diff --git a/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/index.ts b/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/index.ts
index 4077bc33..19da5dc0 100644
--- a/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/index.ts
+++ b/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/index.ts
@@ -38,14 +38,67 @@ const stringify = stringifyModule.default
 
 export const loadKubeConfig = ({ kubeconfig, context }: { kubeconfig?: string; context?: string }) => {
   const kc = new k8s.KubeConfig()
-  if (kubeconfig) {
-    kc.loadFromFile(kubeconfig)
-  } else {
-    kc.loadFromDefault()
+
+  try {
+    if (kubeconfig) {
+      kc.loadFromFile(kubeconfig)
+    } else {
+      kc.loadFromDefault()
+    }
+  } catch (error: any) {
+    if (error.message?.includes('ENOENT') || error.message?.includes('no such file')) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'Kubernetes configuration file not found. ' +
+        (kubeconfig
+          ? `The specified kubeconfig file "${kubeconfig}" does not exist. `
+          : 'No kubeconfig found in default locations (~/.kube/config, $KUBECONFIG). '
+        ) +
+        'Please ensure your Kubernetes configuration is properly set up.\n\n' +
+        'This is a Kubernetes configuration issue, not a tunnel server problem.'
+      )
+    }
+
+    throw new Error(
+      `Failed to load Kubernetes configuration: ${error.message}\n\n` +
+      'Please check your kubeconfig file for syntax errors or corruption. ' +
+      'This is a Kubernetes configuration issue, not a tunnel server problem.'
+    )
   }
+
   if (context) {
-    kc.setCurrentContext(context)
+    try {
+      kc.setCurrentContext(context)
+    } catch (error: any) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Kubernetes context "${context}" not found in configuration. ` +
+        'Please check that the specified context exists in your kubeconfig file.\n\n' +
+        'This is a Kubernetes configuration issue, not a tunnel server problem.'
+      )
+    }
   }
+
+  // Validate that we have a current context
+  try {
+    const currentContext = kc.getCurrentContext()
+    if (!currentContext) {
+      throw new Error(
+        'No current Kubernetes context is set. ' +
+        'Please set a default context in your kubeconfig file or specify one with the --context flag.\n\n' +
+        'This is a Kubernetes configuration issue, not a tunnel server problem.'
+      )
+    }
+  } catch (error: any) {
+    if (error.message?.includes('No current context')) {
+      throw error // Re-throw our own error as-is
+    }
+
+    throw new Error(
+      `Failed to get current Kubernetes context: ${error.message}\n\n` +
+      'Please check your kubeconfig file. ' +
+      'This is a Kubernetes configuration issue, not a tunnel server problem.'
+    )
+  }
+
   return kc
 }
 
@@ -315,3 +368,4 @@ export type CreationClient = ReturnType<typeof kubeCreationClient>
 
 export { extractInstance, extractEnvId, extractName, extractNamespace, extractTemplateHash } from './metadata.js'
 export { DeploymentNotReadyError, DeploymentNotReadyErrorReason } from './k8s-helpers.js'
+export { KubernetesConnectionError } from './log-error.js'
diff --git a/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/kubernetes-error.test.ts b/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/kubernetes-error.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1dc15989
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/kubernetes-error.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from '@jest/globals'
+import { KubernetesConnectionError } from './log-error.js'
+
+// Mock error scenarios that would come from the kubernetes client
+const createMockConnectionError = (message: string, code?: number) => {
+  const error: any = new Error(message)
+  if (code !== undefined) {
+    error.response = { statusCode: code }
+  }
+  return error
+}
+
+const createMockNetworkError = (message: string, code: string) => {
+  const error: any = new Error(message)
+  error.code = code
+  return error
+}
+
+describe('KubernetesConnectionError', () => {
+  it('should identify and enhance ECONNREFUSED errors', () => {
+    const originalError = createMockNetworkError('connect ECONNREFUSED 192.168.1.100:6443', 'ECONNREFUSED')
+    const enhanced = new KubernetesConnectionError(
+      'Failed to connect to Kubernetes cluster. The Kubernetes API server appears to be unreachable. Please check that your cluster is running and accessible.\n\nThis is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem.',
+      originalError
+    )
+
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('Failed to connect to Kubernetes cluster')
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem')
+    expect(enhanced.cause).toBe(originalError)
+  })
+
+  it('should identify and enhance DNS resolution errors', () => {
+    const originalError = createMockNetworkError('getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND k8s.example.com', 'ENOTFOUND')
+    const enhanced = new KubernetesConnectionError(
+      'Failed to connect to Kubernetes cluster. Could not resolve the Kubernetes API server hostname. Please check your cluster configuration and network connectivity.\n\nThis is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem.',
+      originalError
+    )
+
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('Could not resolve the Kubernetes API server hostname')
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem')
+  })
+
+  it('should identify and enhance authentication errors', () => {
+    const originalError = createMockConnectionError('Unauthorized', 401)
+    const enhanced = new KubernetesConnectionError(
+      'Failed to connect to Kubernetes cluster. Authentication failed. Please check your Kubernetes credentials and configuration.\n\nThis is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem.',
+      originalError
+    )
+
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('Authentication failed')
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem')
+  })
+
+  it('should identify and enhance authorization errors', () => {
+    const originalError = createMockConnectionError('Forbidden', 403)
+    const enhanced = new KubernetesConnectionError(
+      'Failed to connect to Kubernetes cluster. Access denied. Please check that your Kubernetes credentials have the necessary permissions.\n\nThis is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem.',
+      originalError
+    )
+
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('Access denied')
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem')
+  })
+
+  it('should identify and enhance timeout errors', () => {
+    const originalError = createMockNetworkError('timeout of 5000ms exceeded', 'TIMEOUT')
+    const enhanced = new KubernetesConnectionError(
+      'Failed to connect to Kubernetes cluster. Connection to the Kubernetes API server timed out. Please check your cluster configuration and network connectivity.\n\nThis is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem.',
+      originalError
+    )
+
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('Connection to the Kubernetes API server timed out')
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem')
+  })
+
+  it('should identify and enhance kubeconfig context errors', () => {
+    const originalError = new Error('no configuration has been provided, try setting KUBERNETES_SERVICE_HOST and KUBERNETES_SERVICE_PORT')
+    const enhanced = new KubernetesConnectionError(
+      'Failed to connect to Kubernetes cluster. No valid Kubernetes configuration found. Please check your kubeconfig file and ensure it contains a valid context.\n\nThis is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem.',
+      originalError
+    )
+
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('No valid Kubernetes configuration found')
+    expect(enhanced.message).toContain('This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem')
+  })
+
+  it('should preserve error properties correctly', () => {
+    const originalError = createMockConnectionError('Test error', 500)
+    originalError.stack = 'original stack trace'
+
+    const enhanced = new KubernetesConnectionError('Enhanced message', originalError)
+
+    expect(enhanced.name).toBe('KubernetesConnectionError')
+    expect(enhanced.cause).toBe(originalError)
+    expect(enhanced.message).toBe('Enhanced message')
+  })
+})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/log-error-integration.test.ts b/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/log-error-integration.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca6097b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/log-error-integration.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from '@jest/globals'
+import { logError } from './log-error.js'
+
+// Mock logger
+const mockLogger = {
+  error: (message?: string, ...args: unknown[]) => console.log('LOG ERROR:', message, ...args),
+  warn: (message?: string, ...args: unknown[]) => console.log('LOG WARN:', message, ...args),
+  info: (message?: string, ...args: unknown[]) => console.log('LOG INFO:', message, ...args),
+  debug: (message?: string, ...args: unknown[]) => console.log('LOG DEBUG:', message, ...args),
+}
+
+// Mock error scenarios that would come from the kubernetes client
+const createMockConnectionError = (message: string, code?: number) => {
+  const error: any = new Error(message)
+  if (code !== undefined) {
+    error.response = { statusCode: code }
+  }
+  return error
+}
+
+const createMockNetworkError = (message: string, code: string) => {
+  const error: any = new Error(message)
+  error.code = code
+  return error
+}
+
+describe('logError function enhancement', () => {
+  it('should enhance ECONNREFUSED errors with clear kubernetes messaging', async () => {
+    const mockFunction = async () => {
+      throw createMockNetworkError('connect ECONNREFUSED 192.168.1.100:6443', 'ECONNREFUSED')
+    }
+
+    const wrappedFunction = logError(mockLogger)(mockFunction)
+
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/Failed to connect to Kubernetes cluster/)
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem/)
+  })
+
+  it('should enhance DNS resolution errors with helpful guidance', async () => {
+    const mockFunction = async () => {
+      throw createMockNetworkError('getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND k8s.example.com', 'ENOTFOUND')
+    }
+
+    const wrappedFunction = logError(mockLogger)(mockFunction)
+
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/Could not resolve the Kubernetes API server hostname/)
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem/)
+  })
+
+  it('should enhance authentication errors with credential guidance', async () => {
+    const mockFunction = async () => {
+      throw createMockConnectionError('Unauthorized', 401)
+    }
+
+    const wrappedFunction = logError(mockLogger)(mockFunction)
+
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/Authentication failed/)
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem/)
+  })
+
+  it('should enhance authorization errors with permission guidance', async () => {
+    const mockFunction = async () => {
+      throw createMockConnectionError('Forbidden', 403)
+    }
+
+    const wrappedFunction = logError(mockLogger)(mockFunction)
+
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/Access denied/)
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem/)
+  })
+
+  it('should enhance timeout errors with connectivity guidance', async () => {
+    const mockFunction = async () => {
+      throw createMockNetworkError('timeout of 5000ms exceeded', 'TIMEOUT')
+    }
+
+    const wrappedFunction = logError(mockLogger)(mockFunction)
+
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/Connection to the Kubernetes API server timed out/)
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem/)
+  })
+
+  it('should enhance configuration errors with kubeconfig guidance', async () => {
+    const mockFunction = async () => {
+      throw new Error('no configuration has been provided, try setting KUBERNETES_SERVICE_HOST and KUBERNETES_SERVICE_PORT')
+    }
+
+    const wrappedFunction = logError(mockLogger)(mockFunction)
+
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/No valid Kubernetes configuration found/)
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toThrow(/This is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem/)
+  })
+
+  it('should pass through non-connection errors unchanged', async () => {
+    const originalError = new Error('Some other kubernetes error')
+    const mockFunction = async () => {
+      throw originalError
+    }
+
+    const wrappedFunction = logError(mockLogger)(mockFunction)
+
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).rejects.toBe(originalError)
+  })
+
+  it('should return successful results unchanged', async () => {
+    const expectedResult = { success: true, data: 'test' }
+    const mockFunction = async () => expectedResult
+
+    const wrappedFunction = logError(mockLogger)(mockFunction)
+
+    await expect(wrappedFunction()).resolves.toBe(expectedResult)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/log-error.ts b/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/log-error.ts
index 21db94d1..861d2492 100644
--- a/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/log-error.ts
+++ b/packages/driver-kube-pod/src/driver/client/log-error.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,68 @@ import { HttpError } from '@kubernetes/client-node'
 import { Logger } from '@preevy/core'
 import { inspect } from 'util'
 
+export class KubernetesConnectionError extends Error {
+  constructor(message: string, public readonly cause: Error) {
+    super(message)
+    this.name = 'KubernetesConnectionError'
+  }
+}
+
+const isConnectionError = (error: any): boolean => {
+  if (!error) return false
+
+  const message = error.message?.toLowerCase() || ''
+  const code = error.code || error.response?.statusCode
+
+  // Common kubernetes connection error patterns
+  return (
+    // Network connection errors
+    message.includes('econnrefused') ||
+    message.includes('enotfound') ||
+    message.includes('timeout') ||
+    message.includes('network is unreachable') ||
+    // Kubernetes API server connection errors
+    message.includes('unable to connect to the server') ||
+    message.includes('connection refused') ||
+    // Authentication/authorization errors (likely config issues)
+    code === 401 || code === 403 ||
+    // Kubernetes config/context errors
+    message.includes('current-context') ||
+    message.includes('no configuration has been provided') ||
+    message.includes('unable to load in-cluster configuration')
+  )
+}
+
+const enhanceKubernetesError = (error: any): Error => {
+  if (isConnectionError(error)) {
+    const message = error.message?.toLowerCase() || ''
+
+    let userFriendlyMessage = 'Failed to connect to Kubernetes cluster. '
+
+    if (message.includes('econnrefused') || message.includes('connection refused')) {
+      userFriendlyMessage += 'The Kubernetes API server appears to be unreachable. Please check that your cluster is running and accessible.'
+    } else if (message.includes('enotfound') || message.includes('network is unreachable')) {
+      userFriendlyMessage += 'Could not resolve the Kubernetes API server hostname. Please check your cluster configuration and network connectivity.'
+    } else if (message.includes('timeout')) {
+      userFriendlyMessage += 'Connection to the Kubernetes API server timed out. Please check your cluster configuration and network connectivity.'
+    } else if (error.response?.statusCode === 401) {
+      userFriendlyMessage += 'Authentication failed. Please check your Kubernetes credentials and configuration.'
+    } else if (error.response?.statusCode === 403) {
+      userFriendlyMessage += 'Access denied. Please check that your Kubernetes credentials have the necessary permissions.'
+    } else if (message.includes('current-context') || message.includes('no configuration has been provided')) {
+      userFriendlyMessage += 'No valid Kubernetes configuration found. Please check your kubeconfig file and ensure it contains a valid context.'
+    } else {
+      userFriendlyMessage += 'Please check your Kubernetes cluster configuration and connectivity.'
+    }
+
+    userFriendlyMessage += '\n\nThis is a Kubernetes connectivity issue, not a tunnel server problem.'
+
+    return new KubernetesConnectionError(userFriendlyMessage, error)
+  }
+
+  return error
+}
+
 export const logError = (log: Logger) => <
   Args extends unknown[],
   ReturnType
@@ -12,9 +74,11 @@ export const logError = (log: Logger) => <
     return await f(...args)
   } catch (e) {
     if (e instanceof HttpError) {
-      log.error(`Response: ${inspect(e.body)}`)
+      log.error(`Kubernetes API Response: ${inspect(e.body)}`)
     }
-    throw e
+
+    const enhancedError = enhanceKubernetesError(e)
+    throw enhancedError
   }
 }