diff --git a/apps/mobile-shell/scripts/check-config.mjs b/apps/mobile-shell/scripts/check-config.mjs
index 1210a3472..ab9b759da 100644
--- a/apps/mobile-shell/scripts/check-config.mjs
+++ b/apps/mobile-shell/scripts/check-config.mjs
@@ -2227,6 +2227,27 @@ for (const snippet of [
   }
 }
 
+for (const snippet of [
+  'try {',
+  'return ok(request, await getMobileNetworkStatus())',
+  'return failure(request, {',
+  "code: 'host_error'",
+  "message: 'network status unavailable'",
+]) {
+  if (!hostBridgeNetworkSource.includes(snippet)) {
+    throw new Error(`mobile shell network HostBridge must stabilize native failures: ${snippet}`);
+  }
+}
+for (const snippet of [
+  'converts native network failures to a stable host_error response',
+  "new Error('network query failed')",
+  "message: 'network status unavailable'",
+]) {
+  if (!hostBridgeNetworkTestSource.includes(snippet)) {
+    throw new Error(`mobile shell network tests must cover stable native failure responses: ${snippet}`);
+  }
+}
+
 if (
   !hapticsSource.includes('normalizeHostBridgeHapticsImpactStyle(rawStyle)') ||
   !hapticsSource.includes('type HapticsImpactPayload') ||
@@ -2670,7 +2691,8 @@ if (
 for (const snippet of [
   'getMobileHostBridgeNetworkStatus',
   'request: HostBridgeRequest',
-  'ok(request, await getMobileNetworkStatus())',
+  'return ok(request, await getMobileNetworkStatus())',
+  'return failure(request, {',
   'getMobileNetworkStatus()',
 ]) {
   if (!hostBridgeNetworkSource.includes(snippet)) {
@@ -2680,10 +2702,11 @@ for (const snippet of [
 for (const snippet of [
   'wraps Expo Network status in the HostBridge response shape',
   'normalizes disconnected network state before wrapping response',
-  'lets protocol layer convert native network failures to host errors',
+  'converts native network failures to a stable host_error response',
   'connectionType: \'cellular\'',
   'connectionType: \'none\'',
   'network query failed',
+  'network status unavailable',
 ]) {
   if (!hostBridgeNetworkTestSource.includes(snippet)) {
     throw new Error(`mobile shell network tests missing ${snippet}`);
diff --git a/apps/mobile-shell/src/host-bridge/network.test.ts b/apps/mobile-shell/src/host-bridge/network.test.ts
index f19a27064..579308554 100644
--- a/apps/mobile-shell/src/host-bridge/network.test.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile-shell/src/host-bridge/network.test.ts
@@ -71,13 +71,20 @@ describe('mobile HostBridge network helper', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  test('lets protocol layer convert native network failures to host errors', async () => {
+  test('converts native network failures to a stable host_error response', async () => {
     vi.mocked(Network.getNetworkStateAsync).mockRejectedValue(
       new Error('network query failed'),
     );
 
-    await expect(getMobileHostBridgeNetworkStatus(request())).rejects.toThrow(
-      'network query failed',
-    );
+    await expect(getMobileHostBridgeNetworkStatus(request())).resolves.toEqual({
+      bridge: HOST_BRIDGE_PROTOCOL,
+      version: HOST_BRIDGE_VERSION,
+      id: 'network-request',
+      ok: false,
+      error: {
+        code: 'host_error',
+        message: 'network status unavailable',
+      },
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/mobile-shell/src/host-bridge/network.ts b/apps/mobile-shell/src/host-bridge/network.ts
index ef046a42a..18db4ed80 100644
--- a/apps/mobile-shell/src/host-bridge/network.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile-shell/src/host-bridge/network.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 import { getMobileNetworkStatus } from '../shell/network';
 import { type HostBridgeRequest } from '../../../../packages/shared/src/contracts/hostBridge';
-import { ok } from './protocol';
+import { failure, ok } from './protocol';
 
 export async function getMobileHostBridgeNetworkStatus(
   request: HostBridgeRequest,
 ) {
-  return ok(request, await getMobileNetworkStatus());
+  try {
+    return ok(request, await getMobileNetworkStatus());
+  } catch {
+    return failure(request, {
+      code: 'host_error',
+      message: 'network status unavailable',
+    });
+  }
 }