diff --git a/src/service-manager-probe.ts b/src/service-manager-probe.ts
index 8446c78ae..7dbf4b279 100644
--- a/src/service-manager-probe.ts
+++ b/src/service-manager-probe.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ export interface ProbeRunner {
     stderr: string;
     timedOut: boolean;
     spawnFailed: boolean;
+    spawnErrorCode?: string;
   };
 }
 
@@ -84,13 +85,15 @@ export const defaultProbeRunner: ProbeRunner = (file, args) => {
     windowsHide: true,
     timeout: SERVICE_PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS,
   });
+  const spawnErrorCode = (result.error as NodeJS.ErrnoException | undefined)?.code;
+  const timedOut = spawnErrorCode === "ETIMEDOUT" || result.signal !== null;
   return {
     status: result.status,
     stdout: String(result.stdout ?? ""),
     stderr: String(result.stderr ?? ""),
-    // `signal` is SIGTERM when the timeout fired; a spawn failure sets `error`.
-    timedOut: result.signal !== null && result.error === undefined,
-    spawnFailed: result.error !== undefined,
+    timedOut,
+    spawnFailed: result.error !== undefined && !timedOut,
+    spawnErrorCode,
   };
 };
 
@@ -264,8 +267,12 @@ function inspectSystemd(deps: Required<Pick<ProbeDeps, "run" | "home">>): Servic
     "--user", "show", TASK,
     "-p", "LoadState", "-p", "ActiveState", "-p", "FragmentPath", "-p", "NeedDaemonReload",
   ]);
-  if (shown.spawnFailed) return { kind: "absent" };
   if (shown.timedOut) return unknown("systemctl could not be asked: timed out");
+  if (shown.spawnFailed) {
+    return shown.spawnErrorCode === "ENOENT"
+      ? { kind: "absent" }
+      : unknown(`systemctl could not be spawned: ${shown.stderr.trim() || shown.spawnErrorCode || "unknown error"}`);
+  }
   if (shown.status !== 0) {
     // A missing unit still exits ZERO and says not-found; a non-zero status means
     // the question never reached the bus.
diff --git a/tests/service-probe-docker.test.ts b/tests/service-probe-docker.test.ts
index 68b97f524..da860f52a 100644
--- a/tests/service-probe-docker.test.ts
+++ b/tests/service-probe-docker.test.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ test("Linux reports systemd absent when systemctl cannot be spawned", () => {
     stderr: "spawn systemctl ENOENT",
     timedOut: false,
     spawnFailed: true,
+    spawnErrorCode: "ENOENT",
   });
 
   try {
@@ -26,3 +27,24 @@ test("Linux reports systemd absent when systemctl cannot be spawned", () => {
     rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
   }
 });
+
+test.each([
+  ["ETIMEDOUT", true],
+  ["EACCES", false],
+] as const)("Linux does not treat a %s systemctl failure as absent", (spawnErrorCode, timedOut) => {
+  const home = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ocx-probe-failure-"));
+  const run: ProbeRunner = () => ({
+    status: null,
+    stdout: "",
+    stderr: `spawn systemctl ${spawnErrorCode}`,
+    timedOut,
+    spawnFailed: !timedOut,
+    spawnErrorCode,
+  });
+
+  try {
+    expect(inspectServiceManagerInstallation({ run, platform: "linux", home }).kind).toBe("unknown");
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});