diff --git a/ROADMAP.md b/ROADMAP.md
index 977abe4c..e175ae96 100644
--- a/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/ROADMAP.md
@@ -242,12 +242,11 @@ host_broker:
       - per-action total timeout, `SIGTERM` then `SIGKILL`, kill the process group;
       - no automatic retry. A timed-out write reports that it may have completed. (Current
         executor sends SIGKILL only; its timeout starts after preflight/token mint.)
-- [ ] Token lifecycle:
+- [x] Token lifecycle:
       - mint per action with only that action's permissions;
       - never cache;
       - `finally`-revoke on success, failure, and timeout;
-      - if revoke fails, log host-side and report that the token expires on its own. (The host log is
-        now wired; the caller is not yet told.)
+      - if revoke fails, log host-side and report that the token expires on its own.
 - [ ] Single-source action catalog (table below): one declarative table drives the permission
       preflight, token mint, command table and docs; configured actions extend it under the Phase 1
       rules. A test rejects drift between catalog, preflight, mint and docs, and rejects any built-in
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/types.ts b/packages/cli/src/types.ts
index 11ef8828..58156e9f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/types.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ export interface ActionRunResult {
   readonly error?: string;
   /** SHA-256 prefix of the action token, for the audit record only. */
   readonly tokenFingerprint?: string;
+  /** Set when the token could not be revoked and so expires on its own. */
+  readonly warning?: string;
 }
 
 /** One credential, as handed to git by the helper. */
@@ -279,6 +281,8 @@ export interface WireResponse {
   readonly stderr?: string;
   readonly exitCode?: number | null;
   readonly timedOut?: boolean;
+  /** A non-fatal action warning, for example a failed token revoke. */
+  readonly warning?: string;
 }
 
 /** Where audit records go. */
diff --git a/packages/client/src/commands/gh.ts b/packages/client/src/commands/gh.ts
index ffa3f5f2..f8c20563 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/commands/gh.ts
+++ b/packages/client/src/commands/gh.ts
@@ -123,10 +123,12 @@ export async function runGh(argv: readonly string[]): Promise<number> {
     fail((error as Error).message);
   }
   if (response.ok !== true) {
+    if (response.warning) process.stderr.write(`warning: ${response.warning}\n`);
     fail(`refused [${response.code ?? 'unknown'}]: ${response.reason ?? 'no reason'}`);
   }
   if (response.stdout) process.stdout.write(response.stdout);
   if (response.stderr) process.stderr.write(response.stderr);
+  if (response.warning) process.stderr.write(`warning: ${response.warning}\n`);
   if (response.truncated === true) {
     process.stderr.write('warning: the action output was truncated at the broker\x27s limit\n');
   }
diff --git a/packages/host/src/broker.ts b/packages/host/src/broker.ts
index b5ed3b74..2c2bc240 100644
--- a/packages/host/src/broker.ts
+++ b/packages/host/src/broker.ts
@@ -296,7 +296,8 @@ export function createRequestHandler(
           values: actionValues,
         });
         if (result.error !== undefined) {
-          return denyAction(CODES.PROVIDER_ERROR, result.error, 'the host could not start gh');
+          const refusal = denyAction(CODES.PROVIDER_ERROR, result.error, 'the host could not start gh');
+          return result.warning === undefined ? refusal : { ...refusal, warning: result.warning };
         }
         audit.record({
           event: 'action',
@@ -319,6 +320,7 @@ export function createRequestHandler(
           exitCode: result.code,
           truncated: result.truncated,
           timedOut: result.timedOut,
+          ...(result.warning === undefined ? {} : { warning: result.warning }),
         };
       } catch (error) {
         const reason = String((error as Error).message ?? error).slice(0, 300);
diff --git a/packages/host/src/providers/github-app.ts b/packages/host/src/providers/github-app.ts
index b39011e9..b485cd4b 100644
--- a/packages/host/src/providers/github-app.ts
+++ b/packages/host/src/providers/github-app.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  */
 import { userTokenPath } from '../config.ts';
 import { createSign } from 'node:crypto';
-import { getGhAction, ProviderConfigError, tokenFingerprint } from 'gcb-cli';
+import { getGhAction, ProviderConfigError, tokenFingerprint, type ActionRunResult } from 'gcb-cli';
 import { runGhAction } from '../gh.ts';
 import { existsSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ export function createGithubAppProvider(options: GithubAppProviderOptions): Prov
    * a token minted for git should not also be able to open a pull request.
    */
   const PULL_REQUEST_PERMISSIONS: Record<string, string> = { pull_requests: 'write', contents: 'read' };
+  /** The result of an action that never reached the executor. */
+  const NO_RUN = { stdout: '', stderr: '', code: null, signal: null, truncated: false, timedOut: false };
+  const REVOKE_WARNING = 'the action token could not be revoked; it expires on its own';
 
   /** owner login (lowercased) -> installation */
   const installations = new Map<string, CachedInstallation>();
@@ -578,8 +581,10 @@ function pullRequestNumber(value: unknown): number | undefined {
       if (typeof token !== 'string' || !token) {
         throw new ProviderConfigError('GitHub returned no installation token for the action');
       }
+      let result: ActionRunResult;
+      let warning: string | undefined;
       try {
-        const result = await runGhAction({
+        result = await runGhAction({
           action: request.action,
           values: request.values,
           repo: request.full,
@@ -588,7 +593,8 @@ function pullRequestNumber(value: unknown): number | undefined {
           ghPath,
           env: process.env,
         });
-        return { ...result, tokenFingerprint: tokenFingerprint(token) };
+      } catch (error) {
+        result = { ...NO_RUN, error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error) };
       } finally {
         try {
           const response = await fetchImpl(`${api}/installation/token`, {
@@ -608,11 +614,14 @@ function pullRequestNumber(value: unknown): number | undefined {
               // The status is enough; a body that cannot be read is still not a successful revoke.
             }
             log(`could not revoke the action token: GitHub answered ${response.status}${detail ? ` ${detail}` : ''}`);
+            warning = REVOKE_WARNING;
           }
         } catch (error) {
           log(`could not revoke the action token: ${String((error as Error).message ?? error)}`);
+          warning = REVOKE_WARNING;
         }
       }
+      return { ...result, tokenFingerprint: tokenFingerprint(token), ...(warning === undefined ? {} : { warning }) };
     },
 
     async getCredential(request): Promise<Credential> {
diff --git a/test/unit/broker.test.ts b/test/unit/broker.test.ts
index 377510ef..ab023738 100644
--- a/test/unit/broker.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/broker.test.ts
@@ -577,6 +577,59 @@ describe('broker actions', () => {
     assert.equal(record?.['token_fingerprint'], 'action-fingerprint');
   });
 
+  it('passes a warning with a failed start', async () => {
+    const provider: Provider = {
+      name: 'static',
+      getCredential: async () => ({ username: 'u', password: 'p', expiresAt: Date.now() + 1000 }),
+      runAction: async () => ({
+        stdout: '',
+        stderr: '',
+        code: null,
+        signal: null,
+        truncated: false,
+        timedOut: false,
+        error: 'spawn failed',
+        warning: 'the action token could not be revoked; it expires on its own',
+      }),
+    };
+    const harness = makeHarness(undefined, provider);
+    const response = await harness.handle({
+      op: 'action',
+      host: HOST,
+      path: 'acme/widget',
+      ghAction: 'pr:view',
+      values: { number: 7 },
+    });
+    assert.equal(response.ok, false);
+    assert.match(String(response.warning), /expires on its own/);
+  });
+
+  it('passes a provider warning to the caller', async () => {
+    const provider: Provider = {
+      name: 'static',
+      getCredential: async () => ({ username: 'u', password: 'p', expiresAt: Date.now() + 1000 }),
+      runAction: async () => ({
+        stdout: 'ok',
+        stderr: '',
+        code: 0,
+        signal: null,
+        truncated: false,
+        timedOut: false,
+        warning: 'the action token could not be revoked; it expires on its own',
+      }),
+    };
+    const harness = makeHarness(undefined, provider);
+    const response = await harness.handle({
+      op: 'action',
+      host: HOST,
+      path: 'acme/widget',
+      ghAction: 'pr:view',
+      values: { number: 7 },
+    });
+    assert.equal(response.ok, true);
+    assert.match(String(response.warning), /expires on its own/);
+  });
+
   it('refuses an undeclared flag before the provider', async () => {
     let called = false;
     const provider: Provider = {
diff --git a/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts b/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts
index db3f76c8..e9f020b9 100644
--- a/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/gh-command.test.ts
@@ -2,32 +2,23 @@ import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
 
-import { runGh } from '../../packages/client/src/commands/gh.ts';
 import { startBroker } from '../../packages/host/src/broker.ts';
+import { tryRunAsync, type RunResult } from '../lib/run.ts';
 import type { AuditSink, BrokerConfig, Provider, StaticHostConfig } from '../../packages/cli/src/types.ts';
 
-/** Capture stdout for one command. */
-async function capture(run: () => Promise<number>): Promise<{ code: number; stdout: string; stderr: string }> {
-  let stdout = '';
-  let stderr = '';
-  const originalOut = process.stdout.write;
-  const originalErr = process.stderr.write;
-  process.stdout.write = ((chunk: unknown) => {
-    stdout += String(chunk);
-    return true;
-  }) as typeof process.stdout.write;
-  process.stderr.write = ((chunk: unknown) => {
-    stderr += String(chunk);
-    return true;
-  }) as typeof process.stderr.write;
-  try {
-    return { code: await run(), stdout, stderr };
-  } finally {
-    process.stdout.write = originalOut;
-    process.stderr.write = originalErr;
-  }
+/** Run the client from source, next to this file rather than from the cwd. */
+const CLIENT_BIN = fileURLToPath(new URL('../../packages/client/bin/gcb.js', import.meta.url));
+
+/** Run the installed client as a child, so its output never replaces the test reporter. */
+function runGhCli(args: readonly string[]): Promise<RunResult> {
+  return tryRunAsync(
+    process.execPath,
+    ['--conditions=development', CLIENT_BIN, 'gh', ...args],
+    { env: process.env, timeoutMs: 5000 },
+  );
 }
 
 describe('gcb gh', () => {
@@ -57,10 +48,8 @@ describe('gcb gh', () => {
     };
     const broker = await startBroker({ config, audit, providers: new Map([['github.com', provider]]) });
     try {
-      const result = await capture(() =>
-        runGh(['pr', 'create', '--head', 'feat/x', '--title', 'x', '--body', 'b', '--repo', 'acme/widget', '--socket', socketPath]),
-      );
-      assert.equal(result.code, 1);
+      const result = await runGhCli(['pr', 'create', '--head', 'feat/x', '--title', 'x', '--body', 'b', '--repo', 'acme/widget', '--socket', socketPath]);
+      assert.equal(result.status, 1);
       assert.ok(result.stdout.endsWith('partial output\n'));
       assert.match(result.stderr, /output was truncated/);
       assert.match(result.stderr, /may have completed/);
@@ -70,6 +59,80 @@ describe('gcb gh', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it('prints a warning on a refused action', async () => {
+    const root = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'gcb-gh-refused-warning-'));
+    const socketPath = path.join(root, 'broker.sock');
+    const block: StaticHostConfig = { provider: 'static', allow: ['acme/widget'] };
+    const config: BrokerConfig = {
+      socketPath,
+      socketMode: 0o600,
+      auditPath: null,
+      tokenCacheSkewSeconds: 300,
+      hosts: { 'github.com': block },
+    };
+    const audit: AuditSink = { path: null, record: () => {}, close: () => Promise.resolve() };
+    const provider: Provider = {
+      name: 'static',
+      getCredential: async () => ({ username: 'u', password: 'p', expiresAt: Date.now() + 1000 }),
+      runAction: async () => ({
+        stdout: '',
+        stderr: '',
+        code: null,
+        signal: null,
+        truncated: false,
+        timedOut: false,
+        error: 'spawn failed',
+        warning: 'the action token could not be revoked; it expires on its own',
+      }),
+    };
+    const broker = await startBroker({ config, audit, providers: new Map([['github.com', provider]]) });
+    try {
+      const result = await runGhCli(['pr', 'view', '7', '--repo', 'acme/widget', '--socket', socketPath]);
+      assert.equal(result.status, 1);
+      assert.match(result.stderr, /expires on its own/);
+      assert.match(result.stderr, /refused/);
+    } finally {
+      await broker.close();
+      fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('prints a provider warning to stderr', async () => {
+    const root = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'gcb-gh-warning-'));
+    const socketPath = path.join(root, 'broker.sock');
+    const block: StaticHostConfig = { provider: 'static', allow: ['acme/widget'] };
+    const config: BrokerConfig = {
+      socketPath,
+      socketMode: 0o600,
+      auditPath: null,
+      tokenCacheSkewSeconds: 300,
+      hosts: { 'github.com': block },
+    };
+    const audit: AuditSink = { path: null, record: () => {}, close: () => Promise.resolve() };
+    const provider: Provider = {
+      name: 'static',
+      getCredential: async () => ({ username: 'u', password: 'p', expiresAt: Date.now() + 1000 }),
+      runAction: async () => ({
+        stdout: 'viewed\n',
+        stderr: '',
+        code: 0,
+        signal: null,
+        truncated: false,
+        timedOut: false,
+        warning: 'the action token could not be revoked; it expires on its own',
+      }),
+    };
+    const broker = await startBroker({ config, audit, providers: new Map([['github.com', provider]]) });
+    try {
+      const result = await runGhCli(['pr', 'view', '7', '--repo', 'acme/widget', '--socket', socketPath]);
+      assert.equal(result.status, 0);
+      assert.match(result.stderr, /expires on its own/);
+    } finally {
+      await broker.close();
+      fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   it('sends a typed action to the broker and prints its stdout', async () => {
     const root = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'gcb-gh-command-'));
     const socketPath = path.join(root, 'broker.sock');
@@ -93,10 +156,8 @@ describe('gcb gh', () => {
     };
     const broker = await startBroker({ config, audit, providers: new Map([['github.com', provider]]) });
     try {
-      const result = await capture(() =>
-        runGh(['pr', 'view', '7', '--repo', 'acme/widget', '--socket', socketPath]),
-      );
-      assert.equal(result.code, 0);
+      const result = await runGhCli(['pr', 'view', '7', '--repo', 'acme/widget', '--socket', socketPath]);
+      assert.equal(result.status, 0);
       assert.ok(result.stdout.endsWith('the viewed PR\n'));
     } finally {
       await broker.close();
diff --git a/test/unit/github-app.test.ts b/test/unit/github-app.test.ts
index 299ea83e..511aa8c1 100644
--- a/test/unit/github-app.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/github-app.test.ts
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ function createStubFetch(options: {
   token?: string;
   tokenStatus?: number;
   revokeStatus?: number;
+  revokeReject?: boolean;
   appPermissions?: Record<string, string>;
   installationPermissions?: Record<string, string>;
   logText?: string;
@@ -157,6 +158,7 @@ function createStubFetch(options: {
     token = 'ghs_stub_token_value',
     tokenStatus = 201,
     revokeStatus = 204,
+    revokeReject = false,
     appPermissions = { contents: 'write', pull_requests: 'write' },
     installationPermissions = appPermissions,
     logText = 'stub log\n',
@@ -240,7 +242,7 @@ function createStubFetch(options: {
       return Promise.resolve(jsonResponse({ permissions: installationPermissions }));
     }
     if (url.endsWith('/installation/token')) {
-      return Promise.resolve(jsonResponse({}, revokeStatus));
+      return revokeReject ? Promise.reject(new Error('network down')) : Promise.resolve(jsonResponse({}, revokeStatus));
     }
     if (url.includes('/access_tokens')) {
       if (tokenStatus !== 201) return Promise.resolve(jsonResponse({ message: 'Bad credentials' }, tokenStatus));
@@ -319,11 +321,68 @@ describe('createGithubAppProvider', () => {
       assert.equal(result?.code, 0);
       assert.ok(logs.some((line) => line.includes('could not revoke the action token')));
       assert.ok(logs.some((line) => line.includes('500')));
+      assert.match(result?.warning ?? '', /expires on its own/);
     } finally {
       rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
     }
   });
 
+  it('reports a rejected action-token revoke', async () => {
+    const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'gcb-action-revoke-reject-'));
+    const gh = join(dir, 'gh');
+    writeFileSync(gh, '#!/bin/sh\nexit 0\n');
+    chmodSync(gh, 0o755);
+    const permissions = { pull_requests: 'read', contents: 'read', checks: 'read', statuses: 'read' };
+    const stub = createStubFetch({
+      installations: [{ id: 42, account: { login: 'Acme' } }],
+      nowMs,
+      appPermissions: permissions,
+      installationPermissions: permissions,
+      revokeReject: true,
+    });
+    const logs: string[] = [];
+    const provider = providerFor(stub, {}, gh, (message) => logs.push(message));
+    try {
+      const result = await provider.runAction?.({
+        host: 'github.com',
+        owner: 'acme',
+        repo: 'widget',
+        full: 'acme/widget',
+        action: 'pr:view',
+        values: { number: 7 },
+      });
+      assert.match(result?.warning ?? '', /expires on its own/);
+      assert.ok(logs.some((line) => line.includes('network down')));
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('returns setup failures and a failed-revoke warning together', async () => {
+    const permissions = { pull_requests: 'read', contents: 'read', checks: 'read', statuses: 'read' };
+    const stub = createStubFetch({
+      installations: [{ id: 42, account: { login: 'Acme' } }],
+      nowMs,
+      appPermissions: permissions,
+      installationPermissions: permissions,
+      revokeStatus: 500,
+    });
+    const logs: string[] = [];
+    // A NUL makes spawn throw synchronously; an ordinary bad path would be returned as result.error.
+    const provider = providerFor(stub, {}, '\0', (message) => logs.push(message));
+    const result = await provider.runAction?.({
+      host: 'github.com',
+      owner: 'acme',
+      repo: 'widget',
+      full: 'acme/widget',
+      action: 'pr:view',
+      values: { number: 7 },
+    });
+    assert.ok(result?.error);
+    assert.match(result?.warning ?? '', /expires on its own/);
+    assert.ok(logs.some((line) => line.includes('could not revoke the action token')));
+  });
+
   it('runs an action with an action token and revokes it', async () => {
     const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'gcb-action-'));
     const gh = join(dir, 'gh');