diff --git a/decart/realtime/webrtc_connection.py b/decart/realtime/webrtc_connection.py
index ef5e0c5..12f53ed 100644
--- a/decart/realtime/webrtc_connection.py
+++ b/decart/realtime/webrtc_connection.py
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ def __init__(
         self._pending_image_set: Optional[tuple[asyncio.Event, dict]] = None
         self._local_track: Optional[MediaStreamTrack] = None
         self._model_name: Optional[str] = None
+        self._connection_error: Optional[str] = None
 
     async def connect(
         self,
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ async def connect(
         try:
             self._local_track = local_track
             self._model_name = model_name
+            self._connection_error = None
 
             await self._set_state("connecting")
 
@@ -108,6 +110,8 @@ async def connect(
             while asyncio.get_event_loop().time() < deadline:
                 if self._state in ("connected", "generating"):
                     return
+                if self._connection_error:
+                    raise WebRTCError(self._connection_error)
                 await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
 
             raise TimeoutError("Connection timeout")
@@ -285,7 +289,8 @@ async def _receive_messages(self) -> None:
             if self._on_error:
                 self._on_error(e)
         finally:
-            self._resolve_pending_waits("WebSocket disconnected")
+            final_error = self._connection_error or "WebSocket disconnected"
+            self._resolve_pending_waits(final_error)
             await self._set_state("disconnected")
 
     async def _handle_message(self, data: dict) -> None:
@@ -384,6 +389,8 @@ def _handle_error(self, message: ErrorMessage) -> None:
         logger.error(f"Received error from server: {message.error}")
         error = WebRTCError(message.error)
 
+        if not self._connection_error:
+            self._connection_error = message.error
         self._resolve_pending_waits(message.error)
 
         if self._on_error:
diff --git a/tests/test_realtime_unit.py b/tests/test_realtime_unit.py
index 2972b28..b748eed 100644
--- a/tests/test_realtime_unit.py
+++ b/tests/test_realtime_unit.py
@@ -1266,3 +1266,91 @@ async def fake_send(message):
 
     with pytest.raises(WebRTCError, match="rate_limited"):
         await connection._send_initial_prompt_and_wait({"text": "test", "enhance": True})
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_server_error_survives_ws_disconnect_race():
+    """Server error reaches the caller; receive-loop finally must not clobber it."""
+    import json
+    import aiohttp
+    from decart.realtime.webrtc_connection import WebRTCConnection
+
+    connection = WebRTCConnection()
+
+    event, result = connection.register_image_set_wait()
+
+    capacity_payload = json.dumps(
+        {"type": "error", "error": "Server at capacity. Please try again later."}
+    )
+
+    text_msg = MagicMock()
+    text_msg.type = aiohttp.WSMsgType.TEXT
+    text_msg.data = capacity_payload
+
+    class FakeWS:
+        def __init__(self, messages):
+            self._messages = list(messages)
+
+        def __aiter__(self):
+            return self
+
+        async def __anext__(self):
+            if self._messages:
+                return self._messages.pop(0)
+            raise StopAsyncIteration
+
+    connection._ws = FakeWS([text_msg])  # type: ignore[assignment]
+
+    await connection._receive_messages()
+
+    assert event.is_set()
+    assert result["success"] is False
+    assert result["error"] == "Server at capacity. Please try again later."
+    assert connection._connection_error == "Server at capacity. Please try again later."
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_connect_raises_immediately_on_connection_error_subscribe_mode():
+    """Subscribe mode: server error aborts connect() immediately, not at timeout."""
+    from decart.realtime.webrtc_connection import WebRTCConnection
+    from decart.errors import WebRTCError
+
+    connection = WebRTCConnection()
+
+    connection._send_passthrough_and_wait = AsyncMock()  # type: ignore[assignment]
+    connection._setup_peer_connection = AsyncMock()  # type: ignore[assignment]
+    connection._create_and_send_offer = AsyncMock()  # type: ignore[assignment]
+
+    async def _noop_receive():
+        await asyncio.sleep(60)
+
+    connection._receive_messages = _noop_receive  # type: ignore[assignment]
+
+    fake_ws = MagicMock()
+    fake_ws.closed = False
+    fake_ws.close = AsyncMock()
+
+    mock_session = MagicMock()
+    mock_session.closed = False
+    mock_session.close = AsyncMock()
+    mock_session.ws_connect = AsyncMock(return_value=fake_ws)
+
+    async def inject_error_soon():
+        await asyncio.sleep(0.15)
+        connection._connection_error = "Server at capacity. Please try again later."
+
+    injector = asyncio.create_task(inject_error_soon())
+
+    try:
+        with patch(
+            "decart.realtime.webrtc_connection.aiohttp.ClientSession",
+            return_value=mock_session,
+        ):
+            with pytest.raises(WebRTCError, match="Server at capacity"):
+                await connection.connect(
+                    url="https://example.com/ws",
+                    local_track=None,
+                    timeout=10.0,
+                )
+    finally:
+        injector.cancel()