diff --git a/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.test.ts
index ad1e9a4324..02e0d6b7ff 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.test.ts
@@ -125,6 +125,41 @@ describe("runEnvironmentChecks", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it.each([
+    { failure: { status: 133, signal: "SIGTRAP" }, detail: "SIGTRAP" },
+    { failure: { code: "EACCES" }, detail: "EACCES" },
+    { failure: { code: "ETIMEDOUT", signal: "SIGKILL" }, detail: "ETIMEDOUT" },
+  ])("rejects an existing browser that fails --version: $detail", async ({ failure, detail }) => {
+    execFileSync.mockImplementation((_path, args) => {
+      if (args[0] === "--version") throw Object.assign(new Error("cannot execute"), failure);
+      return "ffmpeg version 7.1.1\n";
+    });
+    const findBrowser = vi.spyOn(manager, "findBrowser").mockResolvedValue({
+      executablePath: process.execPath,
+      source: "cache",
+    });
+    try {
+      for (const browserPath of [undefined, process.execPath]) {
+        const result = await runEnvironmentChecks({ includeBrowser: true, browserPath });
+        const chrome = result.outcomes.find((outcome) => outcome.name === "Chrome");
+        expect(chrome).toMatchObject({ ok: false, level: "error", title: "Chrome cannot start" });
+        expect(chrome?.detail).toContain(detail);
+        expect(result.browser).toBeUndefined();
+      }
+      expect(execFileSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        process.execPath,
+        ["--version"],
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          timeout: 5000,
+          killSignal: "SIGKILL",
+          windowsHide: true,
+        }),
+      );
+    } finally {
+      findBrowser.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
+
   it("reports an explicit missing browser path before render starts", async () => {
     const result = await runEnvironmentChecks({
       includeBrowser: true,
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.ts b/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.ts
index dc8c9dd1f3..fabcd97ca2 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/browser/preflight.ts
@@ -180,10 +180,56 @@ function chromeSharedLibOutcome(
   };
 }
 
+function chromeLaunchFailureDetails(error: unknown): string {
+  if (typeof error !== "object" || error === null) return "";
+  const status = "status" in error ? error.status : undefined;
+  const signal = "signal" in error ? error.signal : undefined;
+  const code = "code" in error ? error.code : undefined;
+  return [
+    typeof status === "number" ? `exit code ${status}` : "",
+    typeof signal === "string" ? `signal ${signal}` : "",
+    typeof code === "string" ? code : "",
+  ]
+    .filter(Boolean)
+    .join(", ");
+}
+
+function chromeLaunchOutcome(
+  executablePath: string,
+  found: EnvironmentCheckOutcome,
+): EnvironmentCheckOutcome {
+  const libraries = chromeSharedLibOutcome(executablePath, found);
+  if (!libraries.ok) return libraries;
+  try {
+    execFileSync(executablePath, ["--version"], {
+      encoding: "utf-8",
+      stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
+      timeout: 5000,
+      killSignal: "SIGKILL",
+      maxBuffer: 64 * 1024,
+      windowsHide: true,
+    });
+    return found;
+  } catch (error) {
+    const details = chromeLaunchFailureDetails(error);
+    return {
+      name: "Chrome",
+      ok: false,
+      level: "error",
+      title: "Chrome cannot start",
+      detail: `Failed to run "${executablePath}" --version${details ? ` (${details})` : ""}.`,
+      hint:
+        "Select a working Chrome/Chromium binary for this OS and architecture with " +
+        "HYPERFRAMES_BROWSER_PATH, or reinstall with: npx hyperframes browser ensure --force",
+      path: executablePath,
+    };
+  }
+}
+
 async function checkChrome(browserPath?: string): Promise<EnvironmentCheckOutcome> {
   if (browserPath) {
     if (existsSync(browserPath)) {
-      return chromeSharedLibOutcome(browserPath, {
+      return chromeLaunchOutcome(browserPath, {
         name: "Chrome",
         ok: true,
         level: "ok",
@@ -213,7 +259,7 @@ async function checkChrome(browserPath?: string): Promise<EnvironmentCheckOutcom
     info = undefined;
   }
   if (info) {
-    return chromeSharedLibOutcome(info.executablePath, {
+    return chromeLaunchOutcome(info.executablePath, {
       name: "Chrome",
       ok: true,
       level: "ok",