diff --git a/src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine.UI/Pages/AiSetupPage.xaml.cs b/src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine.UI/Pages/AiSetupPage.xaml.cs
index 09923f533d..20bdaef38f 100644
--- a/src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine.UI/Pages/AiSetupPage.xaml.cs
+++ b/src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine.UI/Pages/AiSetupPage.xaml.cs
@@ -878,6 +878,7 @@ private async Task RunCoreAsync(Func<CancellationToken, Task> action, bool submi
         _request.Dispose();
         _request = new();
         var token = _request.Token;
+        var reportedFailure = false;
         _busy = true;
         _activities.Clear();
         _activityKey = null;
@@ -923,6 +924,7 @@ private async Task RunCoreAsync(Func<CancellationToken, Task> action, bool submi
                 if (Client?.Phase is not (GatewayAiSetupPhase.Running or GatewayAiSetupPhase.Uncertain or
                     GatewayAiSetupPhase.VerificationRequired or GatewayAiSetupPhase.Prepared))
                     _providerOperationActive = false;
+                reportedFailure = true;
                 ReportFailure(ex);
                 _activityStatus = SetupInstallationStatus.Failed;
             }
@@ -939,7 +941,7 @@ private async Task RunCoreAsync(Func<CancellationToken, Task> action, bool submi
                 if (Client?.Phase is GatewayAiSetupPhase.Cancelled or GatewayAiSetupPhase.Rejected)
                 {
                     _providerOperationActive = false;
-                    if (Client.Phase == GatewayAiSetupPhase.Rejected)
+                    if (Client.Phase == GatewayAiSetupPhase.Rejected && !reportedFailure)
                         ShowError("Rejected");
                 }
                 Render();
@@ -1213,12 +1215,21 @@ private bool CanConnectManual() =>
     private void Preference_Changed(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) => Render();
     private static string S(string key) => SetupLocalization.GetString("Onboarding_AiSetup_" + key);
     private static Visibility Visible(bool value) => value ? Visibility.Visible : Visibility.Collapsed;
-    private void ShowError(string key)
+    private void ShowError(string key, string? detail = null)
     {
-        if (BackdropLocked) _providerError = S(key);
+        var message = S(key);
+        detail ??= key is "VerificationFailed" or "Rejected"
+            ? Client?.VerificationFailure ?? Client?.Wizard?.Error : null;
+        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(detail))
+        {
+            // Rejected is rendered again when the request settles. Retain the exact verification cause.
+            var sanitized = SetupLogger.Sanitize(detail);
+            message += " " + sanitized[..Math.Min(sanitized.Length, 2048)];
+        }
+        if (BackdropLocked) _providerError = message;
         else
         {
-            ErrorBar.Message = S(key);
+            ErrorBar.Message = message;
             ErrorBar.IsOpen = true;
         }
         Render();
@@ -1238,9 +1249,8 @@ private void ReportFailure(Exception error)
             ShowError(error is LocalAiSelectionRejectedException ? "LocalChanged" :
                 error is UnauthorizedAccessException ? "AdminRequired" :
                 Client?.Phase == GatewayAiSetupPhase.Prepared ? "PreparedChanged" :
-                _localExpectedModel is not null || Client?.RequiresReconciliation == true ? "Uncertain" : "Failed");
-            if (error is LocalAiSelectionRejectedException)
-                ErrorBar.Message += " " + error.Message;
+                _localExpectedModel is not null || Client?.RequiresReconciliation == true ? "Uncertain" : "Failed",
+                error.Message);
             Render();
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine/GatewayAiSetupClient.cs b/src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine/GatewayAiSetupClient.cs
index b45bc371f5..e0ab6b866f 100644
--- a/src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine/GatewayAiSetupClient.cs
+++ b/src/OpenClaw.SetupEngine/GatewayAiSetupClient.cs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ public sealed class GatewayAiSetupClient(
     public GatewayAiSetupWizardResult? Wizard { get; private set; }
     public string? SessionId { get; private set; }
     public string? VerifiedModelRef { get; private set; }
+    public string? VerificationFailure { get; private set; }
     public bool IsBusy => _busy;
     public GatewayAiSetupRoute Route => _route;
     public long ConnectionGeneration => transport.Generation;
@@ -167,6 +168,7 @@ private void Select(GatewayAiSetupChoice choice)
             throw new NotSupportedException("This gateway does not advertise the selected setup method.");
         Selection = choice;
         VerifiedModelRef = null;
+        VerificationFailure = null;
         Phase = GatewayAiSetupPhase.Choosing;
     }
 
@@ -344,6 +346,7 @@ private async Task<GatewayAiSetupVerification> VerifyRouteAsync(string expected,
     {
         var generation = transport.Generation;
         VerifiedModelRef = null;
+        VerificationFailure = null;
         _verifiedGeneration = 0;
         var result = await ExecuteAsync<GatewayAiSetupVerification>("openclaw.setup.verify", RouteParams(), 120_000, ct);
         ct.ThrowIfCancellationRequested();
@@ -354,6 +357,7 @@ private async Task<GatewayAiSetupVerification> VerifyRouteAsync(string expected,
             throw new InvalidDataException("Verification did not confirm the selected model.");
         if (!result.Ok && (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(result.Status) || string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(result.Error)))
             throw new InvalidDataException("The gateway returned an incomplete verification failure.");
+        VerificationFailure = result.Ok ? null : result.Error;
         VerifiedModelRef = result.Ok ? result.ModelRef : null;
         _verifiedGeneration = result.Ok ? generation : 0;
         return result;
diff --git a/tests/OpenClaw.Tray.UITests/OnboardingAiPageTests.cs b/tests/OpenClaw.Tray.UITests/OnboardingAiPageTests.cs
index 64a18531e6..6802aee5bc 100644
--- a/tests/OpenClaw.Tray.UITests/OnboardingAiPageTests.cs
+++ b/tests/OpenClaw.Tray.UITests/OnboardingAiPageTests.cs
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ await WithPageAsync(async (page, transport, completed) =>
             Assert.False(Find<ItemsControl>(page, "CandidateChoices").IsEnabled);
             Assert.Equal(0, completed());
             typeof(AiSetupPage).GetMethod("ShowError", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance)!
-                .Invoke(page, ["Failed"]);
+                .Invoke(page, ["Failed", null]);
             var error = Find<InfoBar>(page, "ProviderActivityError");
             Assert.True(error.IsOpen);
             Assert.False(string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(error.Message));
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ await WithPageAsync(async (page, transport, completed) =>
             using (await OnboardingNativeProof.CaptureAsync(ui.TestWindow, $"followup-provider-loading-{theme}", output,
                 ["Connect your AI", "Synthetic provider loading", "Cancel"], requiredContent: page)) { }
             typeof(AiSetupPage).GetMethod("ShowError", System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic | System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance)!
-                .Invoke(page, ["Failed"]);
+                .Invoke(page, ["Failed", null]);
             Assert.True(Find<InfoBar>(page, "ProviderActivityError").IsOpen);
             using (await OnboardingNativeProof.CaptureAsync(ui.TestWindow, $"followup-provider-inline-error-{theme}", output,
                 ["Connect your AI", "Cancel"], requiredContent: page)) { }