diff --git a/src/unlock_bridge.rs b/src/unlock_bridge.rs
index 2845088..87fa4d6 100644
--- a/src/unlock_bridge.rs
+++ b/src/unlock_bridge.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,22 @@ impl fu::scsi::ScsiTransport for ScsiAdapter<'_> {
             // genuine transport fault (status 0xFF, no sense) maps through
             // unchanged.
             Err(e) => {
-                let (status, sense) = crate::drive::extract_scsi_context(&e);
+                // A SCSI status (CHECK CONDITION or a 0xFF transport fault the
+                // drive layer already tagged) carries its real status + sense via
+                // extract_scsi_context. Any OTHER error variant is a non-SCSI
+                // transport/IO-layer fault — ioctl(SG_IO) == -1 (ENODEV/EIO on an
+                // unplugged bridge) or the fd is gone — i.e. a DEAD BUS, not a
+                // drive rejection; surface the transport-failure status so the
+                // unlock crate bails instead of hammering a wedged device.
+                // (Keying off `sense.is_none()` would be wrong: a CHECK CONDITION
+                // whose sense didn't parse is a rejection, not a transport fault.)
+                let (status, sense) = match &e {
+                    crate::error::Error::ScsiError { .. }
+                    | crate::error::Error::DiscRead { .. } => {
+                        crate::drive::extract_scsi_context(&e)
+                    }
+                    _ => (crate::scsi::SCSI_STATUS_TRANSPORT_FAILURE, None),
+                };
                 let sense_buf = sense.map(|s| {
                     let mut b = [0u8; 32];
                     b[2] = s.sense_key & 0x0F;
@@ -108,3 +123,84 @@ pub(crate) fn run_unlockers(
     }
     Err(fu::UnlockError::NotApplicable)
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use freemkv_unlock::scsi::ScsiTransport as _; // brings `execute` into scope
+
+    /// A fake libfreemkv transport whose `execute` always fails with a
+    /// freshly-built error (`crate::error::Error` isn't `Clone` — `io::Error`).
+    struct ErrTransport<F>(F);
+    impl<F: FnMut() -> crate::error::Error + Send> crate::scsi::ScsiTransport for ErrTransport<F> {
+        fn execute(
+            &mut self,
+            _cdb: &[u8],
+            _dir: crate::scsi::DataDirection,
+            _data: &mut [u8],
+            _timeout_ms: u32,
+        ) -> std::result::Result<crate::scsi::ScsiResult, crate::error::Error> {
+            Err((self.0)())
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn adapt(e: impl FnMut() -> crate::error::Error + Send) -> fu::scsi::ScsiError {
+        let mut t = ErrTransport(e);
+        let mut adapter = ScsiAdapter(&mut t);
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 0];
+        adapter
+            .execute(&[0u8; 12], fu::scsi::DataDirection::None, &mut buf, 1_000)
+            .expect_err("error path")
+    }
+
+    /// A CHECK CONDITION carrying sense crosses the seam with status + parsed
+    /// sense intact, so the unlock crate's ILLEGAL_REQUEST wedge guard can fire.
+    #[test]
+    fn check_condition_preserves_status_and_sense() {
+        let err = adapt(|| crate::error::Error::ScsiError {
+            opcode: 0xA3,
+            status: 0x02,
+            sense: Some(crate::scsi::ScsiSense {
+                sense_key: 0x05,
+                asc: 0x24,
+                ascq: 0x00,
+            }),
+        });
+        assert_eq!(err.status, 0x02);
+        let sense = err.sense.expect("sense preserved");
+        assert!(fu::scsi::ScsiSense::from_buf(&sense).is_illegal_request());
+    }
+
+    /// A drive-tagged transport fault (status 0xFF) crosses unchanged.
+    #[test]
+    fn scsi_transport_fault_maps_unchanged() {
+        let err = adapt(|| crate::error::Error::ScsiError {
+            opcode: 0,
+            status: crate::scsi::SCSI_STATUS_TRANSPORT_FAILURE,
+            sense: None,
+        });
+        assert_eq!(err.status, 0xFF);
+        assert!(err.sense.is_none());
+    }
+
+    /// A non-SCSI IO fault (ioctl SG_IO == -1: ENODEV/EIO) is a dead bus —
+    /// surfaced as 0xFF so the unlock crate bails instead of hammering it.
+    #[test]
+    fn io_error_maps_to_transport_failure() {
+        let err = adapt(|| crate::error::Error::IoError {
+            source: std::io::Error::from(std::io::ErrorKind::NotConnected),
+        });
+        assert_eq!(err.status, crate::scsi::SCSI_STATUS_TRANSPORT_FAILURE);
+        assert!(err.sense.is_none());
+    }
+
+    /// Device-gone (fd closed) likewise maps to the transport-failure status.
+    #[test]
+    fn device_not_found_maps_to_transport_failure() {
+        let err = adapt(|| crate::error::Error::DeviceNotFound {
+            path: "/dev/sg9".into(),
+        });
+        assert_eq!(err.status, 0xFF);
+        assert!(err.sense.is_none());
+    }
+}