diff --git a/server/modules/providers/list/claude/claude-auth.provider.ts b/server/modules/providers/list/claude/claude-auth.provider.ts
index c94fe1b4..68874b9d 100644
--- a/server/modules/providers/list/claude/claude-auth.provider.ts
+++ b/server/modules/providers/list/claude/claude-auth.provider.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ type ClaudeCredentialsStatus = {
   error?: string;
 };
 
+const hasErrorCode = (error: unknown, code: string): boolean => (
+  error instanceof Error && 'code' in error && error.code === code
+);
+
 export class ClaudeProviderAuth implements IProviderAuth {
   /**
    * Checks whether the Claude Code CLI is available on this host.
@@ -77,6 +81,8 @@ export class ClaudeProviderAuth implements IProviderAuth {
    * Checks Claude credentials in the same priority order used by Claude Code.
    */
   private async checkCredentials(): Promise<ClaudeCredentialsStatus> {
+    const missingCredentialsError = 'Claude CLI is not authenticated. Run claude /login or configure ANTHROPIC_API_KEY.';
+
     if (process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY?.trim()) {
       return { authenticated: true, email: 'API Key Auth', method: 'api_key' };
     }
@@ -110,15 +116,33 @@ export class ClaudeProviderAuth implements IProviderAuth {
 
         return {
           authenticated: false,
-          email,
-          method: 'credentials_file',
-          error: 'OAuth token has expired. Please re-authenticate with claude login',
+          email: null,
+          method: null,
+          error: 'Claude login has expired. Run claude /login again.',
         };
       }
 
-      return { authenticated: false, email: null, method: null };
-    } catch {
-      return { authenticated: false, email: null, method: null };
+      return {
+        authenticated: false,
+        email: null,
+        method: null,
+        error: missingCredentialsError,
+      };
+    } catch (error) {
+      let errorMessage = 'Unable to read Claude credentials. Run claude /login again.';
+
+      if (hasErrorCode(error, 'ENOENT')) {
+        errorMessage = missingCredentialsError;
+      } else if (error instanceof SyntaxError) {
+        errorMessage = 'Claude credentials are unreadable. Run claude /login again.';
+      }
+
+      return {
+        authenticated: false,
+        email: null,
+        method: null,
+        error: errorMessage,
+      };
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/provider-auth/hooks/useProviderAuthStatus.ts b/src/components/provider-auth/hooks/useProviderAuthStatus.ts
index 387d6327..9231e770 100644
--- a/src/components/provider-auth/hooks/useProviderAuthStatus.ts
+++ b/src/components/provider-auth/hooks/useProviderAuthStatus.ts
@@ -70,34 +70,39 @@ export function useProviderAuthStatus(
     }));
   }, []);
 
-  const checkProviderAuthStatus = useCallback(async (provider: LLMProvider) => {
+  const checkProviderAuthStatus = useCallback(async (provider: LLMProvider): Promise<ProviderAuthStatus> => {
     setProviderLoading(provider);
 
     try {
       const response = await authenticatedFetch(PROVIDER_AUTH_STATUS_ENDPOINTS[provider]);
 
       if (!response.ok) {
-        setProviderStatus(provider, {
+        const status: ProviderAuthStatus = {
           authenticated: false,
           email: null,
           method: null,
           loading: false,
           error: FALLBACK_STATUS_ERROR,
-        });
-        return;
+        };
+        setProviderStatus(provider, status);
+        return status;
       }
 
       const payload = (await response.json()) as ProviderAuthStatusApiResponse;
-      setProviderStatus(provider, toProviderAuthStatus(payload.data));
+      const status = toProviderAuthStatus(payload.data);
+      setProviderStatus(provider, status);
+      return status;
     } catch (caughtError) {
       console.error(`Error checking ${provider} auth status:`, caughtError);
-      setProviderStatus(provider, {
+      const status: ProviderAuthStatus = {
         authenticated: false,
         email: null,
         method: null,
         loading: false,
         error: toErrorMessage(caughtError),
-      });
+      };
+      setProviderStatus(provider, status);
+      return status;
     }
   }, [setProviderLoading, setProviderStatus]);
 
diff --git a/src/components/settings/hooks/useSettingsController.ts b/src/components/settings/hooks/useSettingsController.ts
index 5463a5bb..c81a7c04 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/hooks/useSettingsController.ts
+++ b/src/components/settings/hooks/useSettingsController.ts
@@ -213,12 +213,19 @@ export function useSettingsController({ isOpen, initialTab }: UseSettingsControl
   }, []);
 
   const handleLoginComplete = useCallback((exitCode: number) => {
-    if (exitCode !== 0 || !loginProvider) {
+    if (!loginProvider) {
       return;
     }
 
-    setSaveStatus('success');
-    void checkProviderAuthStatus(loginProvider);
+    void (async () => {
+      const authStatus = await checkProviderAuthStatus(loginProvider);
+
+      if (exitCode !== 0) {
+        console.warn(`Login process exited with code ${exitCode}; refreshing auth status before setting save status.`);
+      }
+
+      setSaveStatus(authStatus.authenticated ? 'success' : 'error');
+    })();
   }, [checkProviderAuthStatus, loginProvider]);
 
   const saveSettings = useCallback(async () => {