diff --git a/apps/nextjs/src/app/api/assistant/chat/route.ts b/apps/nextjs/src/app/api/assistant/chat/route.ts
index c49447a41..b41f4cf85 100644
--- a/apps/nextjs/src/app/api/assistant/chat/route.ts
+++ b/apps/nextjs/src/app/api/assistant/chat/route.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ const getToolApprovalSecret = () =>
   Buffer.from(
     hkdfSync("sha256", Buffer.from(env.SECRET_ENCRYPTION_KEY, "hex"), "", "assistant-tool-approval", 32),
   ).toString("base64url");
-const safeStreamError = "The model endpoint stopped the response. Check its URL, model, and credentials.";
+const safeStreamError =
+  "The model endpoint stopped the response. Try again, or ask an administrator to verify its URL, model, and credentials.";
 
 const requestSchema = z.object({
   id: z.string().min(1).max(64),
@@ -267,9 +268,15 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
     });
 
     return result.toUIMessageStreamResponse({ onError: () => safeStreamError });
-  } catch {
+  } catch (error) {
+    logger.error("Assistant response could not start", {
+      error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error),
+    });
     return Response.json(
-      { error: "The configured model endpoint could not start this response. Check its URL, model, and credentials." },
+      {
+        error:
+          "The configured model endpoint could not start this response. Try again, or ask an administrator to verify its URL, model, and credentials.",
+      },
       { status: 502 },
     );
   }
diff --git a/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-panel.module.css b/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-panel.module.css
index ea88c6365..4cb0d06a7 100644
--- a/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-panel.module.css
+++ b/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-panel.module.css
@@ -85,7 +85,12 @@
   border-radius: var(--mantine-radius-md);
   color: var(--mantine-color-red-text);
   background: var(--mantine-color-red-light);
+}
+
+.messageErrorText {
+  color: var(--mantine-color-text);
   font-size: var(--mantine-font-size-sm);
+  line-height: 1.45;
 }
 
 .tool {
diff --git a/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-panel.tsx b/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-panel.tsx
index c5a2c4640..046b67af4 100644
--- a/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-panel.tsx
+++ b/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-panel.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { ToolCallMessagePartProps } from "@assistant-ui/react";
 import {
   ActionBarPrimitive,
   ComposerPrimitive,
+  ErrorPrimitive,
   MessagePartPrimitive,
   MessagePrimitive,
   ThreadListItemPrimitive,
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ import { ActionIcon, Box, Button, Drawer, Group, ScrollArea, Stack, Text, ThemeI
 import { useMediaQuery } from "@mantine/hooks";
 import {
   IconActivityHeartbeat,
+  IconAlertTriangle,
   IconApps,
   IconArchive,
   IconArrowUp,
@@ -151,7 +153,30 @@ const RuntimeError = () => {
   const t = useScopedI18n("common.assistant");
   return (
     <MessagePrimitive.Error>
-      <Box className={classes.messageError}>{t("responseError")}</Box>
+      <ErrorPrimitive.Root className={classes.messageError}>
+        <Group align="flex-start" wrap="nowrap">
+          <ThemeIcon color="red" variant="light" radius="xl" size="md">
+            <IconAlertTriangle size={17} />
+          </ThemeIcon>
+          <Stack gap="xs" flex={1}>
+            <Text size="sm" fw={700}>
+              {t("responseError.title")}
+            </Text>
+            <ErrorPrimitive.Message className={classes.messageErrorText} />
+            <ActionBarPrimitive.Reload asChild>
+              <Button
+                variant="light"
+                color="red"
+                size="compact-sm"
+                w="fit-content"
+                leftSection={<IconRefresh size={14} />}
+              >
+                {t("responseError.retry")}
+              </Button>
+            </ActionBarPrimitive.Reload>
+          </Stack>
+        </Group>
+      </ErrorPrimitive.Root>
     </MessagePrimitive.Error>
   );
 };
diff --git a/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-provider.tsx b/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-provider.tsx
index 012b40610..a342c042e 100644
--- a/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-provider.tsx
+++ b/apps/nextjs/src/components/assistant/assistant-provider.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { lastAssistantMessageIsCompleteWithApprovalResponses } from "ai";
 import { clientApi, fetchApi } from "@homarr/api/client";
 import { useSession } from "@homarr/auth/client";
 import { hotkeys } from "@homarr/definitions";
+import { showErrorNotification } from "@homarr/notifications";
 import { useScopedI18n } from "@homarr/translation/client";
 import {
   openMediaRequestSearch,
@@ -177,12 +178,23 @@ const createHistoryAdapter = (threadId: string | undefined): ThreadHistoryAdapte
 });
 
 const AssistantThreadRuntime = () => {
+  const t = useScopedI18n("common.assistant");
   const threadId = useAuiState((state) => state.threadListItem.remoteId);
   const transport = useMemo(() => new AssistantChatTransport({ api: "/api/assistant/chat" }), []);
   const history = useMemo(() => createHistoryAdapter(threadId), [threadId]);
+  const onError = useCallback(
+    () =>
+      showErrorNotification({
+        title: t("responseError.title"),
+        message: t("responseError.description"),
+        autoClose: 10_000,
+      }),
+    [t],
+  );
 
   return useChatRuntime<UIMessage>({
     transport,
+    onError,
     sendAutomaticallyWhen: lastAssistantMessageIsCompleteWithApprovalResponses,
     adapters: { history },
   });
diff --git a/packages/translation/src/lang/en.json b/packages/translation/src/lang/en.json
index 2248155e7..79dbb8f0d 100644
--- a/packages/translation/src/lang/en.json
+++ b/packages/translation/src/lang/en.json
@@ -2024,7 +2024,11 @@
       "send": "Send message",
       "copy": "Copy response",
       "regenerate": "Regenerate response",
-      "responseError": "The response stopped unexpectedly. Try again, or ask an administrator to verify the model endpoint.",
+      "responseError": {
+        "title": "The assistant could not finish",
+        "description": "Try again. If the problem continues, ask an administrator to verify the configured model endpoint.",
+        "retry": "Try again"
+      },
       "scrollToLatest": "Scroll to latest",
       "approvalRequired": "Approval required",
       "complete": "Complete",