diff --git a/src/main/codex/config-sync-stall.test.ts b/src/main/codex/config-sync-stall.test.ts
index 6cdd25613b2..0840a38917e 100644
--- a/src/main/codex/config-sync-stall.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/codex/config-sync-stall.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import {
   getCodexConfigSyncStatus,
+  reportCodexConfigSyncOutcome,
   resetCodexConfigSyncStallLatchForTests
 } from './config-sync-stall'
 import { syncSystemConfigIntoManagedCodexHome } from './codex-config-mirror'
@@ -163,6 +164,19 @@ describe('reportCodexConfigSyncOutcome', () => {
     expect(String(stallLogs[0]?.[0])).toContain('unreadable-source')
   })
 
+  it('names the managed config when that is the unreadable file', () => {
+    const warn = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {})
+    writeFileSync(systemConfigPath(), 'model = "gpt-5"\n', 'utf-8')
+    mkdirSync(runtimeConfigPath())
+
+    reportCodexConfigSyncOutcome(homes.runtimeHomePath, getCodexConfigSyncStatus(homes))
+
+    const message = String(warn.mock.calls[0]?.[0])
+    expect(message).toContain(runtimeConfigPath())
+    expect(message).not.toContain(systemConfigPath())
+    expect(message).toContain('The managed config must be readable before settings can sync.')
+  })
+
   it('clears a stall without claiming the source became readable', () => {
     // Why: a removed runtime config also reads as synced, so "readable again"
     // would be a false claim about a source that is still gone.
diff --git a/src/main/codex/config-sync-stall.ts b/src/main/codex/config-sync-stall.ts
index 86fce3eca80..1dad7cfb080 100644
--- a/src/main/codex/config-sync-stall.ts
+++ b/src/main/codex/config-sync-stall.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,12 @@ export function reportCodexConfigSyncOutcome(
     return
   }
   stalledHomes.set(runtimeHomePath, status.reason)
+  if (status.reason === 'managed-home-unavailable') {
+    console.warn(
+      `[codex-config] Config sync stalled (${status.reason}): ${join(runtimeHomePath, 'config.toml')} is unusable, so ${runtimeHomePath} keeps its last synced settings. The managed config must be readable before settings can sync.`
+    )
+    return
+  }
   console.warn(
     `[codex-config] Config sync stalled (${status.reason}): ${status.systemConfigPath} is unusable, so ${runtimeHomePath} keeps its last synced settings. Edits to the source will not apply until it is readable.`
   )