diff --git a/core/src/host/connector-access.js b/core/src/host/connector-access.js
index 53b6e0b45..6f39e7345 100644
--- a/core/src/host/connector-access.js
+++ b/core/src/host/connector-access.js
@@ -126,7 +126,14 @@ export function install(rt) {
     const { bot } = who
     if (allowed(bot, id)) return undefined
     if (bot.remote !== undefined) return `The ${id} connector is not available to a friend's Bot.`
-    if (bot.ephemeral !== undefined) return `The ${id} connector is not granted to this run. The step's tools list is what allows it.`
+    // #1543: a run Bot's own switch is the honest reason when the step did name the connector. The
+    // settings sentence below is wrong for it — a run Bot is hidden, so its owner has no page to flip
+    // the switch on — and the tools list cannot either; say both instead of blaming the graph.
+    if (bot.ephemeral !== undefined) {
+      return turnedOff(bot, id)
+        ? `The ${id} connector is turned off for ${bot.name}. A step's tools list can narrow what a run may use, but it cannot turn a connector back on.`
+        : `The ${id} connector is not granted to this run. The step's tools list is what allows it.`
+    }
     return `The ${id} connector is turned off for ${bot.name}. Its owner can turn it on in this Bot's settings.`
   })
 
diff --git a/core/test/connector-access.test.js b/core/test/connector-access.test.js
index 939e533b6..8f7f405fd 100644
--- a/core/test/connector-access.test.js
+++ b/core/test/connector-access.test.js
@@ -572,3 +572,24 @@ test('a run Bot gets a connector only when its step tools name it', async (t) =>
   assert.deepEqual(sorted(hiddenFrom('bare')), sorted([...COMPOSIO, ...GITHUB]), 'no stepTools fails closed')
   assert.match(guard(GITHUB[0], 'bare'), /not granted to this run/)
 })
+
+// #1543: when a run Bot's own connector switch is off, the refusal must name that switch. The step's
+// tools list did name the connector, so blaming it sends the reader to fix the graph instead of the
+// toggle. The sentence also has to say the tools list cannot turn it back on — a run Bot is
+// hidden: true and the owner cannot find it on the settings page to flip the switch there.
+test('a run Bot names the switch that turned a connector off, not the step tools', async (t) => {
+  const state = team()
+  state.bots.switched = {
+    id: 'switched', sessionId: 'switched', name: 'Coder Off', role: 'Run', instructions: '', createdAt: 4,
+    hidden: true, ephemeral: { plugin: 'flybot-workflow' }, stepTools: ['github'], connectors: { github: false },
+  }
+  const { agentFor, guard, stop } = await setup({ state })
+  t.after(stop)
+  await agentFor('switched')
+  const reason = guard(GITHUB[0], 'switched')
+  assert.ok(reason, 'the call is still refused: this fixes the reason, not the decision')
+  assert.match(reason, /The github connector is turned off for Coder Off\./, 'the Bot whose switch is off is named')
+  assert.match(reason, /A step's tools list can narrow what a run may use, but it cannot turn a connector back on\./)
+  assert.doesNotMatch(reason, /not granted to this run/, 'the step tools did name it, so that is not the reason')
+  assert.doesNotMatch(reason, /settings/, 'a run Bot is hidden from the settings page, so do not send the reader there')
+})
diff --git a/core/test/workflow-node-connectors.test.js b/core/test/workflow-node-connectors.test.js
index 7fd3f4dd4..742a4e278 100644
--- a/core/test/workflow-node-connectors.test.js
+++ b/core/test/workflow-node-connectors.test.js
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ test('a node Bot still keeps full file/shell rights and the team tools stay refu
   ctx.emit('tools/change')
   await new Promise(resolve => setImmediate(resolve))
   await new Promise(resolve => setImmediate(resolve))
-  assert.match(guardFor(id, GITHUB[0]), /not granted to this run/)
+  assert.match(guardFor(id, GITHUB[0]), /The github connector is turned off for Runner ab\./)
+  assert.match(guardFor(id, GITHUB[0]), /cannot turn a connector back on/)
   assert.deepEqual(listedNow(), [], 'both connectors are hidden once the Bot switch is off')
 })
diff --git a/patches/ds-bot/files/src/host/connector-access.js b/patches/ds-bot/files/src/host/connector-access.js
index 53b6e0b45..6f39e7345 100644
--- a/patches/ds-bot/files/src/host/connector-access.js
+++ b/patches/ds-bot/files/src/host/connector-access.js
@@ -126,7 +126,14 @@ export function install(rt) {
     const { bot } = who
     if (allowed(bot, id)) return undefined
     if (bot.remote !== undefined) return `The ${id} connector is not available to a friend's Bot.`
-    if (bot.ephemeral !== undefined) return `The ${id} connector is not granted to this run. The step's tools list is what allows it.`
+    // #1543: a run Bot's own switch is the honest reason when the step did name the connector. The
+    // settings sentence below is wrong for it — a run Bot is hidden, so its owner has no page to flip
+    // the switch on — and the tools list cannot either; say both instead of blaming the graph.
+    if (bot.ephemeral !== undefined) {
+      return turnedOff(bot, id)
+        ? `The ${id} connector is turned off for ${bot.name}. A step's tools list can narrow what a run may use, but it cannot turn a connector back on.`
+        : `The ${id} connector is not granted to this run. The step's tools list is what allows it.`
+    }
     return `The ${id} connector is turned off for ${bot.name}. Its owner can turn it on in this Bot's settings.`
   })
 
diff --git a/patches/ds-bot/files/test/connector-access.test.js b/patches/ds-bot/files/test/connector-access.test.js
index 939e533b6..8f7f405fd 100644
--- a/patches/ds-bot/files/test/connector-access.test.js
+++ b/patches/ds-bot/files/test/connector-access.test.js
@@ -572,3 +572,24 @@ test('a run Bot gets a connector only when its step tools name it', async (t) =>
   assert.deepEqual(sorted(hiddenFrom('bare')), sorted([...COMPOSIO, ...GITHUB]), 'no stepTools fails closed')
   assert.match(guard(GITHUB[0], 'bare'), /not granted to this run/)
 })
+
+// #1543: when a run Bot's own connector switch is off, the refusal must name that switch. The step's
+// tools list did name the connector, so blaming it sends the reader to fix the graph instead of the
+// toggle. The sentence also has to say the tools list cannot turn it back on — a run Bot is
+// hidden: true and the owner cannot find it on the settings page to flip the switch there.
+test('a run Bot names the switch that turned a connector off, not the step tools', async (t) => {
+  const state = team()
+  state.bots.switched = {
+    id: 'switched', sessionId: 'switched', name: 'Coder Off', role: 'Run', instructions: '', createdAt: 4,
+    hidden: true, ephemeral: { plugin: 'flybot-workflow' }, stepTools: ['github'], connectors: { github: false },
+  }
+  const { agentFor, guard, stop } = await setup({ state })
+  t.after(stop)
+  await agentFor('switched')
+  const reason = guard(GITHUB[0], 'switched')
+  assert.ok(reason, 'the call is still refused: this fixes the reason, not the decision')
+  assert.match(reason, /The github connector is turned off for Coder Off\./, 'the Bot whose switch is off is named')
+  assert.match(reason, /A step's tools list can narrow what a run may use, but it cannot turn a connector back on\./)
+  assert.doesNotMatch(reason, /not granted to this run/, 'the step tools did name it, so that is not the reason')
+  assert.doesNotMatch(reason, /settings/, 'a run Bot is hidden from the settings page, so do not send the reader there')
+})
diff --git a/patches/ds-bot/files/test/workflow-node-connectors.test.js b/patches/ds-bot/files/test/workflow-node-connectors.test.js
index 7fd3f4dd4..742a4e278 100644
--- a/patches/ds-bot/files/test/workflow-node-connectors.test.js
+++ b/patches/ds-bot/files/test/workflow-node-connectors.test.js
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ test('a node Bot still keeps full file/shell rights and the team tools stay refu
   ctx.emit('tools/change')
   await new Promise(resolve => setImmediate(resolve))
   await new Promise(resolve => setImmediate(resolve))
-  assert.match(guardFor(id, GITHUB[0]), /not granted to this run/)
+  assert.match(guardFor(id, GITHUB[0]), /The github connector is turned off for Runner ab\./)
+  assert.match(guardFor(id, GITHUB[0]), /cannot turn a connector back on/)
   assert.deepEqual(listedNow(), [], 'both connectors are hidden once the Bot switch is off')
 })