diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs b/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
index 84ff854a..b077b979 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
@@ -147,6 +147,31 @@ pub async fn is_present() -> bool {
     stdout.lines().any(|l| l.trim() == FORGE_CONTAINER)
 }
 
+/// Name a `forgejo admin` invocation for an error message without
+/// reproducing its arguments: keep the leading verb path, stop at the
+/// first flag. `["user", "create", "--username", "iris", "--password",
+/// "…"]` becomes `forgejo admin user create`.
+///
+/// The verbs are an **allowlist**, and that is the whole point. Some
+/// callers pass a live secret as an argument value (`--password`), so a
+/// message built from the raw vector puts it in the log. Listing the
+/// flags to *hide* instead would repeat the bug this guards against: a
+/// newly added secret-bearing flag would leak until someone remembered
+/// to extend the list. Verbs are a closed set this crate chooses
+/// itself; argument values never are.
+fn describe_forge_admin(args: &[&str]) -> String {
+    let verbs: Vec<&str> = args
+        .iter()
+        .take_while(|a| !a.starts_with('-'))
+        .copied()
+        .collect();
+    if verbs.is_empty() {
+        "forgejo admin".to_owned()
+    } else {
+        format!("forgejo admin {}", verbs.join(" "))
+    }
+}
+
 /// Run `forgejo admin <args>` inside the hive-forge container as the
 /// forgejo user (the only uid with write access to the state dir).
 /// Returns stdout on success; bails with stderr context on failure.
@@ -158,7 +183,7 @@ async fn forge_admin(args: &[&str]) -> Result<String> {
     //   nsenter: stat of /proc/<pid>/ns/user failed: Permission denied
     let (stdout, _stderr) = crate::priv_client::run_forge_admin(args)
         .await
-        .with_context(|| format!("forgejo admin {} (via hive-priv)", args.join(" ")))?;
+        .with_context(|| format!("{} (via hive-priv)", describe_forge_admin(args)))?;
     Ok(stdout)
 }
 
@@ -561,3 +586,44 @@ pub async fn ensure_config_pr_webhook(
     tracing::info!(%target_url, "forge: config-pr webhook created on org {CONFIG_ORG}");
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::describe_forge_admin;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn describe_keeps_the_verb_path_and_drops_every_value() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            describe_forge_admin(&[
+                "user",
+                "create",
+                "--username",
+                "iris",
+                "--email",
+                "iris@hyperhive.local",
+                "--random-password",
+            ]),
+            "forgejo admin user create"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn describe_does_not_reproduce_a_password_argument() {
+        let described = describe_forge_admin(&[
+            "user",
+            "change-password",
+            "--username",
+            "iris",
+            "--password",
+            "correct-horse-battery-staple",
+        ]);
+        assert_eq!(described, "forgejo admin user change-password");
+        assert!(!described.contains("correct-horse-battery-staple"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn describe_survives_a_leading_flag_and_an_empty_vector() {
+        assert_eq!(describe_forge_admin(&["--help"]), "forgejo admin");
+        assert_eq!(describe_forge_admin(&[]), "forgejo admin");
+    }
+}