diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index 614a02e..2e88e50 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import path from "path";
 import yargs from "yargs";
-import axios, { AxiosRequestConfig, AxiosResponse } from "axios";
+import axios, { AxiosError, AxiosRequestConfig, AxiosResponse } from "axios";
 
 import { ConfigLocator } from "./config";
 import { ProfileStore, Profile } from "./profile-store";
@@ -244,8 +244,19 @@ async function runApiCommand(
     ...(hasBody ? { data: payload.data } : {}),
   };
 
-  const response = await httpClient.request(requestConfig);
-  stdout(`${JSON.stringify(response.data, null, 2)}\n`);
+  try {
+    const response = await httpClient.request(requestConfig);
+    stdout(`${JSON.stringify(response.data, null, 2)}\n`);
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err instanceof AxiosError && err.response?.data !== undefined) {
+      const body =
+        typeof err.response.data === "string"
+          ? err.response.data
+          : JSON.stringify(err.response.data, null, 2);
+      throw new Error(`${err.message}\n${body}`);
+    }
+    throw err;
+  }
 }
 
 function parseBodyFlagValue(value: string): unknown {
diff --git a/tests/cli.test.ts b/tests/cli.test.ts
index 26af889..5206d75 100644
--- a/tests/cli.test.ts
+++ b/tests/cli.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { ConfigLocator } from "../src/config";
 import { ProfileStore } from "../src/profile-store";
 import { OpenapiLoader } from "../src/openapi-loader";
 import { run, HttpClient } from "../src/cli";
+import { AxiosError } from "axios";
 import { VERSION } from "../src/version";
 
 interface MemoryFsEntry {
@@ -750,6 +751,34 @@ describe("cli", () => {
     ).rejects.toThrow("Invalid JSON body value");
   });
 
+  it("includes the response body in the error message on failed requests", async () => {
+    const { profileStore, openapiLoader } = createPostApiDeps();
+
+    const failingHttpClient: HttpClient = {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
+      request: async (config: any) => {
+        const response = { status: 400, statusText: "Bad Request", headers: {}, config, data: { message: "invalid input" } };
+        throw new AxiosError("Request failed with status code 400", "ERR_BAD_REQUEST", config, {}, response);
+      },
+    };
+
+    await expect(
+      run(
+        [
+          "org_slug_repo_slug_ci_workflows_workflow_name_trigger",
+          "--org_slug", "myorg",
+          "--repo_slug", "myrepo",
+          "--workflow_name", "deploy",
+          "--input", '{"values":[{"name":"FOO","value":"bar"}]}',
+        ],
+        { cwd, profileStore, openapiLoader, httpClient: failingHttpClient, stdout: () => {} }
+      )
+    ).rejects.toThrow(`Request failed with status code 400
+{
+  "message": "invalid input"
+}`);
+  });
+
   it("builds JSON request body from declared OAS3 requestBody properties", async () => {
     const localDir = `${cwd}/.ocli`;
     const profilesPath = `${localDir}/profiles.ini`;