diff --git a/webui/src/app/api-client.test.ts b/webui/src/app/api-client.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5e2dbd1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webui/src/app/api-client.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vite-plus/test';
+
+import { HTTPError } from 'ky';
+
+import type { ResponsePromise } from 'ky';
+
+import { readJson } from './api-client';
+
+function createHttpError(body: unknown, status = 400) {
+  const response = new Response(JSON.stringify(body), {
+    status,
+    statusText: 'Bad Request',
+    headers: {
+      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+    },
+  });
+  const request = new Request('https://example.com/api/test');
+  const error = new HTTPError(response, request, {} as any);
+  error.data = body;
+  return error;
+}
+
+describe('readJson', () => {
+  it('returns parsed JSON', async () => {
+    const json = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ ok: true });
+    const promise = { json } as unknown as ResponsePromise<{ ok: boolean }>;
+
+    await expect(readJson(promise)).resolves.toEqual({ ok: true });
+    expect(json).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps HTTPError instances intact and uses the payload message', async () => {
+    const error = createHttpError({ error: 'Nope' }, 403);
+    const json = vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(error);
+    const promise = { json } as unknown as ResponsePromise<unknown>;
+    const result = readJson(promise);
+
+    await expect(result).rejects.toBe(error);
+    await expect(result).rejects.toHaveProperty('message', 'Nope');
+  });
+
+  it('falls back to the HTTPError message when the payload is unhelpful', async () => {
+    const error = createHttpError({ detail: 'missing error field' }, 404);
+    const json = vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(error);
+    const promise = { json } as unknown as ResponsePromise<unknown>;
+    const result = readJson(promise);
+
+    await expect(result).rejects.toBe(error);
+    await expect(result).rejects.toHaveProperty(
+      'message',
+      error.message,
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/webui/src/app/api-client.ts b/webui/src/app/api-client.ts
index 821ac73e..fa54158e 100644
--- a/webui/src/app/api-client.ts
+++ b/webui/src/app/api-client.ts
@@ -12,16 +12,30 @@ export const apiClient = ky.create({
   retry: 0,
 });
 
-export async function parseJsonResponse<T>(promise: ResponsePromise<T>): Promise<T> {
+export async function readJson<T>(promise: ResponsePromise<T>): Promise<T> {
   try {
-    return (await promise.json()) as T;
+    return await promise.json<T>();
   } catch (error) {
     if (error instanceof HTTPError) {
-      const payload = (await error.response.json().catch(() => null)) as { error?: string } | null;
-
-      throw new Error(payload?.error || `Request failed with status ${error.response.status}`);
+      error.message = getHttpErrorMessage(error.data, error.message);
     }
 
     throw error;
   }
 }
+
+type JsonErrorPayload = {
+  error?: unknown;
+  message?: unknown;
+};
+
+function getHttpErrorMessage(data: unknown, fallback: string): string {
+  if (typeof data === 'string' && data.trim()) return data;
+  if (!data || typeof data !== 'object') return fallback;
+
+  const payload = data as JsonErrorPayload;
+  if (typeof payload.error === 'string' && payload.error.trim()) return payload.error;
+  if (typeof payload.message === 'string' && payload.message.trim()) return payload.message;
+
+  return fallback;
+}
diff --git a/webui/src/routes/issues/-issues.helpers.ts b/webui/src/routes/issues/-issues.helpers.ts
index 4dec9db2..02993bd3 100644
--- a/webui/src/routes/issues/-issues.helpers.ts
+++ b/webui/src/routes/issues/-issues.helpers.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { queryOptions } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 
-import { apiClient, parseJsonResponse } from '@/app/api-client';
+import { apiClient, readJson } from '@/app/api-client';
 
 import type {
   IssueCounts,
@@ -18,10 +18,10 @@ const DEFAULT_LIMIT = 100;
 export const REFRESH_EVENT = 'ss:issues-refresh';
 export const CLOSE_EVENT = 'ss:issues-close-detail';
 
-export const DEFAULT_ISSUES_SEARCH: Required<IssuesSearch> = {
+export const DEFAULT_ISSUES_SEARCH = {
   status: 'open',
   category: 'all',
-};
+} satisfies Required<Pick<IssuesSearch, 'status' | 'category'>>;
 
 export const ISSUE_CATEGORY_META: Record<
   string,
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ export function normalizeIssuesSearch(search: IssuesSearch | undefined): Normali
 }
 
 export async function fetchIssueCounts(profileId: number): Promise<IssueCounts> {
-  const payload = await parseJsonResponse<IssueCountsResponse>(
+  const payload = await readJson<IssueCountsResponse>(
     apiClient.get('issues/counts', {
       headers: createIssueHeaders(profileId),
     }),
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ export async function fetchIssueList(
     params.set('category', search.category);
   }
 
-  const payload = await parseJsonResponse<IssueListResponse>(
+  const payload = await readJson<IssueListResponse>(
     apiClient.get('issues', {
       headers: createIssueHeaders(profileId),
       searchParams: params,
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ export async function fetchIssueList(
 }
 
 export async function fetchIssue(profileId: number, issueId: number): Promise<IssueRecord> {
-  const payload = await parseJsonResponse<IssueDetailResponse>(
+  const payload = await readJson<IssueDetailResponse>(
     apiClient.get(`issues/${issueId}`, {
       headers: createIssueHeaders(profileId),
     }),
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ export async function updateIssue(
   issueId: number,
   updates: { status?: string; admin_response?: string },
 ): Promise<void> {
-  const payload = await parseJsonResponse<{ success: boolean; error?: string }>(
+  const payload = await readJson<{ success: boolean; error?: string }>(
     apiClient.put(`issues/${issueId}`, {
       headers: createIssueHeaders(profileId),
       json: updates,
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ export async function createIssue(
   profileId: number,
   payload: CreateIssuePayload,
 ): Promise<IssueRecord | null> {
-  const response = await parseJsonResponse<{
+  const response = await readJson<{
     success: boolean;
     issue?: IssueRecord;
     error?: string;
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ export async function createIssue(
 }
 
 export async function deleteIssue(profileId: number, issueId: number): Promise<void> {
-  const payload = await parseJsonResponse<{ success: boolean; error?: string }>(
+  const payload = await readJson<{ success: boolean; error?: string }>(
     apiClient.delete(`issues/${issueId}`, {
       headers: createIssueHeaders(profileId),
     }),