diff --git a/src/lib/onboard.ts b/src/lib/onboard.ts
index a6af9f63a1..8627c75543 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ const {
 const {
   resolveRequestedProviderSelection,
 }: typeof import("./onboard/provider-selection") = require("./onboard/provider-selection");
+const {
+  reportProviderSelectionFailure,
+}: typeof import("./onboard/provider-selection-failure") = require("./onboard/provider-selection-failure");
 const {
   promptForInferenceProviderSelection,
 }: typeof import("./onboard/provider-selection-prompt") = require("./onboard/provider-selection-prompt");
@@ -3757,43 +3760,12 @@ async function setupNim(
           readRecordedModel,
         });
         if (providerSelection.kind === "failure") {
-          switch (providerSelection.reason.kind) {
-            case "wsl-recorded-ollama-windows-host":
-              console.error(
-                `  Recorded provider '${providerSelection.reason.recordedProvider}' (WSL Ollama) is not available in this environment.`,
-              );
-              console.error(
-                "  Hint: Windows-host Ollama is reachable here; re-run with NEMOCLAW_PROVIDER=ollama to use it explicitly.",
-              );
-              break;
-            case "recorded-provider-unavailable":
-              console.error(
-                `  Recorded provider '${providerSelection.reason.recordedProvider}' is not available in this environment.`,
-              );
-              console.error(
-                "  Set NEMOCLAW_PROVIDER explicitly, or restore the missing local-inference dependency.",
-              );
-              if (providerSelection.reason.windowsHostKey) {
-                console.error(
-                  `  Hint: Windows-host Ollama is available here — re-run with NEMOCLAW_PROVIDER=${providerSelection.reason.windowsHostKey} to use it.`,
-                );
-              }
-              break;
-            case "unsupported-windows-host-ollama":
-              rejectWindowsHostOllama(providerSelection.reason.providerKey, isWindowsHostOllama);
-              break;
-            case "hermes-provider-unavailable":
-              console.error("  Hermes Provider is only available when onboarding Hermes Agent.");
-              console.error(
-                "  Re-run with `nemohermes onboard` or `nemoclaw onboard --agent hermes`.",
-              );
-              break;
-            case "requested-provider-unavailable":
-              console.error(
-                `  Requested provider '${providerSelection.reason.providerKey}' is not available in this environment.`,
-              );
-              break;
-          }
+          reportProviderSelectionFailure({
+            reason: providerSelection.reason,
+            isWindowsHostOllama,
+            rejectWindowsHostOllama,
+            writeError: (message) => console.error(message),
+          });
           process.exit(1);
         }
         selected = providerSelection.selected;
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/provider-selection-failure.test.ts b/src/lib/onboard/provider-selection-failure.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..51d0b739a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/provider-selection-failure.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { describe, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { reportProviderSelectionFailure } from "../../../dist/lib/onboard/provider-selection-failure";
+
+function report(overrides: Partial<Parameters<typeof reportProviderSelectionFailure>[0]>): {
+  errors: string[];
+  rejected: Array<{ providerKey: string; windowsHostSelected: boolean }>;
+} {
+  const errors: string[] = [];
+  const rejected: Array<{ providerKey: string; windowsHostSelected: boolean }> = [];
+
+  reportProviderSelectionFailure({
+    reason: { kind: "requested-provider-unavailable", providerKey: "missing" },
+    isWindowsHostOllama: false,
+    rejectWindowsHostOllama: (providerKey, windowsHostSelected) => {
+      rejected.push({ providerKey, windowsHostSelected });
+      return true;
+    },
+    writeError: (message) => errors.push(message),
+    ...overrides,
+  });
+
+  return { errors, rejected };
+}
+
+describe("reportProviderSelectionFailure", () => {
+  it("reports recorded WSL Ollama recovery as unavailable on Windows host", () => {
+    const { errors, rejected } = report({
+      reason: {
+        kind: "wsl-recorded-ollama-windows-host",
+        recordedProvider: "ollama-local",
+      },
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(rejected, []);
+    assert.deepEqual(errors, [
+      "  Recorded provider 'ollama-local' (WSL Ollama) is not available in this environment.",
+      "  Hint: Windows-host Ollama is reachable here; re-run with NEMOCLAW_PROVIDER=ollama to use it explicitly.",
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("adds a Windows-host hint when recorded provider recovery has a host action", () => {
+    const { errors, rejected } = report({
+      reason: {
+        kind: "recorded-provider-unavailable",
+        recordedProvider: "ollama-local",
+        recoveredKey: "ollama",
+        windowsHostKey: "start-windows-ollama",
+      },
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(rejected, []);
+    assert.deepEqual(errors, [
+      "  Recorded provider 'ollama-local' is not available in this environment.",
+      "  Set NEMOCLAW_PROVIDER explicitly, or restore the missing local-inference dependency.",
+      "  Hint: Windows-host Ollama is available here — re-run with NEMOCLAW_PROVIDER=start-windows-ollama to use it.",
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("delegates unsupported Windows-host Ollama failures to the rejection helper", () => {
+    const { errors, rejected } = report({
+      reason: { kind: "unsupported-windows-host-ollama", providerKey: "start-windows-ollama" },
+      isWindowsHostOllama: true,
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(errors, []);
+    assert.deepEqual(rejected, [
+      { providerKey: "start-windows-ollama", windowsHostSelected: true },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("reports Hermes Provider when requested for an unsupported agent", () => {
+    const { errors, rejected } = report({
+      reason: { kind: "hermes-provider-unavailable" },
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(rejected, []);
+    assert.deepEqual(errors, [
+      "  Hermes Provider is only available when onboarding Hermes Agent.",
+      "  Re-run with `nemohermes onboard` or `nemoclaw onboard --agent hermes`.",
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("reports unavailable requested providers", () => {
+    const { errors, rejected } = report({
+      reason: { kind: "requested-provider-unavailable", providerKey: "missing-provider" },
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(rejected, []);
+    assert.deepEqual(errors, [
+      "  Requested provider 'missing-provider' is not available in this environment.",
+    ]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/provider-selection-failure.ts b/src/lib/onboard/provider-selection-failure.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a5501fcd12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/provider-selection-failure.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import type { ProviderSelectionFailureReason } from "./provider-selection";
+
+export interface ReportProviderSelectionFailureInput {
+  reason: ProviderSelectionFailureReason;
+  isWindowsHostOllama: boolean;
+  rejectWindowsHostOllama(providerKey: string, windowsHostSelected: boolean): boolean;
+  writeError(message: string): void;
+}
+
+export function reportProviderSelectionFailure(input: ReportProviderSelectionFailureInput): void {
+  switch (input.reason.kind) {
+    case "wsl-recorded-ollama-windows-host":
+      input.writeError(
+        `  Recorded provider '${input.reason.recordedProvider}' (WSL Ollama) is not available in this environment.`,
+      );
+      input.writeError(
+        "  Hint: Windows-host Ollama is reachable here; re-run with NEMOCLAW_PROVIDER=ollama to use it explicitly.",
+      );
+      break;
+    case "recorded-provider-unavailable":
+      input.writeError(
+        `  Recorded provider '${input.reason.recordedProvider}' is not available in this environment.`,
+      );
+      input.writeError(
+        "  Set NEMOCLAW_PROVIDER explicitly, or restore the missing local-inference dependency.",
+      );
+      if (input.reason.windowsHostKey) {
+        input.writeError(
+          `  Hint: Windows-host Ollama is available here — re-run with NEMOCLAW_PROVIDER=${input.reason.windowsHostKey} to use it.`,
+        );
+      }
+      break;
+    case "unsupported-windows-host-ollama":
+      input.rejectWindowsHostOllama(input.reason.providerKey, input.isWindowsHostOllama);
+      break;
+    case "hermes-provider-unavailable":
+      input.writeError("  Hermes Provider is only available when onboarding Hermes Agent.");
+      input.writeError("  Re-run with `nemohermes onboard` or `nemoclaw onboard --agent hermes`.");
+      break;
+    case "requested-provider-unavailable":
+      input.writeError(
+        `  Requested provider '${input.reason.providerKey}' is not available in this environment.`,
+      );
+      break;
+  }
+}