diff --git a/packages/stim-cli/README.md b/packages/stim-cli/README.md
index 67a60233..29268bbf 100644
--- a/packages/stim-cli/README.md
+++ b/packages/stim-cli/README.md
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ stim logs --errors
 stim stop
 ```
 
+For `stim logs --errors`, a clean check requires exit code 0 and no matching
+errors in the captured logs. Exit code 0 alone means the query succeeded, even
+when it prints errors; an empty result does not prove launch or log capture
+succeeded.
+
 Use `stim doctor --platform ios` or `stim doctor --platform android` when only
 one native platform is in scope; shared project checks still run.
 
diff --git a/packages/stim-cli/src/__tests__/guide.test.ts b/packages/stim-cli/src/__tests__/guide.test.ts
index 4b916355..a78f1875 100644
--- a/packages/stim-cli/src/__tests__/guide.test.ts
+++ b/packages/stim-cli/src/__tests__/guide.test.ts
@@ -1025,7 +1025,9 @@ test('the agent guide carries the normal workflow and safety rules', () => {
   expect(agent).toMatch(/give the user one compact result: exact device,[\s\S]*total duration/);
   expect(agent).toMatch(/whether stim logs\s+--errors passed/);
   expect(agent).toMatch(/Do not repeat the\s+phase transcript/);
-  expect(agent).toMatch(/Exit code 0 from logs --errors is the pass condition/);
+  expect(agent).toMatch(/requires exit code 0 AND no matching errors in\s+captured logs/);
+  expect(agent).toMatch(/Exit code 0 alone means the query succeeded, even when errors\s+were printed/);
+  expect(agent).toMatch(/does not prove launch or log\s+capture succeeded/);
   expect(agent).toContain('No matching log records');
   expect(agent).toContain('stim reload');
   expect(normalWorkflow).not.toContain('stim reload');
@@ -1035,6 +1037,18 @@ test('the agent guide carries the normal workflow and safety rules', () => {
   expect(agent).toMatch(/Ordinary stim stop and an authorized clean\s+stim worktree remove do not need/);
 });
 
+test('the logs and lifecycle guides distinguish query success from a clean captured timeline', () => {
+  const logs = renderTopic('logs');
+  assert(logs);
+  expect(logs).toContain('EXIT 0 MEANS THE QUERY SUCCEEDED, whether or not records matched');
+  expect(logs).toMatch(/requires exit code 0 AND no matching errors in\s+captured logs/);
+  expect(logs).toContain('a workspace with no log directory also returns an empty result');
+  const lifecycle = renderTopic('lifecycle');
+  assert(lifecycle);
+  expect(lifecycle).toContain('Check captured errors: require exit 0 AND no matching errors');
+  expect(lifecycle).toContain('Exit 0 alone means the query succeeded, even when it printed errors');
+});
+
 test('the logs guide keeps Expo and bare React Native stack context on one human error record', () => {
   const logs = renderTopic('logs');
   assert(logs);
diff --git a/packages/stim-cli/src/commands/guide.ts b/packages/stim-cli/src/commands/guide.ts
index 41919e5d..0bf3446c 100644
--- a/packages/stim-cli/src/commands/guide.ts
+++ b/packages/stim-cli/src/commands/guide.ts
@@ -89,9 +89,11 @@ RULES DURING THE LOOP
   still building" means Metro has not finished; wait and query the logs. For
   launch UNVERIFIED, follow the printed remedy before claiming success. JSON
   reports these as true, "bundling", and "unverified" in launched.
-- Exit code 0 from logs --errors is the pass condition. Human output can show
-  "No matching log records" on stderr. JSON mode prints zero bytes when no
-  records match. Do not read the NDJSON files directly.
+- A clean logs --errors check requires exit code 0 AND no matching errors in
+  captured logs. Exit code 0 alone means the query succeeded, even when errors
+  were printed. Human output shows "No matching log records" on stderr for
+  zero matches; JSON mode prints zero bytes. This does not prove launch or log
+  capture succeeded. Do not read the NDJSON files directly.
 - Use stim status when resuming a workspace or recovering missing device,
   port, server, or build facts. A normal start and platform run already print
   them. Use stim doctor when a build is unexpectedly slow or the environment
@@ -660,9 +662,12 @@ Reads every *.ndjson file in the global workspace logs directory, merges them in
 ordered by timestamp, prints what matches, and EXITS. The file set is
 discovered, not enumerated.
 
-NOTHING MATCHING IS EXIT 0. \`stim logs --errors\` finding nothing is the
-pass condition of a build loop, so an empty result must never read as a
-failure. Precisely what that looks like: STDOUT IS EMPTY, exit code 0, and
+EXIT 0 MEANS THE QUERY SUCCEEDED, whether or not records matched. A clean
+\`stim logs --errors\` check requires exit code 0 AND no matching errors in
+captured logs. An empty result does not prove launch or log capture succeeded;
+a workspace with no log directory also returns an empty result.
+
+For zero matches: STDOUT IS EMPTY, exit code 0, and
 one dim note on STDERR reading \`No matching log records in <logs dir>\`
 (human mode only -- \`--json\` prints nothing at all, on either stream).
 The only exit-1 paths are a malformed query and no project.
@@ -1719,8 +1724,9 @@ STIM_CONFIG_CORRUPT  ("Stim config at <path> is not valid JSON")
     install     from cache (3s)
     launch      com.example.app (1s)
 
-  # 4. Did it work? Exit 0 is the pass condition. Human mode prints a
-  #    "No matching log records" note on stderr when the result is clean.
+  # 4. Check captured errors: require exit 0 AND no matching errors.
+  #    Human mode prints "No matching log records" on stderr for zero matches.
+  #    Exit 0 alone means the query succeeded, even when it printed errors.
   stim logs --errors
 
   # 5. Edit the JS. Fast Refresh applies it; no Stim command is involved.
diff --git a/test/e2e/logs.e2e.js b/test/e2e/logs.e2e.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5d1fe9f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/logs.e2e.js
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, test } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, realpathSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import { workspaceLogsDir } from '../../packages/stim-cli/src/paths.ts';
+
+const CLI = fileURLToPath(new URL('../../packages/stim-cli/bin/cli.ts', import.meta.url));
+let home;
+let project;
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  home = realpathSync(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'stim-logs-e2e-home-')));
+  process.env.STIM_HOME = home;
+  project = realpathSync(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'stim-logs-e2e-project-')));
+  writeFileSync(join(project, 'package.json'), '{"name":"logs-fixture","private":true}\n');
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  rmSync(project, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  delete process.env.STIM_HOME;
+});
+
+test('an empty error query exits 0, with a human-only note on stderr', () => {
+  writeLogs([{ ts: 1, src: 'metro', level: 'info', msg: 'bundling' }]);
+  const human = run();
+  assert.equal(human.status, 0, human.stderr);
+  assert.equal(human.stdout, '');
+  assert.match(human.stderr, /No matching log records/);
+
+  const json = run(['--json']);
+  assert.equal(json.status, 0, json.stderr);
+  assert.equal(json.stdout, '');
+  assert.equal(json.stderr, '');
+});
+
+test('matching errors also exit 0, so a successful query alone is not a clean check', () => {
+  const error = { ts: 2, src: 'metro', level: 'error', msg: 'App failed to render' };
+  writeLogs([{ ts: 1, src: 'metro', level: 'info', msg: 'bundle completed', marker: true }, error]);
+  const human = run();
+  assert.equal(human.status, 0, human.stderr);
+  assert.match(human.stdout, /App failed to render/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(human.stderr, /No matching log records/);
+
+  const json = run(['--json']);
+  assert.equal(json.status, 0, json.stderr);
+  assert.deepEqual(json.stdout.trim().split('\n').map(JSON.parse), [error]);
+  assert.equal(json.stderr, '');
+});
+
+test('no log directory is a successful empty query without evidence of capture', () => {
+  const result = run(['--json']);
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr);
+  assert.equal(result.stdout, '');
+  assert.equal(result.stderr, '');
+});
+
+test('an invalid query exits 1 with empty stdout and a diagnostic on stderr', () => {
+  const result = run(['--json', '--source', 'unknown']);
+  assert.equal(result.status, 1);
+  assert.equal(result.stdout, '');
+  assert.match(result.stderr, /Unknown --source value/);
+});
+
+function writeLogs(records) {
+  const dir = workspaceLogsDir(project);
+  mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+  writeFileSync(join(dir, 'metro.ndjson'), records.map((record) => `${JSON.stringify(record)}\n`).join(''));
+}
+
+function run(args = []) {
+  return spawnSync(process.execPath, [CLI, 'logs', '--errors', ...args], {
+    cwd: project,
+    env: process.env,
+    encoding: 'utf-8',
+  });
+}
diff --git a/website/docs/dev-server-and-logs.md b/website/docs/dev-server-and-logs.md
index 6c2c7c80..c4069c1d 100644
--- a/website/docs/dev-server-and-logs.md
+++ b/website/docs/dev-server-and-logs.md
@@ -35,8 +35,12 @@ The merged timeline includes Metro, client, device, and build records. Logs live
 in the global workspace directory under `$STIM_HOME/workspaces`, not in the
 project checkout.
 
-No matching records is a successful result with exit code 0. JSON mode writes
-NDJSON and writes zero bytes for zero matches.
+Exit code 0 means the query succeeded, including when it prints errors. A clean
+`stim logs --errors` check requires exit code 0 and no matching errors in the
+captured logs. Human mode prints `No matching log records` on stderr for zero
+matches; JSON mode writes NDJSON and writes zero bytes for zero matches. An
+empty result does not prove launch or log capture succeeded: a workspace with
+no log directory also returns an empty result.
 
 `stim stop` ends the supervisor and log collectors. It also frees the reserved
 port and shuts down the owned local device.
diff --git a/website/docs/getting-started.md b/website/docs/getting-started.md
index 24184d7c..e6ab4a82 100644
--- a/website/docs/getting-started.md
+++ b/website/docs/getting-started.md
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ The agent normally runs:
 code={`stim doctor           # inspect the main checkout and warm-state gaps
 stim start            # start this workspace's dev server
 stim ios              # build or restore, install, launch, and verify
-stim logs --errors    # no matching records means the launch is healthy
+stim logs --errors    # check for errors in the captured logs
 stim stop             # release the live environment`}
 />