diff --git a/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.service.ts b/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.service.ts
index db038cc903c..27e78bc3f4c 100644
--- a/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/core/submission/vocabularies/vocabulary.service.ts
@@ -148,17 +148,19 @@ export class VocabularyService {
           pagination: paginationOptions
         });
         
-        // Use ORCID external source (try both orcid and orcidV2)
-        return this.externalSourceDataService.getExternalSourceEntries('orcid', searchOptions).pipe(
-          switchMap((orcidResponse: RemoteData<PaginatedList<ExternalSourceEntry>>) => {
-            if (orcidResponse.hasSucceeded && orcidResponse.payload && orcidResponse.payload.page.length > 0) {
+        // Use ORCID external source with proper completion handling  
+        return this.externalSourceDataService.getExternalSourceEntries('orcid', searchOptions, false, false).pipe(
+          // Use the existing DSpace operator to ensure completion
+          getFirstSucceededRemoteDataPayload(),
+          switchMap((paginatedList: PaginatedList<ExternalSourceEntry>) => {
+            if (paginatedList && paginatedList.page.length > 0) {
               // Convert ExternalSourceEntry to VocabularyEntry
-              const vocabularyEntries: VocabularyEntry[] = orcidResponse.payload.page.map(entry => {
+              const vocabularyEntries: VocabularyEntry[] = paginatedList.page.map(entry => {
                 const vocabEntry = new VocabularyEntry();
                 // Display shows author name + ORCID for selection
                 vocabEntry.display = `${entry.display} (ORCID: ${entry.id})`;
-                // Value should be just the author name (what goes in the main field)
-                vocabEntry.value = entry.display; 
+                // Value should be just the author name (what goes in the main field)  
+                vocabEntry.value = entry.display;
                 // Authority is the ORCID ID (what goes in the authority field)
                 vocabEntry.authority = entry.id;
                 vocabEntry.otherInformation = { orcid: entry.id };
@@ -173,8 +175,9 @@ export class VocabularyService {
               return createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(emptyList);
             }
           }),
-          catchError(() => {
-            // On error, return empty list
+          catchError((error) => {
+            console.warn('ORCID lookup failed:', error);
+            // Return empty list on error rather than falling back
             const emptyList = buildPaginatedList(new PageInfo(), []);
             return createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(emptyList);
           })
diff --git a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/models/lookup/dynamic-lookup.component.ts b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/models/lookup/dynamic-lookup.component.ts
index 63545f45d2f..d15964f89bb 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/models/lookup/dynamic-lookup.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/form/builder/ds-dynamic-form-ui/models/lookup/dynamic-lookup.component.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { ChangeDetectorRef, Component, EventEmitter, Input, OnDestroy, OnInit, O
 import { UntypedFormGroup } from '@angular/forms';
 
 import { of as observableOf, Subscription } from 'rxjs';
-import { catchError, distinctUntilChanged } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { catchError, distinctUntilChanged, finalize } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { NgbDropdown } from '@ng-bootstrap/ng-bootstrap';
 import { DynamicFormLayoutService, DynamicFormValidationService } from '@ng-dynamic-forms/core';
 
@@ -230,8 +230,13 @@ export class DsDynamicLookupComponent extends DsDynamicVocabularyComponent imple
           []
         ))
       ),
-      distinctUntilChanged())
-      .subscribe((list: PaginatedList<VocabularyEntry>) => {
+      distinctUntilChanged(),
+      finalize(() => {
+        // Always reset loading state regardless of success or error
+        this.loading = false;
+        this.cdr.detectChanges();
+      })
+    ).subscribe((list: PaginatedList<VocabularyEntry>) => {
         this.optionsList = list.page;
         this.updatePageInfo(
           list.pageInfo.elementsPerPage,
@@ -239,8 +244,6 @@ export class DsDynamicLookupComponent extends DsDynamicVocabularyComponent imple
           list.pageInfo.totalElements,
           list.pageInfo.totalPages
         );
-        this.loading = false;
-        this.cdr.detectChanges();
       }));
   }