diff --git a/comfy_cli/command/custom_nodes/command.py b/comfy_cli/command/custom_nodes/command.py
index d5fe48a5..b095a766 100644
--- a/comfy_cli/command/custom_nodes/command.py
+++ b/comfy_cli/command/custom_nodes/command.py
@@ -1219,11 +1219,6 @@ def registry_install(
     try:
         # Call the API to install the node
         node_version = registry_api.install_node(node_id, version)
-        if not node_version.download_url:
-            logging.error("Download URL not provided from the registry.")
-            ui.display_error_message(f"Failed to download the custom node {node_id}.")
-            return
-
     except RegistryAPIError as e:
         logging.error(f"Encountered an error while installing the node. error: {str(e)}")
         get_renderer().error(
@@ -1234,8 +1229,23 @@ def registry_install(
         raise typer.Exit(code=1) from e
     except Exception as e:
         logging.error(f"Encountered an error while installing the node. error: {str(e)}")
-        ui.display_error_message(f"Failed to download the custom node {node_id}.")
-        return
+        get_renderer().error(
+            code="node_install_failed",
+            message=f"Failed to download the custom node {node_id}.",
+            details={"node_id": node_id},
+        )
+        raise typer.Exit(code=1) from e
+
+    # Checked outside the try: typer.Exit subclasses Exception, so raising it
+    # above would be swallowed by the broad handler and emit a second envelope.
+    if not node_version.download_url:
+        logging.error("Download URL not provided from the registry.")
+        get_renderer().error(
+            code="node_install_failed",
+            message=f"Failed to download the custom node {node_id}.",
+            details={"node_id": node_id},
+        )
+        raise typer.Exit(code=1)
 
     # Download the node archive
     custom_nodes_path = pathlib.Path(workspace_manager.workspace_path) / "custom_nodes"
diff --git a/tests/comfy_cli/command/nodes/test_node_install.py b/tests/comfy_cli/command/nodes/test_node_install.py
index 2acfb295..e2e7cf1c 100644
--- a/tests/comfy_cli/command/nodes/test_node_install.py
+++ b/tests/comfy_cli/command/nodes/test_node_install.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import subprocess
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
+import requests
 from typer.testing import CliRunner
 
 from comfy_cli.command.custom_nodes.command import app
@@ -410,3 +411,53 @@ def test_api_error_surfaced_with_code_and_exit_1(self, tmp_path):
         _, kwargs = mock_get_renderer.return_value.error.call_args
         assert kwargs["code"] == "node_install_failed"
         assert kwargs["details"] == {"node_id": "test-node", "status": 404, "body": "Not Found"}
+
+
+class TestRegistryInstallNonApiFailure:
+    """Failures that aren't RegistryAPIError — a connection error, a DNS failure,
+    a timeout, a JSON decode error, or a registry response carrying no download
+    URL — must also emit the node_install_failed envelope and exit non-zero.
+    Exiting 0 here reports a network outage to automation / CI as success."""
+
+    def _invoke(self, tmp_path, *, install_node_side_effect=None, install_node_return=None):
+        with (
+            patch("comfy_cli.command.custom_nodes.command.registry_api") as mock_api,
+            patch("comfy_cli.command.custom_nodes.command.workspace_manager") as mock_ws,
+            patch("comfy_cli.command.custom_nodes.command.get_renderer") as mock_get_renderer,
+            patch("comfy_cli.command.custom_nodes.command.download_file") as mock_dl,
+        ):
+            mock_ws.workspace_path = str(tmp_path)
+            if install_node_side_effect is not None:
+                mock_api.install_node.side_effect = install_node_side_effect
+            else:
+                mock_api.install_node.return_value = install_node_return
+
+            result = runner.invoke(app, ["registry-install", "test-node"])
+            return result, mock_get_renderer, mock_dl
+
+    def test_connection_error_exits_1_with_envelope(self, tmp_path):
+        result, mock_get_renderer, mock_dl = self._invoke(
+            tmp_path, install_node_side_effect=requests.ConnectionError("Name or service not known")
+        )
+
+        # Must exit non-zero so automation / CI can detect the failure.
+        assert result.exit_code == 1
+        assert "Traceback" not in result.output
+        mock_dl.assert_not_called()
+        mock_get_renderer.return_value.error.assert_called_once()
+        _, kwargs = mock_get_renderer.return_value.error.call_args
+        assert kwargs["code"] == "node_install_failed"
+        assert kwargs["details"] == {"node_id": "test-node"}
+
+    def test_missing_download_url_exits_1_with_envelope(self, tmp_path):
+        result, mock_get_renderer, mock_dl = self._invoke(
+            tmp_path, install_node_return=MagicMock(download_url="", version="1.0.0")
+        )
+
+        assert result.exit_code == 1
+        assert "Traceback" not in result.output
+        mock_dl.assert_not_called()
+        mock_get_renderer.return_value.error.assert_called_once()
+        _, kwargs = mock_get_renderer.return_value.error.call_args
+        assert kwargs["code"] == "node_install_failed"
+        assert kwargs["details"] == {"node_id": "test-node"}