diff --git a/desktop/src/features/community-members/ui/InviteLinkSection.tsx b/desktop/src/features/community-members/ui/InviteLinkSection.tsx
index dc0735c85e..e232158332 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/community-members/ui/InviteLinkSection.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/community-members/ui/InviteLinkSection.tsx
@@ -72,16 +72,26 @@ export function InviteLinkSection({
   async function handleCopy() {
     if (copyStatus === "copying") return;
     setCopyStatus("copying");
+    let invite;
+    try {
+      invite = await mintInvite({ ttlSecs, maxUses });
+    } catch (error) {
+      setCopyStatus("idle");
+      toast.error(
+        `Couldn't create the invite: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : "unknown error"}`,
+      );
+      return;
+    }
     try {
-      const invite = await mintInvite({ ttlSecs, maxUses });
       await writeTextToClipboard(invite.url);
       setCopyStatus("copied");
       toast.success("Invite link copied");
     } catch {
       setCopyStatus("idle");
-      toast.error("Couldn’t copy the invite link. Try again.");
+      toast.error("Invite created, but copying to the clipboard failed.");
     }
   }
+  }
 
   return (
     <section className="pt-2" data-testid="community-invite-link-section">
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/community-members/ui/inviteLinkErrorSeparation.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/community-members/ui/inviteLinkErrorSeparation.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1de829b941
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/features/community-members/ui/inviteLinkErrorSeparation.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+/**
+ * Tests for the invite creation + clipboard copy error separation.
+ *
+ * The old code wrapped both mintInvite and writeTextToClipboard in a
+ * single try/catch, making it impossible to tell the user whether the
+ * invite failed to create or the clipboard failed to copy.
+ *
+ * The new code separates the two failure modes so the user gets an
+ * accurate error message. These tests verify that decision logic.
+ */
+
+// Simulate the handleCopy state machine
+function createInviteCopyState() {
+  let copyStatus = "idle";
+  const toasts = [];
+
+  async function handleCopy(mintInviteFn, clipboardFn) {
+    if (copyStatus === "copying") return;
+    copyStatus = "copying";
+    let invite;
+    try {
+      invite = await mintInviteFn();
+    } catch (error) {
+      copyStatus = "idle";
+      toasts.push({
+        type: "error",
+        message: `Couldn't create the invite: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : "unknown error"}`,
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+    try {
+      await clipboardFn(invite.url);
+      copyStatus = "copied";
+      toasts.push({ type: "success", message: "Invite link copied" });
+    } catch {
+      copyStatus = "idle";
+      toasts.push({
+        type: "error",
+        message: "Invite created, but copying to the clipboard failed.",
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    get copyStatus() { return copyStatus; },
+    get toasts() { return toasts; },
+    handleCopy,
+  };
+}
+
+test("both succeed: copies invite and shows success toast", async () => {
+  const state = createInviteCopyState();
+  await state.handleCopy(
+    async () => ({ url: "https://buzz.example/i/abc123" }),
+    async () => {},
+  );
+  assert.equal(state.copyStatus, "copied");
+  assert.equal(state.toasts.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(state.toasts[0].type, "success");
+  assert.match(state.toasts[0].message, /Invite link copied/);
+});
+
+test("mintInvite fails: shows creation error, does not attempt clipboard", async () => {
+  const state = createInviteCopyState();
+  let clipboardCalled = false;
+  await state.handleCopy(
+    async () => { throw new Error("HTTP 403"); },
+    async () => { clipboardCalled = true; },
+  );
+  assert.equal(state.copyStatus, "idle");
+  assert.equal(clipboardCalled, false, "Clipboard should not be called when invite creation fails");
+  assert.equal(state.toasts.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(state.toasts[0].type, "error");
+  assert.match(state.toasts[0].message, /Couldn't create the invite/);
+  assert.match(state.toasts[0].message, /HTTP 403/);
+});
+
+test("clipboard fails: shows clipboard-specific error, invite was created", async () => {
+  const state = createInviteCopyState();
+  await state.handleCopy(
+    async () => ({ url: "https://buzz.example/i/xyz789" }),
+    async () => { throw new Error("Clipboard not available"); },
+  );
+  assert.equal(state.copyStatus, "idle");
+  assert.equal(state.toasts.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(state.toasts[0].type, "error");
+  assert.match(state.toasts[0].message, /Invite created, but copying/);
+});
+
+test("mintInvite error message is surfaced to the user", async () => {
+  const state = createInviteCopyState();
+  await state.handleCopy(
+    async () => { throw new Error("You are not a channel owner."); },
+    async () => {},
+  );
+  assert.match(state.toasts[0].message, /not a channel owner/);
+});
+
+test("non-Error thrown by mintInvite produces generic message", async () => {
+  const state = createInviteCopyState();
+  await state.handleCopy(
+    async () => { throw "string error"; },
+    async () => {},
+  );
+  assert.match(state.toasts[0].message, /unknown error/);
+});
+
+test("copying status is set during operation", async () => {
+  const state = createInviteCopyState();
+  let mintResolve;
+  const mintPromise = new Promise((resolve) => { mintResolve = resolve; });
+
+  const copyPromise = state.handleCopy(
+    () => mintPromise,
+    async () => {},
+  );
+  assert.equal(state.copyStatus, "copying");
+
+  mintResolve({ url: "https://buzz.example/i/test" });
+  await copyPromise;
+
+  assert.equal(state.copyStatus, "copied");
+});