diff --git a/crates/adapters/http-axum/src/errors.rs b/crates/adapters/http-axum/src/errors.rs
index 16f9fa29..d9b6b44e 100644
--- a/crates/adapters/http-axum/src/errors.rs
+++ b/crates/adapters/http-axum/src/errors.rs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ use domain::errors::DomainError;
 pub const NOT_FOUND: &str = "NOT_FOUND";
 pub const INVALID_INPUT: &str = "INVALID_INPUT";
 pub const UNAUTHORIZED: &str = "UNAUTHORIZED";
+pub const INVALID_CREDENTIALS: &str = "INVALID_CREDENTIALS";
 pub const FORBIDDEN: &str = "FORBIDDEN";
 pub const CONFLICT: &str = "CONFLICT";
 pub const RATE_LIMITED: &str = "RATE_LIMITED";
@@ -31,7 +32,9 @@ pub fn domain_error_status(e: &DomainError) -> StatusCode {
             StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST
         }
         DomainError::NotFound(_) => StatusCode::NOT_FOUND,
-        DomainError::Unauthorized(_) => StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED,
+        DomainError::Unauthorized(_) | DomainError::InvalidCredentials(_) => {
+            StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED
+        }
         DomainError::Forbidden(_) => StatusCode::FORBIDDEN,
         DomainError::Conflict(_) => StatusCode::CONFLICT,
         DomainError::InfrastructureError(_) => StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
@@ -65,6 +68,9 @@ impl IntoResponse for ApiError {
             }
             DomainError::NotFound(_) => refuse(status, NOT_FOUND, self.0.to_string()),
             DomainError::Unauthorized(_) => refuse(status, UNAUTHORIZED, self.0.to_string()),
+            DomainError::InvalidCredentials(_) => {
+                refuse(status, INVALID_CREDENTIALS, self.0.to_string())
+            }
             DomainError::Forbidden(_) => refuse(status, FORBIDDEN, self.0.to_string()),
             DomainError::Conflict(_) => refuse(status, CONFLICT, self.0.to_string()),
             DomainError::InfrastructureError(_) => {
diff --git a/crates/application/src/users/request_account_deletion.rs b/crates/application/src/users/request_account_deletion.rs
index 2da7e595..de1546c0 100644
--- a/crates/application/src/users/request_account_deletion.rs
+++ b/crates/application/src/users/request_account_deletion.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ pub async fn execute(
         .verify(password, actor_user.password_hash())
         .await?
     {
-        return Err(DomainError::Unauthorized("incorrect password".into()));
+        return Err(DomainError::InvalidCredentials("incorrect password".into()));
     }
 
     let target_user = if is_self {
diff --git a/crates/application/tests/users/request_account_deletion_test.rs b/crates/application/tests/users/request_account_deletion_test.rs
index 456971fc..5fff6089 100644
--- a/crates/application/tests/users/request_account_deletion_test.rs
+++ b/crates/application/tests/users/request_account_deletion_test.rs
@@ -138,7 +138,10 @@ async fn a_wrong_password_is_unauthorized_and_changes_nothing() {
         .await
         .unwrap_err();
 
-    assert!(matches!(err, DomainError::Unauthorized(_)), "got {err:?}");
+    assert!(
+        matches!(err, DomainError::InvalidCredentials(_)),
+        "got {err:?}"
+    );
     assert!(f.is_live(&alice).await);
     assert!(f.store.recorded_events().is_empty());
 }
@@ -166,7 +169,10 @@ async fn an_admin_deletes_another_user_with_their_own_password() {
     let err = request_account_deletion::execute(&f.deps, admin.clone(), bob.clone(), "bobs-pw")
         .await
         .unwrap_err();
-    assert!(matches!(err, DomainError::Unauthorized(_)), "got {err:?}");
+    assert!(
+        matches!(err, DomainError::InvalidCredentials(_)),
+        "got {err:?}"
+    );
     assert!(f.is_live(&bob).await);
 
     request_account_deletion::execute(&f.deps, admin.clone(), bob.clone(), PASSWORD)
diff --git a/crates/bootstrap/tests/account_deletion_test.rs b/crates/bootstrap/tests/account_deletion_test.rs
index cfbb758d..4b285c02 100644
--- a/crates/bootstrap/tests/account_deletion_test.rs
+++ b/crates/bootstrap/tests/account_deletion_test.rs
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ async fn self_delete_with_a_wrong_password_is_refused_and_keeps_the_account() {
     )
     .await;
     assert_eq!(status, 401, "{body}");
+    assert!(body.contains("\"INVALID_CREDENTIALS\""), "{body}");
     let (status, _, _) = send(&router, get(&format!("/users/{}", alice.user_id), None)).await;
     assert_eq!(status, 200);
 }
@@ -109,8 +110,9 @@ async fn an_admin_deletes_another_account() {
     promote(&pool, &alice.user_id).await;
     let uri = format!("/api/v1/users/{}", bob.user_id);
 
-    let (status, _, _) = send(&router, delete_json(&uri, &alice.token, "nope")).await;
+    let (status, _, body) = send(&router, delete_json(&uri, &alice.token, "nope")).await;
     assert_eq!(status, 401, "wrong admin password");
+    assert!(body.contains("\"INVALID_CREDENTIALS\""), "{body}");
 
     let (status, _, body) = send(&router, delete_json(&uri, &alice.token, PASSWORD)).await;
     assert_eq!(status, 204, "{body}");
diff --git a/crates/domain/src/errors/mod.rs b/crates/domain/src/errors/mod.rs
index 1dbda26f..a84f8998 100644
--- a/crates/domain/src/errors/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/domain/src/errors/mod.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ pub enum DomainError {
     #[error("Unauthorized: {0}")]
     Unauthorized(String),
 
+    #[error("Unauthorized: {0}")]
+    InvalidCredentials(String),
+
     #[error("Forbidden: {0}")]
     Forbidden(String),
 
diff --git a/docs/adr/0014-http-adapter-and-one-refusal-shape.md b/docs/adr/0014-http-adapter-and-one-refusal-shape.md
index 2b45a18e..9d03fbed 100644
--- a/docs/adr/0014-http-adapter-and-one-refusal-shape.md
+++ b/docs/adr/0014-http-adapter-and-one-refusal-shape.md
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ rate limiter's own 429 text. The refusals were documented without a body schema.
 
 **One body.** `api_types::ErrorResponse { error, code }`. `error` keeps its name and meaning (the
 SPA and existing clients read it); `code` is an additive, stable machine-readable field:
-`NOT_FOUND`, `INVALID_INPUT`, `UNAUTHORIZED`, `FORBIDDEN`, `CONFLICT`, `RATE_LIMITED`, `INTERNAL`.
+`NOT_FOUND`, `INVALID_INPUT`, `UNAUTHORIZED`, `INVALID_CREDENTIALS` (wrong password on a re-auth
+check; unlike `UNAUTHORIZED` it must not trigger a token refresh), `FORBIDDEN`, `CONFLICT`, `RATE_LIMITED`, `INTERNAL`.
 
 **One constructor.** `errors::refuse(status, code, message) -> Response` is the only place a JSON
 error body is built. `ApiError` maps every `DomainError` variant to it with the status mapping that
diff --git a/spa/src/components/delete-account-dialog.tsx b/spa/src/components/delete-account-dialog.tsx
index d9c670c5..fa6b87b4 100644
--- a/spa/src/components/delete-account-dialog.tsx
+++ b/spa/src/components/delete-account-dialog.tsx
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ export function DeleteAccountDialog({
             <Input
               id="delete-password"
               type="password"
+              autoFocus
               autoComplete="current-password"
               value={password}
               onChange={(e) => setPassword(e.target.value)}
diff --git a/spa/src/features/users.ts b/spa/src/features/users.ts
index 1e17d0a5..852297e3 100644
--- a/spa/src/features/users.ts
+++ b/spa/src/features/users.ts
@@ -242,7 +242,10 @@ export function useAdminDeleteUser() {
   return useMutation({
     mutationFn: ({ id, password }: DeleteAccountRequest & { id: string }) =>
       delWithBody(`/users/${id}`, { password }),
-    onSuccess: () => {
+    onSuccess: (_data, { id }) => {
+      qc.removeQueries({
+        predicate: (q) => q.queryKey[0] === userKeys.all[0] && q.queryKey[1] === id,
+      })
       qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: userKeys.all })
       qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ["activity-feed"] })
     },
diff --git a/spa/src/lib/api/client.ts b/spa/src/lib/api/client.ts
index c07fac1b..30ba0416 100644
--- a/spa/src/lib/api/client.ts
+++ b/spa/src/lib/api/client.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,15 @@ async function tryRefresh(): Promise<boolean> {
   }
 }
 
+async function isInvalidCredentials(res: Response): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    const body = await res.clone().json()
+    return body?.code === "INVALID_CREDENTIALS"
+  } catch {
+    return false
+  }
+}
+
 async function request<T = void>(
   url: string,
   options?: RequestInit,
@@ -81,6 +90,11 @@ async function request<T = void>(
   })
   if (!res.ok) {
     if (res.status === 401) {
+      // A failed re-auth check (wrong password) is not an expired session:
+      // no refresh, no retry, no logout.
+      if (await isInvalidCredentials(res)) {
+        throw new ApiError(res.status, await res.text())
+      }
       if (url.includes("/auth/refresh") || url.includes("/auth/login")) {
         clearAuth()
         window.location.href = "/app/login"
diff --git a/spa/src/locales/en.json b/spa/src/locales/en.json
index 87908e25..27e2279b 100644
--- a/spa/src/locales/en.json
+++ b/spa/src/locales/en.json
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@
     "done": "User deleted",
     "errors": {
       "wrongPassword": "Wrong password",
-      "lastAdmin": "You are the last admin and cannot be deleted",
+      "lastAdmin": "The last admin account cannot be deleted",
       "forbidden": "Only admins can delete other users",
       "notFound": "User not found",
       "generic": "Could not delete account"