diff --git a/backend/api/routers/system.py b/backend/api/routers/system.py
index 0666e1f1..fcaec4ab 100644
--- a/backend/api/routers/system.py
+++ b/backend/api/routers/system.py
@@ -476,7 +476,12 @@ async def clear_tauri_logs():
                 cleared.append(p)
             except OSError:
                 failed += 1
-    return {"cleared": cleared, "failed": failed}
+    if failed:
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=500,
+            detail="One or more desktop log files could not be cleared. Close any app using them and retry.",
+        )
+    return {"cleared": cleared, "failed": 0}
 
 @router.get("/sysinfo", response_model=SysinfoResponse)
 def get_sys_info():
diff --git a/frontend/src/test/LogsFooterClearFailure.test.jsx b/frontend/src/test/LogsFooterClearFailure.test.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..68f09a2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/test/LogsFooterClearFailure.test.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import React from 'react';
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+
+const { clearTauriLogs, toastError, toastSuccess } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  clearTauriLogs: vi.fn(),
+  toastError: vi.fn(),
+  toastSuccess: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock('../api/system', () => ({
+  clearSystemLogs: vi.fn(),
+  clearTauriLogs,
+}));
+vi.mock('../api/hooks', () => ({
+  useSystemLogs: () => ({ data: null, refetch: vi.fn() }),
+  useTauriLogs: () => ({ data: null, refetch: vi.fn() }),
+  useVisibleNotifications: () => ({ notifications: [] }),
+  isDismissibleNotification: () => false,
+}));
+vi.mock('../components/NetworkToggle', () => ({ default: () => null }));
+vi.mock('react-hot-toast', () => ({
+  default: Object.assign(vi.fn(), { error: toastError, success: toastSuccess }),
+}));
+
+import LogsFooter from '../components/LogsFooter';
+
+function renderFooter() {
+  return render(
+    <QueryClientProvider client={new QueryClient()}>
+      <LogsFooter />
+    </QueryClientProvider>,
+  );
+}
+
+describe('LogsFooter Tauri cleanup failure', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    localStorage.clear();
+    localStorage.setItem('omnivoice.logs.active', 'tauri');
+    clearTauriLogs.mockReset();
+    toastError.mockReset();
+    toastSuccess.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  it('shows failure and never claims the log was cleared', async () => {
+    clearTauriLogs.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('desktop log is locked'));
+    renderFooter();
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /expand logs panel/i }));
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /clear log/i }));
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(toastError).toHaveBeenCalled());
+    expect(toastSuccess).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/test_destructive_cleanup.py b/tests/test_destructive_cleanup.py
index 36a2f012..c54cd6ae 100644
--- a/tests/test_destructive_cleanup.py
+++ b/tests/test_destructive_cleanup.py
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ async def test_tauri_log_clear_reports_truncate_failure(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
         lambda _path: (_ for _ in ()).throw(PermissionError("locked")),
     )
 
-    result = await system.clear_tauri_logs()
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as caught:
+        await system.clear_tauri_logs()
 
-    assert result == {"cleared": [], "failed": 1}
-    assert str(log) not in str(result)
+    assert caught.value.status_code == 500
+    assert str(log) not in caught.value.detail