diff --git a/apps/builder/__tests__/create-first-workspace.test.ts b/apps/builder/__tests__/create-first-workspace.test.ts
index aa5f5bf368..bc6db3bcce 100644
--- a/apps/builder/__tests__/create-first-workspace.test.ts
+++ b/apps/builder/__tests__/create-first-workspace.test.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ describe("create-first-workspace", () => {
 
   test("recognises only the listed codes, never prototype members", () => {
     expect(isCreateChannelErrorCode("workspaceLimitReached")).toBe(true)
+    expect(isCreateChannelErrorCode("sessionExpired")).toBe(true)
     expect(isCreateChannelErrorCode("toString")).toBe(false)
     expect(isCreateChannelErrorCode(undefined)).toBe(false)
   })
diff --git a/apps/builder/__tests__/instagram-facebook-select-page.test.tsx b/apps/builder/__tests__/instagram-facebook-select-page.test.tsx
index 1b0102f16a..987c85c2ba 100644
--- a/apps/builder/__tests__/instagram-facebook-select-page.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/builder/__tests__/instagram-facebook-select-page.test.tsx
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ describe("InstagramFacebookSelectPage", () => {
     mockReadPendingAuth.mockResolvedValue(null)
 
     await expect(InstagramFacebookSelectPage()).rejects.toThrow(
-      "redirect:/channels/create",
+      "redirect:/channels/create?error=sessionExpired",
     )
     expect(mockGetUserInstagramAccounts).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
diff --git a/apps/builder/__tests__/instagram-select-page.test.tsx b/apps/builder/__tests__/instagram-select-page.test.tsx
index 71cac4d58c..fc34afabd3 100644
--- a/apps/builder/__tests__/instagram-select-page.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/builder/__tests__/instagram-select-page.test.tsx
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ describe("InstagramSelectPage", () => {
     mockReadPendingAuth.mockResolvedValue(null)
 
     await expect(InstagramSelectPage()).rejects.toThrow(
-      "redirect:/channels/create",
+      "redirect:/channels/create?error=sessionExpired",
     )
     expect(mockGetInstagramAccount).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
@@ -85,5 +85,8 @@ describe("InstagramSelectPage", () => {
     await expect(InstagramSelectPage()).rejects.toThrow(
       "redirect:/channels/create",
     )
+    expect(mockRedirect).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "/channels/create?error=sessionExpired",
+    )
   })
 })
diff --git a/apps/builder/__tests__/messenger-select-page.test.tsx b/apps/builder/__tests__/messenger-select-page.test.tsx
index 7e4b29df22..e6f91c7177 100644
--- a/apps/builder/__tests__/messenger-select-page.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/builder/__tests__/messenger-select-page.test.tsx
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ describe("MessengerSelectPage", () => {
     mockReadPendingAuth.mockResolvedValue(null)
 
     await expect(MessengerSelectPage()).rejects.toThrow(
-      "redirect:/channels/create",
+      "redirect:/channels/create?error=sessionExpired",
     )
     expect(mockGetUserPages).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
diff --git a/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/instagram-facebook/select/page.tsx b/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/instagram-facebook/select/page.tsx
index 0f17e5e668..323d224433 100644
--- a/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/instagram-facebook/select/page.tsx
+++ b/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/instagram-facebook/select/page.tsx
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ export default async function InstagramFacebookSelectPage() {
   const auth = await readPendingAuth(FB_INSTAGRAM_FACEBOOK_PENDING_AUTH_COOKIE)
 
   if (!auth) {
-    redirect("/channels/create")
+    redirect("/channels/create?error=sessionExpired")
   }
 
   const accounts = await getUserInstagramAccounts(auth.userToken, auth.version)
diff --git a/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/instagram/select/page.tsx b/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/instagram/select/page.tsx
index 78d3fafe65..76a77dd80f 100644
--- a/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/instagram/select/page.tsx
+++ b/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/instagram/select/page.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ export default async function InstagramSelectPage() {
   const auth = await readPendingAuth(FB_INSTAGRAM_PENDING_AUTH_COOKIE)
 
   if (!auth) {
-    redirect("/channels/create")
+    redirect("/channels/create?error=sessionExpired")
   }
 
   const account = await getInstagramAccount(auth.userToken)
diff --git a/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/messenger/select/page.tsx b/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/messenger/select/page.tsx
index c73d61ab28..424817fb15 100644
--- a/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/messenger/select/page.tsx
+++ b/apps/builder/src/app/(no-sidebar)/channels/messenger/select/page.tsx
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export default async function MessengerSelectPage() {
   const pendingAuth = await readPendingAuth(FB_MESSENGER_PENDING_AUTH_COOKIE)
 
   if (!pendingAuth) {
-    redirect("/channels/create")
+    redirect("/channels/create?error=sessionExpired")
   }
 
   const { pages, bmLookupFailed } = await getUserPages(
diff --git a/apps/builder/src/lib/workspace/create-first-workspace.ts b/apps/builder/src/lib/workspace/create-first-workspace.ts
index 499c23ea84..b267864d9d 100644
--- a/apps/builder/src/lib/workspace/create-first-workspace.ts
+++ b/apps/builder/src/lib/workspace/create-first-workspace.ts
@@ -7,16 +7,15 @@ import type { MessageKey } from "@/features/channel-connect/lib/message-key"
 const CREATE_CHANNEL_ERROR_PARAM = "error"
 
 /**
- * Plan-limit failures the "create a workspace for the user's first channel"
- * step can raise (`workspaceService.create`'s quota gates), keyed by
- * `ChatbotXException.code` → the copy `/channels/create` shows for them. Any
- * other error keeps propagating, so an unexpected failure is never dressed
- * up as a plan limit.
+ * Known failures keyed by `ChatbotXException.code` or connect-flow error code
+ * → the copy `/channels/create` shows for them. Any other error keeps
+ * propagating, so an unexpected failure is never dressed up as a known error.
  */
 export const CREATE_CHANNEL_ERROR_MESSAGE_KEYS = {
   workspaceLimitReached: "channels.connectMany.reason.workspaceLimit",
   trialExpired: "channels.connectMany.sessionError.trialExpired",
   macLimitReached: "channels.connectMany.sessionError.macLimitReached",
+  sessionExpired: "channels.connectMany.sessionError.sessionExpired",
 } as const satisfies Record<string, MessageKey>
 
 export type CreateChannelErrorCode =