diff --git a/crates/hashi/src/mpc/mpc_except_signing.rs b/crates/hashi/src/mpc/mpc_except_signing.rs
index c8377c2e7..d505da49f 100644
--- a/crates/hashi/src/mpc/mpc_except_signing.rs
+++ b/crates/hashi/src/mpc/mpc_except_signing.rs
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ pub struct MpcManager {
     pub dkg_messages: HashMap<Address, avss::Message>,
     pub rotation_messages: HashMap<Address, RotationMessages>,
     pub nonce_messages: HashMap<Address, NonceMessage>,
-    pub message_responses: HashMap<Address, SendMessagesResponse>,
+    pub message_responses: HashMap<Address, MpcResult<SendMessagesResponse>>,
     pub complaints_to_process: HashMap<ComplaintsToProcessKey, complaint::Complaint>,
     pub complaint_responses: HashMap<(Address, ProtocolTypeIndicator), ComplaintResponses>,
     pub public_messages_store: Box<dyn PublicMessagesStore>,
@@ -262,18 +262,18 @@ impl MpcManager {
                     reason: "Dealer sent different messages".to_string(),
                 });
             }
-            if let Some(response) = self.message_responses.get(&sender) {
-                return Ok(response.clone());
+            if let Some(cached) = self.message_responses.get(&sender) {
+                return cached.clone();
             }
             tracing::info!(
                 "handle_send_messages_request: existing message from {sender:?} but no \
                  cached response (e.g. post-restart), re-processing"
             );
         }
-        let signature = match &request.messages {
+        let result = match &request.messages {
             Messages::Dkg(msg) => {
                 self.store_dkg_message(self.mpc_config.epoch, sender, msg)?;
-                self.try_sign_dkg_message(sender, &request.messages)?
+                self.try_sign_dkg_message(sender, &request.messages)
             }
             Messages::Rotation(msgs) => {
                 let previous = self
@@ -281,16 +281,16 @@ impl MpcManager {
                     .clone()
                     .ok_or_else(|| MpcError::NotReady("Rotation not started".into()))?;
                 self.store_rotation_messages(self.mpc_config.epoch, sender, msgs)?;
-                self.try_sign_rotation_messages(&previous, sender, &request.messages)?
+                self.try_sign_rotation_messages(&previous, sender, &request.messages)
             }
             Messages::NonceGeneration(nonce) => {
                 self.store_nonce_message(self.mpc_config.epoch, sender, nonce)?;
-                self.try_sign_nonce_message(sender, &request.messages)?
+                self.try_sign_nonce_message(sender, &request.messages)
             }
-        };
-        let response = SendMessagesResponse { signature };
-        self.message_responses.insert(sender, response.clone());
-        Ok(response)
+        }
+        .map(|signature| SendMessagesResponse { signature });
+        self.message_responses.insert(sender, result.clone());
+        result
     }
 
     pub fn handle_retrieve_messages_request(
diff --git a/crates/hashi/src/mpc/mpc_except_signing_tests.rs b/crates/hashi/src/mpc/mpc_except_signing_tests.rs
index a32aaf573..3c65b2c2c 100644
--- a/crates/hashi/src/mpc/mpc_except_signing_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/hashi/src/mpc/mpc_except_signing_tests.rs
@@ -4294,7 +4294,7 @@ async fn test_handle_send_messages_request_equivocation() {
 }
 
 #[tokio::test]
-async fn test_handle_send_messages_request_invalid_shares_no_panic_on_retry() {
+async fn test_handle_send_messages_request_invalid_shares_cached_on_retry() {
     // Second RPC call with invalid shares should not panic.
 
     let mut rng = rand::thread_rng();
@@ -4328,20 +4328,16 @@ async fn test_handle_send_messages_request_invalid_shares_no_panic_on_retry() {
         _ => panic!("Expected InvalidMessage error"),
     }
 
-    // Second call: same message — re-processes and returns the same
-    // "Invalid shares" error. The point of this test is that the second
-    // call must NOT panic; the specific error message is allowed to be
-    // either the original Complaint reason or a short-circuit reason.
+    // Second call: same message — returns the cached error immediately
+    // without re-processing.
     let result2 = receiver_manager.handle_send_messages_request(dealer_addr, &request);
-    assert!(result2.is_err(), "Second call should also return error");
+    assert!(result2.is_err(), "Second call should return cached error");
     match result2.unwrap_err() {
         MpcError::InvalidMessage { sender, reason } => {
             assert_eq!(sender, dealer_addr);
             assert!(
-                reason.contains("Invalid shares")
-                    || reason.contains("previously received but no valid response"),
-                "Second call should return either the original Complaint error or a \
-                 'previously received' short-circuit, got: {reason}"
+                reason.contains("Invalid shares"),
+                "Should return the cached original error, got: {reason}"
             );
         }
         _ => panic!("Expected InvalidMessage error"),
@@ -4353,12 +4349,16 @@ async fn test_handle_send_messages_request_invalid_shares_no_panic_on_retry() {
         "Message should be stored even if invalid"
     );
 
-    // Verify no response was cached (since we returned error)
+    // Verify the error was cached so subsequent retries don't re-process.
     assert!(
-        !receiver_manager
+        receiver_manager
             .message_responses
             .contains_key(&dealer_addr),
-        "Response should not be cached for invalid shares"
+        "Error should be cached for invalid shares"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        receiver_manager.message_responses[&dealer_addr].is_err(),
+        "Cached response should be an error"
     );
 
     // Verify receiver can still serve the message via RetrieveMessagesRequest
diff --git a/crates/hashi/src/mpc/types.rs b/crates/hashi/src/mpc/types.rs
index 7f9be3036..2f6ea29b6 100644
--- a/crates/hashi/src/mpc/types.rs
+++ b/crates/hashi/src/mpc/types.rs
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ impl CertificateV1 {
 
 pub type MpcResult<T> = Result<T, MpcError>;
 
-#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, thiserror::Error)]
 pub enum MpcError {
     #[error("Invalid configuration: {0}")]
     InvalidConfig(String),