diff --git a/internal/guard/pipeline.go b/internal/guard/pipeline.go
index 851b85b28..6a480b6d6 100644
--- a/internal/guard/pipeline.go
+++ b/internal/guard/pipeline.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package guard
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/github/gh-aw-mcpg/internal/difc"
@@ -64,6 +65,24 @@ func (e *PipelineAccessDenied) Error() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("DIFC access denied: %s", e.EvalResult.Reason)
 }
 
+// HandlePrePhaseError classifies a RunPipelinePrePhases error.
+//
+// When err represents a coarse-grained access denial, it returns the canonical
+// *PipelineAccessDenied value together with the fully formatted violation error.
+// For non-denial errors, it returns (nil, nil).
+func HandlePrePhaseError(err error) (*PipelineAccessDenied, error) {
+	var denied *PipelineAccessDenied
+	if !errors.As(err, &denied) {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	return denied, difc.FormatViolationError(
+		denied.EvalResult,
+		denied.AgentLabels.Secrecy,
+		denied.AgentLabels.Integrity,
+		denied.Resource,
+	)
+}
+
 // RunPipelinePrePhases executes phases 0–2 of the DIFC enforcement pipeline:
 //
 //   - Phase 0: Get or create agent labels from the registry and store tool args in context.
diff --git a/internal/guard/pipeline_test.go b/internal/guard/pipeline_test.go
index 399aa01e9..3adfd40fd 100644
--- a/internal/guard/pipeline_test.go
+++ b/internal/guard/pipeline_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package guard
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -299,3 +300,31 @@ func TestPipelineAccessDenied_ErrorMessage(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, denied.Error(), "DIFC access denied")
 	assert.Contains(t, denied.Error(), "integrity tag missing")
 }
+
+func TestHandlePrePhaseError_ReturnsDetailedViolationForDeniedError(t *testing.T) {
+	agentLabels := difc.NewAgentLabels("test-agent")
+	agentLabels.AddSecrecyTags([]difc.Tag{"secret"})
+
+	resource := difc.NewLabeledResource("resource")
+	deniedErr := &PipelineAccessDenied{
+		EvalResult: &difc.EvaluationResult{
+			Decision:     difc.AccessDeny,
+			SecrecyToAdd: []difc.Tag{"private"},
+			Reason:       "secrecy violation",
+		},
+		Resource:    resource,
+		AgentLabels: agentLabels,
+	}
+
+	denied, detailedErr := HandlePrePhaseError(fmt.Errorf("wrapped: %w", deniedErr))
+	assert.Same(t, deniedErr, denied)
+	assert.Error(t, detailedErr)
+	assert.Contains(t, detailedErr.Error(), "DIFC Violation:")
+	assert.Contains(t, detailedErr.Error(), "secrecy violation")
+}
+
+func TestHandlePrePhaseError_IgnoresNonDeniedError(t *testing.T) {
+	denied, detailedErr := HandlePrePhaseError(errors.New("resource labeling failed"))
+	assert.Nil(t, denied)
+	assert.Nil(t, detailedErr)
+}
diff --git a/internal/proxy/handler.go b/internal/proxy/handler.go
index e83b891de..495e5717f 100644
--- a/internal/proxy/handler.go
+++ b/internal/proxy/handler.go
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ func (h *proxyHandler) handleWithDIFC(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, pa
 	}
 	ctx, pre, err := guard.RunPipelinePrePhases(ctx, pipelineIn)
 	if err != nil {
-		if denied, ok := err.(*guard.PipelineAccessDenied); ok {
+		if denied, _ := guard.HandlePrePhaseError(err); denied != nil {
 			logHandler.Printf("[DIFC] Phase 2: BLOCKED %s %s — %s", r.Method, path, denied.EvalResult.Reason)
 			deniedErr := fmt.Errorf("DIFC policy violation: %s", denied.EvalResult.Reason)
 			tracing.RecordSpanError(difcSpan, deniedErr, "access denied: "+denied.EvalResult.Reason)
diff --git a/internal/server/unified.go b/internal/server/unified.go
index ebe069f09..b50c004e0 100644
--- a/internal/server/unified.go
+++ b/internal/server/unified.go
@@ -428,11 +428,9 @@ func (us *UnifiedServer) callBackendTool(ctx context.Context, serverID, toolName
 	}
 	ctx, pre, err := guard.RunPipelinePrePhases(ctx, pipelineIn)
 	if err != nil {
-		if denied, ok := err.(*guard.PipelineAccessDenied); ok {
+		if denied, detailedErr := guard.HandlePrePhaseError(err); denied != nil {
 			logger.LogWarn("difc", "Access DENIED for agent %s to %s: %s",
 				agentID, denied.Resource.Description, denied.EvalResult.Reason)
-			detailedErr := difc.FormatViolationError(denied.EvalResult,
-				denied.AgentLabels.Secrecy, denied.AgentLabels.Integrity, denied.Resource)
 			tracing.RecordSpanError(toolSpan, detailedErr, "access denied: "+denied.EvalResult.Reason)
 			httpStatusCode = 403
 			return mcp.NewErrorCallToolResult(detailedErr)