diff --git a/src/mutation.ts b/src/mutation.ts
index a89ffd42202576c0ea68803fa851826b2d7a8f66..29266ff9e0eaeda75dda30e3cce91c65efdacb0c 100644
--- a/src/mutation.ts
+++ b/src/mutation.ts
@@ -112,11 +112,22 @@ interface PendingDebouncedState<Args extends unknown[], Result> {
   shouldCallGlobalHandler: boolean;
 }
 
-/** Wrapper for errors that includes the description captured before rollback */
-interface MutationError {
-  __mutationError: true;
-  error: unknown;
-  description: string;
+/** Internal wrapper that preserves the pre-rollback description for reporting. */
+class MutationError extends Error {
+  constructor(
+    readonly error: unknown,
+    readonly description: string,
+  ) {
+    super(errMessage(error), { cause: error });
+    this.name = "MutationError";
+  }
+}
+
+function unwrapMutationError(caught: unknown) {
+  if (caught instanceof MutationError) {
+    return { error: caught.error, description: caught.description };
+  }
+  return { error: caught, description: null };
 }
 
 interface Channel<Args extends unknown[], Result, OptimisticHelpers> {
@@ -283,16 +294,12 @@ export class BlockingMutation<
       onSettled?.({ status: "success", result });
       return result;
     }).catch((caught: unknown) => {
-      // Extract error and description if this is a wrapped mutation error
-      const isMutationError = (caught as MutationError)?.__mutationError === true;
-      const error = isMutationError ? (caught as MutationError).error : caught;
-      const description = isMutationError ? (caught as MutationError).description : this.describe(...args);
+      const { error } = unwrapMutationError(caught);
 
-      // Call user handlers with the unwrapped error
       onError?.(error);
       onSettled?.({ status: "error", error });
 
-      throw caught;
+      throw error;
     });
   }
 
@@ -326,12 +333,8 @@ export class BlockingMutation<
         }
       }
     }).catch((caught: unknown) => {
-      // Extract error and description if this is a wrapped mutation error
-      const isMutationError = (caught as MutationError)?.__mutationError === true;
-      const error = isMutationError ? (caught as MutationError).error : caught;
-      const description = isMutationError ? (caught as MutationError).description : this.describe(...args);
+      const { error, description = this.describe(...args) } = unwrapMutationError(caught);
 
-      // Call user handlers with the unwrapped error
       onError?.(error);
       onSettled?.({ status: "error", error });
 
@@ -533,7 +536,7 @@ export class BlockingMutation<
     }, (error) => {
       // Capture description BEFORE rollback so it sees optimistic state
       const description = this.describe(...args);
-      const wrappedError: MutationError = { __mutationError: true, error, description };
+      const wrappedError = new MutationError(error, description);
 
       // if an error happens, then every rollback is called in reverse order
       let next;
@@ -801,10 +804,7 @@ export class BlockingMutation<
         }
       },
       (caught) => {
-        // Extract error and description if this is a wrapped mutation error
-        const isMutationError = (caught as MutationError)?.__mutationError === true;
-        const error = isMutationError ? (caught as MutationError).error : caught;
-        const description = isMutationError ? (caught as MutationError).description : this.describe(...args);
+        const { error, description = this.describe(...args) } = unwrapMutationError(caught);
 
         // Reject all pending promises with unwrapped error
         pending.forEach((p) => p.reject(error));
diff --git a/test/ordering.test.ts b/test/ordering.test.ts
index b7284a41c2a7a23ac03d175367a2689dd563e7cc..0f4a1b07a4f927b7f36f0df70d7c3f5fbe4cf0d0 100644
--- a/test/ordering.test.ts
+++ b/test/ordering.test.ts
@@ -103,7 +103,9 @@ test("error case: describe is called before rollback", async () => {
   assertEquals(
     describeIndex < restoreIndex,
     true,
-    `describe (at ${describeIndex}) must be called before restore (at ${restoreIndex}). Actual order: ${calls.join(", ")}`,
+    `describe (at ${describeIndex}) must be called before restore (at ${restoreIndex}). Actual order: ${
+      calls.join(", ")
+    }`,
   );
 
   // Verify describe was called with optimistic state still active
diff --git a/test/runWithOptions.test.tsx b/test/runWithOptions.test.tsx
index 77f290ac0abe69e884519255415888c1a22570fc..654953936781c9346c466fc4f64d413eff7d302d 100644
--- a/test/runWithOptions.test.tsx
+++ b/test/runWithOptions.test.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { useMutate } from "@clo/react-mutation";
-import { assertEquals } from "@std/assert";
+import { assertEquals, assertStrictEquals } from "@std/assert";
 import { act, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { userEvent } from "@testing-library/user-event";
 import { test, vi } from "vitest";
@@ -66,3 +66,35 @@ test("runWithOptions should allow react hook to do local handling", async () =>
   assertEquals(renders, []);
   renders = [];
 });
+
+test("runAsHeadlessPromise rejects with the underlying error", async () => {
+  const { client, errorMessages } = createTestMutationClient();
+  const s = new IterableStream<string>();
+  const error = new Error("damn!");
+  const localErrors: unknown[] = [];
+
+  const mutTest = client.define({
+    mutate: async () => {
+      return (await s.next()).value;
+    },
+    optimistic: () => {},
+    describe: "Test the action",
+    describeResult: "Tested the action",
+  });
+
+  const promise = mutTest.runAsHeadlessPromise({
+    onError: (error) => localErrors.push(error),
+  });
+  s.throw(error);
+
+  let caught: unknown;
+  try {
+    await promise;
+  } catch (error) {
+    caught = error;
+  }
+
+  assertStrictEquals(caught, error);
+  assertEquals(localErrors, [error]);
+  assertEquals(errorMessages, []);
+});