diff --git a/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/LocalTransport.test.ts b/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/LocalTransport.test.ts
index 09f6ecec..310fb145 100644
--- a/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/LocalTransport.test.ts
+++ b/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/LocalTransport.test.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { Epoch, ObservableScope } from "../../ObservableScope";
 import {
   MatrixRTCTransportMissingError,
   FailToGetOpenIdToken,
+  SFUTokenRefusedError,
 } from "../../../utils/errors";
 import * as openIDSFU from "../../../livekit/openIDSFU";
 import { customLivekitUrl } from "../../../settings/settings";
@@ -125,6 +126,45 @@ describe("LocalTransport", () => {
     expect(() => active$.value).toThrow(expectedError);
   });
 
+  it("[lotus] passes SFUTokenRefusedError through untouched", async () => {
+    const scope = new ObservableScope();
+    mockConfig({
+      livekit: { livekit_service_url: "https://lk.example.org" },
+    });
+    const refused = new SFUTokenRefusedError("This voice channel is full.");
+    vi.spyOn(openIDSFU, "getSFUConfigWithOpenID").mockImplementation(
+      async () => {
+        throw refused;
+      },
+    );
+    const errors: Error[] = [];
+    const { active$ } = createLocalTransport$({
+      scope,
+      roomId: "!example_room_id",
+      memberships$: constant(new Epoch<CallMembership[]>([])),
+      client: {
+        baseUrl: "https://example.org",
+        getDomain: () => "example.org",
+        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/naming-convention
+        _unstable_getRTCTransports: async () => Promise.resolve([]),
+        getOpenIdToken: vi.fn(),
+        getDeviceId: vi.fn(),
+      },
+      ownMembershipIdentity: ownMemberMock,
+      forceJwtEndpoint: JwtEndpointVersion.Legacy,
+      delayId$: constant("delay_id_mock"),
+    });
+    active$.subscribe(
+      () => undefined,
+      (e) => errors.push(e),
+    );
+    await flushPromises();
+    expect(errors).toStrictEqual([refused]);
+    expect((errors[0] as SFUTokenRefusedError).localisedMessage).toBe(
+      "This voice channel is full.",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("emits preferred transport after OpenID resolves", async () => {
     // Use config so transport discovery succeeds, but delay OpenID JWT fetch
     mockConfig({
diff --git a/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/LocalTransport.ts b/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/LocalTransport.ts
index f98a266f..a987af24 100644
--- a/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/LocalTransport.ts
+++ b/src/state/CallViewModel/localMember/LocalTransport.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { type Epoch, type ObservableScope } from "../../ObservableScope.ts";
 import { Config } from "../../../config/Config.ts";
 import {
   FailToGetOpenIdToken,
+  SFUTokenRefusedError,
   MatrixRTCTransportMissingError,
   NoMatrix2AuthorizationService,
 } from "../../../utils/errors.ts";
@@ -261,7 +262,9 @@ async function doOpenIdAndJWTFromUrl(
 function mapAuthErrorToUserFriendlyError(e: unknown): Error {
   if (
     e instanceof FailToGetOpenIdToken ||
-    e instanceof NoMatrix2AuthorizationService
+    e instanceof NoMatrix2AuthorizationService ||
+    // [lotus] carries the token service's own refusal reason — keep it.
+    e instanceof SFUTokenRefusedError
   ) {
     // rethrow as is
     return e;