diff --git a/protocol/types.d.ts b/protocol/types.d.ts
index 0e938b0..cd98b8c 100644
--- a/protocol/types.d.ts
+++ b/protocol/types.d.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ export interface PanelState {
   hasParseErrors?: boolean;
   blockedByMetaschema?: boolean;
   noFileSelected?: boolean;
+  lintError?: string;
+  formatError?: string;
+  metaschemaError?: string;
 }
 
 export type WebviewCommand = 'goToPosition' | 'formatSchema' | 'openExternal';
diff --git a/vscode/src/extension.ts b/vscode/src/extension.ts
index cdc01d9..035f6da 100644
--- a/vscode/src/extension.ts
+++ b/vscode/src/extension.ts
@@ -135,11 +135,11 @@ function handleWebviewMessage(message: WebviewToExtensionMessage): void {
                 }
             }
             
-            vscode.window.showErrorMessage(`Format failed: ${errorMessage}`);
             if (currentPanelState) {
                 const updatedState = {
                     ...currentPanelState,
                     formatResult: { output: `Error: ${errorMessage}`, exitCode: null },
+                    formatError: errorMessage,
                     formatLoading: false
                 };
                 currentPanelState = updatedState;
@@ -323,16 +323,20 @@ async function updatePanelContent(): Promise<void> {
             );
         }
     } catch (error) {
-        cachedCliVersion = `Error: ${(error as Error).message}`;
+        const errorMessage = (error as Error).message;
+        cachedCliVersion = `Error: ${errorMessage}`;
         const errorState: PanelState = {
             fileInfo,
             cliVersion: cachedCliVersion,
             extensionVersion,
-            lintResult: { raw: `Error: ${(error as Error).message}`, health: null, error: true },
-            formatResult: { output: `Error: ${(error as Error).message}`, exitCode: null },
-            metaschemaResult: { output: `Error: ${(error as Error).message}`, exitCode: null },
+            lintResult: { raw: `Error: ${errorMessage}`, health: null, error: true },
+            formatResult: { output: `Error: ${errorMessage}`, exitCode: null },
+            metaschemaResult: { output: `Error: ${errorMessage}`, exitCode: null },
             isLoading: false,
-            hasParseErrors: true
+            hasParseErrors: true,
+            lintError: errorMessage,
+            formatError: errorMessage,
+            metaschemaError: errorMessage
         };
         currentPanelState = errorState;
         panelManager.updateContent(errorState);
diff --git a/webview/src/App.tsx b/webview/src/App.tsx
index a5e8a9a..8d6d31b 100644
--- a/webview/src/App.tsx
+++ b/webview/src/App.tsx
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@ function App() {
           <LoadingSpinner fileInfo={state.fileInfo} />
         ) : (
           <>
-            {activeTab === 'lint' && <LintTab lintResult={state.lintResult} blocked={!!state.blockedByMetaschema} noFileSelected={state.noFileSelected} />}
-            {activeTab === 'format' && <FormatTab formatResult={state.formatResult} fileInfo={state.fileInfo} hasParseErrors={state.hasParseErrors} blocked={!!state.blockedByMetaschema} noFileSelected={state.noFileSelected} />}
-            {activeTab === 'metaschema' && <MetaschemaTab metaschemaResult={state.metaschemaResult} noFileSelected={state.noFileSelected} />}
+            {activeTab === 'lint' && <LintTab lintResult={state.lintResult} blocked={!!state.blockedByMetaschema} noFileSelected={state.noFileSelected} lintError={state.lintError} />}
+            {activeTab === 'format' && <FormatTab formatResult={state.formatResult} fileInfo={state.fileInfo} hasParseErrors={state.hasParseErrors} blocked={!!state.blockedByMetaschema} noFileSelected={state.noFileSelected} formatError={state.formatError} />}
+            {activeTab === 'metaschema' && <MetaschemaTab metaschemaResult={state.metaschemaResult} noFileSelected={state.noFileSelected} metaschemaError={state.metaschemaError} />}
           </>
         )}
       </div>
diff --git a/webview/src/components/FormatTab.tsx b/webview/src/components/FormatTab.tsx
index a061738..70cb975 100644
--- a/webview/src/components/FormatTab.tsx
+++ b/webview/src/components/FormatTab.tsx
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ export interface FormatTabProps {
   hasParseErrors?: boolean;
   blocked?: boolean;
   noFileSelected?: boolean;
+  formatError?: string;
 }
 
-export function FormatTab({ formatResult, fileInfo, hasParseErrors, blocked, noFileSelected }: FormatTabProps) {
+export function FormatTab({ formatResult, fileInfo, hasParseErrors, blocked, noFileSelected, formatError }: FormatTabProps) {
   const handleFormatSchema = () => {
     vscode.formatSchema();
   };
@@ -32,6 +33,23 @@ export function FormatTab({ formatResult, fileInfo, hasParseErrors, blocked, noF
     );
   }
 
+  if (formatError) {
+    return (
+      <div className="text-center py-10 px-5">
+        <div className="flex justify-center mb-4">
+          <AlertCircle size={48} className="text-(--error)" strokeWidth={1.5} />
+        </div>
+        <div className="text-lg font-semibold text-(--vscode-fg) mb-2">
+          Format Command Failed
+        </div>
+        <div className="text-[13px] text-(--vscode-muted) max-w-md mx-auto mb-4">
+          {formatError}
+        </div>
+        <RawOutput output={formatResult.output} />
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
   if (hasParseErrors) {
     return (
       <div className="text-center py-10 px-5">
diff --git a/webview/src/components/LintTab.tsx b/webview/src/components/LintTab.tsx
index 43d1e98..ce4443e 100644
--- a/webview/src/components/LintTab.tsx
+++ b/webview/src/components/LintTab.tsx
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ export interface LintTabProps {
   lintResult: LintResult;
   blocked?: boolean;
   noFileSelected?: boolean;
+  lintError?: string;
 }
 
-export function LintTab({ lintResult, blocked, noFileSelected }: LintTabProps) {
+export function LintTab({ lintResult, blocked, noFileSelected, lintError }: LintTabProps) {
   const handleGoToPosition = (position: Position) => {
     vscode.goToPosition(position);
   };
@@ -30,6 +31,21 @@ export function LintTab({ lintResult, blocked, noFileSelected }: LintTabProps) {
     );
   }
 
+  if (lintError) {
+    return (
+      <div className="text-center py-10 px-5">
+        <div className="flex justify-center mb-4">
+          <AlertCircle size={48} className="text-(--error)" strokeWidth={1.5} />
+        </div>
+        <div className="text-lg font-semibold text-(--vscode-fg) mb-2">Lint Command Failed</div>
+        <div className="text-[13px] text-(--vscode-muted) max-w-md mx-auto mb-4">
+          {lintError}
+        </div>
+        <RawOutput output={lintResult.raw} />
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
   if (blocked) {
     return (
       <div className="text-center py-10 px-5">
@@ -37,7 +53,7 @@ export function LintTab({ lintResult, blocked, noFileSelected }: LintTabProps) {
           <AlertCircle size={48} className="text-(--error)" strokeWidth={1.5} />
         </div>
         <div className="text-lg font-semibold text-(--vscode-fg) mb-2">Cannot Lint Schema</div>
-        <div className="text-[13px] text-(--vscode-muted) max-w-md mx-auto">
+        <div className="textw-[13px] text-(--vscode-muted) max-w-md mx-auto">
           Metaschema validation failed. Fix the metaschema errors first before running lint.
           Check the Metaschema tab for more details.
         </div>
diff --git a/webview/src/components/MetaschemaTab.tsx b/webview/src/components/MetaschemaTab.tsx
index 752c58a..165024b 100644
--- a/webview/src/components/MetaschemaTab.tsx
+++ b/webview/src/components/MetaschemaTab.tsx
@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@ import { CheckCircle, AlertTriangle, FileQuestion } from 'lucide-react';
 export interface MetaschemaTabProps {
   metaschemaResult: MetaschemaResult;
   noFileSelected?: boolean;
+  metaschemaError?: string;
 }
 
 function isMetaschemaError(error: unknown): error is MetaschemaError {
   return typeof error === 'object' && error !== null && 'instancePosition' in error;
 }
 
-export function MetaschemaTab({ metaschemaResult, noFileSelected }: MetaschemaTabProps) {
+export function MetaschemaTab({ metaschemaResult, noFileSelected, metaschemaError }: MetaschemaTabProps) {
   const handleGoToPosition = (position: Position) => {
     vscode.goToPosition(position);
   };
@@ -34,6 +35,21 @@ export function MetaschemaTab({ metaschemaResult, noFileSelected }: MetaschemaTa
     );
   }
 
+  if (metaschemaError) {
+    return (
+      <div className="text-center py-10 px-5">
+        <div className="flex justify-center mb-4">
+          <AlertTriangle size={48} className="text-(--error)" strokeWidth={1.5} />
+        </div>
+        <div className="text-lg font-semibold text-(--vscode-fg) mb-2">Metaschema Command Failed</div>
+        <div className="text-[13px] text-(--vscode-muted) max-w-md mx-auto mb-4">
+          {metaschemaError}
+        </div>
+        <RawOutput output={metaschemaResult.output} />
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+
   if (metaschemaResult.exitCode === 0) {
     return (
       <>
diff --git a/webview/src/components/Tabs.tsx b/webview/src/components/Tabs.tsx
index 379b92c..dcb0216 100644
--- a/webview/src/components/Tabs.tsx
+++ b/webview/src/components/Tabs.tsx
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ interface TabProps {
 }
 
 export function Tabs({ activeTab, onTabChange, state }: TabsProps) {
-  const lintStatus = calculateLintStatus(state.lintResult.errors?.length || 0, state.lintResult.health, state.isLoading, state.noFileSelected);
-  const formatStatus = calculateFormatStatus(state.formatResult.exitCode, state.formatLoading, state.fileInfo?.isYaml, state.noFileSelected);
-  const metaschemaStatus = calculateMetaschemaStatus(state.metaschemaResult.exitCode, state.isLoading, state.noFileSelected);
+  const lintStatus = calculateLintStatus(state.lintResult.errors?.length || 0, state.lintResult.health, state.isLoading, state.noFileSelected, state.lintError);
+  const formatStatus = calculateFormatStatus(state.formatResult.exitCode, state.formatLoading, state.fileInfo?.isYaml, state.noFileSelected, state.formatError);
+  const metaschemaStatus = calculateMetaschemaStatus(state.metaschemaResult.exitCode, state.isLoading, state.noFileSelected, state.metaschemaError);
   const lintDisabled = !!state.blockedByMetaschema;
 
   const Tab = ({ 
diff --git a/webview/src/utils/tabStatus.ts b/webview/src/utils/tabStatus.ts
index 8acbcfb..d69807d 100644
--- a/webview/src/utils/tabStatus.ts
+++ b/webview/src/utils/tabStatus.ts
@@ -13,11 +13,15 @@ export function calculateLintStatus(
   errorCount: number,
   health: number | null,
   isLoading?: boolean,
-  noFileSelected?: boolean
+  noFileSelected?: boolean,
+  lintError?: string
 ): TabStatusResult {
   if (noFileSelected) {
     return { Icon: null, color: 'var(--vscode-muted)' };
   }
+  if (lintError) {
+    return { Icon: X, color: 'var(--error)' };
+  }
   if (isLoading) {
     return { Icon: HelpCircle, color: 'var(--vscode-muted)' };
   }
@@ -46,11 +50,15 @@ export function calculateFormatStatus(
   exitCode: number | null,
   formatLoading?: boolean,
   isYaml?: boolean,
-  noFileSelected?: boolean
+  noFileSelected?: boolean,
+  formatError?: string
 ): TabStatusResult {
   if (noFileSelected) {
     return { Icon: null, color: 'var(--vscode-muted)' };
   }
+  if (formatError) {
+    return { Icon: X, color: 'var(--error)' };
+  }
   if (formatLoading || exitCode === null || exitCode === undefined) {
     return { Icon: HelpCircle, color: 'var(--vscode-muted)' };
   }
@@ -70,11 +78,15 @@ export function calculateFormatStatus(
 export function calculateMetaschemaStatus(
   exitCode: number | null,
   isLoading?: boolean,
-  noFileSelected?: boolean
+  noFileSelected?: boolean,
+  metaschemaError?: string
 ): TabStatusResult {
   if (noFileSelected) {
     return { Icon: null, color: 'var(--vscode-muted)' };
   }
+  if (metaschemaError) {
+    return { Icon: X, color: 'var(--error)' };
+  }
   if (isLoading || exitCode === null || exitCode === undefined) {
     return { Icon: HelpCircle, color: 'var(--vscode-muted)' };
   }