diff --git a/frontend/src/shared/state/deleteOutputHonesty.test.ts b/frontend/src/shared/state/deleteOutputHonesty.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6e124b14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/shared/state/deleteOutputHonesty.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// Run: npm test (frontend/scripts/run-tests.mjs)
+//
+// Shanay, 2026-08-14: "deleting an app completely kills the entire openswarm application and the
+// app doesn't delete either."
+//
+// The backend half reproduces exactly: deleting a PUBLISHED app whose takedown cannot be performed
+// returns 502 ("Sign in to your OpenSwarm account to manage published apps") and keeps the record,
+// by design, because ENG-282 refuses to leave an app stranded on the internet.
+//
+// The frontend half was that `deleteOutput` never looked at the status. It resolved on ANY
+// response and the fulfilled reducer deletes the item, so the card disappeared while the app still
+// existed: gone until reload, back afterwards. A thunk that reports success on a refusal is the
+// ENG-271 board-wipe class, one slice over.
+import { test } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { assertDeleteAccepted } from './outputsSlice.ts';
+
+const res = (ok: boolean, status: number, body: unknown) => ({
+  ok, status, json: async () => body,
+});
+
+test('a refused delete throws, carrying the reason the server gave', async () => {
+  await assert.rejects(
+    () => assertDeleteAccepted(res(false, 502, { detail: 'Sign in to your OpenSwarm account to manage published apps.' })),
+    /Sign in to your OpenSwarm account/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('a failure with no usable body still throws, naming the status', async () => {
+  await assert.rejects(
+    () => assertDeleteAccepted({ ok: false, status: 500, json: async () => { throw new Error('not json'); } }),
+    /500/,
+  );
+});
+
+test('a body with no detail field still throws rather than passing silently', async () => {
+  await assert.rejects(() => assertDeleteAccepted(res(false, 403, { other: 'x' })), /403/);
+});
+
+test('an accepted delete resolves, so the card still goes away', async () => {
+  await assertDeleteAccepted(res(true, 200, { ok: true }));
+});
+
+test('the thunk actually consults the check', async () => {
+  const src = String((await import('./outputsSlice.ts')).deleteOutput);
+  assert.ok(src.length > 0, 'thunk should exist');
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/shared/state/outputsSlice.ts b/frontend/src/shared/state/outputsSlice.ts
index 0706490b..83bda3b1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/shared/state/outputsSlice.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/shared/state/outputsSlice.ts
@@ -131,8 +131,23 @@ export const updateOutput = createAsyncThunk(
   }
 );
 
+/** A refused delete is not a delete. This used to ignore the status entirely, so a published app
+ *  whose takedown failed (502, "sign in to manage published apps") vanished from the board while
+ *  the backend still had it: gone until reload, back after. Throws with the server's own reason so
+ *  the UI can say WHY instead of silently lying (the ENG-271 board-wipe class, one slice over). */
+export async function assertDeleteAccepted(res: { ok: boolean; status: number; json: () => Promise<unknown> }): Promise<void> {
+  if (res.ok) return;
+  let reason = `Delete failed (${res.status})`;
+  try {
+    const body = await res.json() as { detail?: unknown };
+    if (body?.detail) reason = String(body.detail);
+  } catch { /* a non-JSON error body just keeps the status line */ }
+  throw new Error(reason);
+}
+
 export const deleteOutput = createAsyncThunk('outputs/delete', async (id: string) => {
-  await fetch(`${OUTPUTS_API}/${id}`, { method: 'DELETE' });
+  const res = await fetch(`${OUTPUTS_API}/${id}`, { method: 'DELETE' });
+  await assertDeleteAccepted(res);
   return id;
 });