diff --git a/src/backend/services/vision_service.py b/src/backend/services/vision_service.py
index 567351d..e9fa85e 100644
--- a/src/backend/services/vision_service.py
+++ b/src/backend/services/vision_service.py
@@ -26,12 +26,14 @@ async def _call_worker(image_bytes: bytes, graph: dict) -> dict:
 
     The worker's fault must not become the API's fault (spec's edge-case
     table: "il worker isola il guasto, l'API resta in piedi, il task
-    riporta l'errore"). A stopped worker raises `httpx.ConnectError`; a job
-    past the timeout raises `httpx.ReadTimeout` - both would otherwise
-    propagate past this function and surface to the operator as a naked
-    500. The response shape is validated here too: a proxy answering 200
-    with something that is not the worker's JSON contract must not turn
-    into a bare KeyError further down.
+    riporta l'errore"). httpx.TimeoutException (ConnectTimeout, ReadTimeout,
+    WriteTimeout, PoolTimeout) becomes 504; every other transport failure
+    (ConnectError, ReadError, RemoteProtocolError when the worker dies
+    mid-response, ...) becomes 502 - both would otherwise propagate past
+    this function and surface to the operator as a naked 500. The response
+    shape is validated here too: a proxy answering 200 with something that
+    is not the worker's JSON contract must not turn into a bare KeyError
+    further down.
     """
     try:
         async with httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=120.0) as client:
@@ -40,16 +42,28 @@ async def _call_worker(image_bytes: bytes, graph: dict) -> dict:
                 files={"image": ("frame.png", image_bytes, "image/png")},
                 data={"graph": json.dumps(graph)},
             )
-    except httpx.ConnectError as exc:
-        raise HTTPException(
-            status_code=status.HTTP_502_BAD_GATEWAY,
-            detail=f"the vision worker is unreachable: {exc}",
-        ) from exc
-    except httpx.ReadTimeout as exc:
+    except httpx.TimeoutException as exc:
         raise HTTPException(
             status_code=status.HTTP_504_GATEWAY_TIMEOUT,
             detail=f"the vision worker did not answer in time: {exc}",
         ) from exc
+    except (httpx.TransportError, httpx.HTTPError) as exc:
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=status.HTTP_502_BAD_GATEWAY,
+            detail=f"the vision worker is unreachable: {exc}",
+        ) from exc
+
+    if response.status_code == status.HTTP_422_UNPROCESSABLE_CONTENT:
+        # The worker already diagnosed a bad request (undecodable image,
+        # malformed graph) - forward its reason instead of flattening it
+        # into a generic 502.
+        try:
+            detail = response.json().get("detail", response.text)
+        except ValueError:
+            detail = response.text
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=status.HTTP_422_UNPROCESSABLE_CONTENT, detail=detail,
+        )
 
     if response.status_code != 200:
         raise HTTPException(
diff --git a/src/backend/tests/test_vision_worker_transport.py b/src/backend/tests/test_vision_worker_transport.py
index 0365c5b..63a99de 100644
--- a/src/backend/tests/test_vision_worker_transport.py
+++ b/src/backend/tests/test_vision_worker_transport.py
@@ -115,3 +115,75 @@ async def test_a_well_formed_response_still_passes_through(monkeypatch):
     report = await _call_worker(b"img", {"schema_version": 1, "tools": []})
 
     assert report == body
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# #14: the worker dying mid-response (RemoteProtocolError) or a connect
+# timeout (ConnectTimeout, an httpx.TimeoutException) used to fall through
+# every except clause here and surface as a naked 500.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_the_worker_dying_mid_response_answers_502_not_a_naked_500(monkeypatch):
+    _install(
+        monkeypatch,
+        raises=httpx.RemoteProtocolError(
+            "Server disconnected without sending a response."
+        ),
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as excinfo:
+        await _call_worker(b"img", {"schema_version": 1, "tools": []})
+
+    assert excinfo.value.status_code == 502
+    assert "unreachable" in excinfo.value.detail.lower()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_a_connect_timeout_answers_504(monkeypatch):
+    """ConnectTimeout is an httpx.TimeoutException, not caught by name before -
+    only httpx.ReadTimeout was."""
+    _install(monkeypatch, raises=httpx.ConnectTimeout("connect timed out"))
+
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as excinfo:
+        await _call_worker(b"img", {"schema_version": 1, "tools": []})
+
+    assert excinfo.value.status_code == 504
+    assert "time" in excinfo.value.detail.lower()
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# #15: a 422 from the worker (bad image, malformed graph) must reach the
+# Maker as a 422 with the worker's own reason, not a flattened 502.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_a_422_from_the_worker_propagates_as_422_with_its_detail(monkeypatch):
+    _install(
+        monkeypatch,
+        response=_FakeResponse(
+            422, body={"detail": "image is not decodable: cannot identify image file"},
+        ),
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as excinfo:
+        await _call_worker(b"img", {"schema_version": 1, "tools": []})
+
+    assert excinfo.value.status_code == 422
+    assert "not decodable" in excinfo.value.detail
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_a_422_from_the_worker_without_json_body_still_propagates(monkeypatch):
+    _install(
+        monkeypatch,
+        response=_FakeResponse(422, text="plain text reason", raise_on_json=True),
+    )
+
+    with pytest.raises(HTTPException) as excinfo:
+        await _call_worker(b"img", {"schema_version": 1, "tools": []})
+
+    assert excinfo.value.status_code == 422
+    assert excinfo.value.detail == "plain text reason"