diff --git a/.changeset/green-monkeys-cough.md b/.changeset/green-monkeys-cough.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..857495d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/green-monkeys-cough.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@smartthings/cli": patch
+---
+
+process exceptions manually for better error messages
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index dffdf6ab..3f6f8708 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import fs from 'node:fs'
 import path from 'node:path'
 
+import { AxiosError } from 'axios'
 import yargs, { type Argv, type CommandModule } from 'yargs'
 import { hideBin } from 'yargs/helpers'
 
@@ -28,7 +29,26 @@ export const buildInstance = (commands: CommandModule<object, any>[]): Argv => {
 			'strip-aliased': true,
 			'strip-dashed': true,
 		})
-		.completion('generate-completions-script', 'output completion script setup')
 		/* eslint-enable @typescript-eslint/naming-convention */
+		.completion('generate-completions-script', 'output completion script setup')
+		.fail((message, error, yargs) => {
+			if ('isAxiosError' in error && error.isAxiosError) {
+				// We don't print axiosError.message here because it just duplicates the things
+				// we're displaying but unformatted.
+				const axiosError = error as AxiosError
+				console.error(`Request to API failed with status ${axiosError.response?.status}`)
+				if (axiosError.response) {
+					console.error('Response: ', JSON.stringify(axiosError.response.data, null, 4))
+				}
+			} else if (error) {
+				console.error(error.message)
+			} else {
+				console.error(message)
+				console.error(yargs.help())
+			}
+
+			// eslint-disable-next-line no-process-exit
+			process.exit(1)
+		})
 	return instance
 }