diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 77e5d3a50..b46115857 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
     "metadata:generate": "node scripts/generate-package-metadata.mjs",
     "metadata:check": "node scripts/generate-package-metadata.mjs --check",
     "mcp-registry:check": "node scripts/verify-mcp-registry-metadata.mjs",
-    "mcp-catalog:generate": "npm run build:cached && node scripts/generate-mcp-tool-catalog.mjs",
+    "mcp-catalog:generate": "npm run build:cached",
     "mcp-catalog:check": "node scripts/generate-mcp-tool-catalog.mjs --check",
     "prebuild": "npm run deps:check && npm run metadata:check",
     "build": "node scripts/run-exclusive.mjs build npm run build:unlocked",
diff --git a/scripts/lib/generated-file.mjs b/scripts/lib/generated-file.mjs
index d7df714c6..e296210d0 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/generated-file.mjs
+++ b/scripts/lib/generated-file.mjs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export const ensureGeneratedFile = async ({
     return { changed: false };
   if (check)
     throw new Error(
-      `${path} is missing or stale. Run \`${generateCommand}\` and commit the result.`,
+      `${path} is missing or stale. Run \`${generateCommand}\` to regenerate it; commit the result if the file is tracked.`,
     );
   await writeFile(path, preserveLineEndings(source, existing), "utf8");
   return { changed: true };