diff --git a/src-tauri/src/audio/recorder.rs b/src-tauri/src/audio/recorder.rs
index 0abca67..c6942e7 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/audio/recorder.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/audio/recorder.rs
@@ -365,10 +365,10 @@ impl AudioRecorder {
     }
 
     pub fn check_dependencies() -> (bool, String) {
-        if crate::utils::swift_binary::ensure_swift_binary("record", "scripts/record.swift") {
+        if crate::utils::swift_binary::get_binary_path("record").exists() {
             (true, "native audio recorder ready".into())
         } else {
-            (false, "Audio recorder unavailable. Install Xcode Command Line Tools: xcode-select --install".into())
+            (false, "Audio recorder binary not found. Reinstall Echo or install Xcode Command Line Tools: xcode-select --install".into())
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/transcription/whisper.rs b/src-tauri/src/transcription/whisper.rs
index 54a621f..ef8bf00 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/transcription/whisper.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/transcription/whisper.rs
@@ -395,6 +395,13 @@ pub async fn build_binary(progress_cb: impl Fn(&str) + Send + 'static) -> Result
         return Ok(());
     }
 
+    if !cmd_exists("git") {
+        return Err("git is not installed. Install Xcode Command Line Tools: xcode-select --install".into());
+    }
+    if !cmd_exists("cmake") {
+        return Err("cmake is not installed. Install it with: brew install cmake".into());
+    }
+
     let tmp_dir = std::env::temp_dir().join("echo-whisper-build");
     fs::create_dir_all(bin_dir()).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
     fs::create_dir_all(&tmp_dir).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
@@ -443,15 +450,27 @@ pub async fn build_binary(progress_cb: impl Fn(&str) + Send + 'static) -> Result
     Ok(())
 }
 
-fn run_cmd(cmd: &str, args: &[&str], cwd: &Path) -> Result<(), String> {
-    let path_env = format!(
+fn build_path_env() -> String {
+    format!(
         "{}:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin",
         std::env::var("PATH").unwrap_or_default()
-    );
+    )
+}
+
+fn cmd_exists(name: &str) -> bool {
+    Command::new(name)
+        .arg("--version")
+        .env("PATH", build_path_env())
+        .output()
+        .map(|o| o.status.success())
+        .unwrap_or(false)
+}
+
+fn run_cmd(cmd: &str, args: &[&str], cwd: &Path) -> Result<(), String> {
     let output = Command::new(cmd)
         .args(args)
         .current_dir(cwd)
-        .env("PATH", &path_env)
+        .env("PATH", build_path_env())
         .output()
         .map_err(|e| format!("{} failed: {}", cmd, e))?;
 
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/utils/errors.rs b/src-tauri/src/utils/errors.rs
index a0268f9..60558f5 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/utils/errors.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/utils/errors.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ pub fn to_user_facing_error(err: &str) -> String {
     let lower = err.to_lowercase();
 
     if lower.contains("audio recorder") || lower.contains("record.swift") || lower.contains("rec: command not found") {
-        return "Audio recording is unavailable. Grant microphone access in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone (and install Xcode Command Line Tools if prompted).".into();
+        if lower.contains("unavailable") || lower.contains("not found") || lower.contains("command not found") || lower.contains("no such file") {
+            return "Audio recorder binary is missing. Reinstall Echo or install Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install) and restart.".into();
+        }
+        return "Audio recording failed. Grant microphone access in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.".into();
     }
     if lower.contains("whisper") && (lower.contains("not found") || lower.contains("not ready")) {
         return "Whisper is not set up. Open Settings and build/download Whisper.".into();
@@ -47,8 +50,27 @@ mod tests {
     // Mirrors tests/errors.test.ts. The TS side wraps input in `new Error(...)`
     // and extracts `.message`; the Rust API takes the message string directly.
     #[test]
-    fn maps_audio_recorder_errors() {
-        assert!(to_user_facing_error("rec: command not found").contains("Audio recording"));
+    fn maps_audio_recorder_missing_binary() {
+        let result = to_user_facing_error("rec: command not found");
+        assert!(result.contains("Audio recorder binary is missing"), "got: {}", result);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn maps_audio_recorder_binary_unavailable() {
+        let result = to_user_facing_error("Native audio recorder unavailable (failed to compile record.swift)");
+        assert!(result.contains("missing"), "got: {}", result);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn maps_audio_recorder_spawn_no_such_file() {
+        let result = to_user_facing_error("Failed to start native audio recorder: No such file or directory (os error 2)");
+        assert!(result.contains("missing"), "got: {}", result);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn maps_audio_recorder_permission_errors() {
+        let result = to_user_facing_error("audio recorder permission denied");
+        assert!(result.contains("Microphone"), "got: {}", result);
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/utils/swift_binary.rs b/src-tauri/src/utils/swift_binary.rs
index 04b9ebd..cb0f39d 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/utils/swift_binary.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/utils/swift_binary.rs
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ pub fn ensure_swift_binary(binary_name: &str, source_relative_path: &str) -> boo
         Some(p) => p,
         None => {
             if binary_path.exists() { return true; }
-            log::warn!("[swift-binary] Source not found for {}", binary_name);
+            log::debug!("[swift-binary] Source not found for {}", binary_name);
             return false;
         }
     };