diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/search-tools/_components/SearchToolTester.test.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/search-tools/_components/SearchToolTester.test.tsx
index 54be24d2401..08a0ab7d02b 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/search-tools/_components/SearchToolTester.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/search-tools/_components/SearchToolTester.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { render, screen, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { fireEvent, render, screen, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
 import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { SearchToolTester } from "./SearchToolTester";
@@ -271,7 +271,15 @@ describe("SearchToolTester", () => {
   });
 
   it("should handle search errors and show notification", async () => {
-    const error = new Error("Search failed");
+    const error = new Error(
+      JSON.stringify({
+        error: {
+          message: "User not allowed to access search tool: exa-search-2",
+          type: "user_search_tool_access_denied",
+          code: "403",
+        },
+      }),
+    );
     vi.mocked(networking.searchToolQueryCall).mockRejectedValue(error);
     const consoleSpy = vi.spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
     const user = userEvent.setup();
@@ -281,11 +289,29 @@ describe("SearchToolTester", () => {
     const searchButton = screen.getByRole("button", { name: /search/i });
     await user.click(searchButton);
     await waitFor(() => {
-      expect(toast.fromError).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Failed to query search tool");
+      expect(toast.fromError).toHaveBeenCalledWith(error);
     });
     consoleSpy.mockRestore();
   });
 
+  it("should not show empty results or add history when search fails", async () => {
+    vi.mocked(networking.searchToolQueryCall).mockRejectedValue(new Error("Search failed"));
+    const consoleSpy = vi.spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    render(<SearchToolTester {...defaultProps} />);
+    const input = screen.getByPlaceholderText("Enter your search query...");
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: "test query" } });
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /search/i }));
+
+    await waitFor(() => {
+      expect(toast.fromError).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+    expect(screen.queryByText("No results found")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText("test query")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText("Test your search tool")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    consoleSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
+
   it("should maintain search history", async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     render(<SearchToolTester {...defaultProps} />);
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/search-tools/_components/SearchToolTester.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/search-tools/_components/SearchToolTester.tsx
index 7dcef3fc6ba..646120443c7 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/search-tools/_components/SearchToolTester.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/app/(dashboard)/search-tools/_components/SearchToolTester.tsx
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ export const SearchToolTester: React.FC<SearchToolTesterProps> = ({ searchToolNa
       setSearchHistory((prev) => [historyEntry, ...prev]);
     } catch (error) {
       console.error("Error querying search tool:", error);
-      toast.fromError("Failed to query search tool");
+      toast.fromError(error);
     } finally {
       setIsLoading(false);
     }
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.test.ts b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.test.ts
index e7a55870345..8b0f0389772 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.test.ts
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.test.ts
@@ -1178,3 +1178,29 @@ describe("getUiConfig runtime backend discovery", () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe("searchToolQueryCall", () => {
+  const originalFetch = global.fetch;
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    global.fetch = originalFetch;
+  });
+
+  it("rejects with the backend error message for a denied search", async () => {
+    const errorMessage = "User not allowed to access search tool: exa-search-2";
+    global.fetch = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(
+      new Response(
+        JSON.stringify({
+          error: {
+            message: errorMessage,
+            type: "user_search_tool_access_denied",
+            code: "403",
+          },
+        }),
+        { status: 403 },
+      ),
+    );
+
+    await expect(Networking.searchToolQueryCall("token", "exa-search-2", "litellm")).rejects.toThrow(errorMessage);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.tsx b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.tsx
index fd25242ec34..9aade717566 100644
--- a/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.tsx
+++ b/ui/litellm-dashboard/src/components/networking.tsx
@@ -6860,7 +6860,7 @@ export const searchToolQueryCall = async (
     if (!response.ok) {
       const errorData = await response.text();
       await handleError(errorData);
-      return null;
+      throw new Error(errorData);
     }
 
     const data = await response.json();