diff --git a/tools/service-identity/keycape_alias_disable.py b/tools/service-identity/keycape_alias_disable.py
index 83f26c1..6031efc 100755
--- a/tools/service-identity/keycape_alias_disable.py
+++ b/tools/service-identity/keycape_alias_disable.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import argparse
 import json
 import os
 import pathlib
+import re
 import subprocess
 import sys
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
@@ -26,15 +27,31 @@ KEEP = "netkingdom/"
 SCHEMA = "net-kingdom.openbao-keycape-alias-disable.v1"
 
 
+TOKENISH = re.compile(r"\b[a-z]{1,4}\.[A-Za-z0-9_-]{16,}|[A-Za-z0-9_-]{24,}")
+STEP = {"name": "start"}
+
+
 class Refused(Exception):
     pass
 
 
 def bao_json(*args: str) -> dict:
+    STEP["name"] = " ".join(args[:2])
     out = subprocess.run(["bao", args[0], "-format=json", *args[1:]], capture_output=True, check=True, timeout=30)
     return json.loads(out.stdout)
 
 
+def error_summary(error: BaseException) -> dict:
+    """Error class, failing step and bao's status lines only; token-shaped strings redacted."""
+    summary = {"error": type(error).__name__, "step": STEP["name"]}
+    if isinstance(error, subprocess.CalledProcessError):
+        text = (error.stderr or b"").decode("utf-8", "replace")
+        lines = [ln.strip() for ln in text.splitlines() if ln.strip().startswith(("Code:", "* ", "URL:", "Error"))]
+        summary["exit"] = error.returncode
+        summary["detail"] = [TOKENISH.sub("[redacted]", ln)[:200] for ln in lines[:4]]
+    return summary
+
+
 def require_attended() -> None:
     if pathlib.Path.home().parent.name != ".warden-attended-login" or os.getenv("BAO_TOKEN") or os.getenv("VAULT_TOKEN"):
         raise Refused("attended_envelope_required")
@@ -81,6 +98,7 @@ def run(apply: bool) -> dict:
     result["alias"] = alias_view()
     if not apply:
         return {**result, "status": "dry_run_ok"}
+    STEP["name"] = "auth disable"
     subprocess.run(["bao", "auth", "disable", MOUNT.rstrip("/")], capture_output=True, check=True, timeout=60)
     after = mounts()
     still_me = session()  # our own token, from auth/netkingdom, must survive
@@ -108,8 +126,9 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
         body = run(args.apply)
     except Refused as error:
         body = {"status": str(error), "applied": False}
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as error:
-        body = {"status": "bao_failed", "step": " ".join(error.cmd[:3]), "applied": None}
+    except Exception as error:  # noqa: BLE001 - every failure must still leave a receipt
+        body = {"status": "bao_failed" if isinstance(error, subprocess.CalledProcessError) else "helper_failed",
+                "applied": None if STEP["name"] == "auth disable" else False, **error_summary(error)}
     write_receipt(args.receipt, body)
     return 0 if body["status"] in ("dry_run_ok", "disabled_verified", "already_disabled") else 1
 
diff --git a/tools/service-identity/tests/test_keycape_alias_disable.py b/tools/service-identity/tests/test_keycape_alias_disable.py
index fd2dbf4..873a3c9 100644
--- a/tools/service-identity/tests/test_keycape_alias_disable.py
+++ b/tools/service-identity/tests/test_keycape_alias_disable.py
@@ -98,3 +98,22 @@ def test_refuses_existing_receipt(tmp_path):
     receipt.write_text("{}")
     done = subprocess.run([str(SCRIPT), "--receipt", str(receipt)], env=env)
     assert done.returncode != 0 and receipt.read_text() == "{}"
+
+
+def test_unexpected_bao_output_still_leaves_a_receipt(tmp_path):
+    env, state = prepare(tmp_path)
+    bao = pathlib.Path(env["PATH"].split(":")[0]) / "bao"
+    bao.write_text("#!/bin/sh\necho 'not json'\n")
+    code, body = run(tmp_path, env)
+    assert code == 1 and body["status"] == "helper_failed" and body["step"] == "read auth/token/lookup-self"
+    assert body["applied"] is False
+
+
+def test_bao_error_is_summarised_without_tokens(tmp_path):
+    env, state = prepare(tmp_path)
+    bao = pathlib.Path(env["PATH"].split(":")[0]) / "bao"
+    bao.write_text("#!/bin/sh\necho 'Error reading: Code: 403. Errors:' >&2\n"
+                   "echo '* permission denied hvs.ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX' >&2\nexit 2\n")
+    code, body = run(tmp_path, env)
+    assert body["status"] == "bao_failed" and body["exit"] == 2
+    assert "hvs.ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX" not in json.dumps(body) and body["detail"]