diff --git a/src/app/imex/sync/sync-wrapper.service.spec.ts b/src/app/imex/sync/sync-wrapper.service.spec.ts
index 6309b4c41f..9d95dc25dc 100644
--- a/src/app/imex/sync/sync-wrapper.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/imex/sync/sync-wrapper.service.spec.ts
@@ -392,6 +392,41 @@ describe('SyncWrapperService', () => {
 
       expect(mockProviderManager.setSyncStatus).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
+
+    it('should set ERROR and return HANDLED_ERROR when upload has rejected ops', async () => {
+      mockSyncService.uploadPendingOps.and.returnValue(
+        Promise.resolve({
+          uploadedCount: 0,
+          rejectedCount: 1,
+          piggybackedOps: [],
+          rejectedOps: [{ opId: 'test-op', error: 'Payload too complex (max depth 50)' }],
+          localWinOpsCreated: 0,
+        }),
+      );
+
+      const result = await service.sync();
+
+      expect(result).toBe('HANDLED_ERROR');
+      expect(mockProviderManager.setSyncStatus).toHaveBeenCalledWith('ERROR');
+      expect(mockProviderManager.setSyncStatus).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('IN_SYNC');
+    });
+
+    it('should set ERROR for non-payload rejected ops', async () => {
+      mockSyncService.uploadPendingOps.and.returnValue(
+        Promise.resolve({
+          uploadedCount: 0,
+          rejectedCount: 1,
+          piggybackedOps: [],
+          rejectedOps: [{ opId: 'test-op', error: 'Some other rejection' }],
+          localWinOpsCreated: 0,
+        }),
+      );
+
+      const result = await service.sync();
+
+      expect(result).toBe('HANDLED_ERROR');
+      expect(mockProviderManager.setSyncStatus).toHaveBeenCalledWith('ERROR');
+    });
   });
 
   describe('Error handling', () => {
diff --git a/src/app/imex/sync/sync-wrapper.service.ts b/src/app/imex/sync/sync-wrapper.service.ts
index 3ed72d8c35..d1a0e71041 100644
--- a/src/app/imex/sync/sync-wrapper.service.ts
+++ b/src/app/imex/sync/sync-wrapper.service.ts
@@ -238,11 +238,9 @@ export class SyncWrapperService {
             'SyncWrapperService: Upload rejected - payload too large/complex',
             uploadResult.rejectedOps,
           );
-          this._providerManager.setSyncStatus('SYNC_ERROR');
-          this._snackService.open({
-            msg: T.F.SYNC.S.ERROR_PAYLOAD_TOO_LARGE,
-            type: 'ERROR',
-          });
+          this._providerManager.setSyncStatus('ERROR');
+          // Use alert for maximum visibility - this is a critical error
+          alert(this._translateService.instant(T.F.SYNC.S.ERROR_PAYLOAD_TOO_LARGE));
           return 'HANDLED_ERROR';
         }
 
@@ -251,7 +249,7 @@ export class SyncWrapperService {
           'SyncWrapperService: Upload had rejected operations, not marking as IN_SYNC',
           uploadResult.rejectedOps,
         );
-        this._providerManager.setSyncStatus('SYNC_ERROR');
+        this._providerManager.setSyncStatus('ERROR');
         return 'HANDLED_ERROR';
       }
 
diff --git a/src/app/t.const.ts b/src/app/t.const.ts
index 977c137af8..ab066e9c91 100644
--- a/src/app/t.const.ts
+++ b/src/app/t.const.ts
@@ -1099,6 +1099,7 @@ const T = {
         REMOTE_DATA_TOO_OLD: 'F.SYNC.S.REMOTE_DATA_TOO_OLD',
         STORAGE_QUOTA_EXCEEDED: 'F.SYNC.S.STORAGE_QUOTA_EXCEEDED',
         STORAGE_RECOVERED_AFTER_COMPACTION: 'F.SYNC.S.STORAGE_RECOVERED_AFTER_COMPACTION',
+        ERROR_PAYLOAD_TOO_LARGE: 'F.SYNC.S.ERROR_PAYLOAD_TOO_LARGE',
         SUCCESS_DOWNLOAD: 'F.SYNC.S.SUCCESS_DOWNLOAD',
         SUCCESS_VIA_BUTTON: 'F.SYNC.S.SUCCESS_VIA_BUTTON',
         UNKNOWN_ERROR: 'F.SYNC.S.UNKNOWN_ERROR',
diff --git a/src/assets/i18n/en.json b/src/assets/i18n/en.json
index 5165dd4ef0..07d25142ef 100644
--- a/src/assets/i18n/en.json
+++ b/src/assets/i18n/en.json
@@ -1076,6 +1076,7 @@
         "REMOTE_DATA_TOO_OLD": "Remote data is too old to be processed. Please update your remote app.",
         "STORAGE_QUOTA_EXCEEDED": "Sync server storage is full. Your changes are NOT syncing. Please archive old tasks or upgrade your plan.",
         "STORAGE_RECOVERED_AFTER_COMPACTION": "Storage was running low. Old data cleaned up successfully.",
+        "ERROR_PAYLOAD_TOO_LARGE": "Sync Error: Your data is too large to upload.\n\nThis happens when you have a lot of archived tasks. Your data was NOT synced.\n\nPlease contact support for assistance.",
         "SUCCESS_DOWNLOAD": "Synced data from remote",
         "SUCCESS_VIA_BUTTON": "Data successfully synced",
         "UNKNOWN_ERROR": "Unknown Sync Error: {{err}}",