesUsed = useStore(useApiStore, (s) => s.enterpriseFeaturesUsed);
+  const licenses = useApiStoreHook((s) => s.licenses);
+  const licensesLoaded = useApiStoreHook((s) => s.licensesLoaded);
+  const licenseViolation = useApiStoreHook((s) => s.licenseViolation);
+  const enterpriseFeaturesUsed = useApiStoreHook((s) => s.enterpriseFeaturesUsed);
   const location = useLocation();
 
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/license/overview-license-notification.tsx b/frontend/src/components/license/overview-license-notification.tsx
index eec53f646..e503c088e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/license/overview-license-notification.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/license/overview-license-notification.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { Alert, AlertDescription, AlertIcon, Box, Flex, Text } from '@redpanda-data/ui';
 import { Link } from 'components/redpanda-ui/components/typography';
 import { type FC, type ReactElement, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
-import { useStore } from 'zustand';
 
 import {
   consoleHasEnterpriseFeature,
@@ -20,7 +19,7 @@ import {
 } from './license-utils';
 import { RegisterModal } from './register-modal';
 import { type License, License_Type } from '../../protogen/redpanda/api/console/v1alpha1/license_pb';
-import { api, useApiStore } from '../../state/backend-api';
+import { api, useApiStoreHook } from '../../state/backend-api';
 
 const getLicenseAlertContent = (
   licenses: License[],
@@ -255,8 +254,8 @@ const getLicenseAlertContent = (
 };
 
 export const OverviewLicenseNotification: FC = () => {
-  const licenses = useStore(useApiStore, (s) => s.licenses);
-  const clusterOverview = useStore(useApiStore, (s) => s.clusterOverview);
+  const licenses = useApiStoreHook((s) => s.licenses);
+  const clusterOverview = useApiStoreHook((s) => s.clusterOverview);
   const [registerModalOpen, setIsRegisterModalOpen] = useState(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/acl-list.tsx b/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/acl-list.tsx
index 4cf1ee4c0..a5d17461d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/acl-list.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/acl-list.tsx
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ const UserActions = ({ user }: { user: UsersEntry }) => {
 
   return (
     <>
-      {Boolean(api.isAdminApiConfigured) && (
+      {Boolean(api.isAdminApiConfigured) && !isServerless() && (
         <ChangePasswordModal
           isOpen={isChangePasswordModalOpen}
           setIsOpen={setIsChangePasswordModalOpen}
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ const UserActions = ({ user }: { user: UsersEntry }) => {
           <Icon as={MoreHorizontalIcon} />
         </MenuButton>
         <MenuList>
-          {Boolean(api.isAdminApiConfigured) && (
+          {Boolean(api.isAdminApiConfigured) && !isServerless() && (
             <MenuItem
               onClick={(e) => {
                 e.stopPropagation();
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/serverless-password-guard.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/serverless-password-guard.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dfa68d068
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/serverless-password-guard.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright 2022 Redpanda Data, Inc.
+ *
+ * Use of this software is governed by the Business Source License
+ * included in the file https://github.com/redpanda-data/redpanda/blob/dev/licenses/bsl.md
+ *
+ * As of the Change Date specified in that file, in accordance with
+ * the Business Source License, use of this software will be governed
+ * by the Apache License, Version 2.0
+ */
+
+// biome-ignore-all lint/style/noNamespaceImport: test file
+
+import { render, screen } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { UserInformationCard } from 'components/pages/roles/user-information-card';
+import { isServerless } from 'config';
+
+vi.mock('config', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import('config')>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    isServerless: vi.fn(() => false),
+  };
+});
+
+const mockedIsServerless = vi.mocked(isServerless);
+
+/**
+ * These tests verify the serverless guard on the password change UI (UX-963).
+ *
+ * In both user-details.tsx and acl-list.tsx, the password change controls are
+ * gated by `api.isAdminApiConfigured && !isServerless()`. When isServerless()
+ * returns true, onEditPassword is undefined and the UI is hidden.
+ *
+ * We test the UserInformationCard component directly, which renders the "Edit"
+ * password button only when the onEditPassword callback is provided. This
+ * mirrors the guard logic in the parent components.
+ */
+describe('UX-963: password change hidden in serverless mode', () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it('shows the Edit password button when not in serverless mode (onEditPassword provided)', () => {
+    mockedIsServerless.mockReturnValue(false);
+
+    const isAdminApiConfigured = true;
+    const onEditPassword = isAdminApiConfigured && !isServerless() ? vi.fn() : undefined;
+
+    render(<UserInformationCard onEditPassword={onEditPassword} username="test-user" />);
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Edit' })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('hides the Edit password button when in serverless mode (onEditPassword is undefined)', () => {
+    mockedIsServerless.mockReturnValue(true);
+
+    const isAdminApiConfigured = true;
+    const onEditPassword = isAdminApiConfigured && !isServerless() ? vi.fn() : undefined;
+
+    render(<UserInformationCard onEditPassword={onEditPassword} username="test-user" />);
+
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('button', { name: 'Edit' })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('hides the Edit password button when admin API is not configured', () => {
+    mockedIsServerless.mockReturnValue(false);
+
+    const isAdminApiConfigured = false;
+    const onEditPassword = isAdminApiConfigured && !isServerless() ? vi.fn() : undefined;
+
+    render(<UserInformationCard onEditPassword={onEditPassword} username="test-user" />);
+
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('button', { name: 'Edit' })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it('evaluates the guard condition correctly for all combinations', () => {
+    // This directly tests the boolean logic used in user-details.tsx and acl-list.tsx:
+    // api.isAdminApiConfigured && !isServerless()
+    const cases = [
+      { adminApi: true, serverless: false, expected: true },
+      { adminApi: true, serverless: true, expected: false },
+      { adminApi: false, serverless: false, expected: false },
+      { adminApi: false, serverless: true, expected: false },
+    ];
+
+    for (const { adminApi, serverless, expected } of cases) {
+      mockedIsServerless.mockReturnValue(serverless);
+      const result = adminApi && !isServerless();
+      expect(result).toBe(expected);
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/user-details.tsx b/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/user-details.tsx
index 7520cc019..7587f3667 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/user-details.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/pages/acls/user-details.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { UserAclsCard } from 'components/pages/roles/user-acls-card';
 import { UserInformationCard } from 'components/pages/roles/user-information-card';
 import { UserRolesCard } from 'components/pages/roles/user-roles-card';
 import { Button } from 'components/redpanda-ui/components/button';
+import { isServerless } from 'config';
 import type { UpdateRoleMembershipResponse } from 'protogen/redpanda/api/console/v1alpha1/security_pb';
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ const UserDetailsPage = ({ userName }: UserDetailsPageProps) => {
       <div className="flex flex-col gap-4">
         <UserInformationCard
           onEditPassword={
-            api.isAdminApiConfigured
+            api.isAdminApiConfigured && !isServerless()
               ? () => {
                   setIsChangePasswordModalOpen(true);
                 }
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ const UserDetailsPage = ({ userName }: UserDetailsPageProps) => {
           )}
         </div>
 
-        {Boolean(api.isAdminApiConfigured) && (
+        {Boolean(api.isAdminApiConfigured) && !isServerless() && (
           <ChangePasswordModal
             isOpen={isChangePasswordModalOpen}
             setIsOpen={setIsChangePasswordModalOpen}