diff --git a/.changeset/calm-panda-handle.md b/.changeset/calm-panda-handle.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ad4b5e9e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/calm-panda-handle.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@exactly/server": patch
+---
+
+🥅 handle expected bridge pairing errors
diff --git a/server/hooks/bridge.ts b/server/hooks/bridge.ts
index e7c34f69d..cf4a0262b 100644
--- a/server/hooks/bridge.ts
+++ b/server/hooks/bridge.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { captureEvent, captureException, setUser } from "@sentry/core";
 import createDebug from "debug";
 import { and, DrizzleQueryError, eq, isNull } from "drizzle-orm";
 import { Hono } from "hono";
+import { HTTPException } from "hono/http-exception";
 import { validator } from "hono/validator";
 import { createHash, createVerify } from "node:crypto";
 import { literal, object, parse, picklist, string, unknown, variant } from "valibot";
@@ -128,7 +129,7 @@ export default new Hono().post(
                 .where(and(eq(credentials.id, referenceId), isNull(credentials.bridgeId)))
                 .returning({ account: credentials.account, source: credentials.source })
                 .then(([updated]) => {
-                  if (!updated) throw new Error("no match found when pairing bridge id");
+                  if (!updated) throw new HTTPException(409, { message: "credential pairing failed" });
                   captureEvent({
                     message: "bridge credential paired",
                     level: "warning",
diff --git a/server/test/hooks/bridge.test.ts b/server/test/hooks/bridge.test.ts
index 9141defb6..0d6d81701 100644
--- a/server/test/hooks/bridge.test.ts
+++ b/server/test/hooks/bridge.test.ts
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ describe("bridge hook", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it("returns 500 when fallback credential already paired", async () => {
+  it("returns 409 when fallback credential already paired", async () => {
     vi.spyOn(database.query.credentials, "findFirst").mockResolvedValueOnce(undefined); // eslint-disable-line unicorn/no-useless-undefined
     vi.spyOn(bridge, "getCustomer").mockResolvedValue({
       id: "conflict-bridge-id",
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ describe("bridge hook", () => {
       json: payload as never,
     });
 
-    expect(response.status).toBe(500);
+    expect(response.status).toBe(409);
     expect(captureEvent).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(captureException).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ describe("bridge hook", () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it("returns 500 when fallback reference-id has no credential", async () => {
+  it("returns 409 when fallback reference-id has no credential", async () => {
     vi.spyOn(bridge, "getCustomer").mockResolvedValue({
       id: "orphan-bridge-id",
       email: "orphan@example.com",
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ describe("bridge hook", () => {
       json: payload as never,
     });
 
-    expect(response.status).toBe(500);
+    expect(response.status).toBe(409);
     expect(captureEvent).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(captureException).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });