diff --git a/hermes_cli/kanban_survivor.py b/hermes_cli/kanban_survivor.py
index a357dedbf1659..278915a361183 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/kanban_survivor.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/kanban_survivor.py
@@ -34,7 +34,21 @@ def _git(repo, *args, env=None, check=True):
         capture_output=True, timeout=30, env=env,
     )
     if check and result.returncode:
-        # Git stderr can contain credential-bearing remote URLs. Do not persist it.
+        # Git stderr can contain credential-bearing remote URLs, so it is never
+        # persisted: the raised message stays constant and the detail goes to
+        # the log, redacted by the same helper that guards an echoed claim.
+        #
+        # Without this, every occurrence costs an attribution pass. A failure
+        # that is purely environmental (t_169d6e46: a concurrent pytest session
+        # deleting this repo's tmp_path, so git exits 128 "cannot change to
+        # '<path>': No such file or directory") is indistinguishable from a real
+        # capture defect once it reaches the caller as a bare
+        # "survivor_unavailable: git inspection failed".
+        log.warning(
+            "kanban survivor: git %s failed rc=%s in %s: %s",
+            args[0] if args else "?", result.returncode, _ext.redact(str(repo)),
+            _ext.redact(result.stderr.decode("utf-8", "replace").strip()),
+        )
         raise SurvivorUnavailable("survivor_unavailable: git inspection failed")
     return result
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_survivor_authority.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_survivor_authority.py
index 5be52cfaafb0d..e9f5b5e3d4033 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_survivor_authority.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_survivor_authority.py
@@ -205,3 +205,54 @@ def test_mined_pr_corroborated_by_the_cards_own_metadata_is_accepted(board, remo
     saved = kb.latest_run(board, tid).metadata["survivor"]
     assert saved["kind"] == "ref"
     assert saved["refs"][0]["sha"] == MERGE
+
+
+# --- t_169d6e46: a swallowed git failure must be diagnosable ----------------
+
+def test_git_failure_logs_returncode_and_stderr_without_persisting_them(tmp_path, caplog):
+    """`survivor_unavailable: git inspection failed` discards WHY it failed.
+
+    That message is identical for a real capture defect and for a purely
+    environmental fault (t_169d6e46: a concurrent pytest session deleting this
+    repo's tmp_path, so git exits 128 `cannot change to '<path>'`). Telling them
+    apart cost a full attribution pass per occurrence. The returncode and stderr
+    must reach the LOG; the raised message must stay constant and credential-free,
+    because it is persisted to held_reason, the event log and stderr.
+    """
+    import hermes_cli.kanban_survivor as survivor
+
+    missing = tmp_path / "vanished"          # never created: git exits 128
+    with caplog.at_level("WARNING"):
+        with pytest.raises(survivor.SurvivorUnavailable) as excinfo:
+            survivor._git(missing, "status", "--porcelain")
+
+    # The persisted surface is unchanged — 5 open PRs key on this string.
+    assert str(excinfo.value) == "survivor_unavailable: git inspection failed"
+    # ...and the diagnostic that distinguishes environment from defect is logged.
+    assert "rc=128" in caplog.text
+    assert "status" in caplog.text
+    assert "No such file or directory" in caplog.text
+
+
+def test_git_failure_log_redacts_credentials_from_stderr(tmp_path, caplog, monkeypatch):
+    """Git stderr can carry a credential-bearing remote URL; the log must not.
+
+    Teeth for the test above: an unredacted `log.warning(stderr)` would satisfy
+    every assertion there while leaking a PAT into the logfile.
+    """
+    import subprocess as sp
+
+    import hermes_cli.kanban_survivor as survivor
+
+    leaky = f"fatal: could not read from https://x-access-token:{SECRET}@github.com/a/b.git\n"
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        survivor.subprocess, "run",
+        lambda *a, **k: sp.CompletedProcess(a[0], 128, b"", leaky.encode()),
+    )
+    with caplog.at_level("WARNING"):
+        with pytest.raises(survivor.SurvivorUnavailable):
+            survivor._git(tmp_path, "fetch")
+
+    assert SECRET not in caplog.text
+    assert SECRET not in str(caplog.records[-1].getMessage())
+    assert "rc=128" in caplog.text        # still diagnosable