diff --git a/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs b/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
index 739f06a6..057a973d 100644
--- a/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -271,7 +271,9 @@ Run `claw --help` for usage."
 /// matching against the error messages produced throughout the CLI surface.
 fn classify_error_kind(message: &str) -> &'static str {
     // Check specific patterns first (more specific before generic)
-    if message.starts_with("command_not_found:") {
+    if message.starts_with("unknown_slash_command:") {
+        "unknown_slash_command"
+    } else if message.starts_with("command_not_found:") {
         "command_not_found"
     } else if message.contains("missing Anthropic credentials") {
         "missing_credentials"
@@ -1764,7 +1766,10 @@ fn format_unknown_option(option: &str) -> String {
 }
 
 fn format_unknown_direct_slash_command(name: &str) -> String {
-    let mut message = format!("unknown slash command outside the REPL: /{name}");
+    // #827: prefix with classifier-friendly token so classify_error_kind
+    // returns "unknown_slash_command" instead of the opaque fallback.
+    let mut message =
+        format!("unknown_slash_command: unknown slash command outside the REPL: /{name}");
     if let Some(suggestions) = render_suggestion_line("Did you mean", &suggest_slash_commands(name))
     {
         message.push('\n');
@@ -1779,7 +1784,9 @@ fn format_unknown_direct_slash_command(name: &str) -> String {
 }
 
 fn format_unknown_slash_command(name: &str) -> String {
-    let mut message = format!("Unknown slash command: /{name}");
+    // #827: prefix with classifier-friendly token so classify_error_kind
+    // can return "unknown_slash_command" instead of the opaque fallback.
+    let mut message = format!("unknown_slash_command: Unknown slash command: /{name}");
     if let Some(suggestions) = render_suggestion_line("Did you mean", &suggest_slash_commands(name))
     {
         message.push('\n');
diff --git a/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/tests/output_format_contract.rs b/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/tests/output_format_contract.rs
index 6dd72909..8d7ff7b1 100644
--- a/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/tests/output_format_contract.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/tests/output_format_contract.rs
@@ -3967,3 +3967,29 @@ fn multi_word_unknown_subcommand_falls_through_to_prompt_826() {
         "multi-word fallthrough JSON must have empty stderr: {stderr:?}"
     );
 }
+
+// #827: direct /unknown-slash-command must emit typed error_kind, not "unknown"
+// Uses the direct-slash CLI path (no session load needed; reproducible on CI).
+#[test]
+fn direct_unknown_slash_command_emits_typed_error_kind() {
+    let root = unique_temp_dir("direct-unknown-slash-827");
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&root).expect("create temp dir");
+    let output = run_claw(&root, &["--output-format", "json", "/boguscommand"], &[]);
+    assert_eq!(output.status.code(), Some(1), "unknown slash should exit 1");
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+    let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+    let j: serde_json::Value =
+        serde_json::from_str(stdout.trim()).expect("unknown slash must emit JSON (#827)");
+    assert_ne!(
+        j["error_kind"], "unknown",
+        "direct unknown slash must not emit opaque \'unknown\' error_kind (#827): {j}"
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        j["error_kind"], "unknown_slash_command",
+        "direct unknown slash must emit unknown_slash_command (#827): {j}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        stderr.is_empty(),
+        "direct unknown slash JSON must have empty stderr (#827)"
+    );
+}