diff --git a/packages/tui/src/app.tsx b/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
index 57b99c45ce..fecf71b6c8 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { ClipboardProvider, useClipboard } from "./context/clipboard"
 import { ExitProvider, useExit } from "./context/exit"
 import { EpilogueProvider } from "./context/epilogue"
 import * as Selection from "./util/selection"
-import { createCliRenderer, MouseButton, type CliRenderer } from "@opentui/core"
+import { createCliRenderer, MouseButton } from "@opentui/core"
 import { RouteProvider, useRoute } from "./context/route"
 import {
   Switch,
@@ -183,21 +183,23 @@ export const run = Effect.fn("Tui.run")(function* (input: TuiInput) {
   const result = yield* Effect.scoped(
     Effect.gen(function* () {
       const renderer = yield* Effect.acquireRelease(
-        Effect.tryPromise(() =>
-          createCliRenderer({
-            externalOutputMode: "passthrough",
-            targetFps: 60,
-            gatherStats: false,
-            exitOnCtrlC: false,
-            useKittyKeyboard: {},
-            autoFocus: false,
-            openConsoleOnError: false,
-            useMouse: !Flag.OPENCODE_DISABLE_MOUSE && input.config.mouse,
-            consoleOptions: {
-              keyBindings: [{ name: "y", ctrl: true, action: "copy-selection" }],
-            },
-          }),
-        ),
+        Effect.tryPromise({
+          try: () =>
+            createCliRenderer({
+              externalOutputMode: "passthrough",
+              targetFps: 60,
+              gatherStats: false,
+              exitOnCtrlC: false,
+              useKittyKeyboard: {},
+              autoFocus: false,
+              openConsoleOnError: false,
+              useMouse: !Flag.OPENCODE_DISABLE_MOUSE && input.config.mouse,
+              consoleOptions: {
+                keyBindings: [{ name: "y", ctrl: true, action: "copy-selection" }],
+              },
+            }),
+          catch: (error) => (error instanceof Error ? error : new Error(String(error))),
+        }),
         (renderer) =>
           Effect.sync(() => {
             destroyRenderer(renderer)
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/app-renderer-init.test.tsx b/packages/tui/test/app-renderer-init.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..89f9e122bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/tui/test/app-renderer-init.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { expect, mock, test } from "bun:test"
+import { Effect } from "effect"
+import { Global } from "@opencode-ai/core/global"
+import { createTuiResolvedConfig } from "./fixture/tui-runtime"
+
+test("run preserves the original renderer initialization error message", async () => {
+  const message = 'Failed to open library "opentui.dll": error code 126'
+  const core = await import("@opentui/core")
+  mock.module("@opentui/core", () => ({
+    ...core,
+    createCliRenderer: async () => {
+      throw new Error(message)
+    },
+  }))
+
+  try {
+    const { run } = await import("../src/app")
+
+    await expect(
+      Effect.runPromise(
+        run({
+          url: "http://test",
+          config: createTuiResolvedConfig({ plugin_enabled: {} }),
+          args: {},
+          pluginHost: {
+            async start() {},
+            async dispose() {},
+          },
+        }).pipe(Effect.provide(Global.defaultLayer)),
+      ),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(message)
+  } finally {
+    mock.restore()
+  }
+})