diff --git a/packages/webui/src/reads.mjs b/packages/webui/src/reads.mjs
index 01224d15..912a6a9b 100644
--- a/packages/webui/src/reads.mjs
+++ b/packages/webui/src/reads.mjs
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ export function queueReader({ root, env = process.env, timeoutMs = 30000, maxByt
       // Node's own (a path and a stack), so it is not shown; the view keeps
       // its last read.
       if (status === 2) return done(reject, new ReadError('queue-refused', said || 'the queue refused the read'));
-      if (status !== 0) return done(reject, new ReadError('read-failed', `the queue read failed (exit ${status})`));
+      if (status !== 0) return done(reject, new ReadError('read-failed', said || `the queue read failed (exit ${status})`));
       try {
         const doc = JSON.parse(Buffer.concat(out).toString('utf8'));
         if (!Array.isArray(doc?.rows) || !Array.isArray(doc?.notes)) throw new Error('shape');