diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index deaf154..94625c2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- Preserve Discord API errors when MCP message reactions fail instead of reporting them as missing custom emoji.
 - Bound recent live Discord context passed to Claude so deep-context requests cannot contribute unbounded live-message input.
 - Support announcement and other guild text-based channels in MCP channel tools.
 - Reject symbolic-link attachment destinations instead of following them when saving downloads.
diff --git a/src/mcp/server.ts b/src/mcp/server.ts
index 43f4ef9..f0b044e 100644
--- a/src/mcp/server.ts
+++ b/src/mcp/server.ts
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ export function createMcpServer(): Server {
 
                     try {
                         await targetMsg.react(emoji);
-                    } catch {
+                    } catch (error) {
                         // Try custom guild emoji by name
                         const customEmoji = reactChannel.guild.emojis.cache.find(
                             (e) => e.name?.toLowerCase() === emoji.toLowerCase(),
@@ -356,9 +356,7 @@ export function createMcpServer(): Server {
                         if (customEmoji) {
                             await targetMsg.react(customEmoji);
                         } else {
-                            throw new Error(
-                                `Could not find emoji "${emoji}". Use a unicode emoji or a custom emoji name from this server.`,
-                            );
+                            throw error;
                         }
                     }
 
diff --git a/tests/mcpReactionErrors.test.mjs b/tests/mcpReactionErrors.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35febab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/mcpReactionErrors.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+import { TextChannel } from "discord.js";
+
+const messagesDir = fs.mkdtempSync(
+    path.join(os.tmpdir(), "claudify-mcp-reaction-errors-"),
+);
+const previousMessagesDir = process.env.MESSAGES_DIR;
+process.env.MESSAGES_DIR = messagesDir;
+const [{ client: discordClient }, { createMcpServer }] = await Promise.all([
+    import("../build/discord/client.js"),
+    import("../build/mcp/server.js"),
+]);
+if (previousMessagesDir === undefined) {
+    delete process.env.MESSAGES_DIR;
+} else {
+    process.env.MESSAGES_DIR = previousMessagesDir;
+}
+
+test.after(() => fs.rmSync(messagesDir, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+
+test("react-to-message preserves Discord reaction failures", async (t) => {
+    const reactionError = new Error("Missing Permissions");
+    const guild = {
+        id: "111111111111111111",
+        name: "Test Server",
+        emojis: { cache: { find: () => undefined } },
+    };
+    const channel = Object.create(TextChannel.prototype);
+    Object.defineProperties(channel, {
+        name: { value: "general" },
+        guild: { value: guild },
+        messages: {
+            value: {
+                fetch: async () => ({
+                    react: async () => {
+                        throw reactionError;
+                    },
+                }),
+            },
+        },
+    });
+
+    const originalGuildFetch = discordClient.guilds.fetch;
+    const originalChannelFetch = discordClient.channels.fetch;
+    discordClient.guilds.fetch = async () => guild;
+    discordClient.channels.fetch = async () => channel;
+    t.after(() => {
+        discordClient.guilds.fetch = originalGuildFetch;
+        discordClient.channels.fetch = originalChannelFetch;
+    });
+
+    const server = createMcpServer();
+    t.after(() => server.close().catch(() => {}));
+    const callToolHandler = server._requestHandlers.get("tools/call");
+    assert.ok(callToolHandler);
+
+    await assert.rejects(
+        () =>
+            callToolHandler(
+                {
+                    method: "tools/call",
+                    params: {
+                        name: "react-to-message",
+                        arguments: {
+                            server: guild.id,
+                            channel: "222222222222222222",
+                            messageId: "333333333333333333",
+                            emoji: "👍",
+                        },
+                    },
+                },
+                {},
+            ),
+        (error) => error === reactionError,
+    );
+});