diff --git a/crates/utopia-core/src/error.rs b/crates/utopia-core/src/error.rs
index 4247219fd..edbb7e4ca 100644
--- a/crates/utopia-core/src/error.rs
+++ b/crates/utopia-core/src/error.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ pub enum AppError {
     Forbidden,
     #[error("{0}")]
     Conflict(String),
+    /// Localizable conflict; legacy internal callers may still use Conflict.
+    #[error("{message}")]
+    CodedConflict { code: &'static str, message: String },
     #[error("{0}")]
     Validation(String),
     /// 带稳定 code 的校验错误。**message 仍是英文原句**——它是给不做本地化的
diff --git a/crates/utopia-server/src/error.rs b/crates/utopia-server/src/error.rs
index 5224c2be5..6afcb3eee 100644
--- a/crates/utopia-server/src/error.rs
+++ b/crates/utopia-server/src/error.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub type ApiResult<T> = Result<T, ApiErr>;
 
 impl IntoResponse for ApiErr {
     fn into_response(self) -> Response {
-        // code 与 detail 只有 Invalid 才有；其余保持原样，转换可以一条条推进
+        // Legacy errors keep their response; localizable conflicts share the code envelope.
         let mut code: Option<&'static str> = None;
         let mut detail: Option<String> = None;
         let (status, message) = match &self.0 {
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ impl IntoResponse for ApiErr {
             AppError::NotFound => (StatusCode::NOT_FOUND, self.0.to_string()),
             AppError::Unauthorized => (StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED, self.0.to_string()),
             AppError::Forbidden => (StatusCode::FORBIDDEN, self.0.to_string()),
+            AppError::CodedConflict { code: c, message } => {
+                code = Some(c);
+                (StatusCode::CONFLICT, message.clone())
+            }
             AppError::Conflict(m) => (StatusCode::CONFLICT, m.clone()),
             AppError::Validation(m) => (StatusCode::UNPROCESSABLE_ENTITY, m.clone()),
             AppError::Db(e) => {
@@ -60,3 +64,54 @@ impl IntoResponse for ApiErr {
         (status, Json(body)).into_response()
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn conflict_codes_preserve_other_error_mappings() {
+        for (error, status, code) in [
+            (
+                AppError::CodedConflict {
+                    code: "alignment_busy",
+                    message: "reworded".into(),
+                },
+                409,
+                Some("alignment_busy"),
+            ),
+            (
+                AppError::CodedConflict {
+                    code: "another_conflict",
+                    message: "busy".into(),
+                },
+                409,
+                Some("another_conflict"),
+            ),
+            (AppError::Conflict("legacy".into()), 409, None),
+            (AppError::Unauthorized, 401, None),
+            (AppError::Forbidden, 403, None),
+            (AppError::NotFound, 404, None),
+            (
+                AppError::invalid("bad_input", "invalid"),
+                422,
+                Some("bad_input"),
+            ),
+            (
+                AppError::Other(anyhow::anyhow!("private detail")),
+                500,
+                None,
+            ),
+        ] {
+            let response = ApiErr(error).into_response();
+            assert_eq!(response.status().as_u16(), status);
+            let bytes = axum::body::to_bytes(response.into_body(), 4096)
+                .await
+                .unwrap();
+            let body: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(&bytes).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(body["code"].as_str(), code);
+            if status == 500 {
+                assert_eq!(body["error"], "Internal server error");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/utopia-server/src/type_alignment_tests.rs b/crates/utopia-server/src/type_alignment_tests.rs
index d010b49a1..74b4da126 100644
--- a/crates/utopia-server/src/type_alignment_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/utopia-server/src/type_alignment_tests.rs
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ mod review_locks {
                 let (status, body) = tokio::time::timeout(Duration::from_secs(6), tasks.join_next())
                     .await?.expect("request task")??;
                 anyhow::ensure!(status == StatusCode::CONFLICT, "expected 409, got {status}: {body}");
-                anyhow::ensure!(body["error"].as_str().unwrap().contains("try again"));
+                anyhow::ensure!(body["code"] == "alignment_busy");
                 anyhow::ensure!(snapshot(&f).await? == before, "timeout left a partial write");
                 anyhow::ensure!(events.try_recv().is_err(), "failed request emitted success");
                 anyhow::ensure!(session(&pool).await? == original_session, "session setting leaked");
diff --git a/crates/utopia-store/src/type_bindings.rs b/crates/utopia-store/src/type_bindings.rs
index 05efae044..dd0ae1bbf 100644
--- a/crates/utopia-store/src/type_bindings.rs
+++ b/crates/utopia-store/src/type_bindings.rs
@@ -262,10 +262,11 @@ pub async fn decide_and_apply_human(
             if matches!(&error, AppError::Db(sqlx::Error::Database(e))
                 if e.code().as_deref() == Some("55P03"))
             {
-                return Err(AppError::Conflict(
-                    "This kind word is being updated by another operation. Please try again shortly."
+                return Err(AppError::CodedConflict {
+                    code: "alignment_busy",
+                    message: "This kind word is being updated by another operation. Please try again shortly."
                         .into(),
-                ));
+                });
             }
             Err(error)
         }
diff --git a/web/src/i18n/en.ts b/web/src/i18n/en.ts
index c3282f756..a01a07029 100644
--- a/web/src/i18n/en.ts
+++ b/web/src/i18n/en.ts
@@ -1922,6 +1922,7 @@ export const en = {
     alignmentStatements: (n: number) => (n === 1 ? "1 statement" : `${n} statements`),
     alignmentEntities: (n: number) => (n === 1 ? "1 thing" : `${n} things`),
     alignmentVotes: (first: string, second: string) => `Votes: ${first} · ${second}`,
+    alignmentConflict: "This decision conflicts with the current state. Refresh and review it before trying again.",
     alignmentKindWordBusy: "This kind word is being updated by another operation. Please try again shortly.",
     alignmentTyped: (kept: number, retired: number) =>
       `Typed graph recomputed: ${kept} statements typed, ${retired} rows retired`,
diff --git a/web/src/i18n/zh.ts b/web/src/i18n/zh.ts
index b809c1a74..0bf28c2fa 100644
--- a/web/src/i18n/zh.ts
+++ b/web/src/i18n/zh.ts
@@ -1681,6 +1681,7 @@ export const zh: Strings = {
     alignmentStatements: (n: number) => `${n} 条陈述`,
     alignmentEntities: (n: number) => `${n} 样东西`,
     alignmentVotes: (first: string, second: string) => `两票：${first} · ${second}`,
+    alignmentConflict: "此决定与当前状态冲突。请刷新并核对后再试。",
     alignmentKindWordBusy: "这个类别词正在被其他操作更新，请稍后重试。",
     alignmentTyped: (kept: number, retired: number) => `类型化图谱已重算：${kept} 条成了类型化事实，${retired} 行作废`,
     defects: "本体自相矛盾",
diff --git a/web/src/pages/Review.tsx b/web/src/pages/Review.tsx
index ab749e0a7..79b5b50bf 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/Review.tsx
+++ b/web/src/pages/Review.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
+import { alignmentErrorMessage } from "./reviewErrors";
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { LayoutDashboard } from "lucide-react";
 import { useMutation, useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useNavigate, useSearch } from "@tanstack/react-router";
 import {
   api,
-  ApiError,
   type AgentDecision,
   type AgentPrecedent,
   type AxiomViolation,
@@ -1365,9 +1365,7 @@ export function Review() {
     mutationFn: ({ kindWord, cls }: { kindWord: string; cls: string | null }) =>
       api.decideAlignmentKindWord(kb!.id, kindWord, cls),
     onError: (e) => toast.error(
-      e instanceof ApiError && e.status === 409
-        ? S.review.alignmentKindWordBusy
-        : (e as Error).message,
+      alignmentErrorMessage(e),
     ),
     onSettled: invalidate,
   });
diff --git a/web/src/pages/reviewErrors.test.ts b/web/src/pages/reviewErrors.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a7790e6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/pages/reviewErrors.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+afterEach(() => { vi.unstubAllGlobals(); vi.resetModules(); });
+for (const lang of ["en", "zh"]) {
+  describe(lang, () => {
+    it("uses the stable busy code and gives other conflicts a distinct fallback", async () => {
+      vi.stubGlobal("localStorage", { getItem: () => lang });
+      const { ApiError } = await import("../api");
+      const { S } = await import("../i18n");
+      const { alignmentErrorMessage: message } = await import("./reviewErrors");
+      expect(message(new ApiError(409, "changed server wording", "alignment_busy"))).toBe(S.review.alignmentKindWordBusy);
+      for (const code of [undefined, "already_decided", "future_code"]) {
+        expect(message(new ApiError(409, "busy, try again", code))).toBe(S.review.alignmentConflict);
+        expect(message(new ApiError(409, "busy", code))).not.toBe(S.review.alignmentKindWordBusy);
+      }
+      for (const status of [401, 403, 404, 422, 500]) {
+        expect(message(new ApiError(status, "original error", "alignment_busy"))).toBe("original error");
+      }
+    });
+  });
+}
diff --git a/web/src/pages/reviewErrors.ts b/web/src/pages/reviewErrors.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..853c80313
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/pages/reviewErrors.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+import { ApiError } from "../api";
+import { S } from "../i18n";
+
+/** A 409 says conflict, not which operation conflicted. Never infer busy from prose. */
+export function alignmentErrorMessage(error: unknown): string {
+  if (error instanceof ApiError && error.status === 409) {
+    return error.code === "alignment_busy"
+      ? S.review.alignmentKindWordBusy
+      : S.review.alignmentConflict;
+  }
+  return (error as Error).message;
+}