diff --git a/src/hooks/useShakespeare.ts b/src/hooks/useShakespeare.ts
index 233c0a2..3f5d643 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useShakespeare.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useShakespeare.ts
@@ -109,9 +109,11 @@ async function handleAPIError(response: Response) {
   } else if (response.status === 402) {
     throw new Error('Insufficient credits. Please add credits to your account to use premium models, or use the free "tybalt" model.');
   } else if (response.status === 400) {
+    // Read raw text first so we always have the body for logging
+    const rawBody = await response.text().catch(() => '(unreadable body)');
+    console.error('[Shakespeare API 400] raw body:', rawBody);
     try {
-      const error = await response.json();
-      console.error('[Shakespeare API 400]', JSON.stringify(error));
+      const error = JSON.parse(rawBody);
       if (error.error?.type === 'invalid_request_error') {
         if (error.error.code === 'minimum_amount_not_met') {
           throw new Error(`Minimum credit amount is $${error.error.minimum_amount}. Please increase your payment amount.`);
@@ -121,11 +123,12 @@ async function handleAPIError(response: Response) {
           throw new Error('Invalid redirect URL provided for Stripe payment.');
         }
       }
-      const msg = error.error?.message || error.message || error.details || JSON.stringify(error);
+      const msg = error.error?.message || error.message || error.details || rawBody;
       throw new Error(`API 400: ${msg}`);
     } catch (inner) {
       if (inner instanceof Error && inner.message.startsWith('API 400:')) throw inner;
-      throw new Error('Invalid request. Please check your parameters and try again.');
+      // Body was not JSON or unrecognised structure — surface the raw body
+      throw new Error(`API 400: ${rawBody}`);
     }
   } else if (response.status === 404) {
     throw new Error('Resource not found. Please check the payment ID or try again.');