diff --git a/examples/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.sx b/examples/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.sx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e81624
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.sx
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// Comptime `#run` of a failable whose error ESCAPES (no `catch` / `or`): the
+// compiler reports the raised tag name + the return trace at the `#run` site and
+// halts with a non-zero exit (E5.2). Before this, a bare failable `#run`
+// segfaulted (const form) or silently succeeded (statement form).
+
+#import "modules/std.sx";
+
+E :: error { Bad, Empty }
+
+parse :: (n: s32) -> (s32, !E) {
+    if n < 0  { raise error.Bad; }
+    if n == 0 { raise error.Empty; }
+    return n * 2;
+}
+
+x :: #run parse(-1);            // error.Bad escapes → comptime diagnostic + halt
+
+main :: () -> s32 { return x; }
diff --git a/examples/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.sx b/examples/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.sx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..73a4128
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.sx
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// Comptime `#run` of a failable composes with the handlers exactly as at
+// runtime: `catch` absorbs, `or` terminates, a successful bare `#run` yields the
+// value (error channel stripped), and an `onfail` in the evaluated body still
+// runs during comptime unwinding (E5.2).
+
+#import "modules/std.sx";
+
+E :: error { Bad, Empty }
+
+parse :: (n: s32) -> (s32, !E) {
+    if n < 0  { raise error.Bad; }
+    if n == 0 { raise error.Empty; }
+    return n * 2;
+}
+
+guard :: (ok: bool) -> !E {
+    onfail print("comptime cleanup\n");
+    if !ok { raise error.Bad; }
+    return;
+}
+
+ok_v   :: #run parse(5);            // success → 10 (value, error stripped)
+caught :: #run parse(-1) catch e 99; // Bad   → 99
+ored   :: #run parse(0) or 55;       // Empty → 55
+
+#run guard(false) catch e { };       // onfail fires during the comptime unwind
+
+main :: () -> s32 {
+    print("ok={} caught={} ored={}\n", ok_v, caught, ored);
+    return ok_v + caught + ored;     // 10 + 99 + 55 = 164
+}
diff --git a/examples/expected/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.exit b/examples/expected/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.exit
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d00491f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/expected/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.exit
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1
diff --git a/examples/expected/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.stderr b/examples/expected/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..896c4f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/expected/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+error: comptime `#run` (x) raised an unhandled error: error.Bad
+error return trace (most recent call last):
+  parse at 1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.sx:11:17
+help: handle it at the `#run` site — `#run <expr> catch e { ... }` or `#run <expr> or <default>`
diff --git a/examples/expected/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.stdout b/examples/expected/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.stdout
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b13789
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/expected/1037-errors-comptime-run-escape.stdout
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
diff --git a/examples/expected/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.exit b/examples/expected/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.exit
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e9bdff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/expected/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.exit
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+164
diff --git a/examples/expected/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.stderr b/examples/expected/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b13789
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/expected/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
diff --git a/examples/expected/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.stdout b/examples/expected/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.stdout
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3dfce0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/expected/1038-errors-comptime-run-handled.stdout
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+comptime cleanup
+--- build done ---
+ok=10 caught=99 ored=55
diff --git a/src/core.zig b/src/core.zig
index 782295c..ffb524e 100644
--- a/src/core.zig
+++ b/src/core.zig
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ pub const Compilation = struct {
         // callbacks can re-enter the interpreter via `invokeByName`.
         self.ir_module = ir_mod_ptr;
         self.ir_emitter = emitter;
+        // A comptime `#run` raised an unhandled error — the diagnostic + trace
+        // were already printed to stderr; abort before JIT/link (E5.2).
+        if (emitter.comptime_failed) return error.ComptimeError;
     }
 
     /// Re-enter the IR interpreter after `generateCode` (and after linking,
diff --git a/src/ir/emit_llvm.zig b/src/ir/emit_llvm.zig
index 11b05c9..45c8be5 100644
--- a/src/ir/emit_llvm.zig
+++ b/src/ir/emit_llvm.zig
@@ -27,6 +27,14 @@ const interp_mod = @import("interp.zig");
 const Interpreter = interp_mod.Interpreter;
 const Value = interp_mod.Value;
 
+// The vendored error-trace ring buffer (library/vendors/sx_trace_runtime/sx_trace.c)
+// is linked into the compiler. Comptime `#run` evaluation pushes frames to it via
+// foreign `sx_trace_push` calls; after a `#run` we read it here to render the
+// return trace for an escaping comptime error (E5.2).
+extern fn sx_trace_len() u32;
+extern fn sx_trace_frame_at(i: u32) u64;
+extern fn sx_trace_clear() void;
+
 fn isIdentByte(b: u8) bool {
     return (b >= 'a' and b <= 'z') or (b >= 'A' and b <= 'Z') or (b >= '0' and b <= '9') or b == '_';
 }
@@ -92,6 +100,10 @@ pub const LLVMEmitter = struct {
     // IR Module being emitted
     ir_mod: *const Module,
 
+    // Set when a comptime `#run` raised an unhandled error (E5.2). The driver
+    // (core.generateCode) aborts with a non-zero exit after emit() when set.
+    comptime_failed: bool = false,
+
     // Allocator for temporary bookkeeping
     alloc: Allocator,
 
@@ -1329,36 +1341,123 @@ pub const LLVMEmitter = struct {
         }
     }
 
+    /// The error-set channel of a (possibly failable) type: the set itself for
+    /// a pure `-> !` result, or the last tuple slot for `-> (T..., !)`. null if
+    /// the type carries no error channel. Mirror of lower.errorChannelOf.
+    fn comptimeErrChannel(self: *LLVMEmitter, ty: TypeId) ?TypeId {
+        if (ty.isBuiltin()) return null;
+        switch (self.ir_mod.types.get(ty)) {
+            .error_set => return ty,
+            .tuple => |t| {
+                if (t.fields.len == 0) return null;
+                const last = t.fields[t.fields.len - 1];
+                if (last.isBuiltin()) return null;
+                return if (self.ir_mod.types.get(last) == .error_set) last else null;
+            },
+            else => return null,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Inspect a failable `#run` result. On a non-zero error tag, print the
+    /// comptime-error diagnostic + return trace, flag compilation failed, and
+    /// return null. On success, return the value part (error channel stripped):
+    /// `void_val` for a pure failable, the lone value for `(T, !)`, the
+    /// value-tuple for multi-value. (E5.2)
+    fn checkComptimeFailable(self: *LLVMEmitter, result: Value, fail_ty: TypeId, label: []const u8) ?Value {
+        const channel = self.comptimeErrChannel(fail_ty) orelse return result;
+        var tag: u32 = 0;
+        var success: Value = .void_val;
+        if (channel == fail_ty) {
+            // pure failable — the result IS the error tag (u32)
+            tag = switch (result) {
+                .int => |v| @truncate(@as(u64, @bitCast(v))),
+                else => 0,
+            };
+        } else {
+            // value-carrying — the result is the `{values..., tag}` aggregate
+            const fields = switch (result) {
+                .aggregate => |f| f,
+                else => return result,
+            };
+            if (fields.len == 0) return result;
+            tag = switch (fields[fields.len - 1]) {
+                .int => |v| @truncate(@as(u64, @bitCast(v))),
+                else => 0,
+            };
+            success = if (fields.len == 2) fields[0] else .{ .aggregate = fields[0 .. fields.len - 1] };
+        }
+        if (tag == 0) {
+            sx_trace_clear();
+            return success;
+        }
+        self.reportComptimeEscape(label, tag);
+        sx_trace_clear();
+        self.comptime_failed = true;
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    /// Print the locked comptime-escape diagnostic: the raised tag name, the
+    /// resolved return trace from the thread-local buffer, and a help line.
+    fn reportComptimeEscape(self: *LLVMEmitter, label: []const u8, tag: u32) void {
+        const tname = self.ir_mod.types.tags.getName(tag);
+        std.debug.print("error: comptime `#run` ({s}) raised an unhandled error: error.{s}\n", .{ label, tname });
+        const n = sx_trace_len();
+        if (n > 0) {
+            std.debug.print("error return trace (most recent call last):\n", .{});
+            var i: u32 = 0;
+            while (i < n) : (i += 1) {
+                const packed_frame = sx_trace_frame_at(i);
+                const fid: u32 = @intCast(packed_frame >> 32);
+                const offset: u32 = @truncate(packed_frame);
+                if (fid >= self.ir_mod.functions.items.len) continue;
+                const func = self.ir_mod.getFunction(FuncId.fromIndex(fid));
+                const fname = self.ir_mod.types.getString(func.name);
+                const file_full = func.source_file orelse "";
+                const file = std.fs.path.basename(file_full);
+                var line: usize = 1;
+                var col: usize = 1;
+                if (self.import_sources) |sm| {
+                    if (sm.get(file_full)) |src| {
+                        const loc = errors.SourceLoc.compute(src, offset);
+                        line = loc.line;
+                        col = loc.col;
+                    }
+                }
+                std.debug.print("  {s} at {s}:{d}:{d}\n", .{ fname, file, line, col });
+            }
+        }
+        std.debug.print("help: handle it at the `#run` site — `#run <expr> catch e {{ ... }}` or `#run <expr> or <default>`\n", .{});
+    }
+
     /// Run comptime side-effect functions (e.g., `#run main();` at top level).
     /// These are functions marked `is_comptime = true` with void return that
     /// aren't associated with any global. They produce compile-time output.
     fn runComptimeSideEffects(self: *LLVMEmitter) void {
         for (self.ir_mod.functions.items, 0..) |func, i| {
-            if (!func.is_comptime or func.ret != .void) continue;
-            // Skip functions that are global initializers (already run by emitGlobals)
-            var is_global_init = false;
-            for (self.ir_mod.globals.items) |global| {
-                if (global.comptime_func) |gf| {
-                    if (@intFromEnum(gf) == i) {
-                        is_global_init = true;
-                        break;
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-            if (is_global_init) continue;
+            // `#run expr;` side-effects are the `__run_N` wrappers (global
+            // initializers are named after their global and run by emitGlobals;
+            // inline `__ct`/`__insert` wrappers run from their call sites). A
+            // failable side-effect carries the error channel on `func.ret`.
+            if (!func.is_comptime) continue;
+            const fname = self.ir_mod.types.getString(func.name);
+            if (!std.mem.startsWith(u8, fname, "__run")) continue;
 
-            // Run the side-effect function via interpreter
             const func_id = ir_inst.FuncId.fromIndex(@intCast(i));
             var interp_inst = Interpreter.init(self.ir_mod, self.alloc);
             interp_inst.build_config = &self.build_config;
             if (self.import_sources) |sm| interp_inst.setSourceMap(sm);
-            _ = interp_inst.call(func_id, &.{}) catch {};
+            sx_trace_clear();
+            const result = interp_inst.call(func_id, &.{}) catch Value.void_val;
             // Route #run `print` output to fd 1 so it joins the
             // JIT-executed runtime's stream. Same call site shape as
             // `core.flushInterpOutput` — see issue-0047.
             if (interp_inst.output.items.len > 0) {
                 _ = std.c.write(1, interp_inst.output.items.ptr, interp_inst.output.items.len);
             }
+            // A bare failable `#run f();` whose error escapes → diagnostic + halt.
+            if (self.comptimeErrChannel(func.ret) != null) {
+                _ = self.checkComptimeFailable(result, func.ret, "top-level statement");
+            }
             interp_inst.deinit();
         }
     }
@@ -1394,6 +1493,7 @@ pub const LLVMEmitter = struct {
                 Interpreter.last_bail_op = null;
                 Interpreter.last_bail_builtin = null;
                 Interpreter.last_bail_detail = null;
+                sx_trace_clear();
                 const result = interp_inst.call(func_id, &.{}) catch |err| blk: {
                     // Surface the bail loudly instead of silently filling
                     // the const with zero. Stale state from a previous
@@ -1405,7 +1505,22 @@ pub const LLVMEmitter = struct {
                     std.debug.print("error: comptime init of '{s}' failed: {s} (op={s}{s}{s})\n", .{ gname, @errorName(err), op, sep, detail });
                     break :blk .void_val;
                 };
-                const init_val = self.valueToLLVMConst(result, global.ty, &interp_inst, self.ir_mod.types.getString(global.name));
+                // A bare failable `NAME :: #run f();`: the comptime function
+                // returns the failable tuple; split it. Escaping error →
+                // diagnostic + halt (leave the global undef); success → the
+                // value part materializes into the global's success type (E5.2).
+                const cf_ret = self.ir_mod.getFunction(func_id).ret;
+                var init_value = result;
+                if (self.comptimeErrChannel(cf_ret) != null) {
+                    if (self.checkComptimeFailable(result, cf_ret, self.ir_mod.types.getString(global.name))) |succ| {
+                        init_value = succ;
+                    } else {
+                        c.LLVMSetInitializer(llvm_global, c.LLVMGetUndef(llvm_ty));
+                        self.global_map.put(@intCast(i), llvm_global) catch {};
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                }
+                const init_val = self.valueToLLVMConst(init_value, global.ty, &interp_inst, self.ir_mod.types.getString(global.name));
                 c.LLVMSetInitializer(llvm_global, init_val);
             } else if (global.init_val) |iv| {
                 const init_val = switch (iv) {
diff --git a/src/ir/lower.zig b/src/ir/lower.zig
index 1c5b5d5..61024c9 100644
--- a/src/ir/lower.zig
+++ b/src/ir/lower.zig
@@ -8486,30 +8486,46 @@ pub const Lowering = struct {
         // infer the global's type from the comptime expression's return
         // shape. `resolveType(null)` returns `.s64` for legacy reasons —
         // good for primitive helpers, silently wrong for anything else.
-        const ret_ty: TypeId = if (type_ann) |n|
+        const expr_ty = self.inferExprType(expr);
+        // A failable `#run` (bare, no `catch`/`or`): the comptime function
+        // returns the full failable tuple so the #run site can inspect the
+        // error slot, but the GLOBAL is typed as the success value. On a
+        // comptime error the global never materializes — emit halts with a
+        // diagnostic + trace (E5.2). A handled `#run … catch/or …` already
+        // strips the error channel, so it lands here as non-failable.
+        const is_failable = self.errorChannelOf(expr_ty) != null;
+        const func_ret: TypeId = if (is_failable)
+            expr_ty
+        else if (type_ann) |n|
             self.resolveTypeWithBindings(n)
         else
-            self.inferExprType(expr);
-        const func_id = self.createComptimeFunction(name, expr, ret_ty);
+            expr_ty;
+        const global_ty: TypeId = if (is_failable) self.failableSuccessType(expr_ty) else func_ret;
+        const func_id = self.createComptimeFunction(name, expr, func_ret);
 
         // Add a global constant whose initializer will be filled by the interpreter.
         const name_id = self.module.types.internString(name);
         const gid = self.module.addGlobal(.{
             .name = name_id,
-            .ty = ret_ty,
+            .ty = global_ty,
             .init_val = null, // will be filled by interpreter at emit time
             .is_const = true,
             .comptime_func = func_id,
         });
 
         // Register for runtime lookup: identifier resolution emits global_get
-        self.global_names.put(name, .{ .id = gid, .ty = ret_ty }) catch {};
+        self.global_names.put(name, .{ .id = gid, .ty = global_ty }) catch {};
     }
 
     /// Lower a standalone `#run expr;` at the top level (side-effect only).
     /// Creates a comptime function that the interpreter should execute.
     fn lowerComptimeSideEffect(self: *Lowering, expr: *const Node) void {
-        _ = self.createComptimeFunction("__run", expr, .void);
+        // A failable side-effect `#run f();` returns the failable tuple so the
+        // emit-time runner can detect an escaping error and halt (E5.2);
+        // non-failable side effects stay `void`.
+        const expr_ty = self.inferExprType(expr);
+        const ret: TypeId = if (self.errorChannelOf(expr_ty) != null) expr_ty else .void;
+        _ = self.createComptimeFunction("__run", expr, ret);
     }
 
     /// Lower a `#run expr` that appears inline within an expression.