diff --git a/esbuild.config.mjs b/esbuild.config.mjs
index 2cbd5b81f..fc4e1d9ac 100644
--- a/esbuild.config.mjs
+++ b/esbuild.config.mjs
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ await esbuild.build({
   platform: 'node',
   format: 'esm',
   minify: true,
+  keepNames: true,
   jsx: 'automatic',
   // Inject require shim for ESM compatibility with CommonJS dependencies
   banner: {
diff --git a/integ-tests/add-remove-resources.test.ts b/integ-tests/add-remove-resources.test.ts
index 11d763bbd..c2098da36 100644
--- a/integ-tests/add-remove-resources.test.ts
+++ b/integ-tests/add-remove-resources.test.ts
@@ -197,6 +197,23 @@ describe('integration: add and remove resources', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('add validation failure telemetry', () => {
+    it('emits ValidationError for add memory with missing --name', async () => {
+      telemetry.clearEntries();
+      const result = await runCLI(['add', 'memory', '--strategies', 'SEMANTIC', '--json'], project.projectPath, {
+        env: telemetry.env,
+      });
+
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
+      telemetry.assertMetricEmitted({
+        command: 'add.memory',
+        exit_reason: 'failure',
+        error_name: 'ValidationError',
+        error_source: 'user',
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('remove all', () => {
     it('resets all schemas and emits telemetry', async () => {
       const result = await runCLI(['remove', 'all', '--yes', '--json'], project.projectPath, {
diff --git a/integ-tests/create-edge-cases.test.ts b/integ-tests/create-edge-cases.test.ts
index 84376c27c..e001a7926 100644
--- a/integ-tests/create-edge-cases.test.ts
+++ b/integ-tests/create-edge-cases.test.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ describe.skipIf(!prereqs.npm || !prereqs.git)('integration: create edge cases',
       telemetry.assertMetricEmitted({
         command: 'create',
         exit_reason: 'failure',
+        error_name: 'ValidationError',
+        error_source: 'user',
         agent_language: 'python',
         has_agent: 'true',
       });
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/create/command.tsx b/src/cli/commands/create/command.tsx
index 534e2e412..e9a58f520 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/create/command.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/commands/create/command.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { getWorkingDirectory, serializeResult } from '../../../lib';
+import { ValidationError, getWorkingDirectory, serializeResult } from '../../../lib';
 import type {
   BuildType,
   ModelProvider,
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ async function handleCreateCLI(options: CreateOptions): Promise<void> {
     async () => {
       const validation = validateCreateOptions(options, cwd);
       if (!validation.valid) {
-        throw new Error(validation.error);
+        throw new ValidationError(validation.error!);
       }
       const green = '\x1b[32m';
       const reset = '\x1b[0m';
diff --git a/src/cli/primitives/AgentPrimitive.tsx b/src/cli/primitives/AgentPrimitive.tsx
index d4e9fc341..d6927f85e 100644
--- a/src/cli/primitives/AgentPrimitive.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/primitives/AgentPrimitive.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   ConflictError,
   NoProjectError,
   ResourceNotFoundError,
+  ValidationError,
   findConfigRoot,
   serializeResult,
   setEnvVar,
@@ -301,7 +302,7 @@ export class AgentPrimitive extends BasePrimitive<AddAgentOptions, RemovableReso
           await runCliCommand('add.agent', !!cliOptions.json, async () => {
             const validation = validateAddAgentOptions(cliOptions);
             if (!validation.valid) {
-              throw new Error(validation.error);
+              throw new ValidationError(validation.error!);
             }
 
             // Parse custom claims JSON if provided (already validated by validateAddAgentOptions)
diff --git a/src/cli/primitives/CredentialPrimitive.tsx b/src/cli/primitives/CredentialPrimitive.tsx
index 4b858f324..5034c1c2c 100644
--- a/src/cli/primitives/CredentialPrimitive.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/primitives/CredentialPrimitive.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import {
   ConflictError,
   ResourceNotFoundError,
+  ValidationError,
   findConfigRoot,
   getEnvVar,
   serializeResult,
@@ -315,7 +316,7 @@ export class CredentialPrimitive extends BasePrimitive<AddCredentialOptions, Rem
               });
 
               if (!validation.valid) {
-                throw new Error(validation.error);
+                throw new ValidationError(validation.error!);
               }
 
               const addOptions =
diff --git a/src/cli/primitives/GatewayPrimitive.ts b/src/cli/primitives/GatewayPrimitive.ts
index fd61424e3..d2b93c11c 100644
--- a/src/cli/primitives/GatewayPrimitive.ts
+++ b/src/cli/primitives/GatewayPrimitive.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ResourceNotFoundError, findConfigRoot, serializeResult, toError } from '../../lib';
+import { ResourceNotFoundError, ValidationError, findConfigRoot, serializeResult, toError } from '../../lib';
 import type { Result } from '../../lib/result';
 import type {
   AgentCoreGateway,
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ export class GatewayPrimitive extends BasePrimitive<AddGatewayOptions, Removable
         await runCliCommand('add.gateway', !!cliOptions.json, async () => {
           const validation = validateAddGatewayOptions(cliOptions);
           if (!validation.valid) {
-            throw new Error(validation.error);
+            throw new ValidationError(validation.error!);
           }
 
           // Parse custom claims JSON if provided (already validated)
diff --git a/src/cli/primitives/GatewayTargetPrimitive.ts b/src/cli/primitives/GatewayTargetPrimitive.ts
index 67991df7c..6ef4bf598 100644
--- a/src/cli/primitives/GatewayTargetPrimitive.ts
+++ b/src/cli/primitives/GatewayTargetPrimitive.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import {
   APP_DIR,
   MCP_APP_SUBDIR,
   ResourceNotFoundError,
+  ValidationError,
   findConfigRoot,
   requireConfigRoot,
   serializeResult,
@@ -323,7 +324,7 @@ export class GatewayTargetPrimitive extends BasePrimitive<AddGatewayTargetOption
         await runCliCommand('add.gateway-target', !!cliOptions.json, async () => {
           const validation = await validateAddGatewayTargetOptions(cliOptions);
           if (!validation.valid) {
-            throw new Error(validation.error);
+            throw new ValidationError(validation.error!);
           }
 
           // Map CLI flag values to internal types
diff --git a/src/cli/primitives/MemoryPrimitive.tsx b/src/cli/primitives/MemoryPrimitive.tsx
index 6f02941bc..8080010b0 100644
--- a/src/cli/primitives/MemoryPrimitive.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/primitives/MemoryPrimitive.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ResourceNotFoundError, findConfigRoot, serializeResult, toError } from '../../lib';
+import { ResourceNotFoundError, ValidationError, findConfigRoot, serializeResult, toError } from '../../lib';
 import type { Result } from '../../lib/result';
 import type {
   Memory,
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ export class MemoryPrimitive extends BasePrimitive<AddMemoryOptions, RemovableMe
               });
 
               if (!validation.valid) {
-                throw new Error(validation.error);
+                throw new ValidationError(validation.error!);
               }
 
               const result = await this.add({