diff --git a/src/layouts/BaseLayout.astro b/src/layouts/BaseLayout.astro
index ae54951..fc1114e 100644
--- a/src/layouts/BaseLayout.astro
+++ b/src/layouts/BaseLayout.astro
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ interface Props {
     tags?: string[];
     category?: string;
   };
+  // Error pages: emit noindex and skip the canonical (a canonical pointing at a
+  // page that does not exist is worse than none).
+  noindex?: boolean;
 }
 
 const {
@@ -35,6 +38,7 @@ const {
   switchHref,
   altLocaleUrl,
   article,
+  noindex = false,
 } = Astro.props;
 
 const canonical = new URL(Astro.url.pathname, SITE.url).href;
@@ -71,7 +75,7 @@ const nav = isZh
 
     <title>{title}</title>
     <meta name="description" content={description} />
-    <link rel="canonical" href={canonical} />
+    {noindex ? <meta name="robots" content="noindex, follow" /> : <link rel="canonical" href={canonical} />}
 
     <!-- hreflang: this page + its other-language twin -->
     {hreflang.map((alt) => (
diff --git a/src/pages/404.astro b/src/pages/404.astro
index 1ae4074..63efbac 100644
--- a/src/pages/404.astro
+++ b/src/pages/404.astro
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ const fmt = (d: Date) =>
 <BaseLayout
   title="404 — Page Not Found — Mr Hoelee"
   description="That URL does not exist on this site. Search the posts or browse the archive."
+  noindex
 >
   <h1>404 — container exited (code 1)</h1>
   <p>