diff --git a/coderd/aitasks.go b/coderd/aitasks.go
index 967cf361a4..f0adb3b8ea 100644
--- a/coderd/aitasks.go
+++ b/coderd/aitasks.go
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ func (api *API) taskSend(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		}
 
 		if statusResp.Status != agentapisdk.StatusStable {
-			return httperror.NewResponseError(http.StatusBadGateway, codersdk.Response{
+			return httperror.NewResponseError(http.StatusConflict, codersdk.Response{
 				Message: "Task app is not ready to accept input.",
 				Detail:  fmt.Sprintf("Status: %s", statusResp.Status),
 			})
diff --git a/coderd/aitasks_test.go b/coderd/aitasks_test.go
index b16b2345f0..b1f703b912 100644
--- a/coderd/aitasks_test.go
+++ b/coderd/aitasks_test.go
@@ -789,6 +789,11 @@ func TestTasks(t *testing.T) {
 			})
 			require.Error(t, err, "wanted error due to bad status")
 
+			var sdkErr *codersdk.Error
+			require.ErrorAs(t, err, &sdkErr)
+			require.Equal(t, http.StatusConflict, sdkErr.StatusCode())
+			require.Contains(t, sdkErr.Message, "not ready to accept input")
+
 			statusResponse = agentapisdk.StatusStable
 
 			//nolint:tparallel // Not intended to run in parallel.