diff --git a/pkg/api/apierrors/folder.go b/pkg/api/apierrors/folder.go
index 81b16c3899e..9509ff4ff55 100644
--- a/pkg/api/apierrors/folder.go
+++ b/pkg/api/apierrors/folder.go
@@ -57,7 +57,11 @@ func ToFolderErrorResponse(err error) response.Response {
 	// --- Kubernetes status errors ---
 	var statusErr *k8sErrors.StatusError
 	if errors.As(err, &statusErr) {
-		return response.Error(int(statusErr.ErrStatus.Code), statusErr.ErrStatus.Message, err)
+		message := statusErr.ErrStatus.Message
+		if message == "" {
+			message = getDefaultMessageForStatus(int(statusErr.ErrStatus.Code))
+		}
+		return response.Error(int(statusErr.ErrStatus.Code), message, err)
 	}
 
 	return response.ErrOrFallback(http.StatusInternalServerError, fmt.Sprintf("Folder API error: %s", err.Error()), err)
@@ -100,6 +104,19 @@ func ToFolderStatusError(err error) k8sErrors.StatusError {
 	}
 }
 
+func getDefaultMessageForStatus(statusCode int) string {
+	switch statusCode {
+	case http.StatusForbidden:
+		return "Access denied"
+	case http.StatusNotFound:
+		return "Folder not found"
+	case http.StatusBadRequest:
+		return "Invalid request"
+	default:
+		return "Folder API error"
+	}
+}
+
 func IsForbidden(err error) bool {
 	return k8sErrors.IsForbidden(err) || errors.Is(err, dashboards.ErrFolderAccessDenied)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/api/apierrors/folder_test.go b/pkg/api/apierrors/folder_test.go
index 2def7fb48a4..0ca8b16fc87 100644
--- a/pkg/api/apierrors/folder_test.go
+++ b/pkg/api/apierrors/folder_test.go
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func TestToFolderErrorResponse(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		// --- Kubernetes status errors ---
 		{
-			name: "kubernetes status error",
+			name: "kubernetes status error with message",
 			input: &k8sErrors.StatusError{
 				ErrStatus: metav1.Status{
 					Code:    412,
@@ -139,6 +139,66 @@ func TestToFolderErrorResponse(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			}),
 		},
+		{
+			name: "kubernetes status error with empty message - 403 forbidden",
+			input: &k8sErrors.StatusError{
+				ErrStatus: metav1.Status{
+					Code:    http.StatusForbidden,
+					Message: "",
+				},
+			},
+			want: response.Error(http.StatusForbidden, "Access denied", &k8sErrors.StatusError{
+				ErrStatus: metav1.Status{
+					Code:    http.StatusForbidden,
+					Message: "",
+				},
+			}),
+		},
+		{
+			name: "kubernetes status error with empty message - 404 not found",
+			input: &k8sErrors.StatusError{
+				ErrStatus: metav1.Status{
+					Code:    http.StatusNotFound,
+					Message: "",
+				},
+			},
+			want: response.Error(http.StatusNotFound, "Folder not found", &k8sErrors.StatusError{
+				ErrStatus: metav1.Status{
+					Code:    http.StatusNotFound,
+					Message: "",
+				},
+			}),
+		},
+		{
+			name: "kubernetes status error with empty message - 400 bad request",
+			input: &k8sErrors.StatusError{
+				ErrStatus: metav1.Status{
+					Code:    http.StatusBadRequest,
+					Message: "",
+				},
+			},
+			want: response.Error(http.StatusBadRequest, "Invalid request", &k8sErrors.StatusError{
+				ErrStatus: metav1.Status{
+					Code:    http.StatusBadRequest,
+					Message: "",
+				},
+			}),
+		},
+		{
+			name: "kubernetes status error with empty message - default fallback",
+			input: &k8sErrors.StatusError{
+				ErrStatus: metav1.Status{
+					Code:    http.StatusInternalServerError,
+					Message: "",
+				},
+			},
+			want: response.Error(http.StatusInternalServerError, "Folder API error", &k8sErrors.StatusError{
+				ErrStatus: metav1.Status{
+					Code:    http.StatusInternalServerError,
+					Message: "",
+				},
+			}),
+		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {