diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/exec_policy.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/exec_policy.rs
index 3cc83c4a4..298bc2679 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/exec_policy.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/exec_policy.rs
@@ -265,6 +265,77 @@ pub async fn check_execpolicy_for_warnings(
     Ok(warning)
 }
 
+fn exec_policy_message_for_display(source: &codex_execpolicy::Error) -> String {
+    let message = source.to_string();
+    if let Some(line) = message
+        .lines()
+        .find(|line| line.trim_start().starts_with("error: "))
+    {
+        return line.to_owned();
+    }
+    if let Some(first_line) = message.lines().next()
+        && let Some((_, detail)) = first_line.rsplit_once(": starlark error: ")
+    {
+        return detail.trim().to_string();
+    }
+
+    message
+        .lines()
+        .next()
+        .unwrap_or_default()
+        .trim()
+        .to_string()
+}
+
+fn parse_starlark_line_from_message(message: &str) -> Option<(PathBuf, usize)> {
+    let first_line = message.lines().next()?.trim();
+    let (path_and_position, _) = first_line.rsplit_once(": starlark error:")?;
+
+    let mut parts = path_and_position.rsplitn(3, ':');
+    let _column = parts.next()?.parse::<usize>().ok()?;
+    let line = parts.next()?.parse::<usize>().ok()?;
+    let path = PathBuf::from(parts.next()?);
+
+    if line == 0 {
+        return None;
+    }
+
+    Some((path, line))
+}
+
+pub fn format_exec_policy_error_with_source(error: &ExecPolicyError) -> String {
+    match error {
+        ExecPolicyError::ParsePolicy { path, source } => {
+            let rendered_source = source.to_string();
+            let structured_location = source
+                .location()
+                .map(|location| (PathBuf::from(location.path), location.range.start.line));
+            let parsed_location = parse_starlark_line_from_message(&rendered_source);
+            let location = match (structured_location, parsed_location) {
+                (Some((_, 1)), Some((parsed_path, parsed_line))) if parsed_line > 1 => {
+                    Some((parsed_path, parsed_line))
+                }
+                (Some(structured), _) => Some(structured),
+                (None, parsed) => parsed,
+            };
+            let message = exec_policy_message_for_display(source);
+            match location {
+                Some((path, line)) => {
+                    format!(
+                        "{}:{}: {} (problem is on or around line {})",
+                        path.display(),
+                        line,
+                        message,
+                        line
+                    )
+                }
+                None => format!("{path}: {message}"),
+            }
+        }
+        _ => error.to_string(),
+    }
+}
+
 async fn load_exec_policy_with_warning(
     config_stack: &ConfigLayerStack,
 ) -> Result<(Policy, Option<ExecPolicyError>), ExecPolicyError> {
@@ -679,6 +750,51 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(files.is_empty());
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn format_exec_policy_error_with_source_renders_range() {
+        let temp_dir = tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+        let config_stack = config_stack_for_dot_codex_folder(temp_dir.path());
+        let policy_dir = temp_dir.path().join(RULES_DIR_NAME);
+        fs::create_dir_all(&policy_dir).expect("create policy dir");
+        let broken_path = policy_dir.join("broken.rules");
+        fs::write(
+            &broken_path,
+            r#"prefix_rule(
+    pattern = ["tmux capture-pane"],
+    decision = "allow",
+    match = ["tmux capture-pane -p"],
+)"#,
+        )
+        .expect("write broken policy file");
+
+        let err = load_exec_policy(&config_stack)
+            .await
+            .expect_err("expected parse error");
+        let rendered = format_exec_policy_error_with_source(&err);
+
+        assert!(rendered.contains("broken.rules:1:"));
+        assert!(rendered.contains("on or around line 1"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_starlark_line_from_message_extracts_path_and_line() {
+        let parsed = parse_starlark_line_from_message(
+            "/tmp/default.rules:143:1: starlark error: error: Parse error: unexpected new line",
+        )
+        .expect("parse should succeed");
+
+        assert_eq!(parsed.0, PathBuf::from("/tmp/default.rules"));
+        assert_eq!(parsed.1, 143);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_starlark_line_from_message_rejects_zero_line() {
+        let parsed = parse_starlark_line_from_message(
+            "/tmp/default.rules:0:1: starlark error: error: Parse error: unexpected new line",
+        );
+        assert_eq!(parsed, None);
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn loads_policies_from_policy_subdirectory() {
         let temp_dir = tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/lib.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/lib.rs
index e3888ecf8..8b396517e 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/lib.rs
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ pub use apply_patch::CODEX_APPLY_PATCH_ARG1;
 pub use client::X_CODEX_TURN_METADATA_HEADER;
 pub use exec_policy::ExecPolicyError;
 pub use exec_policy::check_execpolicy_for_warnings;
+pub use exec_policy::format_exec_policy_error_with_source;
 pub use exec_policy::load_exec_policy;
 pub use file_watcher::FileWatcherEvent;
 pub use safety::get_platform_sandbox;
diff --git a/codex-rs/exec/src/lib.rs b/codex-rs/exec/src/lib.rs
index 31b2ff861..68c88f000 100644
--- a/codex-rs/exec/src/lib.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/exec/src/lib.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ use codex_core::NewThread;
 use codex_core::OLLAMA_OSS_PROVIDER_ID;
 use codex_core::ThreadManager;
 use codex_core::auth::enforce_login_restrictions;
+use codex_core::check_execpolicy_for_warnings;
 use codex_core::config::Config;
 use codex_core::config::ConfigBuilder;
 use codex_core::config::ConfigOverrides;
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ use codex_core::config::load_config_as_toml_with_cli_overrides;
 use codex_core::config::resolve_oss_provider;
 use codex_core::config_loader::ConfigLoadError;
 use codex_core::config_loader::format_config_error_with_source;
+use codex_core::format_exec_policy_error_with_source;
 use codex_core::git_info::get_git_repo_root;
 use codex_core::models_manager::manager::RefreshStrategy;
 use codex_core::protocol::AskForApproval;
@@ -267,6 +269,19 @@ pub async fn run_main(cli: Cli, codex_linux_sandbox_exe: Option<PathBuf>) -> any
         .cloud_requirements(cloud_requirements)
         .build()
         .await?;
+
+    #[allow(clippy::print_stderr)]
+    match check_execpolicy_for_warnings(&config.config_layer_stack).await {
+        Ok(None) => {}
+        Ok(Some(err)) | Err(err) => {
+            eprintln!(
+                "Error loading rules:\n{}",
+                format_exec_policy_error_with_source(&err)
+            );
+            std::process::exit(1);
+        }
+    }
+
     set_default_client_residency_requirement(config.enforce_residency.value());
 
     if let Err(err) = enforce_login_restrictions(&config) {
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/lib.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/lib.rs
index f0b26dfea..639916a79 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/lib.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/lib.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ use codex_core::RolloutRecorder;
 use codex_core::ThreadSortKey;
 use codex_core::auth::AuthMode;
 use codex_core::auth::enforce_login_restrictions;
+use codex_core::check_execpolicy_for_warnings;
 use codex_core::config::Config;
 use codex_core::config::ConfigBuilder;
 use codex_core::config::ConfigOverrides;
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ use codex_core::config_loader::format_config_error_with_source;
 use codex_core::default_client::set_default_client_residency_requirement;
 use codex_core::find_thread_path_by_id_str;
 use codex_core::find_thread_path_by_name_str;
+use codex_core::format_exec_policy_error_with_source;
 use codex_core::path_utils;
 use codex_core::protocol::AskForApproval;
 use codex_core::read_session_meta_line;
@@ -288,6 +290,19 @@ pub async fn run_main(
         cloud_requirements.clone(),
     )
     .await;
+
+    #[allow(clippy::print_stderr)]
+    match check_execpolicy_for_warnings(&config.config_layer_stack).await {
+        Ok(None) => {}
+        Ok(Some(err)) | Err(err) => {
+            eprintln!(
+                "Error loading rules:\n{}",
+                format_exec_policy_error_with_source(&err)
+            );
+            std::process::exit(1);
+        }
+    }
+
     set_default_client_residency_requirement(config.enforce_residency.value());
 
     if let Some(warning) =