diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 70247b96a..8797a6681 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - MySQL and MariaDB queries no longer fail after about a minute when a longer query timeout is set. The client read timeout now follows the configured query timeout, so a long query or stored procedure runs for the full time you allow. (#1921)
 - A dropped MySQL or MariaDB connection no longer silently re-runs a statement that changes data, so a lost connection can no longer run an insert, update, or stored procedure twice. (#1921)
 - The MongoDB, Oracle, Cassandra, and Elasticsearch plugins failed to install on 0.58 with "Bundle failed to load executable". (#1917)
+- Plugin install and load failures now name the real cause (wrong architecture, missing dependency, or incompatibility with this version of TablePro) instead of a generic error. A plugin that fails to load on demand is now reported instead of silently disappearing. (#1915)
 
 ## [0.58.0] - 2026-07-18
 
diff --git a/TablePro/Core/Plugins/PluginBundleLoader.swift b/TablePro/Core/Plugins/PluginBundleLoader.swift
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c83149f94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TablePro/Core/Plugins/PluginBundleLoader.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+//
+//  PluginBundleLoader.swift
+//  TablePro
+//
+
+import Foundation
+import os
+
+enum PluginBundleLoader {
+    private static let logger = Logger(subsystem: "com.TablePro", category: "PluginBundleLoader")
+
+    static func load(_ bundle: Bundle) throws {
+        do {
+            try bundle.loadAndReturnError()
+        } catch {
+            let nsError = error as NSError
+            let reason = describeLoadFailure(nsError)
+            let detail = nsError.userInfo[NSDebugDescriptionErrorKey] as? String ?? nsError.localizedDescription
+            logger.error(
+                "Bundle load failed for \(bundle.bundleURL.lastPathComponent, privacy: .public) [\(nsError.domain, privacy: .public) \(nsError.code, privacy: .public)]: \(reason, privacy: .public) [\(detail, privacy: .public)]"
+            )
+            throw PluginError.invalidBundle(reason)
+        }
+    }
+
+    static func describeLoadFailure(_ error: NSError) -> String {
+        switch error.code {
+        case NSFileNoSuchFileError:
+            return String(localized: "The plugin's executable file is missing.")
+        case NSExecutableNotLoadableError:
+            return String(localized: "The plugin's executable couldn't be loaded. It may be damaged or improperly signed.")
+        case NSExecutableArchitectureMismatchError:
+            return String(localized: "The plugin doesn't include a build for this Mac's processor architecture.")
+        case NSExecutableRuntimeMismatchError:
+            return String(localized: "The plugin was built for an incompatible runtime.")
+        case NSExecutableLoadError:
+            return String(localized: "The plugin depends on a component that's missing or incompatible with this Mac.")
+        case NSExecutableLinkError:
+            return String(localized: "The plugin isn't compatible with this version of TablePro. Update the app or reinstall the plugin.")
+        default:
+            return error.localizedFailureReason ?? error.localizedDescription
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/TablePro/Core/Plugins/PluginManager.swift b/TablePro/Core/Plugins/PluginManager.swift
index 58205a26e..d49944c56 100644
--- a/TablePro/Core/Plugins/PluginManager.swift
+++ b/TablePro/Core/Plugins/PluginManager.swift
@@ -437,8 +437,11 @@ final class PluginManager {
             }
         }
 
-        guard bundle.load() else {
-            Self.logger.error("Failed to load lazy bundle '\(bundleId)' at \(url.lastPathComponent)")
+        do {
+            try PluginBundleLoader.load(bundle)
+        } catch {
+            Self.logger.error("Failed to load lazy bundle '\(bundleId)' at \(url.lastPathComponent): \(error.localizedDescription)")
+            recordLazyActivationRejection(url: url, bundleId: bundleId, entry: entry, error: error)
             return
         }
 
@@ -546,9 +549,7 @@ final class PluginManager {
 
         try validateBundleVersions(bundle)
 
-        guard bundle.load() else {
-            throw PluginError.invalidBundle("Bundle failed to load executable")
-        }
+        try PluginBundleLoader.load(bundle)
 
         return bundle
     }
diff --git a/TableProTests/Core/Plugins/PluginBundleLoaderTests.swift b/TableProTests/Core/Plugins/PluginBundleLoaderTests.swift
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dea7a3a98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TableProTests/Core/Plugins/PluginBundleLoaderTests.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+//
+//  PluginBundleLoaderTests.swift
+//  TableProTests
+//
+
+import Foundation
+@testable import TablePro
+import Testing
+
+@Suite("PluginBundleLoader.describeLoadFailure")
+struct PluginBundleLoaderDescribeLoadFailureTests {
+    private func makeError(_ code: Int, debug: String? = nil, failureReason: String? = nil) -> NSError {
+        var userInfo: [String: Any] = [:]
+        if let debug { userInfo[NSDebugDescriptionErrorKey] = debug }
+        if let failureReason { userInfo[NSLocalizedFailureReasonErrorKey] = failureReason }
+        return NSError(domain: NSCocoaErrorDomain, code: code, userInfo: userInfo)
+    }
+
+    @Test("missing executable file reports a missing-file reason")
+    func missingFile() {
+        let reason = PluginBundleLoader.describeLoadFailure(makeError(NSFileNoSuchFileError))
+        #expect(reason.localizedCaseInsensitiveContains("missing"))
+        #expect(!reason.contains("Bundle failed to load executable"))
+    }
+
+    @Test("not-loadable executable reports a damaged executable")
+    func notLoadable() {
+        let reason = PluginBundleLoader.describeLoadFailure(makeError(NSExecutableNotLoadableError))
+        #expect(reason.localizedCaseInsensitiveContains("loaded") || reason.localizedCaseInsensitiveContains("damaged"))
+    }
+
+    @Test("architecture mismatch names the processor architecture")
+    func architectureMismatch() {
+        let reason = PluginBundleLoader.describeLoadFailure(makeError(NSExecutableArchitectureMismatchError))
+        #expect(reason.localizedCaseInsensitiveContains("architecture"))
+    }
+
+    @Test("runtime mismatch reports an incompatible runtime")
+    func runtimeMismatch() {
+        let reason = PluginBundleLoader.describeLoadFailure(makeError(NSExecutableRuntimeMismatchError))
+        #expect(reason.localizedCaseInsensitiveContains("runtime"))
+    }
+
+    @Test("missing dependency reports a missing component")
+    func missingDependency() {
+        let reason = PluginBundleLoader.describeLoadFailure(makeError(NSExecutableLoadError))
+        #expect(reason.localizedCaseInsensitiveContains("component"))
+    }
+
+    @Test("link error points at app or plugin incompatibility")
+    func linkError() {
+        let reason = PluginBundleLoader.describeLoadFailure(makeError(NSExecutableLinkError))
+        #expect(reason.contains("TablePro"))
+    }
+
+    @Test("unknown code falls back to the OS-provided reason")
+    func unknownCodeFallsBack() {
+        let reason = PluginBundleLoader.describeLoadFailure(
+            makeError(999_999, failureReason: "Custom underlying reason")
+        )
+        #expect(reason == "Custom underlying reason")
+    }
+}
diff --git a/TableProTests/Core/Plugins/PluginLazyActivationVerificationTests.swift b/TableProTests/Core/Plugins/PluginLazyActivationVerificationTests.swift
index 2cd9444f7..a30546c17 100644
--- a/TableProTests/Core/Plugins/PluginLazyActivationVerificationTests.swift
+++ b/TableProTests/Core/Plugins/PluginLazyActivationVerificationTests.swift
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
 //
 
 import Foundation
+@testable import TablePro
 import TableProPluginKit
 import Testing
-@testable import TablePro
 
 @Suite("Plugin lazy activation re-verification", .serialized)
 @MainActor
@@ -71,4 +71,65 @@ struct PluginLazyActivationVerificationTests {
         #expect(manager.driverPlugins[typeId] == nil)
         #expect(manager.rejectedPlugins.filter { $0.url == bundleURL }.count == 1)
     }
+
+    @Test("lazy bundle whose executable fails to load is rejected with a specific reason")
+    func rejectsBundleThatFailsToLoad() throws {
+        let fm = FileManager.default
+        let root = fm.temporaryDirectory.appendingPathComponent("LazyLoadFail-\(UUID().uuidString)", isDirectory: true)
+        let userPluginsDir = root.appendingPathComponent("Plugins", isDirectory: true)
+        let bundleURL = userPluginsDir.appendingPathComponent("Broken.tableplugin", isDirectory: true)
+        let contentsURL = bundleURL.appendingPathComponent("Contents", isDirectory: true)
+        let macosURL = contentsURL.appendingPathComponent("MacOS", isDirectory: true)
+        try fm.createDirectory(at: macosURL, withIntermediateDirectories: true)
+        defer { try? fm.removeItem(at: root) }
+
+        let bundleId = "com.TablePro.test.broken.\(UUID().uuidString)"
+        let typeId = "broken-db-\(UUID().uuidString)"
+        let info: [String: Any] = [
+            "CFBundleIdentifier": bundleId,
+            "CFBundleName": "Broken",
+            "CFBundleShortVersionString": "1.0.0",
+            "CFBundleExecutable": "Broken"
+        ]
+        let infoData = try PropertyListSerialization.data(fromPropertyList: info, format: .xml, options: 0)
+        try infoData.write(to: contentsURL.appendingPathComponent("Info.plist"))
+        try Data("not a mach-o binary".utf8).write(to: macosURL.appendingPathComponent("Broken"))
+
+        let suiteName = "LazyLoadFailTest.\(UUID().uuidString)"
+        let defaults = try #require(UserDefaults(suiteName: suiteName))
+        defer { defaults.removePersistentDomain(forName: suiteName) }
+
+        let manager = PluginManager(userDefaults: defaults, builtInPluginsURL: nil, userPluginsDir: userPluginsDir)
+        let bundle = try #require(Bundle(url: bundleURL))
+        manager.plugins = [
+            PluginEntry(
+                id: bundleId,
+                bundle: bundle,
+                url: bundleURL,
+                source: .builtIn,
+                name: "Broken",
+                version: "1.0.0",
+                pluginDescription: "",
+                capabilities: [.databaseDriver],
+                isEnabled: true,
+                databaseTypeId: typeId,
+                additionalTypeIds: [],
+                pluginIconName: "puzzlepiece",
+                defaultPort: nil,
+                exportFormatId: nil,
+                importFormatId: nil,
+                inspectorId: nil
+            )
+        ]
+
+        manager.activateLazyBundle(at: bundleURL)
+
+        #expect(manager.driverPlugins[typeId] == nil)
+        let rejection = try #require(manager.rejectedPlugins.first { $0.url == bundleURL })
+        #expect(!rejection.reason.isEmpty)
+        #expect(!rejection.reason.contains("Bundle failed to load executable"))
+
+        manager.activateLazyBundle(at: bundleURL)
+        #expect(manager.rejectedPlugins.filter { $0.url == bundleURL }.count == 1)
+    }
 }