diff --git a/deploy-control/server.py b/deploy-control/server.py
index bcde5d0..c178d5f 100755
--- a/deploy-control/server.py
+++ b/deploy-control/server.py
@@ -100,14 +100,18 @@ def run_command(args: list[str], *, cwd: Path | None = None, extra_env: dict[str
     env = os.environ.copy()
     if extra_env:
         env.update(extra_env)
-    completed = subprocess.run(
-        args,
-        cwd=str(cwd) if cwd else None,
-        env=env,
-        text=True,
-        capture_output=True,
-        check=False,
-    )
+    try:
+        completed = subprocess.run(
+            args,
+            cwd=str(cwd) if cwd else None,
+            env=env,
+            text=True,
+            capture_output=True,
+            check=False,
+        )
+    except OSError as exc:
+        command = args[0] if args else "<empty command>"
+        raise ApiError(HTTPStatus.BAD_GATEWAY, f"failed to execute {command}: {exc}") from exc
     if completed.returncode != 0:
         detail = completed.stderr.strip() or completed.stdout.strip() or "command failed"
         raise ApiError(HTTPStatus.BAD_GATEWAY, detail)
diff --git a/deploy-control/tests/test_command_errors.py b/deploy-control/tests/test_command_errors.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf829c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy-control/tests/test_command_errors.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import importlib.util
+from http import HTTPStatus
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+
+SERVER_PATH = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "server.py"
+
+
+def _load_server_module():
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("deploy_control_server_command_tests", SERVER_PATH)
+    assert spec and spec.loader
+    module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    spec.loader.exec_module(module)
+    return module
+
+
+def test_run_command_reports_missing_executable_as_bad_gateway(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    server = _load_server_module()
+    missing = tmp_path / "missing-command"
+
+    with pytest.raises(server.ApiError) as exc_info:
+        server.run_command([str(missing)])
+
+    assert exc_info.value.status_code == HTTPStatus.BAD_GATEWAY
+    assert str(missing) in exc_info.value.detail