diff --git a/plugins/opencode/README.md b/plugins/opencode/README.md
index 4b69894..b74936a 100644
--- a/plugins/opencode/README.md
+++ b/plugins/opencode/README.md
@@ -34,3 +34,4 @@ Move sessions with OpenCode's `opencode.session_move` tool.
 - Starting refs are not supported; Rift snapshots a working directory, not a commit.
 - Remove a workspace's child Rifts before removing it.
 - `rift.remove` refuses to remove the workspace the current session is in.
+- Windows can't create workspaces, because Rift needs copy-on-write cloning.
diff --git a/plugins/opencode/src/strategy.ts b/plugins/opencode/src/strategy.ts
index df58552..480bf73 100644
--- a/plugins/opencode/src/strategy.ts
+++ b/plugins/opencode/src/strategy.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ interface Runtime {
   rpc?: typeof rpc
 }
 
+const hints: Partial<Record<string, string>> = {
+  workspace_not_initialized: "Rift source is not initialized; run `rift init` from the project root first",
+  initialization_required: "This Rift workspace must be initialized first; run `rift init` from its root folder",
+  missing_marker: "This Rift workspace is missing its `.rift` marker; run `rift init` to restore it",
+}
+
 function parseOptions(value: Record<string, unknown>): Options {
   for (const key of Object.keys(value)) {
     if (key !== "executable" && key !== "copyAll" && key !== "hooks" && key !== "database")
@@ -44,11 +50,7 @@ export function makeStrategy(value: Record<string, unknown> = {}, runtime: Runti
     call(options.executable, { database: options.database, ...command }, signal)
   const failure = (error: unknown) => {
     const message =
-      error instanceof RpcError && error.code === "workspace_not_initialized"
-        ? "Rift source is not initialized; run `rift init` from the project root first"
-        : error instanceof Error
-          ? error.message
-          : String(error)
+      (error instanceof RpcError && hints[error.code]) || (error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error))
     return new Worktree.OperationError({ message })
   }
   const committed = (error: unknown, hook: string) =>
diff --git a/plugins/opencode/src/tools.ts b/plugins/opencode/src/tools.ts
index a88ca22..1bd8d2e 100644
--- a/plugins/opencode/src/tools.ts
+++ b/plugins/opencode/src/tools.ts
@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ export async function registerTools(ctx: Context, listeners: Listeners) {
     })
     editor.add({
       name: "remove",
-      description: "Remove a Rift workspace from the current project.",
+      description:
+        "Remove a Rift workspace from the current project. Refuses the workspace this session is in and workspaces that still have child workspaces.",
       input: {
         type: "object",
         properties: {
diff --git a/plugins/opencode/test/strategy.test.ts b/plugins/opencode/test/strategy.test.ts
index ddd0757..7a74046 100644
--- a/plugins/opencode/test/strategy.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/opencode/test/strategy.test.ts
@@ -71,6 +71,30 @@ describe("Rift workspace strategy", () => {
     })
   })
 
+  test("explains initialization failures", async () => {
+    const failing = (code: string) =>
+      makeStrategy(
+        {},
+        {
+          rpc: async () => {
+            throw new RpcError({ code, message: `${code} at /project`, path: "/project" })
+          },
+        },
+      )
+    const create = (code: string) =>
+      failing(code).create({ sourceDirectory: "/project", directory: "/worktrees/task" }, context)
+    await expect(create("workspace_not_initialized")).rejects.toThrow(
+      "Rift source is not initialized; run `rift init` from the project root first",
+    )
+    await expect(create("initialization_required")).rejects.toThrow(
+      "This Rift workspace must be initialized first; run `rift init` from its root folder",
+    )
+    await expect(create("missing_marker")).rejects.toThrow(
+      "This Rift workspace is missing its `.rift` marker; run `rift init` to restore it",
+    )
+    await expect(create("hook_failed")).rejects.toThrow("hook_failed at /project")
+  })
+
   test("keeps OpenCode inventory consistent after post-hook failures", async () => {
     const warnings: Array<{ directory: string; message: string }> = []
     const strategy = makeStrategy(