diff --git a/lib/unified_health_data/service.rb b/lib/unified_health_data/service.rb
index 074655a60df..76192cee5c1 100644
--- a/lib/unified_health_data/service.rb
+++ b/lib/unified_health_data/service.rb
@@ -287,8 +287,16 @@ def get_immunizations
     # Use of this is behind va_online_scheduling_uhd_avs_metadata flipper
     def get_all_avs_metadata(start_date:, end_date:) # rubocop:disable Metrics/MethodLength
       validate_icn!
+      start_d = (start_date || default_start_date).to_s
+      end_d = (end_date || default_end_date).to_s
+
+      if start_d > end_d
+        Rails.logger.error("UHD: start_d not before end_d | start_d: #{start_d}, end_d: #{end_d}")
+        return [[], []]
+      end
+
       with_monitoring do
-        response = uhd_client.get_all_avs(patient_id: @user.icn, start_date:, end_date:)
+        response = uhd_client.get_all_avs(patient_id: @user.icn, start_date: start_d, end_date: end_d)
         # SCDF returns a bundle: DocumentReference, Encounter, and other types.
         body = response.body
         if body.nil? || !body.is_a?(Hash) || body['entry'].blank?
diff --git a/modules/vaos/app/services/vaos/v2/appointments_service.rb b/modules/vaos/app/services/vaos/v2/appointments_service.rb
index 1c096804875..e7fd7cb47cb 100644
--- a/modules/vaos/app/services/vaos/v2/appointments_service.rb
+++ b/modules/vaos/app/services/vaos/v2/appointments_service.rb
@@ -267,9 +267,10 @@ def get_appointment(appointment_id, include = {}, tp_client = 'vagov')
           # We always fetch facility and clinic information when getting a single appointment
           include[:facilities] = true
           include[:clinics] = true
+          start_dt = appointment[:start]&.to_datetime
+          should_fetch_avs = include[:avs] && start_dt&.past?
 
-          avs_metadata = fetch_all_avs_metadata(appointment[:start]&.to_datetime, [appointment],
-                                                include_avs: include[:avs])
+          avs_metadata = fetch_all_avs_metadata(start_dt, [appointment], include_avs: should_fetch_avs)
           prepare_appointment(appointment, include, avs_metadata)
 
           check_appointments_migration_override([appointment])
@@ -498,22 +499,30 @@ def extract_facility_identifiers(appointments)
       # Returns a hash indexed by appointment id (without any prefix like CERNER)
       #
       # @return [Hash{String => Array<UnifiedHealthData::AfterVisitSummary>}]
-      def fetch_all_avs_metadata(start_date, appointments = [], include_avs: false)
+      def fetch_all_avs_metadata(start_date, appointments = [], include_avs: false) # rubocop:disable Metrics/MethodLength
         return {} unless include_avs
         return {} unless Flipper.enabled?(:va_online_scheduling_uhd_avs_metadata, user) &&
                          Flipper.enabled?(APPOINTMENTS_FETCH_OH_AVS, user) &&
                          appointments.any? { |appt| VAOS::AppointmentsHelper.cerner?(appt) }
         return {} if user.icn.nil? || !start_date.respond_to?(:to_date)
 
-        start_date_str = start_date.to_date.to_s
-        end_date_str = Time.zone.today.to_s
-        doc_refs, encounters = unified_health_data_service.get_all_avs_metadata(start_date: start_date_str,
-                                                                                end_date: end_date_str)
+        start_date = start_date.to_date
+        end_date = Time.zone.today
+
+        return {} if start_date > end_date
+
+        doc_refs, encounters = unified_health_data_service.get_all_avs_metadata(start_date:, end_date:)
         clinical_notes_adapter.build_avs_metadata_by_appointment(encounters, doc_refs)
       rescue => e
         err_stack = e.backtrace.reject { |line| line.include?('gems') }.compact.join("\n   ")
-        Rails.logger.error("VAOS: Error retrieving AVS metadata for user #{user.user_account_uuid}:" \
-                           "#{e.class}, #{e.message} \n   #{err_stack}")
+        original_status = e.respond_to?(:original_status) ? e.original_status : nil
+        Rails.logger.error(
+          "VAOS: Error retrieving AVS metadata for user #{user.user_account_uuid}:" \
+          "#{e.class}, #{e.message}" \
+          " | start_date: #{start_date}, end_date: #{end_date}" \
+          " | upstream_status: #{original_status}" \
+          " \n   #{err_stack}"
+        )
         {}
       end
 
diff --git a/modules/vaos/spec/requests/vaos/v2/appointments_spec.rb b/modules/vaos/spec/requests/vaos/v2/appointments_spec.rb
index f43c6b2231f..2d8e453763e 100644
--- a/modules/vaos/spec/requests/vaos/v2/appointments_spec.rb
+++ b/modules/vaos/spec/requests/vaos/v2/appointments_spec.rb
@@ -893,6 +893,24 @@ def stub_clinics
           end
         end
 
+        it 'does not fetch avs when OH appointment is in the future even if avs is requested' do
+          Timecop.freeze(DateTime.parse('2023-09-01T12:00:00Z')) do
+            VCR.use_cassette('vaos/v2/appointments/get_appointment_200_with_facility_200_with_avs_cerner',
+                             match_requests_on: %i[method path query]) do
+              allow(Rails.logger).to receive(:info).at_least(:once)
+              expect_any_instance_of(VAOS::V2::AppointmentsService).to receive(:fetch_all_avs_metadata)
+                .with(anything, anything, include_avs: false).and_call_original
+
+              get '/vaos/v2/appointments/70060?_include=avs', headers: inflection_header
+              expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+              data = JSON.parse(response.body)['data']
+
+              expect(data['id']).to eq('70060')
+              expect(data['attributes']['avsPdf']).to be_nil
+            end
+          end
+        end
+
         it 'has access and returns appointment with OH avs' do
           avs_show_metadata = {
             '523938333130383130' => [
diff --git a/spec/lib/unified_health_data/service_spec.rb b/spec/lib/unified_health_data/service_spec.rb
index 53042b2f31f..1af6a049f68 100644
--- a/spec/lib/unified_health_data/service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/unified_health_data/service_spec.rb
@@ -1895,6 +1895,27 @@
       returned_types = all_returned.map { |entry| entry['resourceType'] }.uniq
       expect(returned_types).to contain_exactly('DocumentReference', 'Encounter')
     end
+
+    it 'returns empty arrays when start_date is after end_date' do
+      expect_any_instance_of(UnifiedHealthData::Client).not_to receive(:get_all_avs)
+      result = service.get_all_avs_metadata(start_date: '2025-12-31', end_date: '2025-01-01')
+      expect(result).to eq([[], []])
+    end
+
+    it 'does not short-circuit when start_date equals end_date' do
+      result = service.get_all_avs_metadata(start_date: '2025-06-15', end_date: '2025-06-15')
+      doc_refs, encounters = result
+      expect(doc_refs.size).to eq(2)
+      expect(encounters.size).to eq(2)
+    end
+
+    it 'accepts Date objects for start_date and end_date' do
+      result = service.get_all_avs_metadata(start_date: Date.new(2025, 1, 1), end_date: Date.new(2025, 12, 31))
+
+      doc_refs, encounters = result
+      expect(doc_refs.size).to eq(2)
+      expect(encounters.size).to eq(2)
+    end
   end
 
   describe '#get_avs_binary_data' do