diff --git a/frontend/src/components/common/ErrorDetailModal.vue b/frontend/src/components/common/ErrorDetailModal.vue
index d8281a5..021f3da 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/common/ErrorDetailModal.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/common/ErrorDetailModal.vue
@@ -4,14 +4,20 @@
     <v-card>
       <v-card-title class="d-flex align-center" style="gap: 12px;">
         <v-icon icon="mdi-alert-circle-outline" color="error" />
-        <span>{{ title }}</span>
+        <span>{{ displayTitle }}</span>
         <v-spacer />
         <v-btn icon variant="text" size="small" @click="close">
           <v-icon>mdi-close</v-icon>
         </v-btn>
       </v-card-title>
       <v-card-text>
-        <pre class="fc-err-pre">{{ message || '(no error message)' }}</pre>
+        <dl v-if="contextRows.length" class="fc-err-context">
+          <template v-for="(row, idx) in contextRows" :key="idx">
+            <dt>{{ row[0] }}</dt>
+            <dd>{{ row[1] }}</dd>
+          </template>
+        </dl>
+        <pre class="fc-err-pre">{{ displayMessage || '(no error message)' }}</pre>
       </v-card-text>
       <v-card-actions>
         <v-btn
@@ -27,12 +33,21 @@
 </template>
 
 <script setup>
-import { ref, watch } from 'vue'
+import { computed, ref, watch } from 'vue'
+
+import { copyText } from '../../utils/clipboard.js'
 
 const props = defineProps({
   modelValue: { type: Boolean, default: false },
+  // Legacy mode: pass title + message strings. Used by callers whose row
+  // shape lacks structured context (e.g. ImportTaskList where `error` is
+  // a plain string on the import_task row, not a TaskRun).
   title: { type: String, default: 'Error details' },
   message: { type: String, default: '' },
+  // Row mode: pass the full TaskRun-shaped dict from /api/system_activity.
+  // When set, displayTitle/displayMessage derive from the row and a context
+  // panel of task_name/queue/target/duration/etc. renders above the error.
+  row: { type: Object, default: null },
 })
 
 const emit = defineEmits(['update:modelValue'])
@@ -40,6 +55,47 @@ const emit = defineEmits(['update:modelValue'])
 const copied = ref(false)
 let copiedTimer = null
 
+const displayTitle = computed(() => {
+  if (props.row) return props.row.error_type || 'Error details'
+  return props.title
+})
+
+const displayMessage = computed(() => {
+  if (props.row) return props.row.error_message || ''
+  return props.message
+})
+
+function _shortTaskName (name) {
+  if (!name) return ''
+  const parts = String(name).split('.')
+  return parts[parts.length - 1]
+}
+
+function _formatDuration (ms) {
+  if (ms == null) return null
+  if (ms < 1000) return `${ms} ms`
+  if (ms < 60_000) return `${(ms / 1000).toFixed(1)} s`
+  return `${(ms / 60_000).toFixed(1)} min`
+}
+
+const contextRows = computed(() => {
+  const r = props.row
+  if (!r) return []
+  const rows = []
+  if (r.task_name) rows.push(['Task', _shortTaskName(r.task_name)])
+  if (r.queue) rows.push(['Queue', r.queue])
+  if (r.target_id != null) rows.push(['Target', r.target_id])
+  const dur = _formatDuration(r.duration_ms)
+  if (dur != null) rows.push(['Duration', dur])
+  if (r.started_at) rows.push(['Started', r.started_at])
+  if (r.finished_at) rows.push(['Finished', r.finished_at])
+  if (r.retry_count) rows.push(['Retries', r.retry_count])
+  if (r.worker_hostname) rows.push(['Worker', r.worker_hostname])
+  if (r.celery_task_id) rows.push(['Celery ID', r.celery_task_id])
+  if (r.args_summary) rows.push(['Args', r.args_summary])
+  return rows
+})
+
 watch(() => props.modelValue, (open) => {
   if (!open) {
     copied.value = false
@@ -47,13 +103,18 @@ watch(() => props.modelValue, (open) => {
   }
 })
 
-function close() {
+function close () {
   emit('update:modelValue', false)
 }
 
-async function onCopy() {
+async function onCopy () {
+  let text = displayMessage.value || ''
+  if (contextRows.value.length) {
+    const header = contextRows.value.map(([k, v]) => `${k}: ${v}`).join('\n')
+    text = `${header}\n\nError: ${displayTitle.value}\n${text}`
+  }
   try {
-    await navigator.clipboard.writeText(props.message || '')
+    await copyText(text)
     copied.value = true
     if (copiedTimer) clearTimeout(copiedTimer)
     copiedTimer = setTimeout(() => { copied.value = false }, 1500)
@@ -64,19 +125,43 @@ async function onCopy() {
 </script>
 
 <style scoped>
-/* The full error often contains a SQLAlchemy statement + parameters
-   block + multi-line traceback. Pre-wrap keeps long lines readable;
-   monospace + tabular layout keeps the structure scannable. The
-   max-height + overflow-auto prevents a 50-line traceback from
-   pushing the Close button off-screen. Operator-flagged 2026-05-26:
-   the prior :title="..." tooltip was unusable for content this long. */
+/* Context panel: muted labels in vellum, crisp values in parchment. The
+   2-column key/value grid keeps rows visually scannable when there are
+   many fields (Task, Queue, Target, Duration, Started, Finished, Retries,
+   Worker, Celery ID, Args). */
+.fc-err-context {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: max-content 1fr;
+  column-gap: 14px;
+  row-gap: 4px;
+  margin: 0 0 14px 0;
+  font-size: 13px;
+}
+.fc-err-context dt {
+  color: rgb(var(--v-theme-on-surface-variant));
+  font-weight: 500;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+}
+.fc-err-context dd {
+  color: rgb(var(--v-theme-on-surface));
+  margin: 0;
+  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+  word-break: break-all;
+}
+
+/* Error pre block: high-contrast pairing. The page's `background` token
+   (obsidian #14171A) is darker than the modal card's `surface` (iron
+   #1E2228), so parchment text reads crisply against it. The prior pairing
+   used `surface-variant` which Vuetify auto-derives to a near-parchment
+   light value in this theme — pale-on-pale and unreadable. Operator-
+   flagged 2026-05-26 ("ui contrast is poor"). */
 .fc-err-pre {
-  font-family: ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Consolas, monospace;
+  font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Consolas, monospace;
   font-size: 12px;
   line-height: 1.5;
   white-space: pre-wrap;
   word-break: break-word;
-  background: rgb(var(--v-theme-surface-variant, 38 36 41));
+  background: rgb(var(--v-theme-background));
   color: rgb(var(--v-theme-on-surface));
   padding: 12px 14px;
   border-radius: 6px;
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/settings/SystemActivityTab.vue b/frontend/src/components/settings/SystemActivityTab.vue
index f623bb0..0d6485c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/settings/SystemActivityTab.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/settings/SystemActivityTab.vue
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
               <td>
                 <button
                   type="button" class="fc-err-link"
-                  @click="openError(r.error_type, r.error_message)"
+                  @click="openError(r)"
                   :title="'Click for full error'"
                 >{{ r.error_type }}</button>
               </td>
@@ -145,8 +145,7 @@
 
     <ErrorDetailModal
       v-model="showErrorModal"
-      :title="errorModalTitle"
-      :message="errorModalMessage"
+      :row="errorModalRow"
     />
   </div>
 </template>
@@ -163,12 +162,10 @@ import QueuesTable from './QueuesTable.vue'
 // rollback + traceback content rendered as a cramped browser tooltip
 // you couldn't copy from or scroll within).
 const showErrorModal = ref(false)
-const errorModalTitle = ref('')
-const errorModalMessage = ref('')
+const errorModalRow = ref(null)
 
-function openError(title, message) {
-  errorModalTitle.value = title || 'Error details'
-  errorModalMessage.value = message || ''
+function openError(row) {
+  errorModalRow.value = row
   showErrorModal.value = true
 }