diff --git a/runner/harness/abra.py b/runner/harness/abra.py
index 42f384f..f90cd16 100644
--- a/runner/harness/abra.py
+++ b/runner/harness/abra.py
@@ -184,7 +184,13 @@ def backup_create(domain: str, timeout: int = 900) -> str:
     # remote and fails "authentication required: Unauthorized". Returns the captured output, whose
     # restic JSON summary line carries the produced "snapshot_id" (the backup artifact, DG3) — note
     # `abra app backup snapshots` needs a TTY and is awkward to script, so we read the create output.
-    return _run_pty(["app", "backup", "create", domain, "-n", "-C", "-o"], timeout=timeout).stdout
+    out = _run_pty(["app", "backup", "create", domain, "-n", "-C", "-o"], timeout=timeout).stdout or ""
+    # Echo the backup output (incl. backupbot's pre-hook run / any "Failed to run command" or
+    # "Container ... not running" ERROR) into the run log. Backup is otherwise opaque: a pre-hook that
+    # fails to register/run leaves the DB dump out of the snapshot, surfacing only as a downstream
+    # restore RED with no cause. Bounded tail keeps it readable.
+    print(f"  [backup output]\n{out[-4000:]}", flush=True)
+    return out
 
 
 def restore(domain: str, timeout: int = 900) -> None: