diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fb12da4..e0a0cd5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -39,6 +39,21 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   identical structs on every redraw are eliminated. Reduces GC pressure
   noticeably on low-power machines and slow terminals.
 
+### Fixed
+- Running `layerx <image>` with no reachable container engine (or with a
+  Podman connection that is unconfigured, missing, or malformed) now prints the
+  same friendly, actionable message the other commands already showed —
+  previously the interactive command printed the raw internal error string with
+  no recovery hint.
+- The archive "could not …" error in the interactive viewer no longer suggests
+  freeing disk space or setting `TMPDIR` for failures that are not disk-full
+  (for example a seek or I/O error on a network mount), matching the
+  command-line behaviour. The disk-space hint now appears only when the
+  underlying cause is a full disk.
+- JSON export now reports a clean "no space left to write &lt;path&gt;" message on a
+  full disk instead of leaking the internal temporary spool file path into the
+  error shown to the user.
+
 ## [v1.6.0] - 2026-07-28
 
 Eight built-in colour themes, transparent-background mode, and TUI visual
diff --git a/cmd/json.go b/cmd/json.go
index 9099bc6..8461226 100644
--- a/cmd/json.go
+++ b/cmd/json.go
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/deveshctl/layerx/image"
 )
@@ -95,7 +97,10 @@ func runJSONExportFromAnalysis(analysis *image.Analysis, outputPath string) erro
 	}
 
 	if err := writeJSONAtomic(outputPath, data); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("writing %s: %w", outputPath, err)
+		// writeJSONAtomic already names outputPath in its disk-full message;
+		// wrap the generic path with %w so callers can still errors.Is/As it
+		// without prefixing a second, redundant "writing <path>:".
+		return fmt.Errorf("could not write JSON: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "layerx: wrote analysis to %s\n", outputPath)
@@ -174,26 +179,37 @@ func writeJSONAtomic(targetPath string, data []byte) error {
 	dir := filepath.Dir(targetPath)
 	f, err := os.CreateTemp(dir, ".layerx-json-*.tmp")
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return cleanDiskWriteErr(targetPath, err)
 	}
 	tmp := f.Name()
 	if _, err := f.Write(data); err != nil {
 		f.Close()
 		os.Remove(tmp)
-		return err
+		return cleanDiskWriteErr(targetPath, err)
 	}
 	if err := f.Sync(); err != nil {
 		f.Close()
 		os.Remove(tmp)
-		return err
+		return cleanDiskWriteErr(targetPath, err)
 	}
 	if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
 		os.Remove(tmp)
-		return err
+		return cleanDiskWriteErr(targetPath, err)
 	}
 	if err := os.Rename(tmp, targetPath); err != nil {
 		os.Remove(tmp)
-		return err
+		return cleanDiskWriteErr(targetPath, err)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// cleanDiskWriteErr rewrites a disk-full failure so the user-facing message
+// names the output path they supplied instead of the internal .tmp spool file
+// (which the raw syscall error carries). Non-ENOSPC errors pass through
+// unchanged — their paths are already the target or a directory the user chose.
+func cleanDiskWriteErr(targetPath string, err error) error {
+	if errors.Is(err, syscall.ENOSPC) {
+		return fmt.Errorf("no space left to write %s (free up disk space and try again)", targetPath)
+	}
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/cmd/json_test.go b/cmd/json_test.go
index 1279c5c..23d0719 100644
--- a/cmd/json_test.go
+++ b/cmd/json_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"syscall"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/deveshctl/layerx/image"
@@ -308,3 +309,22 @@ func TestRunJSONExport_ContextCancelled(t *testing.T) {
 	_, statErr := os.Stat(outPath)
 	assert.True(t, os.IsNotExist(statErr), "no output file must exist when resolve was cancelled (statErr = %v)", statErr)
 }
+
+func TestCleanDiskWriteErr_ENOSPCNamesTargetNotTmp(t *testing.T) {
+	// The raw write error carries the internal .tmp spool path; on ENOSPC the
+	// user-facing message must name the output path they supplied instead.
+	target := "/home/user/out.json"
+	raw := &os.PathError{Op: "write", Path: "/home/user/.layerx-json-123.tmp", Err: syscall.ENOSPC}
+	got := cleanDiskWriteErr(target, raw)
+	assert.Contains(t, got.Error(), target)
+	assert.NotContains(t, got.Error(), ".tmp")
+	assert.Contains(t, got.Error(), "no space left")
+}
+
+func TestCleanDiskWriteErr_NonENOSPCPassesThrough(t *testing.T) {
+	// Non-disk-full errors are returned unchanged — their paths are the target
+	// or a directory the user chose, so there is nothing internal to hide.
+	raw := errors.New("permission denied")
+	got := cleanDiskWriteErr("/home/user/out.json", raw)
+	assert.Same(t, raw, got)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/root.go b/cmd/root.go
index d3a0c62..6d28f95 100644
--- a/cmd/root.go
+++ b/cmd/root.go
@@ -256,24 +256,35 @@ func runInspect(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		return runJSONExport(cmd.Context(), imageRef, flagJSON, noCache)
 	}
 
+	// selectResolver produces the typed engine/resolver errors (no engine
+	// found, Podman connection not configured, malformed connection config)
+	// synchronously, before the TUI starts. Route them through presentCLIError
+	// so the user sees the friendly, actionable message rather than the raw
+	// Error() string cobra would otherwise print — and silence cobra's own
+	// printer so it does not double-print. Mirrors the --json branch above.
+	cmd.SilenceErrors = true
+
 	resolver, err := selectResolver(imageRef)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return presentCLIError(os.Stderr, err)
 	}
 
 	theme, err := resolveTheme(cfg.Theme, flagTheme)
 	if err != nil {
-		return err
+		return presentCLIError(os.Stderr, err)
 	}
 
-	return tui.Run(tui.Config{
+	if err := tui.Run(tui.Config{
 		ImageRef:      imageRef,
 		Resolver:      resolver,
 		NoCache:       noCache,
 		Platform:      activePlatformDisplay(),
 		Theme:         theme,
 		TransparentBg: cfg.TransparentBackground,
-	})
+	}); err != nil {
+		return presentCLIError(os.Stderr, err)
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // warnCIThresholdFlagsIgnored prints a warning to w when CI=true is active
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 4ab68ee..fa3db94 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ func main() {
 		// `layerx build` exactly like `docker build` / `podman build`.
 		os.Exit(e.ExitCode)
 	}
+	// Exit 2 covers ErrCIUsage, ErrCompareUsage, and any unrecognised error.
+	// Usage errors are deliberately distinct from rule failures (ErrCIFailed →
+	// 1) and build failures (ErrBuildFailed → engine code): do NOT remap
+	// ErrCIUsage/ErrCompareUsage to exit 1.
 	os.Exit(2)
 }
 
diff --git a/tui/model.go b/tui/model.go
index 5ad0b2f..c2650f5 100644
--- a/tui/model.go
+++ b/tui/model.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
 	tea "charm.land/bubbletea/v2"
@@ -2438,7 +2439,14 @@ func friendlyError(err error) string {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("Not a valid image archive: %q. Expected a docker-save or OCI layout tarball.", invalidErr.Path)
 	}
 	if infraErr, ok := errors.AsType[*image.ErrArchiveInfra](err); ok {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("Could not %s: %v. Free up disk space or set TMPDIR to a writable location and try again.", infraErr.Op, infraErr.Cause)
+		// The disk-space hint is only trustworthy when the cause is actually a
+		// full disk. ErrArchiveInfra also covers seek/temp-file/I/O failures
+		// (e.g. on a network mount), where telling the user to free disk space
+		// misdirects them. Show the hint only on ENOSPC, matching the CLI.
+		if errors.Is(infraErr.Cause, syscall.ENOSPC) {
+			return fmt.Sprintf("Could not %s: %v. Free up disk space or set TMPDIR to a writable location and try again.", infraErr.Op, infraErr.Cause)
+		}
+		return fmt.Sprintf("Could not %s: %v.", infraErr.Op, infraErr.Cause)
 	}
 	// Platform errors are already user-readable; pass them through verbatim
 	// so the multi-line "Available platforms:" list keeps its formatting.
diff --git a/tui/model_test.go b/tui/model_test.go
index 40e2a24..e29bafd 100644
--- a/tui/model_test.go
+++ b/tui/model_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+	"syscall"
 	"testing"
 
 	tea "charm.land/bubbletea/v2"
@@ -758,6 +759,25 @@ func TestFriendlyErrorGenericReturnsMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "unexpected failure", friendlyError(err))
 }
 
+func TestFriendlyErrorArchiveInfra_ENOSPCKeepsHint(t *testing.T) {
+	// A genuine disk-full cause should keep the free-up-space hint.
+	err := &image.ErrArchiveInfra{Op: "spool layer to temp file", Cause: syscall.ENOSPC}
+	msg := friendlyError(err)
+	assert.Contains(t, msg, "spool layer to temp file")
+	assert.Contains(t, msg, "Free up disk space")
+}
+
+func TestFriendlyErrorArchiveInfra_NonENOSPCDropsHint(t *testing.T) {
+	// A seek/I/O failure that is not ENOSPC must NOT tell the user to free
+	// disk space — that misdirects on network-mount and permission errors.
+	err := &image.ErrArchiveInfra{Op: "seek in spooled archive", Cause: errors.New("input/output error")}
+	msg := friendlyError(err)
+	assert.Contains(t, msg, "seek in spooled archive")
+	assert.Contains(t, msg, "input/output error")
+	assert.NotContains(t, msg, "Free up disk space")
+	assert.NotContains(t, msg, "TMPDIR")
+}
+
 // --- renderLayers ------------------------------------------------------------
 
 func TestRenderLayersDoesNotPanic(t *testing.T) {