diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 1679023..2e11548 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ Keep it stable. Prefer pointers to canonical sources over copied structure, file
 - The public component-reuse explanation lives in `docs/recipes/reusable-partials.md`; do not grow a client component framework to explain partial composition.
 - The stable public `.heml` authoring surface lives in `docs/hemplate-syntax.md`; Hemlate examples must use that real hemplate syntax, not Vue/Handlebars sketches.
 - Optional `.heml` editor overlays must share authority with `hemx-build` diagnostics and `docs/hemplate-syntax.md`; `hemx-lsp` owns editor protocol glue for diagnostics/completion/hover and derive-known template facts, while VS Code/Cursor/Neovim keep normal HTML/tree-sitter tooling. Do not create a second template language, selector model, formatter, Rust type system, or custom editor framework. req: diagnostics/004 req: diagnostics/005 req: diagnostics/006
-- JS runtime changes must preserve root-scoped lookup and avoid selectors, VDOM, expressions, and per-node listeners.
+- JS runtime changes must preserve root-scoped lookup, fail-closed request handling, and tiny pending/failure recovery without selectors, VDOM, expressions, or per-node listeners. req: runtime/005 req: convention/007
 - Host capability adapters must stay at the `hemx-host` boundary: they may call host APIs and return host events, but they must not mutate DOM or own app/domain state. req: host/002
 - Local/offline app behavior should be commands/events/projections; do not add `hemx-local`, stored DOM patches, or stored `EffectBatch` truth without a proven reusable contract. req: local/001 req: local/002
 - Axum apps should serve and load the shared runtime through hemx-axum helpers such as `runtime_js_path()` and `runtime_js()`, not hard-coded `/hemx.js` URLs or app-owned cache-busting strings.
diff --git a/REQUIREMENTS.md b/REQUIREMENTS.md
index fbef867..7b676ab 100644
--- a/REQUIREMENTS.md
+++ b/REQUIREMENTS.md
@@ -447,6 +447,9 @@ what a valid business email is.
 ### req: runtime/004
 004	Core runtime exposes a minimal version/fingerprint handshake only. Capability negotiation belongs to integration crates such as `hemx-wasm`, `hemx-sync`, and `hemx-transition`.
 
+### req: runtime/005
+005	Failed hemx HTTP requests must fail closed: non-2xx responses are not applied as effects, pending state is restored, and the runtime emits an inspectable `hemx:error` event with status when available. [north_star]
+
 ---
 
 ## failure
@@ -983,7 +986,7 @@ async fn delete(app: State<App>, todo_id: TodoId) -> impl IntoEffect
 006	Request concurrency policy (`latest`, `queue`, `drop`, `parallel`) may be declared per handle with `data-hemx-policy`. Default for debounced/input handlers is `latest`; default for form submit is `drop` while pending. Stale EffectBatches from superseded requests must not be applied.
 
 ### req: convention/007
-007	Pending indicators are cosmetic only. The runtime toggles pending classes, indicator visibility, and disabled controls around request/effect execution; handler semantics are unchanged.
+007	Pending indicators are cosmetic only. The runtime toggles pending classes, `aria-busy`, indicator visibility, and disabled controls around request/effect execution; handler semantics are unchanged.
 
 ### req: convention/008
 008	`data-hemx-disable-while-pending` disables the triggering form controls or button while the request is active and restores them afterward.
diff --git a/hemx-js/runtime/hemx.js b/hemx-js/runtime/hemx.js
index 4391c01..1992436 100644
--- a/hemx-js/runtime/hemx.js
+++ b/hemx-js/runtime/hemx.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   const everyTimers = new WeakMap();
   const pendingClassStates = new WeakMap();
   const indicatorStates = new WeakMap();
+  const busyStates = new WeakMap();
   const disabledStates = new WeakMap();
   const sseSources = new WeakMap();
   const atomStores = new WeakMap();
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@
   function showPending(el, on) {
     const klass = el.getAttribute("data-hemx-pending-class");
     if (klass) togglePendingClass(el, klass, on);
+    toggleBusy(el, on);
     const root = rootOf(el) || document;
     forEachElement(root, (i) => { if (i.hasAttribute("data-hemx-indicator")) toggleIndicator(i, on); });
     if (el.hasAttribute("data-hemx-disable-while-pending")) {
@@ -85,6 +87,23 @@
     }
   }
 
+  function toggleBusy(el, on) {
+    const state = busyStates.get(el);
+    if (on) {
+      if (state) state.count += 1;
+      else busyStates.set(el, { count: 1, value: el.getAttribute("aria-busy") });
+      el.setAttribute("aria-busy", "true");
+      return;
+    }
+    if (!state) return;
+    state.count -= 1;
+    if (state.count <= 0) {
+      if (state.value === null) el.removeAttribute("aria-busy");
+      else el.setAttribute("aria-busy", state.value);
+      busyStates.delete(el);
+    }
+  }
+
   function togglePendingClass(el, klass, on) {
     const state = pendingClassStates.get(el);
     if (on) {
@@ -169,6 +188,12 @@
     return url.href;
   }
 
+  function httpError(response) {
+    const error = new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}`);
+    error.status = response.status;
+    return error;
+  }
+
   async function send(el, eventName, source = el) {
     if (el.getAttribute("data-hemx-confirm") && !confirm(el.getAttribute("data-hemx-confirm"))) return;
     const { form, data, multipart } = formDataFor(el, eventName, source);
@@ -209,9 +234,10 @@
         signal: abort.signal,
       });
       if (pending.get(target)?.abort !== abort && policy === "latest") return;
+      if (!response.ok) throw httpError(response);
       await applyResponse(response, rootOf(target));
     } catch (error) {
-      if (error.name !== "AbortError") emit(rootOf(target), "hemx:error", String(error));
+      if (error.name !== "AbortError") emit(rootOf(target), "hemx:error", { message: String(error), status: error.status || null });
     } finally {
       if (pending.get(target)?.abort === abort) {
         pending.delete(target);
diff --git a/hemx-js/tests/runtime.rs b/hemx-js/tests/runtime.rs
index b97aff6..da1ed18 100644
--- a/hemx-js/tests/runtime.rs
+++ b/hemx-js/tests/runtime.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,19 @@ fn runtime_exposes_debug_api_before_startup_side_effects() {
     assert!(source.contains("emit(root, \"hemx:bind-error\", String(error));"));
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn runtime_reports_http_failures_without_applying_effects() {
+    // req: runtime/005
+    let source = hemx_js::RUNTIME_JS;
+
+    assert!(source.contains("function httpError(response)"));
+    assert!(source.contains("if (!response.ok) throw httpError(response)"));
+    assert!(source.contains("error.status = response.status"));
+    assert!(source.contains(
+        "emit(rootOf(target), \"hemx:error\", { message: String(error), status: error.status || null })"
+    ));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn runtime_posts_urlencoded_forms_by_default() {
     let source = hemx_js::RUNTIME_JS;
@@ -110,6 +123,11 @@ fn runtime_toggles_pending_conventions_around_requests() {
     assert!(source.contains("hadClass: el.classList.contains(klass)"));
     assert!(source.contains("if (state.hadClass) el.classList.add(state.className)"));
     assert!(source.contains("const indicatorStates = new WeakMap()"));
+    assert!(source.contains("const busyStates = new WeakMap()"));
+    assert!(source.contains("function toggleBusy(el, on)"));
+    assert!(source.contains("el.setAttribute(\"aria-busy\", \"true\")"));
+    assert!(source.contains("el.removeAttribute(\"aria-busy\")"));
+    assert!(source.contains("toggleBusy(el, on)"));
     assert!(source.contains("function toggleIndicator(indicator, on)"));
     assert!(source.contains("toggleIndicator(i, on)"));
     assert!(source.contains("indicator.hidden = state.hidden"));