diff --git a/go/chat/localizer.go b/go/chat/localizer.go
index af3aa42fb48b..444624b75473 100644
--- a/go/chat/localizer.go
+++ b/go/chat/localizer.go
@@ -845,8 +845,9 @@ func (s *localizerPipeline) localizeConversation(ctx context.Context, uid gregor
 	var maxValidID chat1.MessageID
 	s.Debug(ctx, "localizing %d max msgs", len(maxMsgs))
 	for _, mm := range maxMsgs {
-		if mm.IsValid() &&
-			utils.IsSnippetChatMessageType(mm.GetMessageType()) &&
+		isValidSnippet := mm.IsValid() && utils.IsSnippetChatMessageType(mm.GetMessageType())
+		isEphemeralErr := mm.IsError() && mm.Error().IsEphemeral
+		if (isValidSnippet || isEphemeralErr) &&
 			(conversationLocal.Info.SnippetMsg == nil ||
 				conversationLocal.Info.SnippetMsg.GetMessageID() < mm.GetMessageID()) {
 			conversationLocal.Info.SnippetMsg = new(chat1.MessageUnboxed)
diff --git a/go/chat/utils/utils.go b/go/chat/utils/utils.go
index e65d478aa612..36e1042b8723 100644
--- a/go/chat/utils/utils.go
+++ b/go/chat/utils/utils.go
@@ -1116,10 +1116,13 @@ func formatDuration(dur time.Duration) string {
 
 func getMsgSnippetDecoration(msg chat1.MessageUnboxed) chat1.SnippetDecoration {
 	var msgBody chat1.MessageBody
-	if msg.IsValid() {
+	switch {
+	case msg.IsValid():
 		msgBody = msg.Valid().MessageBody
-	} else {
+	case msg.IsOutbox():
 		msgBody = msg.Outbox().Msg.MessageBody
+	default:
+		return chat1.SnippetDecoration_NONE
 	}
 	switch msg.GetMessageType() {
 	case chat1.MessageType_ATTACHMENT:
@@ -1220,14 +1223,20 @@ func GetMsgSnippetBody(ctx context.Context, g *globals.Context, uid gregor1.UID,
 func GetMsgSnippet(ctx context.Context, g *globals.Context, uid gregor1.UID, msg chat1.MessageUnboxed,
 	conv chat1.ConversationLocal, currentUsername string,
 ) (decoration chat1.SnippetDecoration, snippet string, snippetDecorated string) {
-	if !msg.IsValid() && !msg.IsOutbox() {
-		return chat1.SnippetDecoration_NONE, "", ""
-	}
 	defer func() {
 		if len(snippetDecorated) == 0 {
 			snippetDecorated = snippet
 		}
 	}()
+	if !msg.IsValid() && !msg.IsOutbox() {
+		if msg.IsError() && msg.Error().IsEphemeral {
+			if msg.Error().IsEphemeralExpired(time.Now()) {
+				return chat1.SnippetDecoration_EXPLODED_MESSAGE, "Message exploded.", ""
+			}
+			return chat1.SnippetDecoration_EXPLODING_MESSAGE, msg.Error().ErrMsg, ""
+		}
+		return chat1.SnippetDecoration_NONE, "", ""
+	}
 
 	var senderUsername string
 	if msg.IsValid() {
diff --git a/go/chat/utils/utils_test.go b/go/chat/utils/utils_test.go
index a8b0acdabc0c..e39b1ac63060 100644
--- a/go/chat/utils/utils_test.go
+++ b/go/chat/utils/utils_test.go
@@ -1086,6 +1086,36 @@ func TestSearchableRemoteConversationName(t *testing.T) {
 		searchableRemoteConversationNameFromStr("joshblum,zoommikem,mikem,zoomua,mikem", "mikem"))
 }
 
+func TestGetMsgSnippetEphemeralError(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	conv := chat1.ConversationLocal{}
+	errMsg := "This exploding message is not available because this device was created after the message was sent"
+
+	// Non-expired ephemeral error: should surface the error message with EXPLODING_MESSAGE decoration.
+	msg := chat1.NewMessageUnboxedWithError(chat1.MessageUnboxedError{
+		ErrType:     chat1.MessageUnboxedErrorType_EPHEMERAL,
+		ErrMsg:      errMsg,
+		IsEphemeral: true,
+		Etime:       gregor1.ToTime(time.Now().Add(time.Hour)),
+		MessageType: chat1.MessageType_TEXT,
+	})
+	decoration, snippet, _ := GetMsgSnippet(ctx, nil, gregor1.UID{}, msg, conv, "alice")
+	require.Equal(t, chat1.SnippetDecoration_EXPLODING_MESSAGE, decoration)
+	require.Equal(t, errMsg, snippet)
+
+	// Expired ephemeral error: should show "Message exploded." with EXPLODED_MESSAGE decoration.
+	msg = chat1.NewMessageUnboxedWithError(chat1.MessageUnboxedError{
+		ErrType:     chat1.MessageUnboxedErrorType_EPHEMERAL,
+		ErrMsg:      errMsg,
+		IsEphemeral: true,
+		Etime:       gregor1.ToTime(time.Now().Add(-time.Hour)),
+		MessageType: chat1.MessageType_TEXT,
+	})
+	decoration, snippet, _ = GetMsgSnippet(ctx, nil, gregor1.UID{}, msg, conv, "alice")
+	require.Equal(t, chat1.SnippetDecoration_EXPLODED_MESSAGE, decoration)
+	require.Equal(t, "Message exploded.", snippet)
+}
+
 func TestStripUsernameFromConvName(t *testing.T) {
 	// Only the username as a complete segment is removed; "mikem" inside "zoommikem" must not be stripped
 	require.Equal(t, "joshblum,zoommikem,zoomua",
diff --git a/go/ephemeral/common_test.go b/go/ephemeral/common_test.go
index dd7473975259..eb2eefdb72be 100644
--- a/go/ephemeral/common_test.go
+++ b/go/ephemeral/common_test.go
@@ -132,7 +132,10 @@ func TestEphemeralPluralization(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, humanMsg, pluralized)
 
 	pluralized = PluralizeErrorMessage(humanMsg, 2)
-	require.Equal(t, "2 exploding messages are not available, because this device was created after it was sent", pluralized)
+	require.Equal(t, "2 exploding messages are not available because this device was created after the messages were sent", pluralized)
+
+	pluralized = PluralizeErrorMessage(humanMsgWithPrefix(MemberAfterEKErrMsg), 3)
+	require.Equal(t, "3 exploding messages are not available because you joined the team after the messages were sent", pluralized)
 
 	pluralized = PluralizeErrorMessage(DefaultHumanErrMsg, 2)
 	require.Equal(t, "2 exploding messages are not available", pluralized)
diff --git a/go/ephemeral/errors.go b/go/ephemeral/errors.go
index 29f0b1ebd009..5bab64893c2b 100644
--- a/go/ephemeral/errors.go
+++ b/go/ephemeral/errors.go
@@ -82,10 +82,10 @@ func newTransientEphemeralKeyError(err EphemeralKeyError) EphemeralKeyError {
 const (
 	DefaultHumanErrMsg           = "This exploding message is not available"
 	DefaultPluralHumanErrMsg     = "%d exploding messages are not available"
-	DeviceCloneErrMsg            = "cloned devices do not support exploding messages"
-	DeviceCloneWithOneshotErrMsg = "to support exploding messages in `oneshot` mode, you need a separate paper key for each running instance"
-	DeviceAfterEKErrMsg          = "because this device was created after it was sent"
-	MemberAfterEKErrMsg          = "because you joined the team after it was sent"
+	DeviceCloneErrMsg            = "because this device has been cloned"
+	DeviceCloneWithOneshotErrMsg = "because this device is running in `oneshot` mode; to support exploding messages in `oneshot` mode, you need a separate paper key for each running instance"
+	DeviceAfterEKErrMsg          = "because this device was created after the message was sent"
+	MemberAfterEKErrMsg          = "because you joined the team after the message was sent"
 	DeviceStaleErrMsg            = "because this device wasn't online to generate an exploding key"
 	UserStaleErrMsg              = "because you weren't online to generate new exploding keys"
 )
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func humanMsgWithPrefix(humanMsg string) string {
 	if humanMsg == "" {
 		humanMsg = DefaultHumanErrMsg
 	} else if !strings.Contains(humanMsg, DefaultHumanErrMsg) {
-		humanMsg = fmt.Sprintf("%s, %s", DefaultHumanErrMsg, humanMsg)
+		humanMsg = fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", DefaultHumanErrMsg, humanMsg)
 	}
 	return humanMsg
 }