diff --git a/client b/client
index 20316569..1821d1fd 160000
--- a/client
+++ b/client
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 20316569327165c51760005e063513ba414458b3
+Subproject commit 1821d1fdd5e305c51a76a6cda51a49915ed6ab70
diff --git a/common/proto/table_definition.proto b/common/proto/table_definition.proto
index 717cdcb6..a788705d 100644
--- a/common/proto/table_definition.proto
+++ b/common/proto/table_definition.proto
@@ -316,10 +316,8 @@ message ProfileTreeResponse {
 }
 
 message GetTableCatalogRequest {
-  // Profile whose tables to list, together with the shared tables every
-  // profile sees. The profile holding the shared tables is named like any
-  // other, and asking for it lists exactly those.
-  string profile_name = 1;
+  // Selected profile. Omit this field to request the global-only scope.
+  optional string profile_name = 1;
 }
 
 message GetTableCatalogResponse {
diff --git a/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin b/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin
index 96660fe2..fe53a903 100644
Binary files a/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin and b/common/src/proto/descriptor.bin differ
diff --git a/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_definition.rs b/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_definition.rs
index da0117ad..98f0c56e 100644
--- a/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_definition.rs
+++ b/common/src/proto/komp_ac.table_definition.rs
@@ -288,11 +288,9 @@ pub mod profile_tree_response {
 }
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, ::prost::Message)]
 pub struct GetTableCatalogRequest {
-    /// Profile whose tables to list, together with the shared tables every
-    /// profile sees. The profile holding the shared tables is named like any
-    /// other, and asking for it lists exactly those.
-    #[prost(string, tag = "1")]
-    pub profile_name: ::prost::alloc::string::String,
+    /// Selected profile. Omit this field to request the global-only scope.
+    #[prost(string, optional, tag = "1")]
+    pub profile_name: ::core::option::Option<::prost::alloc::string::String>,
 }
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, ::prost::Message)]
 pub struct GetTableCatalogResponse {
diff --git a/server b/server
index 645b45e8..1a7b8946 160000
--- a/server
+++ b/server
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 645b45e81ba80067ff2aa1d98a2c8ef9cd603b07
+Subproject commit 1a7b8946a2e7fbb3ec57718ee56c17800470129a
diff --git a/web/CHANGELOG.md b/web/CHANGELOG.md
index f1ec3110..b702e9fa 100644
--- a/web/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/web/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -18,11 +18,9 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/).
 
 - **The shared profile is named by the backend** — `ProfileTreeResponse`
   gained `shared_profile_name`, and every page that browses the shared tables
-  now reads the name from there instead of spelling `__global` itself. The
-  admin panel, the table-definition workspace, the add-table builder and the
-  transfer pages each pass that name as `GetTableCatalogRequest.profile_name`,
-  which is no longer optional: the shared profile is asked for by name like
-  any other.
+  now reads the name from there instead of spelling `__global` itself. Catalog
+  discovery retains its global-only request, which does not require the shared
+  profile to have been created yet.
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/web/src/pages/add_table/loader.rs b/web/src/pages/add_table/loader.rs
index 6d157d93..f8d3886c 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/add_table/loader.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/add_table/loader.rs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn load_page(
     let catalog_tables = definitions
         .get_table_catalog(
             authenticated_request(headers, GetTableCatalogRequest {
-                    profile_name: shared_profile.clone(),
+                    profile_name: None,
                 })
                 .map_err(|_| LoadError::Unauthenticated)?,
         )
diff --git a/web/src/pages/admin/admin/loader.rs b/web/src/pages/admin/admin/loader.rs
index 724e4e13..c6eae4f1 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/admin/admin/loader.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/admin/admin/loader.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn load_admin_page(
         &definitions
             .get_table_catalog(
                 authenticated_request(headers, GetTableCatalogRequest {
-                    profile_name: shared_profile.clone(),
+                    profile_name: None,
                 })
                     .map_err(authentication_error)?,
             )
diff --git a/web/src/pages/admin/table_definition/loader.rs b/web/src/pages/admin/table_definition/loader.rs
index d700cc5a..1eac25c0 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/admin/table_definition/loader.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/admin/table_definition/loader.rs
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn load_page(
     let catalog_tables = definitions
         .get_table_catalog(
             authenticated_request(headers, GetTableCatalogRequest {
-                    profile_name: shared_profile.clone(),
+                    profile_name: None,
                 })
                 .map_err(|_| LoadError::Unauthenticated)?,
         )
diff --git a/web/src/pages/import_export/common/loader.rs b/web/src/pages/import_export/common/loader.rs
index 715b3b9f..6eabb8f1 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/import_export/common/loader.rs
+++ b/web/src/pages/import_export/common/loader.rs
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn load_catalog(
         &definitions
             .get_table_catalog(
                 authenticated_request(headers, GetTableCatalogRequest {
-                    profile_name: shared_profile.clone(),
+                    profile_name: None,
                 })
                     .map_err(|_| LoadError::Unauthenticated)?,
             )