diff --git a/Sources/Zero/Services/GitPanelService.swift b/Sources/Zero/Services/GitPanelService.swift
index 6a96010..6d59c9a 100644
--- a/Sources/Zero/Services/GitPanelService.swift
+++ b/Sources/Zero/Services/GitPanelService.swift
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class GitPanelService: ObservableObject {
             try gitService.push(in: containerName)
             await refresh()
         } catch {
-            errorMessage = error.localizedDescription
+            errorMessage = mapRemoteActionError(error, action: .push)
         }
     }
     
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class GitPanelService: ObservableObject {
             try gitService.pull(in: containerName)
             await refresh()
         } catch {
-            errorMessage = error.localizedDescription
+            errorMessage = mapRemoteActionError(error, action: .pull)
         }
     }
 
@@ -157,4 +157,32 @@ class GitPanelService: ObservableObject {
         selectedDiffTitle = "Untracked · \(path)"
         selectedDiff = "Untracked files have no git diff until staged."
     }
+
+    private enum RemoteAction {
+        case pull
+        case push
+    }
+
+    private func mapRemoteActionError(_ error: Error, action: RemoteAction) -> String {
+        let message = error.localizedDescription
+        let normalized = message.lowercased()
+
+        if action == .push && containsAny(normalized, patterns: ["non-fast-forward", "failed to push some refs", "[rejected]", "fetch first"]) {
+            return "Push rejected because remote has new commits. Pull, resolve conflicts if needed, then push again."
+        }
+
+        if action == .pull && containsAny(normalized, patterns: ["automatic merge failed", "merge conflict", "conflict"]) {
+            return "Pull hit merge conflicts. Resolve conflicted files, commit, then pull again."
+        }
+
+        if containsAny(normalized, patterns: ["authentication failed", "permission denied", "could not read from remote repository", "repository not found"]) {
+            return "Git authentication or permission failed. Verify credentials and repository access, then retry."
+        }
+
+        return message
+    }
+
+    private func containsAny(_ text: String, patterns: [String]) -> Bool {
+        patterns.contains { text.contains($0) }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/ZeroTests/GitPanelServiceTests.swift b/Tests/ZeroTests/GitPanelServiceTests.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eaf2a70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/ZeroTests/GitPanelServiceTests.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+import XCTest
+@testable import Zero
+
+private final class GitPanelMockContainerRunner: ContainerRunning {
+    var nextShellOutput = ""
+    var shellErrorsByCommandSubstring: [String: Error] = [:]
+
+    func executeCommand(container: String, command: String) throws -> String {
+        return ""
+    }
+
+    func executeShell(container: String, script: String) throws -> String {
+        if let match = shellErrorsByCommandSubstring.first(where: { script.contains($0.key) }) {
+            throw match.value
+        }
+        return nextShellOutput
+    }
+
+    func executeShellStreaming(container: String, script: String, onOutput: @escaping (String) -> Void) throws -> String {
+        if let match = shellErrorsByCommandSubstring.first(where: { script.contains($0.key) }) {
+            throw match.value
+        }
+        onOutput(nextShellOutput)
+        return nextShellOutput
+    }
+}
+
+@MainActor
+final class GitPanelServiceTests: XCTestCase {
+    func testPushMapsNonFastForwardFailureToGuidance() async {
+        // Given
+        let runner = GitPanelMockContainerRunner()
+        runner.shellErrorsByCommandSubstring["git push"] = NSError(
+            domain: "git",
+            code: 1,
+            userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "! [rejected] main -> main (non-fast-forward)\nerror: failed to push some refs"]
+        )
+        let service = makeService(runner: runner)
+
+        // When
+        await service.push()
+
+        // Then
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            service.errorMessage,
+            "Push rejected because remote has new commits. Pull, resolve conflicts if needed, then push again."
+        )
+    }
+
+    func testPullMapsMergeConflictFailureToGuidance() async {
+        // Given
+        let runner = GitPanelMockContainerRunner()
+        runner.shellErrorsByCommandSubstring["git pull"] = NSError(
+            domain: "git",
+            code: 1,
+            userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the result."]
+        )
+        let service = makeService(runner: runner)
+
+        // When
+        await service.pull()
+
+        // Then
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            service.errorMessage,
+            "Pull hit merge conflicts. Resolve conflicted files, commit, then pull again."
+        )
+    }
+
+    func testPullMapsAuthenticationFailureToGuidance() async {
+        // Given
+        let runner = GitPanelMockContainerRunner()
+        runner.shellErrorsByCommandSubstring["git pull"] = NSError(
+            domain: "git",
+            code: 1,
+            userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "fatal: Authentication failed for 'https://github.com/zero-ide/Zero.git/'"]
+        )
+        let service = makeService(runner: runner)
+
+        // When
+        await service.pull()
+
+        // Then
+        XCTAssertEqual(
+            service.errorMessage,
+            "Git authentication or permission failed. Verify credentials and repository access, then retry."
+        )
+    }
+
+    func testPushKeepsOriginalMessageForUnknownFailures() async {
+        // Given
+        let runner = GitPanelMockContainerRunner()
+        runner.shellErrorsByCommandSubstring["git push"] = NSError(
+            domain: "git",
+            code: 1,
+            userInfo: [NSLocalizedDescriptionKey: "fatal: unexpected socket close"]
+        )
+        let service = makeService(runner: runner)
+
+        // When
+        await service.push()
+
+        // Then
+        XCTAssertEqual(service.errorMessage, "fatal: unexpected socket close")
+    }
+
+    private func makeService(runner: GitPanelMockContainerRunner) -> GitPanelService {
+        let service = GitPanelService()
+        service.setup(gitService: GitService(runner: runner), containerName: "zero-dev-container")
+        return service
+    }
+}