diff --git a/maestro_worker_python/serve.py b/maestro_worker_python/serve.py
index eb6f656..67744f1 100644
--- a/maestro_worker_python/serve.py
+++ b/maestro_worker_python/serve.py
@@ -144,11 +144,23 @@ async def validation_error_handler(request: Request, exc: ValidationError):
     return JSONResponse(status_code=400, content=jsonable_encoder({"error": exc.reason}))
 
 
+def _describe_validation_errors(errors: list) -> str:
+    """One line a caller can read, e.g. ``stems: Input should be a valid integer; outputs.midi: Field required``."""
+    described = []
+    for error in errors:
+        # A model-level validator reports an empty location.
+        field = ".".join(str(part) for part in error["loc"]) or "request"
+        described.append(f"{field}: {error['msg']}")
+    return "; ".join(described)
+
+
 @app.exception_handler(pydantic.ValidationError)
 async def pydantic_validation_exception_handler(request: Request, exc: pydantic.ValidationError):
+    errors = exc.errors()
+    # `error` carries the reason a caller reads, as it does for ValidationError.
     return JSONResponse(
         status_code=400,
-        content=jsonable_encoder({"detail": exc.errors()}),
+        content=jsonable_encoder({"error": _describe_validation_errors(errors), "detail": errors}),
     )
 
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 136a0f2..5bfe7f7 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "maestro-worker-python"
-version = "5.2.1"
+version = "5.2.2"
 description = "Utility to run workers on Moises/Maestro"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10,<3.14"
diff --git a/tests/test_serve.py b/tests/test_serve.py
index 13277aa..447c6ed 100644
--- a/tests/test_serve.py
+++ b/tests/test_serve.py
@@ -345,6 +345,20 @@ def test_a_recoverable_failure_keeps_the_process_serving(tmp_path, monkeypatch,
     assert terminations == []
 
 
+def test_an_invalid_request_is_refused_with_a_reason_naming_the_field(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    _, client, _ = _serve_failing_worker(
+        tmp_path,
+        monkeypatch,
+        "import pydantic; type('Request', (pydantic.BaseModel,), {'__annotations__': {'stems': int}})(stems='x')",
+    )
+
+    refused = client.post("/inference", json={})
+
+    assert refused.status_code == 400
+    assert refused.json()["error"].startswith("stems: ")
+    assert refused.json()["detail"][0]["loc"] == ["stems"]
+
+
 def _start_with_json_logging(tmp_path, then: str = "") -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
     """Import serve.py in a fresh interpreter: json_logging configures process-wide state once."""
     worker_path = tmp_path / "worker.py"
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index fa005b1..3611116 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 version = 1
-revision = 3
+revision = 5
 requires-python = ">=3.10, <3.14"
 
 [[package]]
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "maestro-worker-python"
-version = "5.2.1"
+version = "5.2.2"
 source = { editable = "." }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "fastapi" },