diff --git a/src/main/github/client/check/rerun-pr-checks.ts b/src/main/github/client/check/rerun-pr-checks.ts
index f0d66f29a17..82059bab664 100644
--- a/src/main/github/client/check/rerun-pr-checks.ts
+++ b/src/main/github/client/check/rerun-pr-checks.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
 import type { GitHubRerunPRChecksResult } from '../../../../shared/github/check-types'
-import {
-  ghExecFileAsync,
-  acquire,
-  release,
-  classifyGhError,
-  type LocalGitExecOptions
-} from '../../gh-utils'
+import { ghExecFileAsync, acquire, release, type LocalGitExecOptions } from '../../gh-utils'
+// Why: pure error helpers come from their own modules so tests that mock gh-utils still classify for real.
+import { extractExecError } from '../../../git/exec-error'
+import { classifyRerunChecksError } from '../../gh-error-classification'
 import { resolveGitHubRepoExecution, type GitHubApiRepository } from '../../github-api-repository'
 import { getPRChecks } from './get-pr-checks'
 import { parseActionsRunId } from './check-detail-field-mapping'
@@ -92,9 +89,8 @@ export async function rerunPRChecks(
     }
     return { ok: true, count }
   } catch (err) {
-    const message =
-      err instanceof Error ? err.message : typeof err === 'string' ? err : 'Unknown error'
-    const classified = classifyGhError(message).message
+    const { stderr } = extractExecError(err)
+    const classified = classifyRerunChecksError(stderr).message
     // Why: these POSTs are not idempotent — say how many reruns already started so a retry isn't blind.
     return {
       ok: false,
diff --git a/src/main/github/gh-error-classification.ts b/src/main/github/gh-error-classification.ts
index 70905162f27..1093b88dc68 100644
--- a/src/main/github/gh-error-classification.ts
+++ b/src/main/github/gh-error-classification.ts
@@ -81,3 +81,21 @@ export function classifyListPrsError(stderr: string): ClassifiedError {
   const c = classifyGhError(stderr)
   return { type: c.type, message: `Failed to load pull requests: ${stderr.trim()}` }
 }
+
+// Why: classifyGhError's copy names an "issue"; a failed check rerun must name
+// the operation the user actually triggered.
+export function classifyRerunChecksError(stderr: string): ClassifiedError {
+  const c = classifyGhError(stderr)
+  const trimmed = stderr.trim()
+  const rerunMessages: Record<ClassifiedError['type'], string> = {
+    permission_denied:
+      "You don't have permission to rerun checks on this repository. Check your GitHub token scopes.",
+    not_found: 'Check run not found — it may have expired or been deleted.',
+    issues_disabled: `Failed to rerun checks: ${trimmed}`,
+    validation_error: `Could not rerun checks — ${trimmed}`,
+    rate_limited: c.message,
+    network_error: c.message,
+    unknown: `Failed to rerun checks: ${trimmed}`
+  }
+  return { type: c.type, message: rerunMessages[c.type] }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/updater.linux-root-package-install.test.ts b/src/main/updater.linux-root-package-install.test.ts
index 31414745967..13534866863 100644
--- a/src/main/updater.linux-root-package-install.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/updater.linux-root-package-install.test.ts
@@ -601,6 +601,8 @@ describe('updater', () => {
       await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(100)
       expect(revalidation.invocationCount()).toBe(1)
       updater.quitAndInstall()
+      // Advancing here proves the second request never scheduled its own quit timer.
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(100)
       expect(revalidation.invocationCount()).toBe(1)
       revalidation.settle({ ok: true })
       await settleQuitAndInstall()