diff --git a/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseInspection.ts b/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseInspection.ts
index f5f92bdf4..510fbaafc 100644
--- a/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseInspection.ts
+++ b/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseInspection.ts
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ const readRows = (
   for (const name of columns)
     if (!available.has(name))
       throw new SqliteInspectionFailure(
-        "selection",
+        "column-selection",
         `Selected column does not exist with that exact name in table ${input.table}: ${name}`,
       );
   const projection = columns
diff --git a/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseLimits.ts b/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseLimits.ts
index 99df7ed9d..408fc4bc3 100644
--- a/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseLimits.ts
+++ b/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseLimits.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export class SqliteInspectionFailure extends Error {
     readonly reason:
       | "format"
       | "selection"
+      | "column-selection"
       | "unsupported"
       | "unavailable"
       | "output-limit"
diff --git a/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseWorkerExecution.ts b/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseWorkerExecution.ts
index 9474a6d27..cba180399 100644
--- a/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseWorkerExecution.ts
+++ b/src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseWorkerExecution.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ const replySchema = z.discriminatedUnion("ok", [
     reason: z.enum([
       "format",
       "selection",
+      "column-selection",
       "unsupported",
       "unavailable",
       "output-limit",
@@ -49,6 +50,14 @@ export type SqliteWorkerLauncher = NonNullable<
   Parameters<typeof runOwnedCommand>[2]
 >["launcher"];
 
+// Each input rejection names the caller argument that requires correction.
+const rejectedArgument = {
+  format: "path",
+  unsupported: "path",
+  selection: "table",
+  "column-selection": "columns",
+} as const;
+
 const rejectedReply = (
   reply: z.output<typeof replySchema> & { ok: false },
   capturedOutput: AnalysisCapturedOutput,
@@ -83,7 +92,7 @@ const rejectedReply = (
     );
   return new AnalysisInputError(operation, { capturedOutput }, [
     {
-      path: [reply.reason === "selection" ? "table" : "path"],
+      path: [rejectedArgument[reply.reason]],
       reason: "invalid_format",
       message: reply.message,
     },
diff --git a/tests/boundary/sqlite/sqliteDatabaseProvider.test.ts b/tests/boundary/sqlite/sqliteDatabaseProvider.test.ts
index 24dadc128..b5adf8297 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/sqlite/sqliteDatabaseProvider.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/sqlite/sqliteDatabaseProvider.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
 import { promisify } from "node:util";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import { expect, it as nativeTest, onTestFinished } from "vitest";
+import { projectAnalysisError } from "../../../src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.js";
 import { SqliteDatabaseProvider } from "../../../src/sqlite/SqliteDatabaseProvider.js";
 import { spawnOwnedProviderProcess } from "../../../src/process/ProviderProcess.js";
 import { PrivateRuntimeRoot } from "../../../src/process/PrivateRuntimeRoot.js";
@@ -356,6 +357,49 @@ it("does not execute views when selecting rows", async () => {
   });
 });
 
+it("attributes table and column selection failures to their own arguments", async () => {
+  const { database } = await createFixture();
+  const provider = createProvider();
+  onTestFinished(() => provider.close());
+  const projection = async (selection: {
+    table: string;
+    columns?: string[];
+  }) => {
+    const result = await provider.inspect({
+      path: database.path,
+      row_limit: 1,
+      ...selection,
+    });
+    if (result.ok) throw new Error("Expected a rejected selection");
+    return projectAnalysisError(result.error);
+  };
+  expect(
+    await projection({ table: "records", columns: ["nope"] }),
+  ).toMatchObject({
+    details: {
+      issues: [
+        {
+          path: ["columns"],
+          reason: "invalid_format",
+          message:
+            "Selected column does not exist with that exact name in table records: nope",
+        },
+      ],
+    },
+  });
+  expect(await projection({ table: "absent" })).toMatchObject({
+    details: { issues: [{ path: ["table"] }] },
+  });
+  const selected = await provider.inspect({
+    path: database.path,
+    table: "records",
+    columns: ["id"],
+    row_limit: 1,
+  });
+  if (!selected.ok) throw selected.error;
+  expect(selected.value.result).toMatchObject({ rows: { columns: ["id"] } });
+});
+
 it("rejects malformed databases without altering the selected file", async () => {
   const workspace = await createTestWorkspace("rea-sqlite-invalid-");
   onTestFinished(() => removeTestWorkspace(workspace.root));