diff --git a/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.test.tsx b/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.test.tsx
index e26c72da5..cff5e5f70 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.test.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.test.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-001 to FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-026
+// FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-001 to FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-027
 import { render, screen, waitFor } from '../../../tests/helpers/render';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import { http, HttpResponse } from 'msw';
@@ -263,6 +263,23 @@ describe('PhotoProvidersSection', () => {
     expect(await screen.findByText(/Auth failed/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  it('FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-027: a failed test reads "provider: reason" with no stray space', async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    server.use(
+      http.post('/api/addons/immich/test', () => HttpResponse.json({ connected: false, error: 'Auth failed' })),
+    );
+    seedMemoriesEnabled();
+    render(
+      <>
+        <ToastContainer />
+        <PhotoProvidersSection />
+      </>,
+    );
+    await screen.findByText('Immich');
+    await user.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: /test connection/i }));
+    expect(await screen.findByText('Could not connect to Immich: Auth failed')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   it('FE-COMP-PHOTOPROVIDERS-016: Test button is disabled while test is in progress', async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     let resolveTest!: () => void;
diff --git a/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.tsx b/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.tsx
index 4c58bd7e8..ae2db0df1 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/Settings/PhotoProvidersSection.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export default function PhotoProvidersSection(): React.ReactElement {
     isProviderSaveDisabled,
     handleSaveProvider,
     handleTestProvider,
-  } = usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge: false, testErrorGap: ' ' })
+  } = usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge: false })
 
   const renderPhotoProviderSection = (provider: PhotoProviderAddon): React.ReactElement => {
     const fields = getProviderFields(provider)
diff --git a/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.test.ts b/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.test.ts
index 1c5fe6e93..cbf202302 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.test.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.test.ts
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ function stubGets(byPath: Record<string, Resp | (() => Promise<Resp>)>) {
   });
 }
 
-function render(statusRouteOwnsBadge: boolean, testErrorGap = '') {
-  return renderHook(() => usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge, testErrorGap }));
+function render(statusRouteOwnsBadge: boolean) {
+  return renderHook(() => usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge }));
 }
 
 beforeEach(() => {
@@ -216,16 +216,19 @@ describe('usePhotoProviderConnections', () => {
     expect(result.current.providerTesting.immich).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  it('FE-COMP-PHOTOCONN-010: a failed probe joins the server reason with the gap each shell asks for', async () => {
+  it('FE-COMP-PHOTOCONN-010: a failed probe joins the server reason as ": reason" on both shells', async () => {
     seedProviders([PROVIDER]);
     stubGets({ '/addons/immich/settings': { data: {} }, '/addons/immich/status': { data: {} } });
     vi.spyOn(apiClient, 'post').mockResolvedValue({ data: { connected: false, error: 'bad key' } });
-    const phone = render(true, '');
+    const phone = render(true);
     await act(() => phone.result.current.handleTestProvider(PROVIDER));
     expect(toast.error).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith('memories.connectionError(Immich): bad key');
-    const desktop = render(false, ' ');
+    const desktop = render(false);
     await act(() => desktop.result.current.handleTestProvider(PROVIDER));
-    expect(toast.error).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith('memories.connectionError(Immich) : bad key');
+    expect(toast.error).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith('memories.connectionError(Immich): bad key');
+    vi.mocked(apiClient.post).mockResolvedValue({ data: { connected: false } });
+    await act(() => desktop.result.current.handleTestProvider(PROVIDER));
+    expect(toast.error).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith('memories.connectionError(Immich)');
     vi.mocked(apiClient.post).mockRejectedValue(new Error('x'));
     await act(() => desktop.result.current.handleTestProvider(PROVIDER));
     expect(toast.error).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith('memories.connectionError(Immich)');
diff --git a/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.ts b/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.ts
index 98ff592c9..2d379c785 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Settings/usePhotoProviderConnections.ts
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ export interface PhotoProviderConnectionOptions {
    * race. The phone does this; the desktop takes whichever answer lands last.
    */
   statusRouteOwnsBadge: boolean;
-  /** What goes between the failed test sentence and the server's ": reason" ('' on the phone, ' ' on the desktop). */
-  testErrorGap: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -66,7 +64,7 @@ export interface PhotoProviderConnectionOptions {
  * (secrets never prefilled), the connection badge, and save and test. The desktop
  * section and its phone twin render their own markup over this.
  */
-export function usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge, testErrorGap }: PhotoProviderConnectionOptions) {
+export function usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge }: PhotoProviderConnectionOptions) {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
   const toast = useToast();
   const { isEnabled: addonEnabled, addons } = useAddonStore();
@@ -220,7 +218,7 @@ export function usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge, testErrorGap
         toast.success(t('memories.connectionSuccess', { provider_name: provider.name }));
       } else {
         const detail = res.data?.error ? `: ${String(res.data.error)}` : '';
-        toast.error(`${t('memories.connectionError', { provider_name: provider.name })}${testErrorGap}${detail}`);
+        toast.error(`${t('memories.connectionError', { provider_name: provider.name })}${detail}`);
       }
     } catch {
       toast.error(t('memories.connectionError', { provider_name: provider.name }));
diff --git a/client/src/mobile/screens/settings/MPhotoProvidersSection.tsx b/client/src/mobile/screens/settings/MPhotoProvidersSection.tsx
index 5d7be597a..29f9e2820 100644
--- a/client/src/mobile/screens/settings/MPhotoProvidersSection.tsx
+++ b/client/src/mobile/screens/settings/MPhotoProvidersSection.tsx
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export default function MPhotoProvidersSection(): React.ReactElement {
     isProviderSaveDisabled,
     handleSaveProvider,
     handleTestProvider,
-  } = usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge: true, testErrorGap: '' })
+  } = usePhotoProviderConnections({ statusRouteOwnsBadge: true })
 
   const renderPhotoProviderSection = (provider: PhotoProviderAddon): React.ReactElement => {
     const fields = getProviderFields(provider)