diff --git a/packages/plugins/plugin-workspace-diff/src/ui/index.tsx b/packages/plugins/plugin-workspace-diff/src/ui/index.tsx
index a14029af0af..78306d6f5c9 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/plugin-workspace-diff/src/ui/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/plugins/plugin-workspace-diff/src/ui/index.tsx
@@ -189,10 +189,39 @@ function LoadingState() {
   );
 }
 
-function ErrorState({ message }: { message: string }) {
+export function ErrorState({
+  message,
+  onRetry,
+}: {
+  message: string;
+  onRetry: () => void;
+}) {
   return (
-    <div className="border border-destructive/30 bg-destructive/5 px-4 py-3 text-sm text-destructive">
-      {message}
+    <div className="border border-destructive/30 bg-destructive/5 px-4 py-3 text-sm" role="alert">
+      <div className="flex flex-col gap-3 sm:flex-row sm:items-start sm:justify-between">
+        <div className="min-w-0">
+          <div className="font-medium text-foreground">Unable to load workspace changes.</div>
+          <div className="mt-1 text-muted-foreground">
+            Retry the request or open the details below for the technical error.
+          </div>
+        </div>
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          className={buttonClass(false)}
+          onClick={onRetry}
+          aria-label="Retry loading workspace changes"
+        >
+          Retry
+        </button>
+      </div>
+      <details className="mt-3">
+        <summary className="cursor-pointer text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground">
+          Troubleshooting details
+        </summary>
+        <pre className="mt-2 max-h-40 overflow-auto whitespace-pre-wrap break-words border border-border bg-background px-3 py-2 font-mono text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+          {message || "No error message was provided."}
+        </pre>
+      </details>
     </div>
   );
 }
@@ -445,7 +474,7 @@ export function ChangesTab({ context }: PluginDetailTabProps) {
       {loading ? (
         <LoadingState />
       ) : error ? (
-        <ErrorState message={error.message} />
+        <ErrorState message={error.message} onRetry={refresh} />
       ) : files.length === 0 ? (
         <EmptyState />
       ) : (
diff --git a/packages/plugins/plugin-workspace-diff/tests/ui-error-state.spec.ts b/packages/plugins/plugin-workspace-diff/tests/ui-error-state.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b81e70c8b50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/plugins/plugin-workspace-diff/tests/ui-error-state.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { createElement } from "react";
+import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { ErrorState } from "../src/ui/index.js";
+
+describe("workspace diff error state", () => {
+  it("keeps bridge error details out of the primary headline", () => {
+    const rawError = "Execution workspace not found";
+    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(createElement(ErrorState, {
+      message: rawError,
+      onRetry: () => undefined,
+    }));
+
+    expect(html).toContain("Unable to load workspace changes.");
+    expect(html).toContain("Retry");
+    expect(html).toContain("Troubleshooting details");
+    expect(html).not.toContain(`font-medium text-foreground">${rawError}`);
+    expect(html.indexOf(rawError)).toBeGreaterThan(html.indexOf("Troubleshooting details"));
+  });
+});